Welcome to Wimauma!

Last night our team of 19 youth and 7 adults arrived in Wimauma, Florida! Our arrival brought cheers from the group and we were immediately greeted by Pastor Romiro Ros, who was equally excited to see us. A quick tour of the facilities was all we needed before dragging in our things and plopping them down in the sanctuary, our new home for the week. Earlier in the week, Elizabeth Smith learned that the shower situation at Beth-El was going to be a little interesting. The shower facilities down the road typically used by visiting groups would not be available to us, so the nervous question, "What will our showers be like?" was on all of our minds as we drove from Virginia to Florida. There was talk of sink showers, bathing with baby wipes, etc. for miles and miles...but none of these creative ideas were necessary in the end! When we arrived we were greeted by a newly built (just for us!) outdoor shower, complete with two shower heads, one "inside" and one outside. (see picture below) Though not terribly dirty from our trip down, everyone eagerly put on their bathing suits and took turns in the "Shampoo Salon." It was a happy way to end a happy day.

Before bed we reflected on the day, commenting on the beautiful things we saw on the trip from Savannah, GA, where we slept Friday night. "The Spanish Moss," several people said. "The hospitality we received at Henry's!" "The cute shower they built just for us!" "The river and sights in Savannah!" It was clear beauty was all around us and that everyone was paying attention. : ) Oh, and did I mention the free, DELICIOUS fresh squeezed OJ that the state of Florida hands out at the Welcome Center?! What a treat.

(Picture: Outside of FPC Savannah, ready for another day!) Now that we have regular wi-fi, we will be blogging each evening about our day. Stay tuned for a post later on tonight as Alex and Olivia reflect on our first full day with the Beth-El community. Here are a few more pics from our trip down to Florida...