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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Enter (02/27/06)
My name is Brooks Matthews and my life is about to change. Perhaps you’ve seen a sign that reads, “You are now entering the mission field.” Every day of my life I have passed under a sign like that as I walked through the front door of my house. But now those words have become real to me as I travel to Portugal with my family. My parents were called several years ago to teach missionaries’ kids. Portugal will be my new home.

I have to admit that I’m kind of scared. For fourteen years I have lived a comfortable life, in a comfortable house, in a comfortable town. Change doesn’t come easy for a teenager, especially when you have to leave your friends behind. How I can become friends with Portuguese children if I can’t speak their language? I like American football. They like soccer. I like macaroni and cheese. They like fish. I’ve even been told that they like to eat snails. That’s gross!

I look out the window of our airplane and I see the same blue water that I have seen for the past five hours. As we get closer to land, I begin to see boats bobbing on the waves far below. The pilot says that plane has begun to descend. I guess he’s right because the boats seem larger and larger. The coast finally passes below the plane and I’m pleased to see the beach, one of the things I’m looking forward to about Portugal. My family is from Ohio, a state that is hundreds of miles away from the beach. We went to Florida for vacation one year and I couldn’t get over how beautiful the white sand and greenish-blue water was. Looking from above, I can tell that the sand in Portugal is not so white, but I can deal with that as long as we live near the beach.

The closer we get to landing the more nervous I become. As we descend lower and lower, I can make things out in greater detail. The roofs of all the houses look like they’re orange and I can see palm trees everywhere. Everything is strange and I’m going to be a stranger in this country.

It looks like we’re crossing a big river and we’re flying right over this bridge that looks like the Golden Gate Bridge. At the side of the river there is a gigantic statue of Jesus standing with his arms outstretched as if he’s welcoming me to Portugal. Wow! Maybe everything will be okay. I know that God is with me and the statue just proved it to me. Thank you God for thinking about me.

An hour has passed and we just landed, picked up our luggage, and met the missionary family that came to pick us up. I peer through the large windows of the airport at an unfamiliar street crammed with cars, buses, and mopeds. With a deep breath, I pick up my suitcase, walk through the door, and enter the mission field.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Lynda Schultz 
03/08/06
Good connection between your opening statement and the end - something I often forget to do personally! MK's are special people who face tons of challenges that they didn't necessarily choose. Glad Brooks came through. Good job.
Helen Paynter
03/10/06
I can't make up my mind if this is autobiographical or fiction. If you really are a fourteen year old, this is very mature writing. Either way, good job! I really sense your apprehension.