I woke up relatively early and got in line for the shower. During this time I talked to some of the other people, most of which only knew Spanish. This was not an easy task first thing in the morning. I tried to shower and get ready as quickly as possible, then grabbed a quick breakfast, then we had a little devotional time before we split up and headed out. We walked to a different bus station with another team who was headed in the same direction, piled on, and were off. We stopped several places along the way, and people got on and off. What was interesting was that the bus was over sold, so for about an hour the aisle was filled with people who had no where to sit. I'm used to that happening on city buses where you only ride for a few minutes or a few stops, but a country bus, where it's at least 20-30 minutes between stops was an interesting sight. The other team got off, and we headed on for another hour and a half. Our team went the furthest of the three. We were actually very very close to the border of Argentina. I slept a lot during this bus ride, but when I wasn't sleeping I was enjoying the scenery outside. The south is beautiful, and I was enjoying seeing the countryside. I don't get a lot of that in Santiago!
We got to our stop around 1:30, and we were pretty much left off in the middle of no where with all our stuff. It was a dirt road, and I saw no houses in sight. What on earth were we going to do? Walk. Yup, we picked up our gear and headed off. However, the house was just over a hill, so it wasn't really that far at all. Some of the people had been to this house before, so they knew the people. So they had a good time catching up. We pretty much sat outside in the shade for the rest of the day, talking. This was a difficult time for me. I didn't really know anyone on the team at all yet, and I had an even harder time understanding the people we were staying with. Eventually I had the opportunity to talk to some members of the team separately, so that was a bit easier. We were waiting for the last member of our team to come so we could eat. He had stayed back in Victoria to buy our food supplies for the week, and then was driving in his truck to us. We expected him around 4. He didn't get there until at least 8:30, I think, so we were a little bit worried. But he got there, no problem.
Since nothing else really happened that day, I'm going to describe the living situation a little bit. (I also have pictures to show you, and I'll put up a link in one of these posts.) The house was very very basic. There were four rooms, all of which were relatively small--a living room, a kitchen, and 2 bedrooms. I stayed with a family of 6, the parents, an 8 yr old boy, a 6 yr old girl, and twin 4 yr old boys. They were wild! The house on the outside was aluminum siding, and the inside was basic unfinished drywall type material. Since they've only had electricity for about a year, all the cables and wiring were on the outside of the wall, not behind it. The electricity was pretty much only used for lights, although on occasion they played the radio. The heating and cooking were accomplished by wood stoves, a small one in the living room, and a full blown stove in the kitchen. The kitchen sink was outside and was basically a wooden trough with a hose attached to it. This is where we did everything from the dishes to our laundry to washing our hair and teeth. The "plumbing" was an outhouse at the back of the yard. This particular outhouse had seen better days. One corner of the roof would flap in the wind, the door was locked only by a wire that we wrapped around a nail (and the wire would often fall off), there were holes in some of the walls, and the fourth wall was only about half there. It was quite breezy! The actual seat was very low (I think due to the fact that they had small children), and since it was wood, soaked up anything the little boys didn't make into the hole. Gross? Yes, but that's how it was. I was in outhouses that were nicer--with a higher seat with a lid and all four walls--and outhouses that were worse--with a door that had fallen off its hinges and had to be rested in place, and that wasn't tall enough for me to stand up straight in. That brings me to another point. I was pretty much the tallest person all week. Even among my team members. One of the pastors was about my height. Other than that, I was the tallest. All the benches and chairs were on the shorter side. I felt like a giant!! I felt like I stood out even more than I do in the city. At least in the city there are other foreigners, but in the country I didn't see any others. And the Mapuche are even darker and shorter. It was an odd feeling to stand out so much.
We actually lived pretty well during the week. We each had our own bed with plenty of blankets. They weren't nice beds or nice blankets, but I was warm and comfortable, so I didn't care. The family cooked every meal for us and rarely let us do the dishes. Some of the other teams had to live in tents all week and had a hard time finding kitchens to cook in. So we were living in luxury!
It was very interesting to have most of my life in Spanish. It was difficult at times, very difficult. But I was never completely in the dark, since I could speak in English to a few people. Although I tried to keep most of my conversation in Spanish. I learned A LOT, but it wasn't easy!
Ok, that's about all for now. I still have MANY days to write about, but I need a bit of a break. :o)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Mapuche Trip, Day 1
Well, I'm back from my trip down south to work with the Mapuches, a native tribe here in Chile. It was definitely an amazing trip, and I learned a lot--about cultures, about God, about Spanish. I'm going to try to post all about it, but since it was about a 10 day trip, I'm really going to have to abbreviate some things!
It all started on a Friday, January 18th. Melissa and I lugged my bag to the bus station downtown to meet the other girl that I would be traveling with. I was so self conscious about my bag. It was huge, but it wasn't packed full. But still, I looked sooo high maintenance! It didn't help that so many people made comments about it along the trip. Haha. So Whitney and I get on the bus and start our 8 hour bus ride to a town called Victoria where we would be meeting the rest of the people. About 45 minutes into our trip our bus broke down. So we had to wait about an hour and a half for a replacement to come along. That was fun! :o) The rest of the trip went relatively smoothly, except I banged my eye on the chair in front of me at one point, and was surprised that I didn't get a black eye. Also, when we left the bus at the end of the day, I found that my purse was drenched in juice. Someone behind me must've spilled. It was not pleasant. Whitney and I had a great time talking and getting to know each other. It was funny because neither of us really had any idea of what was going on in the trip!
So we got to Victoria around 8:30pm (about 2 hrs later than scheduled) and headed to the house where we'd all be staying that night. Since we were the first ones there, the hosts gave us the bedroom with beds. Nice! Then we walked around the town and got some dinner as we waited for the rest of the team. They eventually straggled in from different directions starting around 11pm. They had all been at a camp that week, so they all knew each other. I was a little worried how I was going to fit it, especially not speaking much Spanish. It took awhile for me to find out any details about what would be going on. I finally found out what group I'd be with. There were 26 of us altogether, and we'd be splitting up into 3 groups. There were 3 Americans (including me), 3 Germans (all of whom spoke English), and the rest were Spanish speakers (mostly Chilean, although there was at least one Mexican...a few of these people spoke English to varying degrees). One one team was all three of the Germans and the American who was in charge of the whole thing, Whitney was on another team, and I was on the third. They were joking about having to have one foreigner per team. So that was interesting. I did find out that the leader of my team, a girl named Cote (pronounced Coat-AY) spoke English fluently, and later not too much later I discovered that one or two of my team members spoke very basic English. So I wasn't completely lost!
After finding out at least a little bit about my team assignments, I decided it was a good idea to go to bed. So I did. And that was it for day 1.
It all started on a Friday, January 18th. Melissa and I lugged my bag to the bus station downtown to meet the other girl that I would be traveling with. I was so self conscious about my bag. It was huge, but it wasn't packed full. But still, I looked sooo high maintenance! It didn't help that so many people made comments about it along the trip. Haha. So Whitney and I get on the bus and start our 8 hour bus ride to a town called Victoria where we would be meeting the rest of the people. About 45 minutes into our trip our bus broke down. So we had to wait about an hour and a half for a replacement to come along. That was fun! :o) The rest of the trip went relatively smoothly, except I banged my eye on the chair in front of me at one point, and was surprised that I didn't get a black eye. Also, when we left the bus at the end of the day, I found that my purse was drenched in juice. Someone behind me must've spilled. It was not pleasant. Whitney and I had a great time talking and getting to know each other. It was funny because neither of us really had any idea of what was going on in the trip!
So we got to Victoria around 8:30pm (about 2 hrs later than scheduled) and headed to the house where we'd all be staying that night. Since we were the first ones there, the hosts gave us the bedroom with beds. Nice! Then we walked around the town and got some dinner as we waited for the rest of the team. They eventually straggled in from different directions starting around 11pm. They had all been at a camp that week, so they all knew each other. I was a little worried how I was going to fit it, especially not speaking much Spanish. It took awhile for me to find out any details about what would be going on. I finally found out what group I'd be with. There were 26 of us altogether, and we'd be splitting up into 3 groups. There were 3 Americans (including me), 3 Germans (all of whom spoke English), and the rest were Spanish speakers (mostly Chilean, although there was at least one Mexican...a few of these people spoke English to varying degrees). One one team was all three of the Germans and the American who was in charge of the whole thing, Whitney was on another team, and I was on the third. They were joking about having to have one foreigner per team. So that was interesting. I did find out that the leader of my team, a girl named Cote (pronounced Coat-AY) spoke English fluently, and later not too much later I discovered that one or two of my team members spoke very basic English. So I wasn't completely lost!
After finding out at least a little bit about my team assignments, I decided it was a good idea to go to bed. So I did. And that was it for day 1.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Disappointment
So today was an interesting day. I found out that vacation plans have fallen through. My immediate reaction was disappointment and self-pity. I'm such a selfish human. Something that I was very much looking forward to do, and that I thought was going to happen, has changed completely. There is an outside chance that it will still happen, but it's not likely. It's probable that we'll do something else, not quite as nice, but still something. And then it's possible that nothing will happen at all and everything I've been looking forward to will be for naught, with no time for me to come up with my own backup option. When I found this out, I was very disappointed, to say the least. And I'm still not sure what's going to come of it. I'm just kind of waiting for them to figure things out, then let me know.
It's all very disheartening.
And I've been in Chile long enough to know this was highly possible. And I was warned that it had happened many times in the past. But I was just so excited about it, that I didn't care. You see, quite often in Chile, plans aren't for sure until everyone actually shows up. This can be a challenge. They can be the most well-intentioned, loving people, really good friends, but it doesn't matter. It's not about that. They don't see it as anything offensive; it's just the way the culture is. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, and I have also met people like this in the States. But it can make planning very difficult!
This week I've started a study in James, and I've been going through the first 12 verses of the first chapter. As you may know, it's all about trials, wisdom, and perseverance. Now, I certainly don't want to blow this whole situation out of proportion. The word "trial" is a bit too strong to describe it. :o) But the same principle applies. I've learned a lot this week, but one thing really stuck out to me. It's impossible to get through trials, ask for and use wisdom, and persevere and learn through the trial, if you can't have joy throughout it, a right attitude. And you can't have a right attitude without focusing on God. (This all makes so much more sense in my head. I just can't communicate it very well.) No matter how big or how small the trial is, I need to endure it, I need to ask for wisdom throughout it. God wants to teach me something. And for all of that to be possible, I have to have a positive, Christlike attitude. I can't be bitter, I can't be self-pitying, I can't be selfish. All of that is too distracting from what we're supposed to learn. It's too disheartening to allow us to endure. When we have a Christlike attitude, we're open to the strength God gives us to get through, and we're open to the lesson we have to learn.
So, all that to say that I'm just going to pray for joy and patience and understanding, and trust that what God wants me to experience with my Chilean friends, I will experience.
I'm sure that I could have written this much more eloquently, but there it is. This is what happened today, what I thought about, what I learned. I just wanted to share it with you all.
It's all very disheartening.
And I've been in Chile long enough to know this was highly possible. And I was warned that it had happened many times in the past. But I was just so excited about it, that I didn't care. You see, quite often in Chile, plans aren't for sure until everyone actually shows up. This can be a challenge. They can be the most well-intentioned, loving people, really good friends, but it doesn't matter. It's not about that. They don't see it as anything offensive; it's just the way the culture is. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, and I have also met people like this in the States. But it can make planning very difficult!
This week I've started a study in James, and I've been going through the first 12 verses of the first chapter. As you may know, it's all about trials, wisdom, and perseverance. Now, I certainly don't want to blow this whole situation out of proportion. The word "trial" is a bit too strong to describe it. :o) But the same principle applies. I've learned a lot this week, but one thing really stuck out to me. It's impossible to get through trials, ask for and use wisdom, and persevere and learn through the trial, if you can't have joy throughout it, a right attitude. And you can't have a right attitude without focusing on God. (This all makes so much more sense in my head. I just can't communicate it very well.) No matter how big or how small the trial is, I need to endure it, I need to ask for wisdom throughout it. God wants to teach me something. And for all of that to be possible, I have to have a positive, Christlike attitude. I can't be bitter, I can't be self-pitying, I can't be selfish. All of that is too distracting from what we're supposed to learn. It's too disheartening to allow us to endure. When we have a Christlike attitude, we're open to the strength God gives us to get through, and we're open to the lesson we have to learn.
So, all that to say that I'm just going to pray for joy and patience and understanding, and trust that what God wants me to experience with my Chilean friends, I will experience.
I'm sure that I could have written this much more eloquently, but there it is. This is what happened today, what I thought about, what I learned. I just wanted to share it with you all.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Christmas vacation over, now on to summer vacation!
Hello, everyone from my first post of 2008! Who knows what God will bring us this year? I'm looking forward to finding out!
My month at home was so wonderful--exactly what I was hoping for. I spent hours with my family and friends, talking and laughing, catching up and reminiscing. I was able to fit in almost everything I wanted to do and see almost everyone I wanted to see. It's amazing how fast time can fly, and eventually I had to face my departure. I went through many interesting emotions the few days before I left. I can honestly say that it was actually harder to leave this time than the first time. Sound backwards? Let me explain. The first time I left it was an adventure--I had no idea what to expect but was ready to jump right in. This time I knew exactly where I was going and what it would be like. Still an exciting adventure, but one that I was familiar with. And having been back with my family and friends, I realized how much I had missed them when I was gone. Part of me wishes I could combine both worlds....but I suppose I can't have my cake and eat it to, as the saying goes. :o) In other words, this time when I prepared for my journey, it felt more like leaving somewhere than going somewhere. Does that make sense? Needless to say, it was more difficult than I anticipated. But I had a sneaking suspicion that once I landed in Chile and got back into the swing of things, I'd be completely over those emotions and would realize how much I had missed people here while I was gone. I'm pleased to announce that I do know myself at least a little. :o) Once I got back to Chile, it felt like coming home again as well, and I was excited to get back into life in the Southern Hemisphere.
I didn't really have much of an idea what my summer would be like when I landed in Chile. School doesn't start until February 20something, so I knew I had plenty of time. I knew about the trip I'll be taking next week with Campus Crusade to work with the Mapuche Indians. I had no details about the trip, but I knew that I was going. So I decided to ask about what I would actually be doing! There are several parts to the ministry, but I'll mainly be working with the Vacation Bible School they'll be putting on for the Mapuche kids. This should be interesting, since there will be something of a language barrier (as with many aspects of my life down here). But there's a secondary language barrier. Many of the Mapuche speak their own language, and not Spanish. So there will be a translator, but most likely the translator won't know English. So if I can't figure out how to say something in Spanish, it will have to go through one of the other Americans to be translated into Spanish so it can then be translated into the Mapuche language! Yikes! Luckily I know of at least 4 other English speakers going, although for the most part they'll be Chileans. As far as the living conditions go, I knew we'd be roughing it, but I've found out more details. Let me just say, as a not very experienced camper, it should be interesting. We'll be sleeping in tents or on the floors of mud huts. The days are warm but the nights can get down near the freezing point. The bathrooms, unless we're surprised by something more luxurious, will be outhouses, and our showers/baths will be the river. Yes, the river. Now, many summers in camp when it was too hot to take hot showers we would just bathe in the creek...but that was many years ago. So, I'm highly expecting to have many "miserable" moments on this trip...uncomfortable sleeping situations will make me ache and tired, and the plumbing situation is inconvenient at best. HOWEVER, I'm SO excited to see what God will do with the week. It will be unlike anything I've ever done before and I'm sure God will teach me through it. Hopefully I will be able to minister to the Mapuche people regardless of language differences.
After that, if all goes according to plan (and I really hope it doesn't fall through), I will be traveling with some of my Chilean friends throughout southern Chile for three weeks! I'm so excited about it! They don't speak English, for the most part, so it will be a solid 3 weeks of Spanish, plus the week with the Chilean Campus Crusade students. So hopefully after a month of that much Spanish my comprehension and vocabulary will grow immensely. That's one of my goals! I'll keep you posted on the plans for everything and how it all comes together.
Well, that's about it for now. I just wanted to catch everyone up on what's going on with me. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement, and for being so interested in what's going on in Chile. I love talking about it and I appreciate when you ask. :o)
I hope you all enjoy your winter...It's been in the high 80s all week here! :o)
Until the next time....
My month at home was so wonderful--exactly what I was hoping for. I spent hours with my family and friends, talking and laughing, catching up and reminiscing. I was able to fit in almost everything I wanted to do and see almost everyone I wanted to see. It's amazing how fast time can fly, and eventually I had to face my departure. I went through many interesting emotions the few days before I left. I can honestly say that it was actually harder to leave this time than the first time. Sound backwards? Let me explain. The first time I left it was an adventure--I had no idea what to expect but was ready to jump right in. This time I knew exactly where I was going and what it would be like. Still an exciting adventure, but one that I was familiar with. And having been back with my family and friends, I realized how much I had missed them when I was gone. Part of me wishes I could combine both worlds....but I suppose I can't have my cake and eat it to, as the saying goes. :o) In other words, this time when I prepared for my journey, it felt more like leaving somewhere than going somewhere. Does that make sense? Needless to say, it was more difficult than I anticipated. But I had a sneaking suspicion that once I landed in Chile and got back into the swing of things, I'd be completely over those emotions and would realize how much I had missed people here while I was gone. I'm pleased to announce that I do know myself at least a little. :o) Once I got back to Chile, it felt like coming home again as well, and I was excited to get back into life in the Southern Hemisphere.
I didn't really have much of an idea what my summer would be like when I landed in Chile. School doesn't start until February 20something, so I knew I had plenty of time. I knew about the trip I'll be taking next week with Campus Crusade to work with the Mapuche Indians. I had no details about the trip, but I knew that I was going. So I decided to ask about what I would actually be doing! There are several parts to the ministry, but I'll mainly be working with the Vacation Bible School they'll be putting on for the Mapuche kids. This should be interesting, since there will be something of a language barrier (as with many aspects of my life down here). But there's a secondary language barrier. Many of the Mapuche speak their own language, and not Spanish. So there will be a translator, but most likely the translator won't know English. So if I can't figure out how to say something in Spanish, it will have to go through one of the other Americans to be translated into Spanish so it can then be translated into the Mapuche language! Yikes! Luckily I know of at least 4 other English speakers going, although for the most part they'll be Chileans. As far as the living conditions go, I knew we'd be roughing it, but I've found out more details. Let me just say, as a not very experienced camper, it should be interesting. We'll be sleeping in tents or on the floors of mud huts. The days are warm but the nights can get down near the freezing point. The bathrooms, unless we're surprised by something more luxurious, will be outhouses, and our showers/baths will be the river. Yes, the river. Now, many summers in camp when it was too hot to take hot showers we would just bathe in the creek...but that was many years ago. So, I'm highly expecting to have many "miserable" moments on this trip...uncomfortable sleeping situations will make me ache and tired, and the plumbing situation is inconvenient at best. HOWEVER, I'm SO excited to see what God will do with the week. It will be unlike anything I've ever done before and I'm sure God will teach me through it. Hopefully I will be able to minister to the Mapuche people regardless of language differences.
After that, if all goes according to plan (and I really hope it doesn't fall through), I will be traveling with some of my Chilean friends throughout southern Chile for three weeks! I'm so excited about it! They don't speak English, for the most part, so it will be a solid 3 weeks of Spanish, plus the week with the Chilean Campus Crusade students. So hopefully after a month of that much Spanish my comprehension and vocabulary will grow immensely. That's one of my goals! I'll keep you posted on the plans for everything and how it all comes together.
Well, that's about it for now. I just wanted to catch everyone up on what's going on with me. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement, and for being so interested in what's going on in Chile. I love talking about it and I appreciate when you ask. :o)
I hope you all enjoy your winter...It's been in the high 80s all week here! :o)
Until the next time....
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Merry Christmas from the States!
Merry Christmas, one and all! I'm sorry for the delay in posting. I have arrived safely home, for those who haven't figured that out or seen me yet. :o)
The last few days of school were crazy, as I expected. And I had a cold, too! I went all semester without really getting sick and then had to fight it for the last 2 days! The other thing I had to fight was the visa red tape process. I'll make a very long story kinda short. I hadn't gotten anything in the mail, like I expected. So I checked my progress online, and it said if I didn't get anything within 30 days to just go downtown and do it in person. Well, it had been more than 30 days since I had mailed everything in, so Sunday night I scrambled finding someone to go with me downtown and also someone to cover all my classes. It was not easy, but I straightened everything out. The next morning, after getting just a little lost, I made my way to the visa office. I took my ticket (like the kind you have to take at the deli counter) and looked at my number--D03. Ok, what does that mean? When we took our seats, a woman walked up to the waiting room and started calling numbers in the 60s. So I figured I'd have to wait through about 40 numbers. After 25 minutes or so, she started calling numbers in the 90s and I got my things together. She called 97, 98, 99, C00, C01...We were only just starting the C's and I was in the D's!!! So close, and yet so far away! After another hour and change, my number was called. Less than 5 minutes later we were leaving the building. Not because Chilean red tape is easy to navigate. But because there was nothing I could do there that day. I had to wait 30 days after my APPROVAL date, not my application date. I was approved Dec 6th! So basically what I had was a temporary interim visa until my real one came in. So although no progress was made, I did find out that I was safe to leave the country and come back again (which was really good since my flight home was the next day!!).
So, that being done, having skipped a day of classes for nothing (classes reviewing for finals, no less), we stopped for a quick lunch at Burger King before I had to be back for my last class. We ordered a rodeo burger (burger, with onion rings and barbecue sauce), but they ran out of onion rings. So it was really just a regular burger with barbecue sauce. Well, it tasted a little odd. Kinda sweet. It wasn't bad, but it was very strange. After the two of us did some taste testing and research, my friend came up with the reason. The barbecue sauce was actually chocolate. Chocolate!! Can you imagine? It was highly amusing, at least. :o)
The next day, I flew home. The man sitting next to me on the plane was a Chilean cowboy who spoke limited English. So for the 5 or so hours that we talked, it was in Spanish about 90% of the time. And it was quite successful! If I didn't understand, he would reword or explain it to me. And if I said something wrong, he would correct me. So I learned a lot! It was very fun and very encouraging. I was able to help translate for him and the flight attendants, who didn't speak any Spanish, oddly enough. What's more, I found that I was so used to speaking Spanish in public, that I was saying excuse me and thank you in Spanish to the American flight attendants! It took awhile to switch over. This is a good sign, I think. :o) We were able to talk about many things, including our beliefs (albeit on a relatively shallow level due to the slight language barrier). He actually brought it up first, and as we continued the discussion, he was shocked and a bit befuddled at learning that I went to church EVERY Sunday. He said I must be very faithful and serious about it. I look forward to the day that I can deepen discussions like that. After the flight, I walked with my new friend, Roberto and his Chilean friend, who were both nervous about their next 6 months in Los Angeles. I was going to help them through customs. We walked through the airport at 6am, laughing and talking. I was trying to lighten their spirits and distract them from their nerves. All was going well until we came to the separate lines for American citizens and visitors. I had to say goodbye to them (which I did the Chilean way, with a kiss on the cheek, and got many odd stares from the Americans around me), and they had to fend for themselves. I never saw them again. I'm sure they did fine though!
My last week and a half home has been a whirlwind of visiting with friends and family. I thought a month would be plenty of time to fit it all in, but now I'm not so sure! It's been odd to be home, because most of the time it doesn't feel like I've been gone! I've stepped right back in to life in New Jersey. It's been so good to be home, to see my family, my friends, to drive (oh, how I've missed it and the independence that comes with it!), go to church, hear preaching in English, and so much more. I'm looking forward to Christmas and all the festivities it brings. It's always a fun day with family and friends.
I pray that each and every one of you has a blessed Christmas, and that you are able to enjoy every minute of the day, whether opening gifts, spending time with loved ones, laughing, eating, talking. Most importantly, I pray that you can praise God each moment for the gift, the reason for Christmas. Feliz Navidad!!
The last few days of school were crazy, as I expected. And I had a cold, too! I went all semester without really getting sick and then had to fight it for the last 2 days! The other thing I had to fight was the visa red tape process. I'll make a very long story kinda short. I hadn't gotten anything in the mail, like I expected. So I checked my progress online, and it said if I didn't get anything within 30 days to just go downtown and do it in person. Well, it had been more than 30 days since I had mailed everything in, so Sunday night I scrambled finding someone to go with me downtown and also someone to cover all my classes. It was not easy, but I straightened everything out. The next morning, after getting just a little lost, I made my way to the visa office. I took my ticket (like the kind you have to take at the deli counter) and looked at my number--D03. Ok, what does that mean? When we took our seats, a woman walked up to the waiting room and started calling numbers in the 60s. So I figured I'd have to wait through about 40 numbers. After 25 minutes or so, she started calling numbers in the 90s and I got my things together. She called 97, 98, 99, C00, C01...We were only just starting the C's and I was in the D's!!! So close, and yet so far away! After another hour and change, my number was called. Less than 5 minutes later we were leaving the building. Not because Chilean red tape is easy to navigate. But because there was nothing I could do there that day. I had to wait 30 days after my APPROVAL date, not my application date. I was approved Dec 6th! So basically what I had was a temporary interim visa until my real one came in. So although no progress was made, I did find out that I was safe to leave the country and come back again (which was really good since my flight home was the next day!!).
So, that being done, having skipped a day of classes for nothing (classes reviewing for finals, no less), we stopped for a quick lunch at Burger King before I had to be back for my last class. We ordered a rodeo burger (burger, with onion rings and barbecue sauce), but they ran out of onion rings. So it was really just a regular burger with barbecue sauce. Well, it tasted a little odd. Kinda sweet. It wasn't bad, but it was very strange. After the two of us did some taste testing and research, my friend came up with the reason. The barbecue sauce was actually chocolate. Chocolate!! Can you imagine? It was highly amusing, at least. :o)
The next day, I flew home. The man sitting next to me on the plane was a Chilean cowboy who spoke limited English. So for the 5 or so hours that we talked, it was in Spanish about 90% of the time. And it was quite successful! If I didn't understand, he would reword or explain it to me. And if I said something wrong, he would correct me. So I learned a lot! It was very fun and very encouraging. I was able to help translate for him and the flight attendants, who didn't speak any Spanish, oddly enough. What's more, I found that I was so used to speaking Spanish in public, that I was saying excuse me and thank you in Spanish to the American flight attendants! It took awhile to switch over. This is a good sign, I think. :o) We were able to talk about many things, including our beliefs (albeit on a relatively shallow level due to the slight language barrier). He actually brought it up first, and as we continued the discussion, he was shocked and a bit befuddled at learning that I went to church EVERY Sunday. He said I must be very faithful and serious about it. I look forward to the day that I can deepen discussions like that. After the flight, I walked with my new friend, Roberto and his Chilean friend, who were both nervous about their next 6 months in Los Angeles. I was going to help them through customs. We walked through the airport at 6am, laughing and talking. I was trying to lighten their spirits and distract them from their nerves. All was going well until we came to the separate lines for American citizens and visitors. I had to say goodbye to them (which I did the Chilean way, with a kiss on the cheek, and got many odd stares from the Americans around me), and they had to fend for themselves. I never saw them again. I'm sure they did fine though!
My last week and a half home has been a whirlwind of visiting with friends and family. I thought a month would be plenty of time to fit it all in, but now I'm not so sure! It's been odd to be home, because most of the time it doesn't feel like I've been gone! I've stepped right back in to life in New Jersey. It's been so good to be home, to see my family, my friends, to drive (oh, how I've missed it and the independence that comes with it!), go to church, hear preaching in English, and so much more. I'm looking forward to Christmas and all the festivities it brings. It's always a fun day with family and friends.
I pray that each and every one of you has a blessed Christmas, and that you are able to enjoy every minute of the day, whether opening gifts, spending time with loved ones, laughing, eating, talking. Most importantly, I pray that you can praise God each moment for the gift, the reason for Christmas. Feliz Navidad!!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Another year older...
It's been awhile since I've posted, and for good reason. The end of the semester is coming up and I feel like a chicken with its head cut off. However, I'm finally beginning to see an end in sight! I still have a ways to go and a lot to do, but I'm much much closer. It seems much more doable now (although it always was doable, because God gives me the strength to get everything done...and this is no exception!).
A lot has happened since I last posted, so I will try to quickly hit the highlights of the past few weeks.
Thanksgiving was a time of a lot of people, a lot of food, and a lot of sun. Most of the ABWE missionaries currently on the field got together at the Crosses house. They have a large house with more than enough space and a pool in the back yard. With everyone there, we totaled about 40 people!! It was quite busy! We had tables set up outside. I took it upon myself to organize the food on the table, because everything was helter-skelter. I basically directed a couple of my friends in what to do! So of course, I was designated to be the one to instruct people on how the system worked for maximum efficiency. I'll admit, it felt a little odd to be telling all those veteran missionaries what to do at my first Thanksgiving! :o) After we ate, the teenagers and kids jumped in the pool for awhile. I did not, although I was threatened with being thrown in a few times (it came to nothing, though!). Then we watched a movie with the teenagers (apparently a holiday tradition...always the same movie). And I wrapped up the day with quite possibly the oddest board game I have ever played in my life (and I've played some weird ones in my day). But I won, so I liked it. Haha.
All in all, it was a great day. And the first Thanksgiving where I had to wear sunblock! :o)
Just a few days later was my birthday. Saturday night I had some of my friends over. Being in Chile, they were 45 minutes late (except for my American friend. She was just on time and got to help me prepare the food. ha!). We ate, they teased me about my Spanish, as they tend to do, and I grew more and more stressed as the night went on. Why, you ask? I'll tell you. I really wanted to go bowling, but we were waiting for someone who was VERY late (over 3 hours...and he's American! He did have a reason...something went longer than he anticipated...but it was still a little stressful for me). People started talking about not going bowling because it was getting too late. Yikes! Well, to make a long story short, we ended up going and had a lot of fun. I almost won, too. Only one person beat me (ironically, it's the guy we were waiting so long for). :o)
So, to sum up my birthday--it was very fun and a little stressful. Some of the guys were acting extra silly to make me laugh when I was stressed. I did find it a little difficult at times to have a birthday party where I didn't understand half of what people were saying. But it's to be expected at my stage.
The following week I worked and worked and worked. I didn't get to bed before midnight the entire week. And it caught up to me Friday night. We were having some family time, preparing for Andrea's birthday party the next day. For some reason, I got VERY tired and VERY giddy. I was laughing at the stupidest things, and once I started, I could not stop. But I TRIED to stop, which made my laugh sound very strange. I have never heard myself laugh like that before. Melissa was egging me on, and Dave (the King of Corny Jokes) certainly didn't help at all either. It made me think of the scene from Mary Poppins where everyone is floating near the ceiling because they can't stop laughing. I certainly felt a little airheaded!! :o) We then spent at least half an hour trying to bounce bouncy-balls into a dinner glass. I lost every time, partially because I do not have an innate talent for aiming bouncy-balls, and partially because they would make me start to laugh almost every time and then everything went down the drain from there!
I've gotten a lot of work done this weekend, and still have had time to do some fun things. Yesterday was Andrea's birthday party, which was so fun (although I was still tired and was very tempted to leave and take a nap!!). Then in the evening I went to a graduation at the seminary to support our Chilean pastor who was graduating. Then afterwards I went to the Crosses with my American friends who live there and a bunch of their Chilean friends. It was VERY fun and funny since we sat around the table until about midnight, eating, sharing "most embarrassing/funny" stories, and laughing at a guy who dramatically fell out of his chair, flinging food everywhere. Needless to say, I was up very late.
I went to a Vineyard church this morning, which was a very interesting experience. If you don't know, Vineyard churches are Pentecostal, or at least lean heavily in that direction. I've been to churches who have Pentecostal tendencies, so I wasn't completely shocked, but it adds a whole other dimension when everything's in Spanish!! It was a good experience though, and I was glad to be able to spend some time with a friend who will soon be leaving Chile, and I probably won't ever see her again.
Looking forward, the next few days will be busy, but I'm hoping that by Wednesday I will have the bulk of my work done. Then it will be little odds and ends, and then preparing for my trip home. I'll be landing in Philly on December 12th, ready for the cold weather! Brrr!!! It's been 85 degrees and sunny every day for the past 2 weeks. (A few weeks ago we had a heat wave of 95 degrees for a few days! That was a bit torturous!!)
Ok, well this has ended up being much longer than I anticipated. I can't make anything short! My bed is calling me, and I must obey. Good night!
A lot has happened since I last posted, so I will try to quickly hit the highlights of the past few weeks.
Thanksgiving was a time of a lot of people, a lot of food, and a lot of sun. Most of the ABWE missionaries currently on the field got together at the Crosses house. They have a large house with more than enough space and a pool in the back yard. With everyone there, we totaled about 40 people!! It was quite busy! We had tables set up outside. I took it upon myself to organize the food on the table, because everything was helter-skelter. I basically directed a couple of my friends in what to do! So of course, I was designated to be the one to instruct people on how the system worked for maximum efficiency. I'll admit, it felt a little odd to be telling all those veteran missionaries what to do at my first Thanksgiving! :o) After we ate, the teenagers and kids jumped in the pool for awhile. I did not, although I was threatened with being thrown in a few times (it came to nothing, though!). Then we watched a movie with the teenagers (apparently a holiday tradition...always the same movie). And I wrapped up the day with quite possibly the oddest board game I have ever played in my life (and I've played some weird ones in my day). But I won, so I liked it. Haha.
All in all, it was a great day. And the first Thanksgiving where I had to wear sunblock! :o)
Just a few days later was my birthday. Saturday night I had some of my friends over. Being in Chile, they were 45 minutes late (except for my American friend. She was just on time and got to help me prepare the food. ha!). We ate, they teased me about my Spanish, as they tend to do, and I grew more and more stressed as the night went on. Why, you ask? I'll tell you. I really wanted to go bowling, but we were waiting for someone who was VERY late (over 3 hours...and he's American! He did have a reason...something went longer than he anticipated...but it was still a little stressful for me). People started talking about not going bowling because it was getting too late. Yikes! Well, to make a long story short, we ended up going and had a lot of fun. I almost won, too. Only one person beat me (ironically, it's the guy we were waiting so long for). :o)
So, to sum up my birthday--it was very fun and a little stressful. Some of the guys were acting extra silly to make me laugh when I was stressed. I did find it a little difficult at times to have a birthday party where I didn't understand half of what people were saying. But it's to be expected at my stage.
The following week I worked and worked and worked. I didn't get to bed before midnight the entire week. And it caught up to me Friday night. We were having some family time, preparing for Andrea's birthday party the next day. For some reason, I got VERY tired and VERY giddy. I was laughing at the stupidest things, and once I started, I could not stop. But I TRIED to stop, which made my laugh sound very strange. I have never heard myself laugh like that before. Melissa was egging me on, and Dave (the King of Corny Jokes) certainly didn't help at all either. It made me think of the scene from Mary Poppins where everyone is floating near the ceiling because they can't stop laughing. I certainly felt a little airheaded!! :o) We then spent at least half an hour trying to bounce bouncy-balls into a dinner glass. I lost every time, partially because I do not have an innate talent for aiming bouncy-balls, and partially because they would make me start to laugh almost every time and then everything went down the drain from there!
I've gotten a lot of work done this weekend, and still have had time to do some fun things. Yesterday was Andrea's birthday party, which was so fun (although I was still tired and was very tempted to leave and take a nap!!). Then in the evening I went to a graduation at the seminary to support our Chilean pastor who was graduating. Then afterwards I went to the Crosses with my American friends who live there and a bunch of their Chilean friends. It was VERY fun and funny since we sat around the table until about midnight, eating, sharing "most embarrassing/funny" stories, and laughing at a guy who dramatically fell out of his chair, flinging food everywhere. Needless to say, I was up very late.
I went to a Vineyard church this morning, which was a very interesting experience. If you don't know, Vineyard churches are Pentecostal, or at least lean heavily in that direction. I've been to churches who have Pentecostal tendencies, so I wasn't completely shocked, but it adds a whole other dimension when everything's in Spanish!! It was a good experience though, and I was glad to be able to spend some time with a friend who will soon be leaving Chile, and I probably won't ever see her again.
Looking forward, the next few days will be busy, but I'm hoping that by Wednesday I will have the bulk of my work done. Then it will be little odds and ends, and then preparing for my trip home. I'll be landing in Philly on December 12th, ready for the cold weather! Brrr!!! It's been 85 degrees and sunny every day for the past 2 weeks. (A few weeks ago we had a heat wave of 95 degrees for a few days! That was a bit torturous!!)
Ok, well this has ended up being much longer than I anticipated. I can't make anything short! My bed is calling me, and I must obey. Good night!
Monday, November 19, 2007
Weekend Retreat
This past weekend was both good and tiring. Our church had a women's retreat at the Word of Life camp in Santiago. There were slightly over 50 women from our church and a sister church or daughter church...I'm still a little unsure of what the connection is!
We got to the camp early Friday evening, and we were some of the first ones there. So, we helped set up. The sound equipment needed to be hooked up, balloons blown up, tables set, and gobs and gobs of food prepared. Friday evening there was going to be a "welcome meeting" and then an once (pronounced ohn-say) which is like a light evening meal. After using all my lung capacity to blow up some of the foulest tasting balloons I've ever encountered, I headed into the kitchen to see of what service I could be there. That, and I was starving since all I'd had since lunch was a bowl of strawberries, and at this point it's about 8:00. I started with easy jobs...putting bread into baskets and ham and cheese on plates. About this time I made a sandwich with my "boss" to appease my angry stomach. Even half a sandwich was enough to make me normal again! Then it was on to more difficult jobs.
The "boss," Vicky, was directing several women what to do. And of course, this is all done in Spanish, which made for some very interesting moments for me. I understand a good deal, but I wasn't always sure that I was doing what she had told me to do! After all the sandwich fixings were ready, she shows me to a counter with two large knives, a couple of plates, and a large bag of butter. Yes, I did say bag. It was tightly packaged into something resembling a rectangle and was approximately the size of a good book. What was my task? To open the butter with one of the machetes she provided, and then proceed to cut it into little cubes. Sounds pretty basic, right? No, not at all. As I opened the package with the very large knife, I realized that it was very difficult to get the butter out without completely destroying it. And in the process I got butter all over my hands and the monster knife, making it one big slippery mess. I was having visions of slicing my butter-slathered hands and not being able to grade any more...much less ruin all that perfectly good butter! To make a long story slightly shorter, someone came to my rescue and opened it for me (actually, it took TWO other people), and we successfully sliced the butter.
We then had our welcome once before the welcome meeting. By the time all the butter slicing was done, most of the women had sat down. All the people I knew were sitting at full tables, so I plopped myself down at the first empty seat I found. This table was full of women from the other church. They were all very friendly and very interested in talking to me. They found it fascinating that I didn't speak much Spanish, and proceeded to say any English word they knew, sprinkling them into the conversation whether they fit in the context or not! They were all impressed at how "well" I spoke (these are my quotation marks, not theirs...I think I'm my own worst critic), and had little discussions amongst themselves as to whether they thought I was understanding whatever it was someone said to me at that moment. Later in the evening, we were getting split up for our room assignments, and I kept bouncing from one group to another. Finally I was put in the group with these women from San Bernardo (the other church), and they cheered and pulled me into their midst. I seriously felt like their mascot...their non Spanish speaking mascot. Haha. I haven't felt like anybody's mascot since high school when I was the only person under 45 on a weekend bus trip my grandmother took me on.
We went down to our cabin and settled in. My bunk was in a corner of the room, surrounded by only one or two other bunks. The majority of the women were crowded on the other side. After throwing my bags down, I headed downstairs to the bathroom. This was an interesting experience. The first thing I noticed is that it was not built for tall people. The sinks and mirrors were all a little low (I had to duck a little to see myself in the mirror), as were the stall doors. The stall doors to the toilets AND the showers. And when I say low, I mean low. They came to my collarbone. It was literally impossible for me NOT to see over them, short of stumbling around with my eyes closed! The doors had no lock or latch, but stayed shut anyway, despite the centimeter gap between the door and the doorframe. Many of the doors had large corners missing, and one of the stalls had a hole cut in the wall near the tank. Had I been 10 years younger this all would have scared me from using the bathrooms at all! The next thing I noticed was that the water in all the toilets was brown. This, I think, was from a lack of use, because by the end of the retreat it had lightened considerably. And, last but not least, I noticed that there was no toilet paper provided. Now, had I been thinking, I would have realized that this was quite common for Chile. However, it never crossed my mind. I guess I figured it would be provided since we were going to a church function and not to a public place. Guess I was wrong! Luckily, several women brought some, so there was plenty to go around.
Finally I got to bed, and slept the night away...for the most part. As far as camp beds go, these weren't too bad. But they were still camp beds! I had set my alarm for 7:45, hoping to get a decent amount of sleep. I started hearing alarms throughout the room at 6am, but was able to fall back asleep. Around 6:45 all the women decided it was late enough to start talking, and didn't stop until....ok, they just didn't stop. It was at that point that I realized my mind does not like to work in Spanish at 6:45 in the morning! I stayed in bed until about 7:20, then trotted downstairs for what I knew would be an interesting shower experience. Luckily there was still hot water! I found it very difficult to see which stalls were empty without inadvertently looking over into one that wasn't! But I successfully found one, and happened to have picked a time when not many other people were there. So my height wasn't too much of a problem...except of course for the fact that I needed to bend my knees a little to get under the shower head!!
After breakfast (more sandwiches, bread and toast, and cookies) we had our first meeting. I was very tired and didn't understand much of what was going on. Then we had game time. I have played this game in high school, so I was familiar with the process. Once figuring out their variation, I figured I'd be fine. Although with the language barrier, I knew it could be tricky. Basically it consists of running around in circles to music, when the music stops, the leader calls out two body parts. Every one needs to find a partner and touch those two body parts. The last ones to do this are kicked out. I know many Spanish words for body parts, and was doing pretty well (except for the fact that the people on either side of me would always find a partner on THEIR other side, so I was often left alone), until she said "knee to eyebrow." I could not remember the word for eyebrow, and so was mercilessly kicked out of the game. Haha. I did get a round of applause though.
Then we had another meeting. This was led by an American, and I was able to follow most of what she said due largely to her strong American accent. I'm more accustomed to it. She was talking about God's grace in trials and in every moment of the day. He provides strength when we need it. She had great illustrations and had several people give testimonies. It was very moving. She gave an illustration of a woman walking with a backpack (she actually had someone do this). And they kept putting bricks in the backpack. She was saying that when we don't give our burdens over to God daily, it begins to weigh us down. Until she handed the woman the last brick to hold in her hands, making the load to heavy, and she fell down. This was to say that one day something will happen, a relatively trivial thing that shouldn't be a big problem, but because of the accumulation of burdens, it overwhelms us. It's when we give up our "backpack of problems" that we are able to handle the "bricks" we sometimes have to carry in our hands. It was such a great message and it was a blessing to me that I was able to understand it.
Then we had lunch and free time. Usually during free time at these types of things I'm very social and hate missing the action. However, I was very tired, and needed a break from Spanish, so I laid outside under the shade of some trees and took a nap. This was all very relaxing until I started considering the possibility of the sprinklers coming on...I had no idea how close I was. Luckily that didn't happen!
Then we had our last meeting. It was led by an woman from Argentina, and I have a hard time understanding her because she talks so quickly. I was doing a pretty good job though until about 45 minutes into it. She said one thing and my mind practically shut off. She said, "And this is the last point of the first part." Just the first part! After that I was able to follow along with the power point, but didn't understand anything she said. She spoke for another 45 minutes! Needless to say, I was pretty fidgety at that point!
Then we had our last once, packed our bags, took innumerable group photos, and headed home. The rest of my weekend was just as tiring, but all in all, it was an awesome experience. I didn't get any work done, but I was ok with that. I had great Spanish practice, got to know some more women at the church, and was fed from the Word. What more could I ask for?
This week promises to be good. I taught today, am helping chaperone a field trip tomorrow, then have half a day on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday we're off for Thanksgiving (yay!), then I have my birthday celebration on Saturday (yay!), and then I only have 2 full weeks of school left! It's flying by! Please pray that I will have the time, energy, and concentration to get everything done. I have about 30 essays to grade, three tests to write, three finals to write, figure end of semester grades, PLUS all the regular grading throughout the week! It'll be a race to the finish! Then I'll be home for Christmas for about a month!
Wow, this was long. Congratulations if you made it to the end! I hope each of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I will see many of you in a few weeks!!
We got to the camp early Friday evening, and we were some of the first ones there. So, we helped set up. The sound equipment needed to be hooked up, balloons blown up, tables set, and gobs and gobs of food prepared. Friday evening there was going to be a "welcome meeting" and then an once (pronounced ohn-say) which is like a light evening meal. After using all my lung capacity to blow up some of the foulest tasting balloons I've ever encountered, I headed into the kitchen to see of what service I could be there. That, and I was starving since all I'd had since lunch was a bowl of strawberries, and at this point it's about 8:00. I started with easy jobs...putting bread into baskets and ham and cheese on plates. About this time I made a sandwich with my "boss" to appease my angry stomach. Even half a sandwich was enough to make me normal again! Then it was on to more difficult jobs.
The "boss," Vicky, was directing several women what to do. And of course, this is all done in Spanish, which made for some very interesting moments for me. I understand a good deal, but I wasn't always sure that I was doing what she had told me to do! After all the sandwich fixings were ready, she shows me to a counter with two large knives, a couple of plates, and a large bag of butter. Yes, I did say bag. It was tightly packaged into something resembling a rectangle and was approximately the size of a good book. What was my task? To open the butter with one of the machetes she provided, and then proceed to cut it into little cubes. Sounds pretty basic, right? No, not at all. As I opened the package with the very large knife, I realized that it was very difficult to get the butter out without completely destroying it. And in the process I got butter all over my hands and the monster knife, making it one big slippery mess. I was having visions of slicing my butter-slathered hands and not being able to grade any more...much less ruin all that perfectly good butter! To make a long story slightly shorter, someone came to my rescue and opened it for me (actually, it took TWO other people), and we successfully sliced the butter.
We then had our welcome once before the welcome meeting. By the time all the butter slicing was done, most of the women had sat down. All the people I knew were sitting at full tables, so I plopped myself down at the first empty seat I found. This table was full of women from the other church. They were all very friendly and very interested in talking to me. They found it fascinating that I didn't speak much Spanish, and proceeded to say any English word they knew, sprinkling them into the conversation whether they fit in the context or not! They were all impressed at how "well" I spoke (these are my quotation marks, not theirs...I think I'm my own worst critic), and had little discussions amongst themselves as to whether they thought I was understanding whatever it was someone said to me at that moment. Later in the evening, we were getting split up for our room assignments, and I kept bouncing from one group to another. Finally I was put in the group with these women from San Bernardo (the other church), and they cheered and pulled me into their midst. I seriously felt like their mascot...their non Spanish speaking mascot. Haha. I haven't felt like anybody's mascot since high school when I was the only person under 45 on a weekend bus trip my grandmother took me on.
We went down to our cabin and settled in. My bunk was in a corner of the room, surrounded by only one or two other bunks. The majority of the women were crowded on the other side. After throwing my bags down, I headed downstairs to the bathroom. This was an interesting experience. The first thing I noticed is that it was not built for tall people. The sinks and mirrors were all a little low (I had to duck a little to see myself in the mirror), as were the stall doors. The stall doors to the toilets AND the showers. And when I say low, I mean low. They came to my collarbone. It was literally impossible for me NOT to see over them, short of stumbling around with my eyes closed! The doors had no lock or latch, but stayed shut anyway, despite the centimeter gap between the door and the doorframe. Many of the doors had large corners missing, and one of the stalls had a hole cut in the wall near the tank. Had I been 10 years younger this all would have scared me from using the bathrooms at all! The next thing I noticed was that the water in all the toilets was brown. This, I think, was from a lack of use, because by the end of the retreat it had lightened considerably. And, last but not least, I noticed that there was no toilet paper provided. Now, had I been thinking, I would have realized that this was quite common for Chile. However, it never crossed my mind. I guess I figured it would be provided since we were going to a church function and not to a public place. Guess I was wrong! Luckily, several women brought some, so there was plenty to go around.
Finally I got to bed, and slept the night away...for the most part. As far as camp beds go, these weren't too bad. But they were still camp beds! I had set my alarm for 7:45, hoping to get a decent amount of sleep. I started hearing alarms throughout the room at 6am, but was able to fall back asleep. Around 6:45 all the women decided it was late enough to start talking, and didn't stop until....ok, they just didn't stop. It was at that point that I realized my mind does not like to work in Spanish at 6:45 in the morning! I stayed in bed until about 7:20, then trotted downstairs for what I knew would be an interesting shower experience. Luckily there was still hot water! I found it very difficult to see which stalls were empty without inadvertently looking over into one that wasn't! But I successfully found one, and happened to have picked a time when not many other people were there. So my height wasn't too much of a problem...except of course for the fact that I needed to bend my knees a little to get under the shower head!!
After breakfast (more sandwiches, bread and toast, and cookies) we had our first meeting. I was very tired and didn't understand much of what was going on. Then we had game time. I have played this game in high school, so I was familiar with the process. Once figuring out their variation, I figured I'd be fine. Although with the language barrier, I knew it could be tricky. Basically it consists of running around in circles to music, when the music stops, the leader calls out two body parts. Every one needs to find a partner and touch those two body parts. The last ones to do this are kicked out. I know many Spanish words for body parts, and was doing pretty well (except for the fact that the people on either side of me would always find a partner on THEIR other side, so I was often left alone), until she said "knee to eyebrow." I could not remember the word for eyebrow, and so was mercilessly kicked out of the game. Haha. I did get a round of applause though.
Then we had another meeting. This was led by an American, and I was able to follow most of what she said due largely to her strong American accent. I'm more accustomed to it. She was talking about God's grace in trials and in every moment of the day. He provides strength when we need it. She had great illustrations and had several people give testimonies. It was very moving. She gave an illustration of a woman walking with a backpack (she actually had someone do this). And they kept putting bricks in the backpack. She was saying that when we don't give our burdens over to God daily, it begins to weigh us down. Until she handed the woman the last brick to hold in her hands, making the load to heavy, and she fell down. This was to say that one day something will happen, a relatively trivial thing that shouldn't be a big problem, but because of the accumulation of burdens, it overwhelms us. It's when we give up our "backpack of problems" that we are able to handle the "bricks" we sometimes have to carry in our hands. It was such a great message and it was a blessing to me that I was able to understand it.
Then we had lunch and free time. Usually during free time at these types of things I'm very social and hate missing the action. However, I was very tired, and needed a break from Spanish, so I laid outside under the shade of some trees and took a nap. This was all very relaxing until I started considering the possibility of the sprinklers coming on...I had no idea how close I was. Luckily that didn't happen!
Then we had our last meeting. It was led by an woman from Argentina, and I have a hard time understanding her because she talks so quickly. I was doing a pretty good job though until about 45 minutes into it. She said one thing and my mind practically shut off. She said, "And this is the last point of the first part." Just the first part! After that I was able to follow along with the power point, but didn't understand anything she said. She spoke for another 45 minutes! Needless to say, I was pretty fidgety at that point!
Then we had our last once, packed our bags, took innumerable group photos, and headed home. The rest of my weekend was just as tiring, but all in all, it was an awesome experience. I didn't get any work done, but I was ok with that. I had great Spanish practice, got to know some more women at the church, and was fed from the Word. What more could I ask for?
This week promises to be good. I taught today, am helping chaperone a field trip tomorrow, then have half a day on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday we're off for Thanksgiving (yay!), then I have my birthday celebration on Saturday (yay!), and then I only have 2 full weeks of school left! It's flying by! Please pray that I will have the time, energy, and concentration to get everything done. I have about 30 essays to grade, three tests to write, three finals to write, figure end of semester grades, PLUS all the regular grading throughout the week! It'll be a race to the finish! Then I'll be home for Christmas for about a month!
Wow, this was long. Congratulations if you made it to the end! I hope each of you has a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I will see many of you in a few weeks!!
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