Sometimes like that it happens

2009-11-12T16:18:00.003+01:00

hi!!

just to let you know, i have moved my blog to bratsta.blogspot.com !! come visit!!

much love,

Lat

Ringage

2009-04-10T13:19:00.003+02:00

ok i didn't make a big enough deal about how impressed i was/am about the ring. It's PERFECT for me, and I couldn't have wished for a more beautiful/amazing proposal, either.

there was a little hunch inside me that he would propose when he came, but

A. Not as the first thing he did, and

B. I didn't expect him to have a ring!!

The center diamond is an heirloom diamond from his great-grandmother on his daddy's side. It's about 90 years old, and GORGEOUS. I feel so so special to be able to wear it. I hope I can wear it as well as the two ladies before me have.

Seriously, Broun totally blew me away with EVERYTHING. What a man I have! Time for me to step up my game, eh.

I Am Loved.

2009-04-10T12:01:00.004+02:00

I need one of those cute little heart-pins (preferably one in every language)that says "I Am Loved". Truly, I am.

Here's the story:

(I thought I was going with Julie Chitty to pick up Broun from the airport on Saturday morning. Julie and I wanted to get together one more time before I was MIA the entire week with my love. The story begins on Friday, March 27, 2009)

Julie Chitty was late picking me up for our planned evening of "dinner and shopping". When she didn't arrive at her planned 8:30PM time, I started getting a little worried. She is probably the most punctual person I know (the opposite of ALL Spaniards).Finally, 9:15 rolled around and she texted me with "sorry, Emily had a dirty nappy, I'll be there in a second!" I calmed down a bit, and she arrived with the girls (2yr old Mikayla and 8month old Emily) around 9:30.[In my head, I found it a bit weird that the girls weren't well on their way to sleep by this point..]We made our way towards El Ingenio (the local mall/movie theater) where we had originally planned to do our night's outing. Julie quickly chimed in with "Oh! Michael (her hubby) has phoned me and asked me to pick up some discs for his English radio program. The only place that sells them is in Nerja! Do you mind if we go to Nerja and grab a wee pizza?" I obliged, even though I was so anxious for the next day-- I was ready to be in bed dreaming of the week to come! Nerja is just a 20 min drive down the coast.

Finally, after Julie told me the story of getting pulled over by the police on her way to pick me up, we arrived in Nerja. I waited in the car with the girls while Julie made her way to the "disc office" to find out it was "closed". She came back to the car saying she would later "ring Michael's neck" for making her go! So we got the girls in their pram and slowly sauntered up the streets of Nerja until we reached the center--donde esta the church and the Balcon de Europa.

We were slowly deciding on a restaurant when all of a sudden a woman with a wine bottle approached me, and in Spanish said "this is for you, some man told me to give this to you but I don't know why". Then she disappeared! I was so very confused. I looked inside the bottle and it was empty except for a note. I opened it up to find a clue written in Broun's handwriting. Immediately, I freaked out, not knowing what the heck was going on, and trying to get ANYTHING out of Julie who was a locked vault (I'm sure her years in the N.Irish police force helped with the stone cold face she had!). I got nothing out of her, and the clue made me think Broun still wasn't coming until Saturday because the poem threw me off a bit. Finally, after nagging Julie and not finding the next clue, we continued walking along the balcony and Julie made a sly nod over to our right hand side. I looked in that direction--where I saw several candles on the ground with another note in between them! Clue #2!

At this point I figured Julie was in on it for sure but i didn't know any details, of course. This clue led me to the steps of the church, where I found my 3rd and final clue...however, this clue had been burned mistakenly by the candles that surrounded it--so it was completely illegible! hah! Julie politely led me to the archway to the left of the Balcon and told me I should go down by myself (all candles, wine bottle, and purse in hand). [NOTE: I did notice a strange man following me around with a camera phone who would look away every time I glanced over at him! Also, a couple on a bench that Mikayla conveniently befriended whilst I was finding my clues...]

So I made my way down the stone steps to the beach, where I saw one more candle indicating my path. I looked up to the Balcon to find Julie, Mikayla & Emily, Strange man with camera, Spanish woman with wine bottle, and the convenient couple all standing and witnessing my every step. Julie motioned for me to keep going, so I did. I came to a huge boulder with a group of Dutch people on it who said NOT a word while they all simultaneously pointed in my continuing direction. Weird, I know. I followed their point and found a cove, lined with more candles, down to the crashing beach. Broun was standing there waiting. I was shaking.

I said "Oh my gosh" as I ran up to him, dropped EVERYTHING in my arms, and gave him a gigantic embrace. After about 5 minutes of soaking each other in and me still only suspecting all the lead-up to be a surprise-Broun [since he surprises me ALOT, and he's the only prize I want anyway =)], Broun told me to close my eyes because he had another surprise for me. He handed me a rose and immediately got down on both of his knees and asked me to be his wife!! I fell to my knees as I hugged him and cried "duh!". Then he pulled me back and kissed me! Oh my heart was overwhelmed with emotion and thanksgiving!

We then sat and prayed and thanked God for His incredible favor and faithfulness toward us. After, we ate a wonderful picnic put together by the fabulous Julie Chitty--bread, champagne, wine, cheese, chocolate, fondue, and fresh strawberries! So amazing. Broun finished off the evening by washing my feet and telling me he wants to serve me for the rest of our lives...

Needless to say, it was the best night. Followed by the best week. I'm so excited to learn and love with Broun until we no longer have breath in our lungs! My heart is so full!

Oh what Joy and Hope fill my soul!

and, here's the ring.

Marching Along, eh!

2009-03-14T22:10:00.004+01:00

whew. sorry about playing catch-up (and subsequently apologizing) on every single bloggage. my life is moving at too-rapid a rate! wait, not really. it's quite the opposite.

I'm really happy right now.

I'm confident.

I'm at peace.

I'm feeling like a large blanket has been laid before me-literally everywhere i step.

My mom, aunt, and grandma just recently visited during our "semana blanca"--a week off of school only given to the province of Malaga solely to 'make up' for the accumulated festival days of other provinces. Thus, we, the province of Malaga, are now even (and out of reasons to take off work).

Anyway, during that week, we spent time getting over each other's 'innate quirks' to better bask in the glory that is London, Paris, and Barcelona. Really, traveling 8+ hours in a plane, and ending up in a foreign country with female family members (one who fainted on the plane) makes you immediately more thankful for the [also] immediate comfort of family love (not to mention our similar awe of our Father and Savior--HUGE plus).

**disclaimer: I only travelled (british spelling for obvious reasons) 2 1/2 hrs by plane, but because I'm not a fan of moving vehicles, it felt like 8+. So, I'm putting myself in the other ladies' shoes/gurney.**

It was a great time. My mom did a phenomenal job of planning events(we saw WICKED! on the first night--great surprise!). Tena was fantastic at getting into trouble (i.e. she sat in a showroom car worth 6 mil GBP). and Mame(grandmother/Queen Mother) was a highlight for several reasons (one being when we taught her the acronym A.K.A.), and made us laugh throughout all our fearful and ridiculous situations. I love them more than 6 mil GBP.

I could dedicate this blog to telling all the hilarity that ensued that week, but instead maybe i'll just say: "inquire within". <-- that's probably the ANTI-theme of American businesses right now, no?

School has been a lot better this semester. I can't turn a corner without a group of at least 15 kids saying "hillo Lit-ney!!". It's so cute! They are definitely growing on me. Quick story of what happened in P.E. last week with my little babies (12 yr olds):

girl: "Hola Litney!! No puedo hacerlo hoy porque tengo problemas con mi rojo."

me: "Con tu rojo? Que es?"

girl:"Si, ...sabes que es mi regla? I .... hiff prollems ... 14 inch ruler!!"

me:"OOOOOH, ok. vale. gracias por contarme".

basically, in Spain, they call their period "la regla" which translates to "ruler" in English...so, first she calls it her "red", then tries to translate "regla" into English with "14-inch ruler". Hilarious. Love them.

Another semi-funny thing that happened early this semester in the same class--I was giving them a test over material they had supposedly studied on muscles/bones/parts of the body. So i asked them [what i thought meant] "take out a sheet of paper". In Mexico, the phrase for "sheet of paper" is "hoja de papel". In Spain, it's "folio de papel". I said "follo de papel".

NOTE: folio (foh-lee-o) sounds VERY similar to follo (foh-yo), especially when you say them quickly.

Little did I know, "follo" is the I-form of the verb follar. Follar = the F word. oops.

What Would Jesus Do????? haha!

Over all, relationships are a lot closer, more important, and relevant to every day than in the fall. This, obviously, allows for better conversation, and trust. I shouldn't be surprised, but the people I expected to be/WERE the least vulnerable with me, have been the people to open up the most these past 2 months. In some ways, it makes me nervous, but HECK, i've got to have intent in my step always if i'm reppin' Jesus!

March seems to be going by at snail-pace, but that hasn't taken away from my enjoying the company of roommates, and a fun weekly schedule of good people, good food, great peace, and the glorious sun to bathe in --in the 70 degree weather on the Mediterranean. =)

I just read a great quote by C.S. Lewis about how surprised we as humans seem to be about the essence and passing of time. It either "flies" or "creeps", and we're always surprised. He says something about how obvious it is that we were made for eternity, without bounds, because of the discomfort and surprise we have by being in this "box" of time. I think he's a genius.

I'll post more at the end of this month, because i'll have visitors in approx. 15 hours! Dad and Morgan are flying their booties over the Atlantic toNIGHT! I'm really excited. I've been cleaning, buying food, washing clothes, etc. like a maniac. I almost feel like buying new things for the apartment just so I can decorate and show off my "cozy" environment. Hopefully they won't feel the horrible springs in their backs when they try to sleep here! =)

I'll leave you with some simplicity of faith: Remember this when you think you're above the law and/or God.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

"And without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Hebrews 11:1,6

Love me some peace. and some March. Welcome, Spring!

Refinery

2009-01-28T13:45:00.009+01:00

Seriously though, I don't even know where to begin. I do know that it IS time for me to begin, wherever it may be.

Hace alrededor de 2 meses hasta he escrito en mi blog, pero it's NOW that I'm ready to reflect to you pretty people the ins and outs of what has seemed like a hectic "holiday".

In brief: I went home to the states in late December to surprise Broun (with the help of his wonderful secret-keeping family), give/receive love from family and friends, and to support Allie Marie Perry in her new journey of wifehood. It was very relajante, and I am certainly grateful for that break. My spirit needed rejuvenating in more than one way, but I think I expected more out of others for my "filling" than I did myself or my God. A shame, but nontheless, a learned lesson as of late.

One of the biggest struggles I had last semester was dealing with the lack of believers around me...and being able to confidently press on in the way of the Lord when I saw no fruit and had not a soul with whom I could experience the magic of Jesus. Woe is me, right? NAW. So after a lot of prayer and pleading for God to show me some blanket truth of His peace, I think God decided that the exact opposite of DISCRETE was what I needed from Him. Oh, what mercy.

The moment I stepped off the plane here in Malaga, I met my first group of Christians. I decided to go into a tienda to buy a bottle of water before my bus ride, and I saw a girl wearing American Eagle jeans and I immediately knew I could speak English to her. "Are you American?"..."haha, yes."..."awesome, what are you here for?"..."i'm with that big group out there. we're here for a conference."..."oh, are you with a school organization, church group, what?"..."actually yeah, we're with Campus Crusade."...."seriously? you don't know how much of an answered prayer you are. i actually went on summer project this summer in East Asia."...

so we continued our conversation, and I praised God with (nearly) tears of joy. We exchanged information, and they went on their way. Comfort from the first moment I landed. What a good God we have.

I get back to my apartment, I settle in for a bit, and finally fall asleep--to wake up and teach the next day. I checked my email briefly before heading out, and Lindsey has emailed me...and her last line told me to read Isaiah 40. So, during the 20 minute tram ride on the way to school while the sun is coming up from the point where the sea and the mountains meet, I read Isaiah 40. My heart and my soul were craving those words exactly--after 3 months feeling like i've been dragged through the wilderness(here in Spain) in terms of spiritual warfare, I am greeted with this cushion of truth and the reality of answered prayer from my Lord as i returned. --

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries; "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." 40:1-5

May it be so! Then, at the end of the chapter--I'm reminded again:

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable; He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. 40:27-31

I thank my God for His word. I thank my God for Lindsey Boone. For putting Emily Hills, a new friend and believer, in my life with whom to share and study the Word. For the Chitty family, missionaries from England and Ireland, who have started a church here (at which I have the pleasure of worshiping). For a new found hope that is Christ in me.

This sounds like an obituary or something I might want written on my grave, but seriously guys. I've been wrecked in new ways, and have died again in a sense--to my selfish desires and expectations. I am FULL. Full. full. I have so much joy and hope in what the Lord is doing. In prayer, in fellowship, in relationships, in teaching, in SPAIN.

One more thing. Lindsey Boone gave me this amazing metaphor as well, and I've [not so] coincidentally had 3 other conversations about it this week with other friends-- Do you know how silver is purified? The silversmith holds the silver in the hottest part of the flame. He keeps it there for as long as it takes to see his reflection in the silver.

For my name's sake I defer my anger, for the sake of my praise I restrain it for you, that I may not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

Isaiah 48:9-10

Amen.

Back to the Basics

2008-12-15T21:52:00.002+01:00

I'm glad to know that my body gives me FULL warning when I'm getting anxious. There is never a question of the condition of my heart, because with a feeling or emotion, my body will produce tears, sweat, laughter, chills, or in this case .... IBS. Always right on cue. Thanks body. or, thanks Maker. Love the sensitivities. =)

Sew, So, Ceaux, I'm anxious. The Bible tells us not to be anxious about anything. Normally, my anxiety would probably turn into worry that I'm wallowing in anxiety...and sort of spiral in an unhealthy direction towards un-worship and self-pity. (so, thankfully I'm not TOO anxious of a person..). But right now, I almost feel like this anxiety is a joke-test that God is playing on me. Immediately when I felt myself get anxious today, I thought of how i could pray my way into peace, and submit to "rest" in today instead of think about how I'm going to be in states in a WEEK. But there's really no way to not think about it. So, I think instead of trying to bring peace upon myself, God has showed up in writing...snatching the rug from underneath my feet. He's so cool. I love when my ways don't work out the way I think they should.

Today I read some letters and journal entries....basically testimonies of day-in and day-out wreckage of the Holy Spirit in action....and I can't help but be thankful. So thankful God is working at my anxiety to bring my eyes and thoughts back to Him. SO thankful that He can RE-reveal to His children that we are indeed HIS poiema, as we read back to ourselves the poetry that He has allowed us to create on paper. What a great circle to see! I don't know why, but I find myself shaking my head in unbelief at these small revelations. When I see the subtle ways the Lord redirects our thinking. But why in unbelief? Oh me of little faith.

But the glass is half full (always), at least there is a little faith....which can be built upon when He, the Maker of poetry, lures us back in...oh so gracefully.

Yes, be gone anxiety.

China and Spain.

2008-12-04T16:09:00.008+01:00

This is Spain.

This is China.

and these are the beautiful flowers i received from my beautiful Broun--for 8 'blooming' months together!

i miss China.

i miss the 25 different smells from one corner to the next.

i miss the excitement of seeing the sun in clear view.

i miss the child-like nervousness of my Chinese friends as they spoke English for the first time with a foreigner.

i miss the daily reminder of surrender in the selfless, loving attitude of my Chinese friends.

i miss the humility i received after every meal...*cough*

i miss being able to witness a realization of the state of one's lost soul.

i miss the minute by minute weight of God's work at hand through the Holy Spirit

's divine presence infiltrating the marrow of my bones.

i miss experiencing the depths of Jordan, Angel, and Emily's souls through a study of God's Word.

i miss the choir we created while trying to speak in tones.

i miss the making of spiritual metaphors for literally everything, including the pollution in the air.

but more so,

i am thankful for China.

i am thankful for my senses being heightened from that- the persecuted Church-in all arenas of my faith.

thank you for China, my God!

but i live in Spain now. and as i'm reminded by Elizabeth Elliot, "Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living." be it ANY season of life, i think the nature of the fallen human race is dissatisfaction.....whether our situation in life seems absolutely glorious or horrendously frightening. we want that "greener grass on the other side". i pray against that. especially here in Spain, as i crave feelings from my time in China, or as i long for friends and family and loved ones and the comfort of other believers. i'm here. i'm positively confident of the Divine hand in my placement here. right now, with these people. it's just another opportunity for the spread of the Greatest news in the history of the universe.

my impression of this culture wasn't the persecution...more of the culture being satisfied in non-eternal things, and not understanding their need for a Savior. here, it seems completely normal to wallow in confusion, sin, and the like without worrying about the consequences. and for me, this is harder to "deal" with than a bowl of fish swimming in the same aimless direction year after year (China).(<--anyone get that reference?)

i'll stop here.

but i guess this an exhortation to myself (and to whoever wants an exhortation) that "wherever you may be, be all there". let not your longing slay the appetite for your living.

Merry and Bright!

2008-11-24T22:04:00.010+01:00

My juices aren't flowing, per se, in the realm of bloggation, but I've provided an array of pictures as the main form of stimuli for the general public to enjoy to make up for these non-juices.

I haven't really commented much on school lately, SO here goes a shot. My nerves have left me (se me salierion), thank goodness, so it's now easy for me to mess up my Spanish or make the niños laugh without me getting frustrated, embarrassed, or self-conscious. I feel like I have more of a grasp on the "listen to me, I'm teaching you something" versus "I want you to like me as your friend" tension. Although the attitude of the kids hasn't really changed in their un-interest to learn the language, they at least want to get to know me, which helps things go smoothly all around. Soon, I'll bring my camera to school to take pictures of these punks. They sport mohawks, gelled up boy-hair, rat tails, mullets, eyebrow and lip and tongue piercings, you name it. Plus, they LOVE wind suits. I guess I have no room to talk though, my wardrobe consists of wal-mart Vnecks and converse shoes. (actually that's quickly becoming not true, i just bought 2 pairs of skinny jeans-which is hilarious considering my legs are very calfy and quaddy)

Anywho, it's going well. I think I could be more creative in lesson planning, but it's difficult to find a blanket-covering lesson for the differing ages. Any and all suggestions for ESL lesson plans, or generic creative ideas would be greatly welcomed and appreciated. **think continuous present and past verbs**

Here is a peek at the last two weeks. It's [almost] Tuesday. Did you bring your coat?

This is the wall of lights at Corte Ingles in downtown Malaga. The lights were FANTASTIC, and totally put me in the Christmas spirit!

Floral nativity scene in the center of the Alameda Principal--Malaga.

Thanksgiving dinner guests!! 1 Latvian, 5 Spaniards, 1 German, 6 Americans total! Beautiful, bountiful banquete of celebration.

El Catedral in Malaga. They only built one tower because they ran out of money to finish it off. I hate it when that happens.

This was in the Mexican restaurant, Cielito Lindo, in Nerja--with Sugar Land candy!! Que emocionante!

The main calle (street) in Nerja. A cool view of the montañas. Que bonita.

Cliffs of Nerja. aaand the Mediterranean. and i don't know why it's underlining everything now.

Is this reallll??? sick. All I can say is thank for the clinical strength, B.

A few more things happened to me these past two weeks, but like I said, I really don't know how effective my writing would be. I will bullet point them =)

*I've been harrassed by rando Senegalian man

*I've come to better understand the weight and worth of God's faithfulness in ALL situations

*I'm learning to show grace, where my flesh wants to show anything but grace sometimes.

*I've been brought to my knees in how thankful I am for the blessings I daily receive.

(I think all of these bullet-points deserve their own blog. these one-liners do their weight no justice.)

and I love Jesus more today than yesterday. Thank God for that. Thank God for purpose, for His Kingdom, for REJOICING.

Happy December Folks!

Llena de Gracia

2008-11-17T09:35:00.004+01:00

Unfortunately AND fortunately, this week's events were FAR overlooked and/or forgotten by this weekEND's events.

Here's the story. About two weeks ago I was gaily stalking my virtual (and some real) friends on Facebook, CLEARLY minding my own business, when out of the blue I received a message from Carly Gloge! Carly and I rowed (not rode) together at UT, so we share that all-too-unique bond of being althletes conjuntos. She began asking me about my life since I've graduated, and I, too, was updated on her life: She's currently working in Holland as a sort of "trial run" to see if she wants to live there long-term. After finding out I was in Spain, she didn't hesistate to tell me she had planned a trip to Paris to meet up with one of our volunteer coaches (Ken Jurkowski) to run a 50k race in Luxembourg (that's like 31 miles--MORE than a marathon)...and graciously invited me along for the spectacle!

So, I immediately jumped on that opportunity, bought a ticket to Paris, and left on Thursday for an exciting adventure. I convinced myself out of driving with them to Luxembourg so that I could stay and explore a little more of Paris...and in the process, I discovered that another one of my friends, Emily Teng (who is currently studying abroad in Italy), was in Paris this weekend too--and ALL thanks to FACEBOOK!! It turns out virtual stalking will get you REAL friends in REAL places...WHODATHUNK?

Some great things i did/saw/ate in Paris:

*The Arc de Triomphe (which was caddy-corner from Ken's uncle's apt where I stayed)

*La Torre Eiffel

*Crepes!!

*[French] Onion Soup (obviously they can leave off the "French" part)

*The Louvre

*Sacre Coure (sp) on MontMarte (and an aerial view of the city)

*Moulin Rouge (it's a real place, in a real bad area of town.)

*Champs Elyseé!!

*El Rio Seine

*Went to the gym (haha)

*VickyChristinaBarcelona

*Figured out the Metro system han-SOLO!!

*Best of all, saw beautiful people and had lots of laughs/full bellies of love.

Needless to say, the city was amazing, and I'll hopefully return to get a more thorough "schmear" of the city, hopefully with a loved one (Since it IS the world's most romantic city).

I'll post my Paris pictures on facebook if you want to see the lot of them.

Woo!! and Carly and Ken successfully finished the 50k ALIVE! Carly is probably already planning her next marathon to complete.

Emily left me with a sweet sweet note with words of love and truth. Included was Ephesians 3:16-19, which made me even more grateful for the work that Jesus did/does/and will do forever and within us. And SO thankful for friends like her who love to share that knowledge and remind others of God's power and love.

what a greeeat time.

Time is borrowed.

2008-11-08T21:47:00.004+01:00

It's November. Where have all the cowboys gone? I mean, really.

Okay, I'm going to be honest: I've slacked on the bloggage lately, and every time I begin to open this page I back away in fear of having to be creative or funny or perceived in a certain light. So, now, still not completely convinced that a blog savors the reality that goes on from day to day in my heart, mind, and physicality, I will post a few pictures and a general synopsis of la vida diaria. Vale.

Halloween has come and gone... And if you have looked at facebook, you will have seen my attempt at becoming a cat! And if you look at Morgan's Halloween pictures on facebook, she was a mouse...HOWEVER, it is apparent that our perceptions of cats/mice are identical. What can I say, we ARE Irish twins! meow.

Ellie was a witch. She also thought that the normal witch "thing" would be to attach a black raven to her shoulder. She was hilarious and creative, so "props" to her. muhah. We went to Malaga (the actual city) that weekend, and visited with some friends from orientation. It was good to see them. We shopped and ate a lot of tasty food, but my "you're being too indulgent" conscience went off in my head, so I'm trying to limit the self-satisfaction-ism. Sometimes it's too easy because being in Spain makes me feel like I'm just a character in a video game. With unlimited spending, unlimited intake, and no consequences for any of it. I pray against that.

Que mas? Oh! Meredith (Broun's cousin) came to visit me. She's studying abroad in Firenze for the fall semester, and she is QUITE the traveler. We had a fun time together here--she even came and 'tutored' a teacher with me at school one day.

Natalia, Trey's girlfriend, is in town this weekend. She's sweet. She's studying abroad in Paris for the semester. Trey asked me to teach him how to knit so he could make Natalia a scarf for Christmas. Go get'm tiger!

Ellie, Begoña, MariCarmen, Carla, and I went to Nerja today! I couldn't believe that it's even MORE breathtaking than the scene here in Torre. mmm, I'm definitely going back. There is a huge balcony that overlooks the ocean, and there are cliffs on either side with huge natural rocks at the shore. It's truly incredible.

Life isn't as meaningful without taking a look on the inside. And I think I've successfully avoided coming face to face with what Christ is molding my heart and soul to look like this week...not to mention where He is reproducing Himself to others here in Spain. Maybe I should put it another way: Stephen Curtis Chapman sings to "Live Out Loud" our faith, wake the neighbors, scream and shout!...and I get to the point in conversation where I've expressed my thoughts or beliefs on an issue (what my God has convicted me with, etc.)--then get almost zero response OR the opposite, which is "Let's agree to disagree"--and I get all passive. I stop screaming and shouting, I simply agree to disagree. Where is perseverance there? How am I allowing myself to be hated for the namesake of Jesus Christ?

I have very much hope that these conversations will come back around as topics resurface, but is my "passivity" hindering God's work now? Should I listen more carefully to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit instead of being okay with waiting for time to "roll back around"? (sorry for putting everything in quotes, these are context-specific, so I'm hoping you get the point)

After all, I WILL be here for 7 more months. By prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, I present these requests to God so that His peace which transcends all understanding will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Patience Iago, Patience.

Full up.

2008-10-25T19:01:00.004+02:00

I'll add a nice seafoam hue for you guys since I'm not gracing you with any new pictures this week. I know, I'm sorry. I always forget to bring my camera with me when i live life. Don't you?

So, this week has been interesting yet again! My students went on strike (una huelga) this past Wednesday due to the inflating prices of university-level schooling. However, when asked, 90% of the students had no clue why they didn't have to attend school this day, and saw it as another day to get a strange part of their body pierced...or, stay home and eat bocadillos. one of the two. So, Wednesday I got to tutor the profesores in english! Tutoring the teachers is so fun for me because these people are actually interested in learning. The alumnos (my students) have no use for learning English (in their reasonable brains) because they will probably never leave their pueblo within the next 30 years of life, thus remaining in the "sin ese" form of andalucian Spanish for as long as they can. Que lastima. Maybe by the end of the year i'll make them think English is more useful to learn for reasons other than self-preservation. Maybe they can go al mundo and help OTHERS!

anyhow, i love being able to have conversations with the teachers--many of them want to discuss politics, families, religion, anything. i love love love the fact that a semi-language barrier forces the other person to listen. i was talking to Broun yesterday about the importance of a good listener, and how, when someone is intently listening to what you have to say, it makes you feel significant--of worth. Lots of times it's so tempting to be the "me monster" that Brian Regan talks about, and nod your way through a conversation until you can get your word in... you you you ME ME ME ME ME!!! you know what i'm talking about. since when did our thoughts become 18 times more significant than the person we are talking to? who made that law? can't we just give people the time of day? that's probably why "talking things out" never worked in politics and why Bush decided WAR OR BUST was the solution to world peace. go figure.

oops. breaking PC code.

yes, i love being forced to listen, even when my "me monster" takes over inside my head...all because of a language barrier. i think it helps me/the human race easily and naturally love people better. or maybe it just puts life into a new, more meaningful perspective. i dont know, what do you think? [that's my attempt to listen to you =)]

ah, we started our free spanish classes this week. there are 5 Flemish, 1 Brazilian woman, 1 Polish woman, and the 4 of us Americans (me, Ellie, Trey, and Amanda). Our teacher is from Torre Del Mar, speaks zero english, and was NOT excited to see us there on Tuesday. She has successfully insulted us at least once every day this week....

day 1, she tells us to sit at the table at the complete opposite side of the [huge] room unless other people come in that could possibly fill in the table that has 3 flemish folks sitting at it (they were at a 12 person table in the front of the room). No one shows up, so she finally allows us to move forward nearer to human contact.

day 2, we read the essays we wrote from day1, and, after commenting on the content of everyone's essay she comes to ellie and tells her that spanish is an open language, unlike German and English which are full of consonants, and that she needs to learn how to speak before trying to read an essay that no one understands.

day 3, random interjecting question to trey in spanish, "didn't all of you americans learn spanish at the university?" trey nods. "well, all of these people learned spanish from the university of the streets, that's why your accents are horrible and there's are all perfect." yeah, thanks, mariadelcarmen. we thought the slavic gurgle after every word sounded perfect too.

We had our first desayuno of churros con chocolate today! those were super greasy, but chocolate is always worth the experience. Another first today was paella!! we had Catalan paella made from tiny macaroni-like noodles (instead of the normal rice) with shrimp and calamari. SOOO GOOD. i think we're going to experiment with some paella recipes soon. i love this new food thing! i've already grown to like mushrooms, and it's only been mas o menos de 4 weeks abroad! woot.

ok, this is getting lengthy. but my spirit and soul and mind and body are all doing great as of ahora, just FYI. a heck of a lot better than early this week. i've received email after email of encouraging words and love, and i can't thank you people enough for them. i have community. it's right in front of me. how dare me pass this gift over. oh, JOY! Love you all dearly.

happy week!

week 2 of teaching

2008-10-17T19:47:00.002+02:00

This week was another hectic one. This whole "settling in" process is taking longer than i thought it would. But it's perfectly okay. I think i'm still learning valuable lessons through this forced patience in a semi-uncomfortable environment.

I've learned that the most commonly used word in any context of any conversation here is "Vale"(pronounced 'bah-lay')- this can mean anything from "okay?", "right!", "woot!sweet!", etc.

So, you can practice using it in everyday conversation back home. Integration is key, folks, come on.

Mm, yes. Let me not forget the day that my teacher didn't show up to class. (Language Assistants-thats me- aren't supposed to be left alone with the class on any occasion. It's in our contract so people don't get sued, etc. you know.) I had a Halloween activity for them to do so they could practice their oral English. So, i write the assignment on the board in English AND Spanish (now they don't have an excuse not to do it) and nicely ask them to do their work.

SIKE. They were horrible. Well, the left side of the class was horrible-mainly boys. These kids are 14/15 and aren't interested in learning English AT ALL. This class is mandatory for them. Apparently my age, gender, and nationality threw them for a loop, so they decided they'd throw spit balls at each other, crumple paper, and talk as LOUD as they could in place of doing their work. One kid even asked me if he could go outside because he purposefully threw his pen out the window. And a girl in the back asked if they could leave 5 minutes early.

Then i said, "ARE YOU SERIOUS? you aren't even doing your work AND you've been talking the entire class. you have no chance of leaving early. nice try."

The sweet girls on the right side of the room were diligently doing their work all the while.

At the end of class, I wrote down all of the Dennis the Menaces. Then I had to place myself in front of the door 5 minutes early when all of the kids decided it was time to leave.

Fun day.

I guess I learned to be stern? next time i'm busting out the gradebook and letting them know that I am actually allowed to give them zeroS. muHAHAH!!

What else? Ellie and I joined the gym and have been working out hard core, still no internet, lots of book-reading, trying to plan some trips around Spain/Europe!, plenty of tasty/healthy meals!, drinking too much café con leche, still afraid of 6AM partying, some painting and crafting. Life is good. God is great.

Learning things is so exciting! But its even more crazy to think of the plan that God has for these people...isn't it neat how each culture has its oddities and quirks, but every one of them brings God his due glory in what they've been given and how they use it?!

For example, I think it's great how the Spaniards are sooo conservative/resourceful in the way they do life. they unplug literally every device before leaving the house, use hot water only when its crucial, park on the sidewalks, drive tiny cars to save the planet and cut down in spending, and they don't even own dryers for their clothes! It's a culture pretty much set in their ways, but all the while they enjoy life. they enjoy the comfort and the love from their small groups of friends. (i haven't found a complacent person YET. amazing.) they take an extra breath to enjoy a beautiful day or an afternoon cup of coffee. they take daily walks along the boardwalk and have playtime for the kids. its just a pleasing sight to watch.

This simple joy of life is easy to miss in a world where tomorrow is better than today. i'm learning to be content in what i've been given right NOW, so maybe this natural joy of life may be found in my eyes, or smile, or countenance. who knows.

Even the rocks cry out, right? amazing. May we rest in the simplicity of Christ today. May we enjoy our friends over a cup of coffee. and then enjoy slapping your 14 year old when he throws a spitball at your face.

Glory a Dios!

Love is a Battlefield

2008-10-11T17:42:00.003+02:00

ok. i have to point out some things that wrecked me yesterday morning.

I was reading in Phillipians4, and I didn't get past the first verse because of Paul's sincerity. mmm, so good.

read with me, please:

"Therefore my brothers(& sisters), whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved."

wow. talk about loving others more than yourself.

I pray for this impassioned heart and soul that Paul exhibits. I pray for that longing! that my brothers and sisters may be my joy and crown! above myself, more beloved than myself! How beautiful is the soul that has this overflow of passion and joy for others. It is only by God's grace, and His son, that I may know this kind of love. Infiltrate me, O God, for the sake of You and for the sake of others.

i want that, friends. i do love you, i really do. but i want to love you more, with the best Love possible.

ok, see ya.

Felicitaciones!

2008-10-09T18:01:00.004+02:00

PINK, because when a baby girl is born, this is usually the color assigned to the occasion.

Thus, i was born on October 8, 1986...and my cute celebration was had yesterday with new friends, faces, and foods. eff, i know.

It was great, and I want to thank every dear individual for their efforted typings on my facebook page. Also, thanks for the phone call, Dad, my heart was warmed having your near voice near to my ear.

Here's just a list of wonderful things that happened on my birthday:

* two of my classes of kids sang happy birthday to me in english with a cute spanish accent

*Ellie brought me a cute little cake with a candle and some other goodies

*3 of the teachers i work with invited me to marienda for a drink of café

*amaaazing Thai dinner

*hilarious sprint marathon-->Trey and I went to the local police department to receive our NIEs to get our real residencia de permanencia for España, and the process included running to the bank, waiting for 30 minutes before the teller told us her machine was broken, running to another bank on the other side of town and getting our sheet stamped and payed for, running back to the police department (all within the 1 o'clock hour because EVERYTHING closes at 2PM here- i mean total lockdown)...as we were running back to the police department, we see the 2 Germans who were in there the first time we arrived, and they were slowly sauntering to the P.D. as we were making a sprint for it from across town. we quickly pass them up and they start screaming "NO PASS NO PASS!!" and begin running with us, racing us to the door of the P.D. 100 mtrs away. ALAS, the Americans prevail (see every Olympic games), and leave the Germans fighting for dignity in the dust. pobrecitos. we made it by 1:58PM with sweat rolling down the sides of our faces, to safely stamp our fingers and sign a piece of paper. done and done.

Also, I want to mention that this has been a nerve-racking week at school. Things aren't "normal" yet by any means...i mean, what do i expect? but, the faculty and kids at my school are making me feel very welcome. however, any and ALL reigns of boss-hood have been handed over to me, the "english teacher", and i'm to prepare all of the lessons for next week. I have every level of class, from 1ESoA (12 year olds-8th graders) to 2Bachillerato4 (12th graders- up to 20 yrs old), so in my infinite wisdom of teaching and the experience i've gained from 22 loooong years of life, i will accurately and effectively teach everyone (including profesores/as) the English language. W00T!! hilarious.

But as deep-endish as this sounds, I'm super excited to get thrown into this culture. I just need some better anti-perspirant to atone for my daily sweat stains. oopss.

other monumental acontecimientos: I got my first-ever Spanish bank account set up today! I also applied for Internet in our apartment, which will probably take another 2 weeks to get installed. Im close to the end of Girlfriend in a Coma (its a creepy book so far, but i think it might scare me into action-check it out.). I'm getting a gym membership tomorrow. and tonight, we're all (the roomies and I) taking Spanish lessons!

exciting stuff. love you guys.

Famous Amos

2008-10-05T19:21:00.000+02:00

Creative, I know. But those cookies are delicious!

I wanted to post a picture or 4 of the AMOS LEE concert that Broun took me to for my birthday before I left for Spain. So so so much fun and perfect and sweet. What a great man I have. Seriously. todo mi amor a ti.

Sabbath

2008-10-05T19:20:00.000+02:00

el dia de repaso. well, kind of.

today we got up, made coffee and cereal, and had a nice togethered breakfast. we still had tons to put away and organize, so we spent most of the morning folding and hanging clothes in our new closet spaces. oh, guess what! my room has a sewing machine in it! hah! everyone needs to get ready for some sweet spanish clothing when i return. muahah. i wish. and the key to our apartment look like it was made during the renaissance edad. pretty cool. people are pretty nice and accomodating here...but i'd say the most intimidating ones are the middle aged ladies who (por ejemplo) take your bills and look at them for five minutes deciding whether or not you've scammed them with fake money. psssh, come on. i only wish i could be so crafty!

Last night was cute, as the roomies and I sat up chatting about what we thought love was. it was nice hearing a varying set of stories from our experiences. life is great, isn't it?! (i wasn't saying that last week). but now my thankful button has been pushed and i'm loving every second. everything is novelty. kind of like ice cream. absolutely amazing.

So, we've had a lot of firsts in the past two days.

-first dinner

-first "circle time" with my 2 new compañeros

-first run on la playa

-first trip to the supermercado

-first shower (these butanos [gas cans] are a doosie to use!)

-first pictures of our new apartamento y las cosas que occurian en los dos dias pasados!

aqui estan:

Bienvenidos a Torre del Mar/Velez-Malaga!

2008-10-03T23:07:00.000+02:00

HOly, amazing. I think I'm going to have to write this in a completely different color just because of the extreme amount of change that has occurred within the last 12 hours.

wow. Today was a super long day of traveling, but all worth it once we saw the Mediterranean. I wish I had brought my camera, and I know I promised pictures...but alas, it hasn't happened yet. Seriously though, if I don't post pictures of this place, I will have not fulfilled my role de llenar un espacio pequeño en cada corazon que lee este blog.

We visited our new apartment today and toured the city by foot for a good hour and a half as we literally squealed and jumped up and down at the beauty surrounding us. It was a hilarious sight. Ellie, Trey, and I stood on the seawall staring out at the sea, the mountains, the spaniards walking their dogs....with gaping smiles on our faces. what a refreshment. what a sovereign reminder of our need to rest in Gods greatness. My whole countenance changed today as friendships continue to grow and Christ's peace is blowing in my face with this ambiente.

I've been tired and down from the orientation week, and being honest I haven't been delving into the Word. Which is exactly opposite of what this nonsense should push me toward, right? especially at a time like this. anyways, i figure there IS an explanation to my tangled spirit...and as usual, it my fault. but nonetheless, grace still ABOUNDS. how amazing is that? and how amazing even more is it that I was shown that today in the wind, the sea, the lights, the trees, the people....ahhhhh, soakin it in.

Thanks, Lord.

oh, and a shout out to mi querido. wo0T! for 6 months of love today. =)

Orientationing

2008-10-01T19:09:00.000+02:00

Welp, the second to last day of orientation is over, and ím coping with most things better today than the previous 3 days.

basically, its just how-to´s on teaching english and the grammar and dealing with miscreants. but were leaving on friday for our cities, and my great roomie, ellie, has already found us a sweet 3 bedroom apartment! its going to be me, ellie, and trey...this will be my first time to live with a male. wait, no it wont. wes and i shared a bathroom, and todd and i did too. thats sharing. so nevermind. but anyways, trey seems really sweet and innocent and quiet and reserved. his girlfriend is studying abroad in paris this semester, so hes excited to see her a bunch.

soo, still trying to get over jet lag. food is hilarious, but for the most part good. lots of seafood and breads. the coffee is AMAZING and strong. but again, my bowels can only handle so much.

okay, it´s thursday now, so this is written over the span of two days. this morning was hard on me again, but i definitely got my best night´s sleep last night. by hard i mean i was lost in translation of cultures...or something. so, during our first session of orientation this morning, i wrote an emo poem to God. i dont know if im ready to post it, but just know that if you pray to God...the one who sent Jesus to atone for us...the One who loves us and knows us more than any human ever could...I would be so grateful if you could send up una oracion por mi alma. its just difficult to know how to be a ´light´ ...yet, or here, or amongst these peeps. seriously. in China i had a role to uphold, i was focused, and by the grace of God i was intensely motivated for the sake of Christ every single day. Here, i really have no clue what my daily role is going to look like, and believing that "actions speak louder than words" is like holding my breath underwater right now. it can only last a minute or two before you have to come up for a breath, and finally re-submerge. do I impose my lifestyle on people verbally? do i hang out and smile while the others are smoking pot? do i join in the topics of conversation that 99% of the time deal with either sex, fashion, drugs, or alcohol...just to "assimilate" without judging?

i dont know. week 1, already confused. no so much worried, just realizing being an ambassador for Christ doesn´t always mean that I can tag team. maybe i´m han-solo right now because i need to up my ante for Him. I sure hope so.

aight, ill post more interesting things once i get to Malaga! and hopefully some sweet pics. peace, love, and crabs.

Day 1 - Travels

2008-09-29T17:05:00.000+02:00

I left from Houston at 11:20 AM on Saturday to connect in Dallas to connect in Chicago to connect in Madrid to finally arrive in Sevilla around 13:00PM a day later. The flights were surprisingly turbulent-free sans the last leg, and seemed to pass rather quickly (given the 18 hour time window I was promised with my $1600 itinterary). We were all greeted and taken captive by the CIEE staff in Sevilla, and driven to the hotels.

I´m rooming with Ellie, the only other girl placed in my region, and she´s from North Carolina. She graduated from Rhodes in 2006, and since has been searching for her life´s calling as a job-holding American woman. Maybe perfecting her Spanish will put a stamp on her resumé in 8 months, who knows?

I´ve met boo koos of people today (yesterday now) from all over the EEUU with all sorts of degrees. It´s pretty hilarious, if you ask me. I´d say on the freak-out scale, I´m a 3 compared to these girls. It seems like everyone has cried at least once, and questioned the entire purpose of their being here as well. Unfortunately, my 3 on the Richter scale of Spain came/comes from my lack of sleep/food and the low energy I´m able to put forth at this time. Especially in meet and greet situations.

We beign our official schedule of events for orientation at 8AM tomorrow morning. Not to worry, though. There is always time for a siesta or two. Hopefully there will be more means of communication available soon so my heart and soul don´t perish this early in the marathon.

My spirit is pretty low right now, but I have hope. It´s only day 1, and I think it woudln´t be day 1 without a huge knock in the head, right? Right. I miss everyone too much already. And I need sleep. Buenas noches mis amantes.

disrobing.

2008-09-23T16:29:00.000+02:00

This is Georgia font, which I find to be most appropriate given my family's rootage. yes, rootage.

So, I'm going to be completely honest, although it might become quickly obvious, that I've never blogged before. The idea of journaling online is hilarious to me, because I normally journal in a journal where my thoughts are stored for no one to read. However, I'm willing to take all of my proverbial clothes off for all of you lovely readers to see me somewhat naked.

Things are starting to look and feel more real to me now in terms of Spain. I picked up my Visa just yesterday from the Spanish Consulate in Houston, and now my time and worries will most likely be shifted to packing (hopefully). Actually, worrying is overrated. When it comes to worrying, for me, there is physical, tangible evidence. My bowels go cray cray, and I end up wondering why it came to that. Worrying is a lack of trust of my gracious Savior. If I truly believe that my King is sovereign and Holy, and perfectly ordains each of my days, then His transcending peace should be a blanket on my shivering body. So, for today, I pray against any worry that may come my way whilst preparing for a new season of life.

Isn't it strange that we chunk up our lives into "seasons"? We look to the next phase, to prepare for it, or worry about it, when our today is just a means to an end. Why are we trying to control our time? It really isn't ours to begin with. What a gift even today is. This new sun, these new conversations, a new opportunity to see Christ in His glory and work for His kingdom!

I think I'm projecting. Nonetheless, hopefully we don't get trapped in tomorrow, today.

arivaderci, folks. Happy Tuesday!