Monday, October 31

            What a relief this weekend has been! Coordinating things was a little tricky because I wasn’t sure exactly how all of the transportation to and from bus stations would go and what Emily’s schedule would be like for the weekend, but everything ended up working out beautifully, and I know that it was just as God planned it…there’s no way I could have connected the dots so flawlessly…it had to have been Him.

            On Friday after class, I went home to finish packing and have lunch with Rosa before heading to the bus station to catch my bus to Portugal. Originally, I just wanted to walk to the bus station, but when I walked there to buy my ticket a few days ago, it took me about an hour to get there, and with a duffle bag and backpack I was a little reluctant to make the trek again. Rosa instead helped me find the public bus I should take to the station, and I easily got there that way with plenty of time to spare.

            I waited at the bus station for a while, and then once I was on the bus I slept pretty much the whole way from Sevilla to Lagos, about a five and a half hour journey. I originally thought it was only going to be four and a half hours, but there’s a time zone change, so it was actually five and a half. Anyway, I got to Lagos around 8:45 their time and it was completely dark out. The bus station in Seville is a pretty big hub of activity, and I’ve heard of many people going to Lagos, so I was expecting to arrive at a similarly large bus station with taxis waiting outside and lots of people. However, the scene I was greeted by was completely different.

            When I got off the bus at the small, poorly lit station, there was hardly anyone around, and everyone that had arrived with me quickly dispersed on foot in various directions. I asked the bus driver where to find a taxi, since there were none to be found, and he pointed me down the nearest semi-busy road. I walked down the street towards what seemed like the heart of the town and was grateful to find another group of girls walking with their luggage on the same street. They seemed to know where they were going, but I stuck with them as much as possible just to have other people around until I could find a taxi.

            With every passing car, I asked God to bring me a taxi, and eventually I arrived at a gas station where I was planning to ask someone to call for a taxi for me. Praying “God, I trust you” over and over again, I stopped at the gas station, and when I turned around before heading inside, a taxi was pulling up right behind me. Praise the Lord! I asked the driver if he spoke Spanish or English, and we somehow pieced together a broken conversation while I pulled out my phone to call the study center where I would be staying. Luckily, they answered right away, gave my driver really detailed directions, and 20 minutes later I was hanging out with Emily.

            The study center we stayed at was part of A Rocha, a Christian environmental conversation organization, and throughout the weekend we talked a lot about God’s creation, our role as stewards of it, and the joy we have in the hope of Christ. The center is located out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the beautiful nature of Portugal, about 20 minutes away from the nearest town of Lagos. It was absolutely wonderful. I was showered by love by the group Emily is studying with and by our hosts, and Emily and I spent the whole weekend catching up and encouraging each other. It was so good to be with someone who knows me and who I could relate to in the desire to honor and grow with God.

            There were a few little details that I was worried about throughout the weekend, such as confirming my bus ticket back to Sevilla and finding an ATM to pay for my stay, but our hosts were so accommodating and patient that my worries just dissolved. Everyone I spent time with this weekend taught me more about the love of Christ, and I feel renewed and ready to finish out the semester with a greater awareness of God’s hand in it.

            On Sunday, we headed to the beautiful beach of Lagos where we enjoyed playing in the sand and waves and walking along the beach. We were amazed to see a herd of dolphins swimming off in the distance as we were leaving, and God’s presence was simply undeniable among such beauty. Emily and I stayed up late every night talking about the journeys God has us on- we talked about what He’s been teaching us and about how we can redirect ourselves to live more fully for Him in the rest of the semester.

            This morning, when it was time to go, I was so sad to say goodbye. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten so attached to any place in such a short amount of time. What a blessing it was to get away and be reminded of God’s love in a big way. The leader of A Rocha Portugal, Marcial drove me to the bus station this morning and stayed to see me off, which was so kind of him…it felt so good to have someone looking out for me, and it reminded me of God’s great care for us.

            The bus trip back to Sevilla was similar to the one getting to Lagos, although I didn’t sleep as much, and I’m currently trying to get ready for the next chapter of my fall break, which will include more traveling and more of God’s love. I’m so excited to see my mom tonight and to experience Italy with her. I pray that God would keep my eyes open and focused on Him and that He would continue to strengthen and encourage me throughout my break and the rest of the semester so that I can learn what He has for me and be His witness in every situation He brings me to.

Thursday, October 27

            So this will be my last post before I embark on my next grand adventure called fall break. Tomorrow after classes I will start my journey with a four and a half hour bus ride to Portugal, where I will meet up with my friend Emily and the group she is studying with there. I will join them for their weekend activities, which consist of a few classes and a little bit of sightseeing around Lagos, Portugal. It’s a beautiful place that I can’t wait to see, but even more than that I’m super excited to see Emily!

            After spending the weekend there, I will get on a bus returning to Sevilla on Monday morning. I’m planning on having lunch here with Rosa, picking up my stuff for Italy and dropping off my bag for Portugal, and then heading to the airport where I will catch a flight to Rome! After I meet my mom at our hotel, she and I will spend three days in Rome and three in Venice before I come back to reality for the last 6 weeks of my time here.

            I’m really looking forward to break, and most of today was consumed with final preparations and packing. Aside from those stressful but fun tasks, I had my second Actualidad class, during which we had a very American lunch and talked about Spanish media. I loved it. Later, I took an hour to walk through the incredible Parque María Luisa (a huge park/garden in the heart of Sevilla). I’ve been wanting to spend some time there for a while, and today I finally decided everything else could wait for a while so that I could go exploring. I found several beautiful, quiet corners while I wandered through the park, and I enjoyed having some alone time with God to re-center myself.

            I’m exhausted and ready to go…just one set of classes left, and I can hardly stand the thought of sitting through them tomorrow. Vacation, here I come!! Praise God for His many blessings and faithfulness through everything He puts in front of us!  More posts to come in a week or so :)

Wednesday, October 26

            So apparently when it rains it pours. At least in Sevilla. On Monday morning it was raining so hard on my way to school that I was completely drenched the second I walked out my door. I had hoped I would be able to take refuge under my umbrella until I got to some covered parts of the sidewalk and therefore avoid paying for the metro, but after less than 10 steps, I could see that that dream was crushed. I ended up taking the metro to school and spending the rest of the day sopping wet with the rest of my classmates. It was actually kind of funny to see everyone’s reactions to the rain, and since then I’ve been much more diligent in checking the weather.

            The cooler weather/rainy season has finally arrived in Sevilla, which means I’m now enjoying the same fall weather my loved ones in MN. In fact, last night when I looked up the weather it was the exact temperature in Sevilla as it was at NWC! I’m loving the cooler weather, and it’s brought with it a certain sense of relief. This is my last week of school before my week-long vacation, and it’s simply flying by. I’ve had tons and tons of stuff to do, which is why I haven’t been posting regularly.

I think being super busy has also contributed to a significant rise in my spirits. Sometimes I just love having too much to do, and this week has been a refreshing deep breath in that sense. My to-do list keeps growing…I’m getting my last minute details nailed down for my trip, I’m finishing up projects, I’ve been in meetings and sending emails…often, this is a recipe for an overwhelming week for me, but after last week I think it’s exactly what I needed. Keeping busy always takes my mind off of being away, and the fast pace of this week energizes me.

Another HUGE relief has been found in making more time to spend debriefing, praying, and reading my Bible. I was just in serious need of quality time with God, which for me is always hard to come by when I’ve hit a rough patch. It seems I tend to dwell more on the problem for a few days than the solution, which I always know can be found though humbling myself and simply praying. Sometimes it just takes me longer to remember that than it should. At any rate, God has truly been blessing me this week with lots to do and lots of His love to see in every day. I love being reminded of His presence and being reminded of the lessons He is teaching me, even if it hurts to realize I’ve been failing my lessons in that respect. A realization like this stings, but it also comes with hope and the promise of a new leaf to be turned over.

A quick summary of what’s been going on since my last post:

On Monday I had my first afternoon of volunteering at the retirement home. Like I noted before, I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about the change from ESL tutoring to a retirement home, but alas, there was nothing to be done about it, so I went. I met two other girls from my school who were also volunteering there on Monday, and together we met a few of the men before I settled in with a group to play Dominoes. I stayed with them the whole time I was there, and while two and a half hours of Dominoes was a little too long for me, it was alright. I was feeling completely worn out that afternoon, so when I got home I did my homework quick, ate dinner, and went to bed as early as possible. Thankfully, I woke up feeling much better on Tuesday.

A new class started on Tuesday, and I’m really excited I decided to take it. It’s a class called Actualidad, and it’s all about modern Spain, and we started with learning about the different cultures of the various regions of Spain. Each of the SIS teachers will teach the course for one week, touching on different topics, such as politics, religion, infrastructure etc. of Spain. It’s a small class, and I’m looking forward to having it again on Thursday, when we’re meeting over lunch (pizza!). After Actualidad, I met with my intercambio for dinner. We planned to meet at 8, and I was thinking we would just grab tapas somewhere near my school and then go our separate ways, but instead we headed over to a mall in a nearby suburb where we window shopped for a while before going to a tapas bar in Raquel’s hometown. It was really fun, and I got to practice my Spanish a lot, which is always great.

Again, I came home completely exhausted, worked on a few loose ends, and went to bed. Today has flown by as well. I’m officially checked in for all of my flights, have my itinerary completely set up, and have my bus ticket for my trip to Portugal purchased. There are a few compositions due before vacation, so I’ve been working on those, and I’m trying to make study guides to take with me on my trip instead of hauling all of my schoolwork with me. We’ll see how that works out.

Tonight we had encuentro, which was incredible. We reflected on the amazing sacrifice Christ made for us, and I was reminded of all of the amazing ways God moves in our lives. It was kind of a heavy topic…talking about how awful crucifixion was and how gracious God is, and I’m looking forward to reflecting on it a bit more in the upcoming days.

After encuentro, I met with my friend Bri to revise our compositions for grammar and then headed home for dinner. Corinne is leaving early for fall break (tomorrow!), so she has been busy packing, and it makes me even more excited to get away for a while. I received a few emails tonight about my student teaching application that were initially fairly concerning, but in the end everything got worked out. Things actually worked out even better than I had hoped, and I’m thrilled to have confirmation that an ESL/Spanish Ed dual licensure is now available at NWC and that it will be possible for me to get both licenses and still graduate on time. Basically, this means that I will be qualified to teach both English and Spanish as second languages, which I’m really excited about.

It is so great to be walking on the path that God puts before me. I’m continually reminded that He has everything perfectly planned out; all I have to do is be patient and obedient. I can’t wait to see what more He has in store for me this week, in the rest of the semester, and in life after study abroad (yes, it does exist, and it’s nearly in sight!), but for now I’m trying to learn to take things one step at a time, leaning on Him and knowing that His plan is infallible. 

Sunday, October 23

So some of you are probably asking yourselves where I’ve been over the last week. Short answer? Spain. Longer answer that takes a bit of explaining? It was a tough week. There have been lots of ups and downs, and I’ll get into the highlights in a bit, but basically, I was just plain worn out this week. Homesickness really settled in, there were a few problems with my homestay, and my classes rather dragged out. I was happy to survive my two tests and 50 minute presentation, and I’m pretty sure they all went well, so that was nice but also pretty stressful. I’m not sure if it’s from the extra stress, strange eating patterns, or the changing of the seasons here, but I’ve also been feeling pretty sick, which just doesn’t make things any easier.

Things with my service project for the semester got really messed up, and now instead of working with ESL students I’ve been assigned to work in a men’s retirement home. I’m not exactly sure how that happened, but I’m doing my best to get the changes reversed because I was really looking forward to the experience of working with students here. Everything really just seemed scattered over the past week, and I have been feeling unsettled and distant from God, which is not fun. Last night and today I’ve really just been trying to focus on getting myself back on a sustainable track and back on the same page as God. Lots of reading and praying and rest were in order, but I feel like I’m getting there. I still feel pretty tired of being away, and my motivation to speak Spanish has been dwindling, but I’m trying to keep in mind that this is God’s will, it’s His plan, and my only job is to work through it willingly and obediently.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this on here before, but I think God is really trying to teach me patience this semester, and I love learning from Him, but everyone knows there’s good days and bad days in that journey. So, I’m trying to be patient and rest in the knowledge that things are in God’s hands. I can try my hardest, be positive, and make the most out of every opportunity I have, but ultimately everything will be what God wills, and I’m content with that, trying to take comfort in it despite the challenges it presents sometimes.

I’m amazed by the lessons God has for me each and every day, and I delight in discovering what He’s showing me. The hardest days come when I can’t quite see where He’s going or what His purposes are. I don’t claim to ever understand Him fully, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s especially exciting for me when He gives me a glimpse of the road ahead and clearly shows me where we’re at, and when I don’t seem to have that knowledge its harder for me to keep going with the same enthusiasm.

All right, now for the quick and general update of the past week. Despite the fact that I had tests and presentations, there didn’t seem to be much going on, which was nice considering I wasn’t feeling very well. I took advantage of a few chances to get some extra sleep and spend some extra time talking with some people at home, which was refreshing. My mom and I talked a lot about plans for our trip to Italy, and we’re in the process of nailing down our itinerary, which is really exciting. My lovely packages kept coming from John, and on Friday I was amazed to find flowers outside of my apartment door in honor of our first anniversary! He commissioned some of my friends to deliver them before I left, and it was so much fun to get them =)

On Friday I also went to lunch at my intercambio’s house, which was interesting and fun. I liked meeting her family and I especially enjoyed being in a real house outside of the city. It was like a breath of fresh air I didn’t even know I needed. After lunch, we got tea at Raquel’s favorite coffee shop, and then she dropped me off in time to go to the movie night at school. We had pizza, painted our nails, and watched New In Town (which I loved!) at school, and by the time it was over I was completely exhausted.

We got up on Saturday morning and spent the first part of our day at Isla Mágica, the local amusement park where our Senora’s nephews work. They got us discounted tickets, so we decided to go during their Halloween celebration. We were shocked to find that there was hardly anyone at the park, and the majority of the rides were for small children. I was feeling pretty tired and my cold symptoms were beginning to increase, and we ended up spending only a couple of hours there before heading to a fun restaurant for lunch where they served amazing mini-sandwiches.

I spent the rest of my Saturday and a lot of my Sunday afternoon working on schoolwork. I wanted to make study guides for the tests I’ll have after fall break and finish up my student teaching application, and I am really happy to say I accomplished both of those goals as well as getting all of my other homework done. Corinne and I finally found the local library this week, and we were amazed by how quiet it is in there. They legitimately do not talk in the library, and the squeaky chair I sat in drew glances from all over the whole room. It is definitely a high-productivity place I will be returning to, and I was happy to find a new place to study where I can probably get more done than I have been able to in the other places I’ve been working thus far.

Church today was good, and like always I really enjoyed Sunday school. My prayer group met this afternoon, and talking with them after reflecting about this week a little bit yesterday and this morning was really helpful to me. It’s good to keep in mind that perspective and attitude make the biggest difference in daily life, and I’m praying that God would show me His presence and support even more profoundly this week. I just want to know Him and submit myself completely to His work in me. Prayers for strength and a positive, Christ-centered focus as I embark on this last week before break would be greatly appreciated. 

October 17 & 18...where did Oct. 16 go? I'm not sure.

            Well, I just discovered that I forgot to post about yesterday, so rather than write two posts today I’ll just combine the days into one…it will be like one big bonus post rather than two smaller, mediocre ones ;)

            Yesterday, Sunday, I went to church with the normal crowd, and like always, I loved Sunday school especially. I’ve been keenly missing having people around me who care about me lately, and it was like a breath of fresh air to have someone ask me how I was doing and want to hear about my classes. The Spanish cultural standard of keeping everyone at an arm’s length has been wearing on me, and I was really happy to just see people genuinely care about each other, even when I was just watching from a distance. I had some trouble following the sermon, which is kind of ironic since it was given by the church’s children’s pastor in honor of this week’s emphasis on youth ministries, but I still left feeling filled, refreshed, and encouraged.

            After church, Corinne and I had an awesome afternoon of talking and getting to know each other a little better, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We headed to the park a little later, where I Skyped and she worked on homework, and eventually we headed back home to study some more before bed.

            I have two tests and a presentation coming up this week, and I’ve been working on my student teaching application for next year, so there’s definitely enough to keep my busy, but I felt like my Monday was pretty relaxed nonetheless. During the thirty minute walk to school this morning I was startled by Corinne, who had left a few minutes after me. I knew she was coming and would surely catch up to me, but for some reason when it actually happened I was terrified, let out a scream, and grabbed her arm saying “CORINNE! What are you doing?!” After a second of holding her arm with a death grip, I calmed down, we laughed, and I continued the walk with her, heart racing the rest of the way. It made for an exciting start to the day, and it was funny, and for some reason it caused me to be jumpy all day, which was highly entertaining for my classmates.

Grammar was exceptionally exciting today because I found that my understanding of the subjunctive has arrived at a fairly satisfactory point, and we started to review for our upcoming test, which I’m feeling pretty ready for. I reviewed a little more for that test tonight, but that’s about all the homework I looked over after class. I received some new pieces to the puzzle John has been sending me in parts, so I spent a while working on that and talking to him, and then I talked to Katie, our student ministries coordinator for a while this evening before buying my plane ticket to Paris for a long weekend we have in December. I’m planning on going with three other girls, and it should be really fun.

I’ve been doing research for that trip and for my trip to Italy, so that has taken up a lot of my time recently, but I’m sure it will be worth it when I’m eating crepes in Paris or touring the Vatican in Rome. Life is so wonderful, and I’m loving this whirlwind of learning, struggles and adventure God is guiding me on.