It looks like another re-cap of several days is called for. My blogging motivation has seriously diminished in the last month…sorry about that.
On Friday, I had a fairly interesting day. I stayed at school working on things until it closed at 2:00 for lunch and I headed back to my apartment. I had asked Rosa to pack me a bag lunch because the bus to Sierra Norte (a region about an hour and a half away from Sevilla where the camp I volunteered at is) left a few hours later and I didn’t want to have to squeeze a big lunch and packing into a short space of time. So, when I got home I leisurely packed my bag and then headed towards the bus stop with my bag and lunch. I stopped by the river on the way to read and eat lunch in the time I had before the bus came, and I really enjoyed the quiet, alone time. I was really happy I had asked for a packed lunch and that I got away by myself for a bit before heading out with the group.
When we got off the bus in the town where the camp was, one of the camp staff members was there to give us rides to the camp, but we had to go in small groups, so it took a while to get everyone there. We quickly settled into the rooms where we were staying and got to know the camp staff before having dinner, going stargazing, and staying up late talking. Throughout the weekend I got to talk with a few people in our group that I haven’t gotten to know very well yet, and I really enjoyed getting to know them and spending time with them in an environment outside of school.
On Saturday morning, we got up early for breakfast and then split up into work teams. I mis-set my alarm on Friday night, so everyone woke up 10 minutes before we were expected for breakfast, but everyone was really relaxed about it and it wasn’t that big of a deal, it just added a little bit of excitement to the day. I went out to work with the moving/painting team, and I spent a few hours with them whitewashing a cabin. We got done pretty fast, so they had two of us go into another cabin to clean, which was also fun. After a short break for snack, a group of us worked on deep-cleaning the kitchen, which was quite a task, but we had fun doing it. Everyone really enjoyed serving for the day…it gave us a chance to step out of our own little lives and support a valuable, Christ-honoring cause.
Since it was so cold and rainy at the camp, we were all excited to get home and take warm showers, and that’s exactly what I did as soon as our bus got back to Sevilla. I quickly told Rosa about my day, took a warm, refreshing shower and unpacked before tackling my homework for the evening. When Corinne got home (she didn’t go to the camp), we had dinner and then watched another episode of the series we’re watching (and loving) this semester. We had a wonderful time talking about ways we’ve grown this semester and things God is teaching us. By the time I went to sleep last night my face hurt from smiling…it was a day just full of blessings and affirmation of God’s presence and work in my life.
Today I woke up feeling pretty under the weather. I’ve been battling a cold that seems to have taken a turn for the worst, and my sore throat has made my voice go in and out throughout the day. I’m hoping that it will be better in the morning and that it won’t drag on for the whole week, but I know that either way I’ll get through it. We went to Sunday school and church as normal, and I seriously just love our Sunday school class and pastor. Today we talked about our identity in Christ and about the responsibilities that come with salvation. It was a great conversation, and I really felt connected to the community there, which was wonderful. I saw one of the students I tutor at Mision Nervana at the main service, which was really cool too.
I had big plans for my day after church, but somehow the whole afternoon passed quite unproductively. I finished the homework I needed to get done, but I didn’t have a chance to start on my final papers like I had hoped. The good news is that we had a good conversation with Rosa and it was a pretty relaxed day. Later in the afternoon I went to a café to use the internet and just to get out of the house, and then I met with my intercambio for a little bit. She brought a friend of hers, and the three of us went to look at the seasonal craft fair going on downtown. There were all kinds of nativities and other figurines for sale, and I loved seeing everything there. Afterwards we went to a restaurant for coffee, and then they dropped me off at home. I was so tired that all I had the energy to do was shower, finish this post, and go to bed. I’m praying for health and restored energy this week. I can’t wait to see what God brings me and to walk through it with Him.
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