Sooooo I almost always start off with an apology. I should really get out of this habit. :P However, I did tell you that I was going to be gone for a few days so to not expect anything. So. I'm not in the wrong... somehow still feel guilty. Hm. Oh well.
So first Friday! That's when we left to go serve with the missionaries about 2 hours away from our current location. They have 4 small boys, 9, 7, 3, 2. Oh my word. I felt so at home with them! They boys reminded me of my boys that I nanny for. Needless to say it made me miss them all the more but also helped me not miss them too. Kinda weird but it worked whatever it was. :P I found a new little buddy in their 3 year old Judah. His personality was so similar to my buddy Hank's that's why I think we got along so well. He even wanted me to sit by him everywhere instead of his dad. There's love right there folks.
After getting all situated and eating dinner I went out with Ivonne and Andy to get the food for this next week when we're at the Bible school... that was an adventure too. Lol oh how I love miscommunications! I thought that we wouldn't be able to use the kitchen... turns out we can. And I didn't know that I'd be cooking for 2 more too. That made things more exciting for sure! So anyways, Ivonne is a GEM. I took whatever advice she gave on meals and what things to get. Andy and I hit it off as well. Bouncing things off each other, sarcastic remarks. I felt like I was back home with my bros. :P Oh! Short funny story!
We got to the register and the total was in the quadruple digits. I almost dropped my card! How in the world had I gotten the numbers wrong! I had done everything in my head properly and with Ivonne... how could I have been so wrong by so much! Then I realized. Oh wait. It's in pesos. PHEW! I almost had a heart attack. For those of you who don't know, like I didn't, 14-15 pesos is about $1. So that makes a lot more sense.
Saturday morning the rest of the team got up and went to a soccer practice with David, a missionary here, while I stayed back and rested as I'm STILL not feeling my best. After a jam session with Andy on Guitar and lunch we went up to the place where we were going to put on the kids program. Max was in charge of the game, Kim craft, John story... and yours truly with music. Meaning teaching the song. Needless to say I was a bit nervous that I wasn't going to pronounce the words correctly. But God was so good to me and to the team. It went without a hitch... except we started like 30 minutes late because no one was there and we had to go look for them but minor details! :P
Another story. Not exactly funny but a story nevertheless. So I had totally forgot we were supposed to be teaching a song until the day before we were supposed to leave. So 30 minutes before we left I texted Liz and asked her about them. She quickly responded back and sent me an email with all the songs in Spanish. So I'm trying to memorize them and pronounce them correctly in order. I get to the Gratitude song and I'm like... holy cow! I know this one! I never knew it in English but when I was in Ecuador and Liz would teach the kids I'd go off the sounds that she would make... and to my surprise I was like 95% right! I then decided that was the song that I was going to teach them. When we got started I just thought "Be like Liz Fox. You can do it!" Andddddd... I think I may have stunned them with my energy just a little bit. :P Anyways, thanks "mom" for being such a great example to me!
I was so proud of the team. They did such a great job for the first time doing a program all together! Of course there are little things that need work but hey! Isn't there always? Afterwards we went back to the house and went over the game plan for this upcoming weekend when we'll be at a Bible School. We have to give our testimonies in Spanish... yeah. That's rather intimidating so pray for that!
Sunday morning we got up and took a early combi back to our Hotel but went straight to church. Afterwords, we went back to the Hotel then to what has become one of our favorite eating places. This time for me was absolutely delicious even if they didn't have Mora. :P Kim and Max then went to the market to look around while John and I went back to the Hotel to get some much needed rest. Later we went back to church and I taught more violin lessons. One thing about that is that in Spanish they use Solfege instead of note names... THAT was confusing! But God in His grace and mercy worked it out so I was able to understand and explain the notes on the violin.
It was so exciting this week in church because I was actually able to understand most of the sermon! I talked to everyone else after and they said the same thing! It's starting to really click for all of us! All those times studying in the park, hotel, or coffee shops have been paying off. All the late nights trying to memorize verbs and writing sentences have been paying off. All the listening to the most ridiculous songs in Spanish (Frozen) have been paying off. I can't tell you all how very encouraging this was to us. Now, putting it into speaking terms... thats an entirely different story.
God has been so very good to us in giving us this opportunity and placing these people on this trip to encourage and help us in this learning process. It's very different than any other trips I've been on. In the sense that our free time is spent on studying instead of doing kids programs. It's taken some getting used to especially to us who are used to being on the go all the time. But I must admit I really appreciate all the free time. It's helping me to really get my Spanish in concrete and ready to use. I remember my first missions trip to Ecuador and wanting so very badly to communicate with the kids there. God used me despite the language barrier and used me through His grace. Now I know God can use me no matter what the circumstances, whether language barriers or anything else, but having the words now... it's an incredible gift that I won't take for granted. Ever.
Monday, today, was a very low-key day. Normal normal. Which is a good thing. Lessons have been going very very well for me now that I'm separated from everyone else. Verbs are much better! And cong. even better. Finally getting down the patterns! It's so exciting to recognize words and sentences when just a week ago you couldn't.
We got some great team bonding time in today though. We all decided to go to a coffee shop though couldn't really figure out which one to go to then I put in my two cents. I really wanted to share this one place to them that had, what I thought was, great wifi, great coffee, and the people now knew me. We start walking over there, keep in mind it's about a 7 minute walk, and talked to each other, tried to do homework, and caught up with our families. The guys decided it was a great coffee shop... just not great for wifi and weren't coming back. I was kinda pleased in the sense that I could have the place all to myself but sad that they didn't really like it. Oh well. Everyone's tastes are different. :P We then went to dinner in which case there's another funny story.
When we were talking about what to do for dinner John suggested the steak place which Max and I were all over that idea. Tortillas and Tacos get tiring after awhile. Well... we get to the place and discover it's a taco place... a steak taco place. Max and I look at each other like "what the heck just happened?" and ask John. He's all like "Oh yeah! That's what I meant." O.....k? Well... I was personally looking forward to steak but... I'm grateful for any food to be honest. I'm not picky. ;) Anymore. During dinner I got this great idea from my dear friend Amanda Forman to look on wikipedia for the most random questions to ask people you know. Through that we had a pretty great time and learned more about each other than before.
We're starting our 3rd week. In many ways it's gone by very slowly but also SUPER fast! It's not all that I expected but I'm coming to realize rarely in life are things what we expect. However, it's what God planned and ultimately I want to be in the center of His will. That's the best place to be. I mean, would you rather you be the one in control of your life? You who doesn't know that future? Or God who has your best interests at heart and who knows everything? Yeah. That's what I thought. God has been slowly showing me that many times what I think is best for me... really isn't. I've come to the end of myself many times already this trip and it's only by the grace of God that I'm still alive and conquerer through Christ. He has shown me many of my weaknesses and oh how many there are. However, He has also showed me that I am a new creation and He is molding me into a beautiful being. Even in the midst of my many failures God continues to use me. My prayer always is not me but Christ in me. The all consuming hope of glory.
I have a very big prayer request. I've really not been doing well physically. I don't know if it's just spiritual attack or what. But it's been extremely difficult for me to function well this entire week. Please pray that I would be restored to full health and would continue to be able to serve God without hinderances. A praise report was that this weekend, when I was in a lot of pain, I prayed that my pain would be relieved enough to do the kids program... and it was! I was in pain before and after but not during. To God be the glory in ALL things.
Ash-Bash
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