I apologize ahead of time for this post...it's probably a little more emotion than most of you would care to hear. However, this is my way of getting out what I'm feeling inside...and right now, it's what I need most.
If you remember from my last post, I have not been feeling the greatest. Yesterday, Sunday, was a little bit better than Saturday, I was definitely feeling much better. However, I woke up this morning feeling more than "down in the dumps." My stomach still is feeling weird...it's not horrible, but not good either. I've been living on a diet of water, saltines, soup, bananas, and Gatorade for a couple days now, and it's kind of getting old. I have had my fair share of experiences with stomach issues and I know my body very well...I am not about to put some rich foods on that over-sensitive stomach. But it's not just the physical ailment that is getting to me. I am an emotional mess.
Being sick and away from home is hard. Much harder than I had anticipated. I expected to get sick at some point while I was down here. But I figured it wouldn't be that big of a deal, I would get it over with and be done with it. Well, I've been proved wrong and I can see that God is teaching me to put all my trust in Him...completely. This morning, I woke up and was not doing well emotionally. I don't know what happened, but it took everything I could to not fall apart this morning at breakfast. By the time we got back to our little apartment, I was sobbing...uncontrollably. Not feeling well and being away from home has pushed me to being more than homesick. I want nothing more than to be at home right now: in my house, in my room, in my bathroom, in my bedroom. So, because I was so unstable emotionally, I decided that I should stay home from Spanish class and rest...and that is just what I did. However, I learned that being alone and not feeling well is worse. I watched a movie and tried to rest, but my mind continued to go to: "Oh my gosh, I am going to be here for over two more months. How the heck and am I going to do this? Twelve more weeks?! That's impossible." You can only imagine what this will do to someone who is already homesick and struggling emotionally...if you can't figure it out, let me tell you that it makes me even more anxious and overcome with a defeated feeling.
So, needless to say, today has been much more difficult that I had expected when I woke up this morning. Don't get me wrong, Guatemala is a great place. Antigua is a really cool city and I am here with some really great people. However, when I don't feel well, I want to be at home. I have decided that I am turning off Skype for a couple of days. I have discovered that talking with my family and seeing them over Skype is making this homesickness worse. I need to find my strength in the Lord, not in humans (even though I love them very much). I know that God has me here for a reason. I know that every day has been planned long before I even came into being. I am trying to rest in his peace and assurance, but it is much more difficult than I thought. What I ask of all of you (those who actually read this), is that you be praying for me. I ask that you pray for a supernatural healing and strength that I have never experienced before. I know that right now, only God can bring me up out of this emotional pit. Only God can bind Satan from attacking and causing a spirit of sadness and replace it with a spirit of overwhelming joy. People keep saying, "oh, you can do it, Jennifer!" But, I am saying that only through God the Almighty Father can I do this. Sure, I have twelve more weeks, but God has each and every one of those months, weeks, and days planned out for His glory.
One more thing you can be praying for: I have been in contact with an organization down here about volunteering. They are called "Nuestros Ahijados." There are two options for me to volunteer: 1) Working to contribute to their English curriculum in their school; and 2) Feeding malnourished children at their malnutrition center, Casa Jackson.
I know that God has the perfect fit for my talents.
Petitioning prayers and lifting my eyes unto the hills,
-J
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
The past few days
I apologize that I haven't been on top of blogging for the past few days...there is a lot to tell! I will start with some random happenings in the past three to four days.
Wednesday: After Spanish class we went to an organization just outside of Antigua called "Nuestros Ahijados." This organization is really awesome and does a lot for the people in need in the outskirts of Antigua. They do everything from schooling to feeding to human trafficking to domestic violence to free health care for those who are a part of their organization. The children who go to school there get accepted based on two things: 1) They have to be of very low socioeconomic status, and 2) they have to be able to get to school on their own. The girl who gave us our tour was an American and was very passionate about what their organization does. One of the really spectacular things that stood out to me was their "open door policy." Every office has an "open door" policy, unless there are private meetings going on. This means that the kids can come into their offices and learn how to answer phones or use the computer...a skill they would probably never learn otherwise. During our tour, a little boy came up to Megan (our guide) and she carried him around for the entire tour. They don't want to reject the kids when they want attention because they may not be getting any other attention at home. Their goal is to show those kids love and affection. I don't know what God has in store for me in the area of volunteering, but this is definitely an option. It was a really neat place and I can see the impact they have on the people involved.
Moving on to Thursday: After Spanish class and lunch, Kylie and I decided that we wanted to explore the city a little bit instead of sit around for the afternoon. So, we headed for the market with our hearts set on buying some movies. [Don't tell, but several vendors here sell pirated movies...and they're SO cheap]. We found the one that Paul recommended to us and I bought two movies for Q.25 which ends up being about $1.55 per movie! I bought Larry Crowne and Morning Glory. Kylie and I also splurged and went to Yogen Frus (a frozen yogurt place) and invested in some delicious smoothies. That evening, after studying for Spanish, we watched Morning Glory with our housemate, Allison who left on Saturday. It was a great little noche de chicas. :)
Friday: During Spanish class, I had my second test. It was hard. It was all about the irregular verbs in the present and preterite tense and I had to conjugate...A LOT! I was rather frustrated because my mind just couldn't function and I eventually left some things blank...my teacher got frustrated that I did that...oh well. After my test, I got to play Scrabble with my friend and his teacher. It was definitely a challenge, but really fun trying to think of words in Spanish...but I did use a dictionary for help! :) Rather soon after class, we packed up and headed out of Antigua for Guatemala City. We started out at the Archeological Museum in the city...it was really cool to see some of the really detailed stuff that the indigenous people made a looong time ago. I would put some cool pictures up, but it takes way too long...so check out my Facebook page for some neat pictures! Friday evening we were able to check out a mall near our hotel...it was an interesting experience because their malls a fairly different than ours - definitely not as packed with things and people. That night our entire group went to a REALLY cool restaurant called Kacao that was fairly close to our hotel. IT WAS SO COOL! Again, check out the pictures on Facebook.
Saturday: Saturday could have been a really awesome and exciting day...except, I felt like I was dying. I woke up in the middle of the night with horrible stomach cramps and was having stomach issues throughout the night (you can figure that out on your own). For breakfast that morning, I missed out on an awesome buffet at the hotel and stuck to toast, a banana, and tea. As we headed out for the day, I felt tired, and just plain "yucky." Our first stop was the National Palace which was incredibly beautiful: constructed over a four year period from 1939 to 1943. I would have enjoyed this experience ten times more if I had not been experiencing the WORST headache of my life. I can honestly say that I thought I was going to pass out. Thankfully, a friend gave me a bottle of water in hopes that I wasn't dehydrated. We made our way to the National Cathedral where a mass was going on, but it was also really beautiful. One of the most interesting things about it were the posts that held up the fences outside of the church. These posts were engraved with the names of over 200,000 people who died in the civil war that ended just fifteen short years ago. And those names were only the people who were actually recovered. We went to lunch at Pollo Campero, but I didn't eat anything because I felt so awful. But I tried to stay hydrated with water and 7Up. We headed to the mercado (market) and I was feeling really bad, trying not to puke the entire way there. Paul was nice enough to take me to a nearby cafe and bought me some tea. I tried to talk with him and keep my mind off of it, but it was rough. Once we left Guatemala City, it ended up taking us two hours to get back...and I tried not to toss my cookies the entire way back. I felt really weak and tired the rest of the afternoon and not feeling well made me want home more than anything else. It was a really rough evening. I have never wanted so badly to be at home in my own bed, with my mom taking care of me. I needed to sleep so badly, but I didn't want to sleep all evening and then not sleep through the night. I did some journaling to keep my mind off things and continuously prayed for God's presence and peace when I felt so horribly. We eventually watched a movie (Larry Crowne) and that was nice because I was able to keep my mind off of how I was feeling physically and emotionally. To be sure that I would sleep well, I took two Benadryl and was in bed by 9:00pm.
Sunday: I awoke this morning praising God for ten hours of solid sleep. I also awoke with a bit more appetite! Mom always taught me that this was a good sign after having the stomach flu. I ate some crackers and drank some water to see how that set in my gut. I was able to be productive and do some journaling again this morning and really reflect on what I am doing here in Guatemala. I decided to start a "read through the Bible in 6 months" plan and have a goal to actually have it done before I get home in December. I think this will be a really good challenge for me and keep me focused on my God instead of the daily frustrations I may feel from living here.
We met up as a group for lunch today at Las Palmas (a really neat restaurant here in Antigua...one of many) and I was actually feeling hungry, but a bit nervous to eat too. I decided I would order what sounded good to me and eat a little bit and save the rest. I ordered Spinach Lasagna and didn't eat half of it. My stomach has seemed to be doing alright this afternoon/evening, but I'm trying to take it slow. I definitely know what my body needs and I am not going to risk anything...if you know what I mean.
I am realizing that this semester is not going to be all fun and games. Yes, there are going to be some really cool experiences. But yes, there are going to be some days that are much harder than others. I am learning to lift my eyes to the hills, to my God, because from there, my help is going to come.
We have been here 19 days already...81 days left.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me <3
Sorry for being long-winded,
-J
Wednesday: After Spanish class we went to an organization just outside of Antigua called "Nuestros Ahijados." This organization is really awesome and does a lot for the people in need in the outskirts of Antigua. They do everything from schooling to feeding to human trafficking to domestic violence to free health care for those who are a part of their organization. The children who go to school there get accepted based on two things: 1) They have to be of very low socioeconomic status, and 2) they have to be able to get to school on their own. The girl who gave us our tour was an American and was very passionate about what their organization does. One of the really spectacular things that stood out to me was their "open door policy." Every office has an "open door" policy, unless there are private meetings going on. This means that the kids can come into their offices and learn how to answer phones or use the computer...a skill they would probably never learn otherwise. During our tour, a little boy came up to Megan (our guide) and she carried him around for the entire tour. They don't want to reject the kids when they want attention because they may not be getting any other attention at home. Their goal is to show those kids love and affection. I don't know what God has in store for me in the area of volunteering, but this is definitely an option. It was a really neat place and I can see the impact they have on the people involved.
Moving on to Thursday: After Spanish class and lunch, Kylie and I decided that we wanted to explore the city a little bit instead of sit around for the afternoon. So, we headed for the market with our hearts set on buying some movies. [Don't tell, but several vendors here sell pirated movies...and they're SO cheap]. We found the one that Paul recommended to us and I bought two movies for Q.25 which ends up being about $1.55 per movie! I bought Larry Crowne and Morning Glory. Kylie and I also splurged and went to Yogen Frus (a frozen yogurt place) and invested in some delicious smoothies. That evening, after studying for Spanish, we watched Morning Glory with our housemate, Allison who left on Saturday. It was a great little noche de chicas. :)
Friday: During Spanish class, I had my second test. It was hard. It was all about the irregular verbs in the present and preterite tense and I had to conjugate...A LOT! I was rather frustrated because my mind just couldn't function and I eventually left some things blank...my teacher got frustrated that I did that...oh well. After my test, I got to play Scrabble with my friend and his teacher. It was definitely a challenge, but really fun trying to think of words in Spanish...but I did use a dictionary for help! :) Rather soon after class, we packed up and headed out of Antigua for Guatemala City. We started out at the Archeological Museum in the city...it was really cool to see some of the really detailed stuff that the indigenous people made a looong time ago. I would put some cool pictures up, but it takes way too long...so check out my Facebook page for some neat pictures! Friday evening we were able to check out a mall near our hotel...it was an interesting experience because their malls a fairly different than ours - definitely not as packed with things and people. That night our entire group went to a REALLY cool restaurant called Kacao that was fairly close to our hotel. IT WAS SO COOL! Again, check out the pictures on Facebook.
Saturday: Saturday could have been a really awesome and exciting day...except, I felt like I was dying. I woke up in the middle of the night with horrible stomach cramps and was having stomach issues throughout the night (you can figure that out on your own). For breakfast that morning, I missed out on an awesome buffet at the hotel and stuck to toast, a banana, and tea. As we headed out for the day, I felt tired, and just plain "yucky." Our first stop was the National Palace which was incredibly beautiful: constructed over a four year period from 1939 to 1943. I would have enjoyed this experience ten times more if I had not been experiencing the WORST headache of my life. I can honestly say that I thought I was going to pass out. Thankfully, a friend gave me a bottle of water in hopes that I wasn't dehydrated. We made our way to the National Cathedral where a mass was going on, but it was also really beautiful. One of the most interesting things about it were the posts that held up the fences outside of the church. These posts were engraved with the names of over 200,000 people who died in the civil war that ended just fifteen short years ago. And those names were only the people who were actually recovered. We went to lunch at Pollo Campero, but I didn't eat anything because I felt so awful. But I tried to stay hydrated with water and 7Up. We headed to the mercado (market) and I was feeling really bad, trying not to puke the entire way there. Paul was nice enough to take me to a nearby cafe and bought me some tea. I tried to talk with him and keep my mind off of it, but it was rough. Once we left Guatemala City, it ended up taking us two hours to get back...and I tried not to toss my cookies the entire way back. I felt really weak and tired the rest of the afternoon and not feeling well made me want home more than anything else. It was a really rough evening. I have never wanted so badly to be at home in my own bed, with my mom taking care of me. I needed to sleep so badly, but I didn't want to sleep all evening and then not sleep through the night. I did some journaling to keep my mind off things and continuously prayed for God's presence and peace when I felt so horribly. We eventually watched a movie (Larry Crowne) and that was nice because I was able to keep my mind off of how I was feeling physically and emotionally. To be sure that I would sleep well, I took two Benadryl and was in bed by 9:00pm.
Sunday: I awoke this morning praising God for ten hours of solid sleep. I also awoke with a bit more appetite! Mom always taught me that this was a good sign after having the stomach flu. I ate some crackers and drank some water to see how that set in my gut. I was able to be productive and do some journaling again this morning and really reflect on what I am doing here in Guatemala. I decided to start a "read through the Bible in 6 months" plan and have a goal to actually have it done before I get home in December. I think this will be a really good challenge for me and keep me focused on my God instead of the daily frustrations I may feel from living here.
We met up as a group for lunch today at Las Palmas (a really neat restaurant here in Antigua...one of many) and I was actually feeling hungry, but a bit nervous to eat too. I decided I would order what sounded good to me and eat a little bit and save the rest. I ordered Spinach Lasagna and didn't eat half of it. My stomach has seemed to be doing alright this afternoon/evening, but I'm trying to take it slow. I definitely know what my body needs and I am not going to risk anything...if you know what I mean.
I am realizing that this semester is not going to be all fun and games. Yes, there are going to be some really cool experiences. But yes, there are going to be some days that are much harder than others. I am learning to lift my eyes to the hills, to my God, because from there, my help is going to come.
We have been here 19 days already...81 days left.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me <3
Sorry for being long-winded,
-J
Monday, September 19, 2011
Always learning to trust.
There’s something called trust...and I struggle with it a lot. I know that probably sounds cliché and that everyone always struggles with trusting God, but I swear, it’s ten times harder for me. I like a plan, I like structure, I like being able to control things. Throughout the past two weeks, I have learned that I can’t always have things my way. God has different plans and his plans are forcing me to trust in Him. Yes, the Bible is loaded with scripture that talks about trusting in the Lord, not being anxious, and casting all our cares on Him...but it is so much harder than it sounds (which, I am sure all of you have figured out!). There are already many things this semester that I learning are out of my control, but I know that God has a plan that will bring the glory to Him and Him alone.
Here are some things in which I am learning to trust in the Lord:
-Safety: Sometimes I feel unsafe here because the men aren’t the most respectful of women, but I know that God will always protect me (but don’t worry, I’m not careless either). There was also an earthquake here today. It was the first earthquake I have ever felt and I was a little concerned, but again, I am reminded that the God of the universe is holding me in His hands.
-Free time: I have a lot of free time here in Antigua and I often times find myself somewhat bored. I know that God has something great for me to do and I just need Him to reveal a special volunteer opportunity where He will use me to serve and further His kingdom. I need to take this free time and use it to sit at His feet and bask in His glory. God’s timing is always perfect, even when I can’t seem to see that.
-Getting better at Spanish: Right now I feel as though I am not making much progress with Spanish. I know that I am definitely learning things, but I feel like I’m not speaking it any better. Again, God knows what I will learn and what I know already. He will prepare each day and show me ways to better learn the language. God will guide Sabina to show me and teach me in the perfect way. I trust that God has placed Sabina in my life for me to show her the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. The Lord also knows that I am going to have three weeks free at the end of this trip because I will finish my 15 credits in 12 weeks instead of the full 15 weeks. God knows that I need something to do during that time, whether it be volunteer work, providing me with more Spanish lessons, or going to visit Casa Bernabé...He will provide me with the perfect thing to fill that time...no matter how frustrated I get in the meantime.
-The relationship with our house mom: Chiqui is precious. She received the nickname Chiqui when she was little (from her grandmother) because she was so small. She is so sweet, but also seems to have somewhat of a wild side...she always asks us if we are going out dancing or partying, haha! However, we only get to spend meals with her and she doesn’t even eat with us which makes it difficult to truly establish a relationship. I praise God because tonight at dinner we were able to have a little more conversation with her, but we are still trying to establish the relationship, especially because we live in the “guest house.” I know that God will surely provide a way for all of us to connect with her. I pray that He gives us the opportunity to take her out for ice cream or out to dinner. It has only been two weeks, so we continue to trust in His timing.
Trusting is hard. But God knows that it’s hard and yet He continues to love me...even when I don’t trust in Him. I pray that I can be reminded each day to trust in Him: when I’m homesick, when I don’t feel well, when I feel unsafe, when I get frustrated with the language.
Dios...él sabe. <3
-J
Here are some things in which I am learning to trust in the Lord:
-Safety: Sometimes I feel unsafe here because the men aren’t the most respectful of women, but I know that God will always protect me (but don’t worry, I’m not careless either). There was also an earthquake here today. It was the first earthquake I have ever felt and I was a little concerned, but again, I am reminded that the God of the universe is holding me in His hands.
-Free time: I have a lot of free time here in Antigua and I often times find myself somewhat bored. I know that God has something great for me to do and I just need Him to reveal a special volunteer opportunity where He will use me to serve and further His kingdom. I need to take this free time and use it to sit at His feet and bask in His glory. God’s timing is always perfect, even when I can’t seem to see that.
-Getting better at Spanish: Right now I feel as though I am not making much progress with Spanish. I know that I am definitely learning things, but I feel like I’m not speaking it any better. Again, God knows what I will learn and what I know already. He will prepare each day and show me ways to better learn the language. God will guide Sabina to show me and teach me in the perfect way. I trust that God has placed Sabina in my life for me to show her the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. The Lord also knows that I am going to have three weeks free at the end of this trip because I will finish my 15 credits in 12 weeks instead of the full 15 weeks. God knows that I need something to do during that time, whether it be volunteer work, providing me with more Spanish lessons, or going to visit Casa Bernabé...He will provide me with the perfect thing to fill that time...no matter how frustrated I get in the meantime.
-The relationship with our house mom: Chiqui is precious. She received the nickname Chiqui when she was little (from her grandmother) because she was so small. She is so sweet, but also seems to have somewhat of a wild side...she always asks us if we are going out dancing or partying, haha! However, we only get to spend meals with her and she doesn’t even eat with us which makes it difficult to truly establish a relationship. I praise God because tonight at dinner we were able to have a little more conversation with her, but we are still trying to establish the relationship, especially because we live in the “guest house.” I know that God will surely provide a way for all of us to connect with her. I pray that He gives us the opportunity to take her out for ice cream or out to dinner. It has only been two weeks, so we continue to trust in His timing.
Trusting is hard. But God knows that it’s hard and yet He continues to love me...even when I don’t trust in Him. I pray that I can be reminded each day to trust in Him: when I’m homesick, when I don’t feel well, when I feel unsafe, when I get frustrated with the language.
Dios...él sabe. <3
-J
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Cerro de la Cruz
Aleia, Kylie and I took a trip with the school yesterday up to Cerro de la Cruz. It is basically an area cut out of a small mountain that has a huge stone cross that overlooks the colonial city of Antigua. Our "guide" Manuel was telling us a lot about what the cross symbolizes for the city of Antigua. Seventy-five percent of Antigua is Catholic and while there is a great influx in the past years of evangelical missionaries, there is still a HUGE prevalence of Catholicism.
It was quite an experience going up the mountain. We left from the school and it only took us about thirty minutes to get up to the cross, but this hike included going up in elevation by taking several hundred stairs. Needless to say, we were panting as we were going up....I blamed it on the 5000 ft. more in elevation than we have in good ole Hartland, MI.
Once we got there, the view was absolutely breathtaking. I will let you see for yourself:
Y'all should come to Antigua just for this view...
-J
It was quite an experience going up the mountain. We left from the school and it only took us about thirty minutes to get up to the cross, but this hike included going up in elevation by taking several hundred stairs. Needless to say, we were panting as we were going up....I blamed it on the 5000 ft. more in elevation than we have in good ole Hartland, MI.
Once we got there, the view was absolutely breathtaking. I will let you see for yourself:
Y'all should come to Antigua just for this view...
-J
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Best Things.
¡FELIZ DIA DE INDEPENDENCIA! HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, GUATEMALA!
The past few days have already been a whirlwind. This is just a picture of how fast the rest of our trip is going to go. So much has been happening the past few days (since my last post) so here are some of the best things that have happened.
1) My Spanish teacher calls me “Jennifer Lopez”...but just imagine her saying it in her little Guatemalan accent. It’s so cute. It’s like her term of endearment for me. :)
2) Sabina (my Spanish teacher) and I are starting to have a little more relaxed relationship. This is really nice since the first two days I just wanted to cry because I was so overwhelmed by having a “harder” teacher.
3) Yesterday, two of my roommates and I were able to go on a trip to Guatemala City to see a fútbol game. For those of you who aren’t Spanish pros, that means soccer! The game was between Guatemala City and Monterrey, Mexico. The three of us paid Q200 each for transportation and admission into the game...that’s only about $26!! After paying for some pizza at the game, we ended up paying a total of around $35ish. Can you imagine doing something that big in the U.S.? It certainly wouldn’t be that cheap!! It was a really neat (and tiring) experience and I am really glad I went! It was really fun to see the “student section” or something similar jump and chant throughout the ENTIRE game. Here are some of the other experiences that came with going to the game:
-I was able to interact a little with people from Iceland, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada
-I was able to inhale a very large amount of spoke since the guy from Switzerland smoked in front of us through the entire game
-I was able to sit in a minibus for over three hours just to get to the game [we left La Unión at 4:30pm and didn’t get to the stadium until close to 8:00pm]
-I was able to witness a girl puking in the minibus on the way to the game
-I was able to rock out with my good friend Jen and our driver (Ruben) to songs like: I Want It That Way [Backstreet Boys], Don’t Stop Believing [Journey], and other great songs that are SO old but Ruben is so proud to have :)
4) This morning there was a HUGE independence day parade throughout the city of Antigua and my teacher agreed to take me since we didn’t participate in the activity yesterday. It was SO fun! All the schools have put together bands and dancers and they practice for months and months for the parade. It was a really neat experience.
5) I was able to Skype with a group of my friends from SAU the other day...it was just so wonderful to see their beautiful faces :)
Well, just a little taste of what’s been going on here! There is so much to come! I hope you are enjoying the stories I tell you all! Life here is different (for example, I get to see volcanoes erupt), but so wonderful. But as always, I do miss my family!
Stay tuned for more to come :)
-J
The past few days have already been a whirlwind. This is just a picture of how fast the rest of our trip is going to go. So much has been happening the past few days (since my last post) so here are some of the best things that have happened.
1) My Spanish teacher calls me “Jennifer Lopez”...but just imagine her saying it in her little Guatemalan accent. It’s so cute. It’s like her term of endearment for me. :)
2) Sabina (my Spanish teacher) and I are starting to have a little more relaxed relationship. This is really nice since the first two days I just wanted to cry because I was so overwhelmed by having a “harder” teacher.
3) Yesterday, two of my roommates and I were able to go on a trip to Guatemala City to see a fútbol game. For those of you who aren’t Spanish pros, that means soccer! The game was between Guatemala City and Monterrey, Mexico. The three of us paid Q200 each for transportation and admission into the game...that’s only about $26!! After paying for some pizza at the game, we ended up paying a total of around $35ish. Can you imagine doing something that big in the U.S.? It certainly wouldn’t be that cheap!! It was a really neat (and tiring) experience and I am really glad I went! It was really fun to see the “student section” or something similar jump and chant throughout the ENTIRE game. Here are some of the other experiences that came with going to the game:
-I was able to interact a little with people from Iceland, Germany, Switzerland, and Canada
-I was able to inhale a very large amount of spoke since the guy from Switzerland smoked in front of us through the entire game
-I was able to sit in a minibus for over three hours just to get to the game [we left La Unión at 4:30pm and didn’t get to the stadium until close to 8:00pm]
-I was able to witness a girl puking in the minibus on the way to the game
-I was able to rock out with my good friend Jen and our driver (Ruben) to songs like: I Want It That Way [Backstreet Boys], Don’t Stop Believing [Journey], and other great songs that are SO old but Ruben is so proud to have :)
4) This morning there was a HUGE independence day parade throughout the city of Antigua and my teacher agreed to take me since we didn’t participate in the activity yesterday. It was SO fun! All the schools have put together bands and dancers and they practice for months and months for the parade. It was a really neat experience.
5) I was able to Skype with a group of my friends from SAU the other day...it was just so wonderful to see their beautiful faces :)
Well, just a little taste of what’s been going on here! There is so much to come! I hope you are enjoying the stories I tell you all! Life here is different (for example, I get to see volcanoes erupt), but so wonderful. But as always, I do miss my family!
Stay tuned for more to come :)
-J
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Mejoraré...I will improve...
Today marks "hump day" of my first week of Spanish lessons. Although I feel like I've been here longer than a week (we arrived in Antigua one week ago today), I also feel like it is already going by rather quickly. It can be hard sometimes, living with people who aren't as familiar with a culture as I am. Having traveled to Guatemala, I can learn to adapt and cope a little bit easier...or so it seems. I am learning to be patient with those around me when they continuously need my help translating or when they aren't used to seeing/doing certain things. It's all a learning process.
Spanish lessons were rather challenging the first two days. I would get so frustrated when my teacher would write down and correct every little mistake I made. I was especially frustrated yesterday because we were covering really simple and basic concepts that I should have mastered by now, and I continuously struggled with certain pronunciations. By the end of the first half (before our 30 minute break), I was crying with some of my friends from SAU because I was so frustrated with myself and the program at SAU. These are things that should come natural to me, and THEY DON'T! By the end of our lesson yesterday, I was able to tell Sabina that I was frustrated about continuously messing up the pronunciation. She was very encouraging (which seemed to be a first), by telling me that we have twelve weeks to practice and it will all come, "poco a poco"...or little by little.
They say, "third time's a charm," and I think that was true today. Today was better. I think I had a little more confidence (which is challenging when they're always correcting you) and I was able to work on pronunciation with a little more "umph." It is so interesting being able to talk with a native speaker and learn all about their culture. Sabina and I have already talked about so much and compared various things about the United States with Guatemala. Today's main subject was the importance of family. I was telling her that in the U.S. there is not the same emphasis on family as there is here in Guatemala. She was so shocked about the lack of respect and love for parents...here in Guatemala, la familia es numero uno.
I can tell that God answered my prayers about getting a good teacher. Sabina is strict and wants her students to work hard. Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged; however, I know that I will truly learn the Spanish language. Mejoraré, I will improve. It will be amazing to see the difference between now and December 16th :)
Hasta luego...
-J
Spanish lessons were rather challenging the first two days. I would get so frustrated when my teacher would write down and correct every little mistake I made. I was especially frustrated yesterday because we were covering really simple and basic concepts that I should have mastered by now, and I continuously struggled with certain pronunciations. By the end of the first half (before our 30 minute break), I was crying with some of my friends from SAU because I was so frustrated with myself and the program at SAU. These are things that should come natural to me, and THEY DON'T! By the end of our lesson yesterday, I was able to tell Sabina that I was frustrated about continuously messing up the pronunciation. She was very encouraging (which seemed to be a first), by telling me that we have twelve weeks to practice and it will all come, "poco a poco"...or little by little.
They say, "third time's a charm," and I think that was true today. Today was better. I think I had a little more confidence (which is challenging when they're always correcting you) and I was able to work on pronunciation with a little more "umph." It is so interesting being able to talk with a native speaker and learn all about their culture. Sabina and I have already talked about so much and compared various things about the United States with Guatemala. Today's main subject was the importance of family. I was telling her that in the U.S. there is not the same emphasis on family as there is here in Guatemala. She was so shocked about the lack of respect and love for parents...here in Guatemala, la familia es numero uno.
I can tell that God answered my prayers about getting a good teacher. Sabina is strict and wants her students to work hard. Sometimes it's easy to get discouraged; however, I know that I will truly learn the Spanish language. Mejoraré, I will improve. It will be amazing to see the difference between now and December 16th :)
Hasta luego...
-J
Monday, September 12, 2011
An awesome restaurant experience!
Two posts in one day! Y'all are lucky people!
I wanted to tell you about this awesome restaurant we went to last night. We (our entire group of about 24 people) went to La Peña del Sol Latino last night. We had to choose our orders ahead of time on Saturday and they had everything practically ready when we arrived! It's a super cool restaurant here in Antigua that serves a variety of foods and that has music every night! The following link takes you to their website where you can learn more about it. If you ever come to Antigua, it's a must see!
http://lapenaantigua.com/en/about/index.htm
Here's what I had:
Blended Coconut Lemonade (virgin, of course)
Chicken Kabobs
Cheesecake with a blackberry sauce
During our meal, the restaurants band started playing. They are an Andean band and play all these really sweet instruments! I actually bought one of their CDs for 100Q (about 12 dollars) because they were so good!
It was certainly a really awesome experience! I definitely hope to go back sometime during my stay here in Antigua!
Hasta luego...
-J
I wanted to tell you about this awesome restaurant we went to last night. We (our entire group of about 24 people) went to La Peña del Sol Latino last night. We had to choose our orders ahead of time on Saturday and they had everything practically ready when we arrived! It's a super cool restaurant here in Antigua that serves a variety of foods and that has music every night! The following link takes you to their website where you can learn more about it. If you ever come to Antigua, it's a must see!
http://lapenaantigua.com/en/about/index.htm
Here's what I had:
Blended Coconut Lemonade (virgin, of course)
Chicken Kabobs
Cheesecake with a blackberry sauce
It was certainly a really awesome experience! I definitely hope to go back sometime during my stay here in Antigua!
Hasta luego...
-J
Humility.
Today was our first day of Spanish lessons at El Centro Linguistico La Unión. We met at the school at 8am and were placed in a big circle with all of our teachers. We went around the circle and introduced ourselves with our name, where we are from, and what we like to do.
"Hola. Mi nombre es Jennifer. Soy de Michigan en los Estados Unidos. Me gusta pasar tiempo con mis sobrinos."
We were then introduced to our teachers and we got right to work! My teacher is Sabina and she seems to be pretty strict. Not in a bad way, but I can tell that I will certainly have to work hard this semester. It is very humbling to sit down with a person and try to make conversation in their native language. I have spent seven years studying Spanish from high school to college and I am certainly not fluent. I know a lot of things and I can get by with what I know, but it is really hard to speak in Spanish for three and a half hours with someone writing down every little mistake made. I prayed this morning that I would learn a lot and walk away with a knew knowledge of the language...so, let's just say that God answers prayers. I will certainly be learning a lot this semester! However, I don't want to be discouraged when Sabina is always correcting me...I know that things will get better. After all, today was only the first day!
It is strange right now because I have all the afternoon's free and I speak a lot of English with those on my trip. I really need to work on my Spanish skills and I hope that I can start some volunteer work soon so that I can get to practicing my skills!
This evening we may be going to some Salsa y Meringue lessons for FREE! I'll keep you all posted on how that goes!
Adios amigos!
-J
"Hola. Mi nombre es Jennifer. Soy de Michigan en los Estados Unidos. Me gusta pasar tiempo con mis sobrinos."
We were then introduced to our teachers and we got right to work! My teacher is Sabina and she seems to be pretty strict. Not in a bad way, but I can tell that I will certainly have to work hard this semester. It is very humbling to sit down with a person and try to make conversation in their native language. I have spent seven years studying Spanish from high school to college and I am certainly not fluent. I know a lot of things and I can get by with what I know, but it is really hard to speak in Spanish for three and a half hours with someone writing down every little mistake made. I prayed this morning that I would learn a lot and walk away with a knew knowledge of the language...so, let's just say that God answers prayers. I will certainly be learning a lot this semester! However, I don't want to be discouraged when Sabina is always correcting me...I know that things will get better. After all, today was only the first day!
It is strange right now because I have all the afternoon's free and I speak a lot of English with those on my trip. I really need to work on my Spanish skills and I hope that I can start some volunteer work soon so that I can get to practicing my skills!
This evening we may be going to some Salsa y Meringue lessons for FREE! I'll keep you all posted on how that goes!
Adios amigos!
-J
Sunday, September 11, 2011
More funness.
Today is another beautiful day in Antigua, Guatemala. It's amazing that it's pretty much summertime year-round here..except for at night when we get a good amount of rain.
Friday and Saturday were pretty busy days, although we have had some downtime. Here is a rundown of what we did Friday. I figure pictures will do more justice than my own writing, so here ya go! :)
Friday and Saturday were pretty busy days, although we have had some downtime. Here is a rundown of what we did Friday. I figure pictures will do more justice than my own writing, so here ya go! :)
Touring La Iglesia San Francisco la Grande
A guest speaker about Guatemalan culture, poverty, human rights, politics, etc. --Matthew Creelman
Our SAU assistant who lives here in Guatemala told us her story --Crystal Steckel Hyde
A viewing of "When the Mountains Tremble" at La Unión (our school)
Saturday was really nice because we got to do something really cool in the morning and then had some good downtime in the afternoon. In the morning we had a three hour tour with Elizabeth Bell who has lived here in Antigua since 1969 and has written three books (I think) about Antigua! She was very entertaining and knew SO much about this place, it was unbelievable! We started in Parque Central and went to the following places:
City Hall
The General's Quarters
The city Cathedral/Ruins
Jade Factory/Museum
Santo Domingo: Ruins and Museums
It was a great tour and we learned a lot about the history of Antigua and how "new" the city really is!
More to come! :)
-J
Friday, September 9, 2011
And so we commence....
It’s official, I have been in Guatemala for a little over 24 hours! ¡Qué maravillosa! It is so wild how fast our travel day went! We spent an hour and a half at the airport in Detroit before boarding our plane and then we were off to Atlanta, where we only spent about 35 minutes! We arrived here in Antigua close to 1pm and were greeted at the school by our host families who helped us get all of our unneeded amounts of luggage to our homes. Our new place of residence is a little apartment off the side of the house and we share a bedroom with one other person. We have a bathroom, small living area and small kitchen (which we won’t really use). It’s a little cramped, but SO cute! Our house-mom is very sweet...and a little bit of a wild woman! ;) There are several family members that live in her little home area including several little kids. After we got settled in yesterday at our homes, we did some banking to exchange money and spent the evening at the home of Paul and Bev (our fearless leaders!). My housemate and I were able to relax a bit and I did have a little breakdown while playing Rummy. We got to laughing so hard that I started crying and that led to full out sobbing...for no apparent reason. All I can think of is that I was extremely tired! After a REALLY long day (starting at 3:00am) we went to bed...and slept like babies.
Today has already gone by so fast! We were able to sleep in a little bit and then met as a group for a walking tour of Antigua. It will definitely take some time to get oriented with the roads, etc. We checked out the mercado (market) and had lunch at Pollo Campero which is becoming more and more famous worldwide. [It’s kind of like a KFC]. We then met again at Paul and Bev’s for a meeting about adjusting to the culture and a good discussion about safety and awareness. We have some free time this evening but aren’t wandering about because the elections are coming up and things are a little more touchy. We have some exciting things planned for the weekend and Spanish lessons start on Monday! I am really excited to get started with that because we have been speaking a lot of English in our group...but that will change!
I am starting to think that it has not hit me yet that we are living here for the next three months, what an experience it will be! I am trying not to be nervous or fearful because I want to enjoy every little bit of this opportunity that I have been given! As my friend’s Dove chocolate wrapper said: “You are exactly where you are supposed to be!” ;)
-J
Today has already gone by so fast! We were able to sleep in a little bit and then met as a group for a walking tour of Antigua. It will definitely take some time to get oriented with the roads, etc. We checked out the mercado (market) and had lunch at Pollo Campero which is becoming more and more famous worldwide. [It’s kind of like a KFC]. We then met again at Paul and Bev’s for a meeting about adjusting to the culture and a good discussion about safety and awareness. We have some free time this evening but aren’t wandering about because the elections are coming up and things are a little more touchy. We have some exciting things planned for the weekend and Spanish lessons start on Monday! I am really excited to get started with that because we have been speaking a lot of English in our group...but that will change!
I am starting to think that it has not hit me yet that we are living here for the next three months, what an experience it will be! I am trying not to be nervous or fearful because I want to enjoy every little bit of this opportunity that I have been given! As my friend’s Dove chocolate wrapper said: “You are exactly where you are supposed to be!” ;)
-J
Monday, September 5, 2011
Mañana.
The day is almost here. Mañana. Tomorrow I will head to meet up with my study abroad group and we will begin orientation together before we depart earrrrly Wednesday morning (3am early). As I spent some time with family and close friends (who might as well be family) today, I kept saying, "I can't believe it's here!" I have been planning and talking about this trip for at least a year and a half and now it's here. Where did the time go?
That's the funny thing about life. It flies, it's but a vapor. The past three years at SAU have gone by so fast, I can barely remember parts. This summer (which I thought would be a slow, relaxing one) has been lost in the mist of time before my very eyes. Soon and very soon, this trip will be over and I will be home freaking out about my student teaching. I can chose to be anxious and nervous about this trip or I can choose to be excited about this adventure that the Lord has blessed me with. I can enjoy each day, soaking everything in and investing my time into truly learning the Spanish language. I can choose to put my time and effort into investing in others' lives.
So, while I write this in the darkness of my room, late at night, I am making a vow: I am going to savor and appreciate every little detail of this trip. I am going to live. I am going to learn. I am going to love. I am going to love with the same love that Christ has given me...because absolutely nothing can separate me from the love of Jesus Christ.
Saying goodnight to my room until December,
-J
That's the funny thing about life. It flies, it's but a vapor. The past three years at SAU have gone by so fast, I can barely remember parts. This summer (which I thought would be a slow, relaxing one) has been lost in the mist of time before my very eyes. Soon and very soon, this trip will be over and I will be home freaking out about my student teaching. I can chose to be anxious and nervous about this trip or I can choose to be excited about this adventure that the Lord has blessed me with. I can enjoy each day, soaking everything in and investing my time into truly learning the Spanish language. I can choose to put my time and effort into investing in others' lives.
So, while I write this in the darkness of my room, late at night, I am making a vow: I am going to savor and appreciate every little detail of this trip. I am going to live. I am going to learn. I am going to love. I am going to love with the same love that Christ has given me...because absolutely nothing can separate me from the love of Jesus Christ.
Saying goodnight to my room until December,
-J
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Continued Change
Change is good...but, I don't like change. I guess I am going to get over that quickly in the next five days. The Guatemala countdown continues as we have come to FIVE-5-cinco days until we depart! I am getting more and more excited...and more and more nervous too!
Thank you for those of you who had been praying for Papa's procedure. It went well and he is home now. Of course, there are limitations for a few days: no driving/sitting up for more than one hour, no going up and down stairs for two days, etc. He is tired, sore, and groggy. But hopefully we will see how well this procedure worked in the next few days/week! Please continue to lift him up in your prayers.
As you can see, I have changed the layout of my blog. Just a small change because, well, it's a fun change and I can handle this change without much effort.
Here's another "change" that seems to be occurring in me: I am getting more and more adventurous, at least that's what I am starting to think. I recently had dinner with a good friend of mine only to find out that she is taking a semester off from school to complete the Focus Leadership Institute that is put on by Focus on the Family. After her telling me all about it, I got SO excited. More excited for another person than I have been in a looong time! So naturally, I started doing some research. I have officially "bookmarked" the website for the institute and am doing a lot of praying. For some reason I feel this urge to apply for it! Mind you, I wouldn't be able to do it for at least a year. I have to finish school and then work for a little while (it is kind of pricey). But I submitted an inquiry about it and told them that I would be interested in the Spring 2013 program! While this would be yet another adventure in my life, I keep telling myself that I need to do these kinds of things NOW...while I'm young! :) Check out the link to their website and see for yourself how awesome it would be! If it worked out, I could even do an internship with "Enfoque en la familia", the Spanish version of Focus on the Family! How cool!
http://www.focusleadership.org/
Change is inevitable in this life and it is occurring all around me. Some change is not fun. But some change, well, it's awesome. Who knows where God is leading me, I could become a mountain woman after a semester in Colorado Springs!
Thank you for those of you who had been praying for Papa's procedure. It went well and he is home now. Of course, there are limitations for a few days: no driving/sitting up for more than one hour, no going up and down stairs for two days, etc. He is tired, sore, and groggy. But hopefully we will see how well this procedure worked in the next few days/week! Please continue to lift him up in your prayers.
As you can see, I have changed the layout of my blog. Just a small change because, well, it's a fun change and I can handle this change without much effort.
Here's another "change" that seems to be occurring in me: I am getting more and more adventurous, at least that's what I am starting to think. I recently had dinner with a good friend of mine only to find out that she is taking a semester off from school to complete the Focus Leadership Institute that is put on by Focus on the Family. After her telling me all about it, I got SO excited. More excited for another person than I have been in a looong time! So naturally, I started doing some research. I have officially "bookmarked" the website for the institute and am doing a lot of praying. For some reason I feel this urge to apply for it! Mind you, I wouldn't be able to do it for at least a year. I have to finish school and then work for a little while (it is kind of pricey). But I submitted an inquiry about it and told them that I would be interested in the Spring 2013 program! While this would be yet another adventure in my life, I keep telling myself that I need to do these kinds of things NOW...while I'm young! :) Check out the link to their website and see for yourself how awesome it would be! If it worked out, I could even do an internship with "Enfoque en la familia", the Spanish version of Focus on the Family! How cool!
http://www.focusleadership.org/
Change is inevitable in this life and it is occurring all around me. Some change is not fun. But some change, well, it's awesome. Who knows where God is leading me, I could become a mountain woman after a semester in Colorado Springs!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)