For those of you who don't know (probably very few), one of my favorite foods here in Mexico is tacos al pastor...They are seriously the best things ever and are super cheap and on Saturday night, I ate my first ones here in Merida. Let's just say it was a pretty epic moment. Let me back up and start from the beginning though.
After getting back from Uxmal and the hacienda, we all decided to go back to our houses and rest for a while before meeting up to go to el centro. Around 8ish, we all met up to take the bus into the city. The only problem was, we weren't quite sure how to get there. Originally, we all thought that Gabriel, a friend that Ben made, was going to meet up with us to show us how to get there but it ended up that he was already in el centro so we had to get there on our own. An hour later or so (after crossing the street about a billion times and asking evey bus that passed by if it was going to el centro) we got on a bus and headed out. We met up with Gabriel after we got to el centro and headed to a little restaurant to talk. It was fun to get to know him a little better and talk with the other gals that were there. Afterwards, we decided we were hungry and wanted to eat tacos al pastor so we headed to a restaurant close to our houses. It was delicious and there was even a live band and a play area..I am defiantly planning on going back when I am not wearing a skirt or a dress and play there!
Around 1 in the morning, we decided it was time to head back and all walked home to our houses. Sunday morning, I woke up early again and got ready and had my quiet time for the day. My mom then drove me to meet up with the rest of the group to head out to Chitzen Itza. It was about 2 hours away so we pretty much slept the whole way there because we were all exhausted from the busy week and the late night.
Chitzen Itza was interesting although I preferred Uxmal more because you could actually climb on the pyramids and stuff but Chitzen Itza was HUGE!! We were there for about 3 hours and didn't even get though 1/4 of it!
Afterwars, we drove about 20 minutes to a cenote. For those of you who have no idea what a cenote is, you should Google it. Pretty much it's an underground water source/cave with a huge hole in the top. They are super deep and you can't touch the bottom. The one we went to was gorgeous and had a huge ledge you could jump off of (it was about 20-25 feet above the water). At first, it was pretty scary but jumping off was awesome! It was defiantly one of the coolest places I have even been swimming. We swam for an hour or so and then headed back to Merida.
That night, I got ready for my classes and had my own "church service" and listened to one of John Piper's sermons online. He was talking about how as Christians our suffering actually glorifies God and pointed out the fact that we have become way too comfortable in our faith and think that we shouldn't suffer. The message really hit me hard and made me think. So often, I think I have it so bad but the truth is that others all around the world are in way worse conditions than me and yet are rejoicing in their suffering...not because it's fun to go through but because others are coming to Christ because of it. It may be hard here in Merida but it's through suffering and hard times that #1 God molds us into the people he wants us to be and #2, he uses these times to bring others to himself. Defiantly a good reminder while I am here!
This morning was my first day of classes so my mom showed me how to take the bus to my school. It's super easy but I got a kick out of how worried she was about me :) I had a relaciones internacionales (international relations) and a history of Mexico class. They both went well although I don't think I will take the history class as it won't count towards my major. I think they are going to be challenging because everything is in Spanish but I feel like so far, it's manageable. Speaking up in my classes intimidates me a little but I think it's just something I am going to have to get over.
I got done with classes at noon and my mom and dad came to pick me up and take me home. I worked on homework and brought my laundry to the lavandaria (the laundry mat) to be washed and then came home to eat lunch.
For lunch we ate frijoles con Puerco, traditional dish here in the Yucatan. It's beans, pieces of pork and rice and then you add limes, radishes, salsa, chilies, and avocado...it was really good!! After lunch, I worked on homework, took a nap, and ran.
I'm getting used to running here although it will be a miracle if I make it 4 months without twisting something or getting run over by a car! I've found that the best times to run are at night or early in the morning because otherwise it's super hot. The only bad thing about that is that it's usually dark and makes it hard to see things but in general, the streets are pretty well lit and I can run on the sidewalks if I'm careful.
Other than that, nothing much is new around here. For some reason, I've been feeling a little homesick but I'm hoping that as I get busy with school and volunteering, that it will get better. Merida is a great city and i love that I am learning my way around more. I can't wait till I can get pretty much anywhere without having to ask everyone how to get to a certain place! Well, I’d better head to bed so that I’m rested for classes tomorrow! Buenas noches!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Orientation...
Hey there everyone! It's been a busy week with orientation and trying to get everything settled in here in Merida but I finally had a chance this afternoon to sit down and let you know what I've been up to. (For those of you wondering, I can now officially get into my house on my own...although my host family still teases me about not being able to open up the door :) )
On Tuesday, we had our full official day of orientation. We met Diana, our program director here in Merida and I immediately liked her. She did a really good job of explaining things to us and helping us feel prepared for living here in Merida for the next 4 months. It was a pretty long day-we started at 8 and got done at 6 but all in all, it went pretty well. After orientation, I got to go for my first run here in Merida...in the rain. I came home soaked (partly because of the rain and partly because it is so hot here) but happy.
Running here in Mexico is quite different that running in the States. The roads/sidewalks are not flat and it's pretty easy to twist an ankle so I’m being super careful. Luckily, there is a tiny park where I can run laps at but 45 minutes of running in circles gets a little boring so I've been searching for the best running route.
After running, I came home and took a shower and then ate supper and talked to my host family. We ended up watching telenovelas together which was super fun and then I went to bed because I was sooo tired.
The next morning it was up again at 6:30 and off to orientation. We went to the building where we will have all of our classes. It's about a half hour from my house so my host mom showed me how to get there using the bus system. The campus is located in the middle of the "forest" and is pretty sweet because there are all these animals around. Everything is really open because they don't have to worry about it getting really cold and there a lot of neat spots to study. The staff was very friendly and helpful so that put me more at ease about taking classes in a different country.
We went back home to eat a quick lunch and then came back for our first Spanish Class that afternoon. For class, we visited a local Hacienda Aristi and saw how rum was made. It's a really interesting process and the man giving us the tour did good job explaing things to us. After class, I came home and went out for a run and then ate supper with my family and went to bed.
Thursday morning, we learned all about different volunteer opportunities. The one I think I want to et involved with is called "Hoy en tu Comunidad." It is a program that goes to different rural cities every Saturday and offers help to people in poorer communities. It sounds like a really good way to get "hands on" experience in the culture and get to know the places around Merida as well as get to know other volunteers who go on the trips.
That afternoon, we had Spanish class once again and then I went for a run and to lift weights at a gym close to my house. The gyms here are defiantly not as modern as back in the States (at least the cheap ones aren't) and are an experience! I defiantly am looking forward to going more often with some of the other gals on the program.
When I got home, I took a shower and talked to my host mom for quite a while about past students they had had in their house. Some of her stories were hilarious and I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her better.
Friday was one of the best days here so far. We left at 8 to go to Telchac Puerto, a beach close to Progresso to just relax and celebrate being done with orientation. We had day passes at a hotel right on the beach and it was amazing!! The hotel was gorgeous and had a private beach so for a while in the morning we were the only ones on the beach! We went kayaking, played volleyball, swam in the ocean and in the pool, made sandcastles, and just had fun getting to know the other students on the program better.
After we got back, a group of us decided to meet up a little bit later to see the movie despicable me in Spanish. I have never seen it in English but I'm pretty sure it's way better in Spanish. All of us were dying laughing and I was surprised that I understood pretty much every word being said.
Today, we left early again to go to Uxmal which was an ancient Mayan city. It was so neat to visit but super hot! After Uxmal, we went to a hacienda which is a lot like a plantation and took a tour there. I enjoyed seeing the hacienda and learning more about how they worked but it was super, super hot! Plus, I am pretty sunburned from the beach yesterday so that didn't make it any better. By the time we got to the bus, we were all really thankful for air-conditioning and cold water.
This afternoon, I'm just working on some homework and probably going for a run and then a group of us are going to go to El Centro tonight to walk around. They close the streets on the weekends and bands play and there are traditional dancers, and lots of different activities going on.
Tomorrow we're going to Chichen Itza and a cenote to swim and then Monday we start classes! More later!
On Tuesday, we had our full official day of orientation. We met Diana, our program director here in Merida and I immediately liked her. She did a really good job of explaining things to us and helping us feel prepared for living here in Merida for the next 4 months. It was a pretty long day-we started at 8 and got done at 6 but all in all, it went pretty well. After orientation, I got to go for my first run here in Merida...in the rain. I came home soaked (partly because of the rain and partly because it is so hot here) but happy.
Running here in Mexico is quite different that running in the States. The roads/sidewalks are not flat and it's pretty easy to twist an ankle so I’m being super careful. Luckily, there is a tiny park where I can run laps at but 45 minutes of running in circles gets a little boring so I've been searching for the best running route.
After running, I came home and took a shower and then ate supper and talked to my host family. We ended up watching telenovelas together which was super fun and then I went to bed because I was sooo tired.
The next morning it was up again at 6:30 and off to orientation. We went to the building where we will have all of our classes. It's about a half hour from my house so my host mom showed me how to get there using the bus system. The campus is located in the middle of the "forest" and is pretty sweet because there are all these animals around. Everything is really open because they don't have to worry about it getting really cold and there a lot of neat spots to study. The staff was very friendly and helpful so that put me more at ease about taking classes in a different country.
We went back home to eat a quick lunch and then came back for our first Spanish Class that afternoon. For class, we visited a local Hacienda Aristi and saw how rum was made. It's a really interesting process and the man giving us the tour did good job explaing things to us. After class, I came home and went out for a run and then ate supper with my family and went to bed.
Thursday morning, we learned all about different volunteer opportunities. The one I think I want to et involved with is called "Hoy en tu Comunidad." It is a program that goes to different rural cities every Saturday and offers help to people in poorer communities. It sounds like a really good way to get "hands on" experience in the culture and get to know the places around Merida as well as get to know other volunteers who go on the trips.
That afternoon, we had Spanish class once again and then I went for a run and to lift weights at a gym close to my house. The gyms here are defiantly not as modern as back in the States (at least the cheap ones aren't) and are an experience! I defiantly am looking forward to going more often with some of the other gals on the program.
When I got home, I took a shower and talked to my host mom for quite a while about past students they had had in their house. Some of her stories were hilarious and I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know her better.
Friday was one of the best days here so far. We left at 8 to go to Telchac Puerto, a beach close to Progresso to just relax and celebrate being done with orientation. We had day passes at a hotel right on the beach and it was amazing!! The hotel was gorgeous and had a private beach so for a while in the morning we were the only ones on the beach! We went kayaking, played volleyball, swam in the ocean and in the pool, made sandcastles, and just had fun getting to know the other students on the program better.
After we got back, a group of us decided to meet up a little bit later to see the movie despicable me in Spanish. I have never seen it in English but I'm pretty sure it's way better in Spanish. All of us were dying laughing and I was surprised that I understood pretty much every word being said.
Today, we left early again to go to Uxmal which was an ancient Mayan city. It was so neat to visit but super hot! After Uxmal, we went to a hacienda which is a lot like a plantation and took a tour there. I enjoyed seeing the hacienda and learning more about how they worked but it was super, super hot! Plus, I am pretty sunburned from the beach yesterday so that didn't make it any better. By the time we got to the bus, we were all really thankful for air-conditioning and cold water.
This afternoon, I'm just working on some homework and probably going for a run and then a group of us are going to go to El Centro tonight to walk around. They close the streets on the weekends and bands play and there are traditional dancers, and lots of different activities going on.
Tomorrow we're going to Chichen Itza and a cenote to swim and then Monday we start classes! More later!
Monday, August 23, 2010
I can hardly believe it's only my second day here in Mexico! Already, I feel as though i've been here for way longer than that. I'm suprised at how easy it was to switch to speaking Spanish and hope that it continues to come this easy. I think part of what has made it easy is that my family is constantly telling me that I speak spanish so well and it makes me want to try to speak all the more although I'm pretty sure that I still have a long way to go!
Last night, Silvia and Carlos (my host parents) took me to "Plazas de las Fiestas" which is a shopping center close to our house. We just walked around and they showed me where I could get pretty much anything I wanted or needed...including the best orange juice I have ever had in my life. We ended up running into some other students from the program who were there with their families so we stopped by to say hi. After saying goodbye, we headed off to buy a cell phone. As we were walking around, my dad asked me what some of my favorite things to eat were and so I started naming off some things I liked(for those of you wondering tacos al pastor was at the top of my list :). When I told him I loved arroz con leche, he insisted that we stop by a little store where they sold it and get some....they are going to spoil me like crazy, I can already tell!
We then retured home where my mom made me supper and then my parents headed off to catch the last mass of the night. From what I have been told, pretty much everyone here goes to mass at some point on Sundays. In some ways it makes me kind of sad because it seems like people do it more out of obligation than something they really want to do. I ended up staying home because my host brother came to visit and wanted to get to know me so we talked for a while. He is really nice and is married with one son who is 3 years old. I'm excited to get to know their family better. After talking for a while, he left and then I read a little and went to bed because I was super tired.
This morning I woke up at 6 to shower and have a quiet time. Our orientation starts at 8 every morning and it takes about 45 minutes or so to get whrere we are going so it's going to be an early start for me for a while! I'm hoping that my classes will start later because its pretty much impossible to get to bead beofore 11but we'll see.
When we arrived at the school, a few students were already there so I talked for a while with them. Then our moms said goodbye and we all got our pictures taken for our student cards. We then went to a park close to our school where we waited for the tour bus. It was quite a long wait but a good time to get to know the other people on the program. I was really happy to find out that others wanted to speak only in Spanish too and that we were able to communicate without using English :)
The tour of the city was amazing. Merida is a gorgeous city and I loved getting to know more about its history. After the tour, My parents picked me up and showed me the bus route to take back to our house. I then ate lunch while my mom told me all about her family. I absolutly love talking to her and it was fun to get to know her a little better.
After lunch, we had about an hour siesta which I used to catch up on my journaling and then we headed to another part of the school close to our house to officially began our orientation. Afterwards, I walked home alone without getting lost which I was pretty happy about because its easy to get lost here. But..
I arrived at my house around 6 and tried to open the door (my family had just given me keys to the house so that I can get in when they aren't home) but it wouldn't open. I tried a few more times and it still wouldn't open so I decided to try ringing the doorbell to see if anyone was home. No one answered so I sat down to wait for someone to arrive...I got a ton of funny looks from the neighbors who were probably wondering what this gringa was doing. Anyway, to make a long story short, I ended up waiting for about and hour and a half before my host mom's sister showed up and showed me that all I had to do was push on the door while opening it with the key. Yep, I felt pretty stupid at that moment! What a great first impression :). After finally getting into the house, I just chilled with my family, ate some super and now I'm getting ready t head to bed because I have to get up early tomorrow. Hope you are all doing well and know that I miss you! :)
Last night, Silvia and Carlos (my host parents) took me to "Plazas de las Fiestas" which is a shopping center close to our house. We just walked around and they showed me where I could get pretty much anything I wanted or needed...including the best orange juice I have ever had in my life. We ended up running into some other students from the program who were there with their families so we stopped by to say hi. After saying goodbye, we headed off to buy a cell phone. As we were walking around, my dad asked me what some of my favorite things to eat were and so I started naming off some things I liked(for those of you wondering tacos al pastor was at the top of my list :). When I told him I loved arroz con leche, he insisted that we stop by a little store where they sold it and get some....they are going to spoil me like crazy, I can already tell!
We then retured home where my mom made me supper and then my parents headed off to catch the last mass of the night. From what I have been told, pretty much everyone here goes to mass at some point on Sundays. In some ways it makes me kind of sad because it seems like people do it more out of obligation than something they really want to do. I ended up staying home because my host brother came to visit and wanted to get to know me so we talked for a while. He is really nice and is married with one son who is 3 years old. I'm excited to get to know their family better. After talking for a while, he left and then I read a little and went to bed because I was super tired.
This morning I woke up at 6 to shower and have a quiet time. Our orientation starts at 8 every morning and it takes about 45 minutes or so to get whrere we are going so it's going to be an early start for me for a while! I'm hoping that my classes will start later because its pretty much impossible to get to bead beofore 11but we'll see.
When we arrived at the school, a few students were already there so I talked for a while with them. Then our moms said goodbye and we all got our pictures taken for our student cards. We then went to a park close to our school where we waited for the tour bus. It was quite a long wait but a good time to get to know the other people on the program. I was really happy to find out that others wanted to speak only in Spanish too and that we were able to communicate without using English :)
The tour of the city was amazing. Merida is a gorgeous city and I loved getting to know more about its history. After the tour, My parents picked me up and showed me the bus route to take back to our house. I then ate lunch while my mom told me all about her family. I absolutly love talking to her and it was fun to get to know her a little better.
After lunch, we had about an hour siesta which I used to catch up on my journaling and then we headed to another part of the school close to our house to officially began our orientation. Afterwards, I walked home alone without getting lost which I was pretty happy about because its easy to get lost here. But..
I arrived at my house around 6 and tried to open the door (my family had just given me keys to the house so that I can get in when they aren't home) but it wouldn't open. I tried a few more times and it still wouldn't open so I decided to try ringing the doorbell to see if anyone was home. No one answered so I sat down to wait for someone to arrive...I got a ton of funny looks from the neighbors who were probably wondering what this gringa was doing. Anyway, to make a long story short, I ended up waiting for about and hour and a half before my host mom's sister showed up and showed me that all I had to do was push on the door while opening it with the key. Yep, I felt pretty stupid at that moment! What a great first impression :). After finally getting into the house, I just chilled with my family, ate some super and now I'm getting ready t head to bed because I have to get up early tomorrow. Hope you are all doing well and know that I miss you! :)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Dia numero uno (day number one)
Hey everyone! I had a break after lunch this afternoon so I thought I would sit down and give you an update on my first day here in Merida:
This morning I woke up around 9 and took a shower and had a quiet time. It was weird to think it is a Sunday and I wasn’t at church! My mom made pancakes for breakfast (or “hotcakes” as my family calls them) and we all ate together. My host sister, Silvia was there and so I got to meet her. She was at a Birthday party for a friend last night so I didn’t get to meet her until this morning but I really like her. She is 23 and just started a new job so she’s not at home much anymore. My mom jokingly told me that I was their “replacement daughter.” It’s obvious that she is really close to her parents and has a good relationship with her family.
After breakfast, Silvia (my mom ) and Silvia ( my sister) brought me to “el Centro” to show me around. We went to the museum of anthropology which was amazing! It was so neat to see things I had read and studied about in real life- there were a ton of old Mayan artifacts and I enjoyed learning a little more about the history of Merida. The museum was located in an old mansion and is gorgeous. I found it hard to believe that someone once lived in a house that huge! After exploring the museum, we walked around the zocolo and looked at the things people were selling and stopped to watch some traditional dancers. On Sundays, everyone goes to el centro to hang out and see friends and shop so there were a ton of people out and about which as fun to see.
Around 2, we headed home and my mom made lunch-spaghetti, chicken, and salad ( I defiantly have a feeling I won’t go hungry around here) and we all sat down to eat and talk. I love getting to know my family and hear all their stories. Silvia had us all just about rolling on the floor laughing explaining her opinion ff the discos or dancing clubs…(let’s just say she’s not a huge fan) and it was fun telling them all about my family and friends back home. They got a kick out of how big my family was and think it’s crazy that we live in such cold weather.
Now, its siesta time (which I have missed since being in Mexico) and then afterwards, we’re going on a tour of another part of the city.
I am defiantly enjoying my time here so far although I miss my family and friends back home a lot. I am so thankful that I have a great host family who really want to get to know me and make sure I am doing well. I can tell already that it’s going to be hard to say goodbye and it’s only my first day here! Tomorrow we are going to the school where I will get to meet the other students and officially start orientation. Well, I want better get going! Hasta pronto!
This morning I woke up around 9 and took a shower and had a quiet time. It was weird to think it is a Sunday and I wasn’t at church! My mom made pancakes for breakfast (or “hotcakes” as my family calls them) and we all ate together. My host sister, Silvia was there and so I got to meet her. She was at a Birthday party for a friend last night so I didn’t get to meet her until this morning but I really like her. She is 23 and just started a new job so she’s not at home much anymore. My mom jokingly told me that I was their “replacement daughter.” It’s obvious that she is really close to her parents and has a good relationship with her family.
After breakfast, Silvia (my mom ) and Silvia ( my sister) brought me to “el Centro” to show me around. We went to the museum of anthropology which was amazing! It was so neat to see things I had read and studied about in real life- there were a ton of old Mayan artifacts and I enjoyed learning a little more about the history of Merida. The museum was located in an old mansion and is gorgeous. I found it hard to believe that someone once lived in a house that huge! After exploring the museum, we walked around the zocolo and looked at the things people were selling and stopped to watch some traditional dancers. On Sundays, everyone goes to el centro to hang out and see friends and shop so there were a ton of people out and about which as fun to see.
Around 2, we headed home and my mom made lunch-spaghetti, chicken, and salad ( I defiantly have a feeling I won’t go hungry around here) and we all sat down to eat and talk. I love getting to know my family and hear all their stories. Silvia had us all just about rolling on the floor laughing explaining her opinion ff the discos or dancing clubs…(let’s just say she’s not a huge fan) and it was fun telling them all about my family and friends back home. They got a kick out of how big my family was and think it’s crazy that we live in such cold weather.
Now, its siesta time (which I have missed since being in Mexico) and then afterwards, we’re going on a tour of another part of the city.
I am defiantly enjoying my time here so far although I miss my family and friends back home a lot. I am so thankful that I have a great host family who really want to get to know me and make sure I am doing well. I can tell already that it’s going to be hard to say goodbye and it’s only my first day here! Tomorrow we are going to the school where I will get to meet the other students and officially start orientation. Well, I want better get going! Hasta pronto!
I'm Here!!!
Whew what a day! After 12 hours of travel, I have officially arrived here in Merida. My day started off with amazing send off breakfast with the fam…caramel rolls, fruit salad and scrambled eggs. After breakfast, I packed up the last of my stuff, said goodbye to my dad and Reegan (who had a soccer game and couldn’t come with us to the airport) and headed to the Green Bay airport with mom, Tressa, and Carissa. On the way, we saw a ton of tress that had been blown over and all the damage the storm had caused. It made me so thankful that our house was fine and that I was able to head out today!
At the airport, I checked my bag and then said my final goodbyes and headed to the gate. My first layover was in Chicago. I just walked around, ate lunch, and read. While I was waiting for my flight, a lady came up and asked if I spoke Spanish and thinking that I might as well switch my brain to Spanish mode, I told her yes. She then proceeded to explain that she and her young daughter were sitting on different seats on the flight and was wondering who she could talk to to see if they could sit together. I pointed out the lady that she should talk to and she headed that way. Feeling pretty pleased with myself, I went back to reading my book. A few minutes later some asked me in English if I could translate something again. I laughed and told her sure so she waved over another lady who was looking for someone who could speak Spanish. Well this time, the translating didn’t go so smoothly (pride defiantly comes before the fall! ). After a few minutes I finally understood that the lady was trying to call her daughter and was wondering first of all where the phones were and how she should dial the number. I was able to explain to her where the phone was and how to dial the number. The rest of my wait went well and my layover in Houston was only an hour so I didn’t have to wait long. I ran into a few of the students I will be studying here with on the flight. We didn’t have too much time to talk yet but everyone seems super friendly and I’m excited to get to know them more.
We arrived in Merida around 9:30 but it took us an hour or so to go through customs and get our bags checked and stuff. (I would just like my family to know that I had the least amount of baggage of anyone on the trip…winner). At the end of the long process of getting passports stamped, and bags checked, and custom forms checked, there is a button you have to push when you are all done that lights up this huge green light and then two guys open up two huge doors to let you into the rest of the airport (let me just say that that moment was worth all the waiting in line-I had to try really try hard to not burst out laughing because it make you feel like you are super special to be let though but the truth is, pretty much everyone is allowed to enter the country.) Right outside of those two doors was my host family waiting for me.
Before I could even ask if they were my family, my mom gave me a huge hug and welcomed me to Merida. After that moment, I knew I was going to love my family. My dad was waiting just a little further back and was super excited to meet me..it was so cute . They helped me bring all my stuff to the car all the while telling me how excited they were that I was here and how they hoped I would love their family and Merida and have a great time. On the way to our house, they gave me a tour of the city and asked all about me. My brain had to do a pretty huge switch to Spanish mode but it wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be..Probably because I didn’t have to do too much talking. After arriving at my new house, my mom and dad showed me my room..which is adorable and has its own bathroom!!! I love it. I then talked for a while with my parents and my mom told me some of the rules of the house-let her know if I’m not going to be eating a meal with the family, lock the doors when I leave, stuff like that and then I headed to my room to unpack. It’s not 1:30 in the morning so I’m thinking I should probably call it a night as I am falling asleep writing all this!
I am excited to be here and love everything so far! Keep praying that I would meet some other believers as so far, I haven’t met anyone. I know that this semester will be tough without the Christian community I am used to at school but I know God is faithful and will provide and so I’m trusting Him! More later! Buenas noches.
At the airport, I checked my bag and then said my final goodbyes and headed to the gate. My first layover was in Chicago. I just walked around, ate lunch, and read. While I was waiting for my flight, a lady came up and asked if I spoke Spanish and thinking that I might as well switch my brain to Spanish mode, I told her yes. She then proceeded to explain that she and her young daughter were sitting on different seats on the flight and was wondering who she could talk to to see if they could sit together. I pointed out the lady that she should talk to and she headed that way. Feeling pretty pleased with myself, I went back to reading my book. A few minutes later some asked me in English if I could translate something again. I laughed and told her sure so she waved over another lady who was looking for someone who could speak Spanish. Well this time, the translating didn’t go so smoothly (pride defiantly comes before the fall! ). After a few minutes I finally understood that the lady was trying to call her daughter and was wondering first of all where the phones were and how she should dial the number. I was able to explain to her where the phone was and how to dial the number. The rest of my wait went well and my layover in Houston was only an hour so I didn’t have to wait long. I ran into a few of the students I will be studying here with on the flight. We didn’t have too much time to talk yet but everyone seems super friendly and I’m excited to get to know them more.
We arrived in Merida around 9:30 but it took us an hour or so to go through customs and get our bags checked and stuff. (I would just like my family to know that I had the least amount of baggage of anyone on the trip…winner). At the end of the long process of getting passports stamped, and bags checked, and custom forms checked, there is a button you have to push when you are all done that lights up this huge green light and then two guys open up two huge doors to let you into the rest of the airport (let me just say that that moment was worth all the waiting in line-I had to try really try hard to not burst out laughing because it make you feel like you are super special to be let though but the truth is, pretty much everyone is allowed to enter the country.) Right outside of those two doors was my host family waiting for me.
Before I could even ask if they were my family, my mom gave me a huge hug and welcomed me to Merida. After that moment, I knew I was going to love my family. My dad was waiting just a little further back and was super excited to meet me..it was so cute . They helped me bring all my stuff to the car all the while telling me how excited they were that I was here and how they hoped I would love their family and Merida and have a great time. On the way to our house, they gave me a tour of the city and asked all about me. My brain had to do a pretty huge switch to Spanish mode but it wasn’t as tough as I thought it would be..Probably because I didn’t have to do too much talking. After arriving at my new house, my mom and dad showed me my room..which is adorable and has its own bathroom!!! I love it. I then talked for a while with my parents and my mom told me some of the rules of the house-let her know if I’m not going to be eating a meal with the family, lock the doors when I leave, stuff like that and then I headed to my room to unpack. It’s not 1:30 in the morning so I’m thinking I should probably call it a night as I am falling asleep writing all this!
I am excited to be here and love everything so far! Keep praying that I would meet some other believers as so far, I haven’t met anyone. I know that this semester will be tough without the Christian community I am used to at school but I know God is faithful and will provide and so I’m trusting Him! More later! Buenas noches.
Friday, August 20, 2010
All my bags are packed...
Well, if anyone had told me at this time last year that I would be sitting here a year later ready to head to Mexico again, I probably would have laughed in their face but let me just say that we serve a pretty amazing God who likes to work out of the box :)Although I'm pretty nervous to head back to Mexico, I’m excited for all that I will learn there!
I praying that aside from this trip being a great academic experience and a chance to improve my Spanish skills, that God will use me to reach people where I am at and that these next four months would be a time of great growth as I trust in Him and follow where He is leading.
Getting ready for this trip has already been quite an adventure in itself and a pretty good lesson in trusting God. We got hit with quite the storm today-the kind with huge trees falling over, lots of wind, power lines down-and ended up with no electricity right about the time I was packing all my stuff this evening so I ended up packing by flashlight which is something I can’t say I have ever done before. Luckily, the power came back on a few hours later so I was able to check everything over in the light. It defiantly made me thankful for all the times we do have electricity!
I can hardly believe that by this time tomorrow, I'll be in Merida and a couple hours into practicing my rusty Spanish! It's probably about time for me to end this and get to bed but I just wanted to write this first entry before I take off and make sure everything works :) I'll do my best to keep this updated so you can hear about all that I'm up to. Thanks for all the prayers and support, I'm excited for what God has in store for me in Mexico!
~Hasta luego!
I praying that aside from this trip being a great academic experience and a chance to improve my Spanish skills, that God will use me to reach people where I am at and that these next four months would be a time of great growth as I trust in Him and follow where He is leading.
Getting ready for this trip has already been quite an adventure in itself and a pretty good lesson in trusting God. We got hit with quite the storm today-the kind with huge trees falling over, lots of wind, power lines down-and ended up with no electricity right about the time I was packing all my stuff this evening so I ended up packing by flashlight which is something I can’t say I have ever done before. Luckily, the power came back on a few hours later so I was able to check everything over in the light. It defiantly made me thankful for all the times we do have electricity!
I can hardly believe that by this time tomorrow, I'll be in Merida and a couple hours into practicing my rusty Spanish! It's probably about time for me to end this and get to bed but I just wanted to write this first entry before I take off and make sure everything works :) I'll do my best to keep this updated so you can hear about all that I'm up to. Thanks for all the prayers and support, I'm excited for what God has in store for me in Mexico!
~Hasta luego!
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