#15 = 16

Today I am thankful for Alex - my "baby" who turns 16 today.  I cannot believe he is already 16!  Where have the years gone?  He took us by surprise when we found out he was on his way and again when he decided at 32 1/2 weeks he was ready to greet the world.  He has kept us laughing and smiling on a daily basis.  He loves life and is out to embrace every possible moment.  When at 13 we moved to Spain he chose to go to Spanish public school - without more than a handful of Spanish words in his vocabulary.  He signed up to play on the school soccer team and navigated the system while we stood in amazement.  After three years here in Spain - 3 years that involved 3 different schools, 3 different home towns, and a ton of other changes he is struggling with being gone from "home" for 4 months next year.

He has taught me so much.  One lesson I have learned from here in Spain is that a lot of life is about your attitude.  He was a picky eater forever.  When we arrived in Spain he proclaimed his new leash on life "I am going to like all foods."  Sure enough, he began to eat and attack foods that he wouldn't touch before.  The boy who ordered his hamburgers completely plain - no vegetables, no sauce - requested that I make cream of zucchini soup.  He loves fish and grilled salmon.  Did his taste buds change overnight?  Nope.  His attitude changed.  I wonder how many things if I would just wake up with a new attitude would have a better "taste" in my life?

I cannot imagine my life without Alex.  I am blessed to be able to call him my son!

#13 and 14 - The H's Have It

I recently told someone that moving to a foreign country is both the most humbling and humiliating thing you can do.  When you are forced to live in a country that speaks a different language, has a different value system, and does almost everything you have always done in a different manner you are going to find yourself both humbled and humiliated - sometimes at the same time.

#13 - The Humiliating Moments

Ok, don't laugh too hard that I am giving thanks for the humiliating moments.  Believe me, I wasn't laughing in the moments nor giving thanks for them.  In fact, I was doing just the opposite.  God and I have had quite a few "heated" discussions over the past three years!  But after the fact, sometimes long after the fact, I can say thanks for those moments.  Ok, maybe not all of them, but a lot of them have brought a ton of laughter and the retelling of them has been the source for some great friendship growth.

My favorite humiliating moment continues to be my first attempt at buying a Boston Butt in the meat store.  The cuts of meat in Spain do not match the cuts of meet in the US.  Why oh why does everything have to be different?  I did all my homework.... I figured out how to say it in Spanish, I studied cuts of meat and figured out where a Boston Butt came from and I went prepared to simply order my piece of meat.  Well, sometimes my life has a life of its own....  for quickly I figured out my meat man had no idea what I was asking for and I had no other resources up my sleeve.  I had a picture of a side of a pig so I tried showing him that.  Finally he says "un momento."  And I have hope.... until he returns from the freezer with an entire half of a pig.  The entire store is filled with abuelas (see prior post to understand how that would have gone).  The conversations stop.  The place is entirely quiet for what seemed like hours, although I am sure it was only seconds.  Finally the meat man starts pointing to different parts of the pig and then to my picture.   And finally, we matched up the parts and I walked away with 3+ kilos of pork (ok - by then, I just took what he cut - I didn't care what it cost nor how much I had - I just wanted out of there).  For my American friends - 3+ kilos is 7+ pounds.  I was going to be eating Barbecue forever, but I had succeeded.

#14 - The Humbling Moments


Do you remember the days when an encyclopedia was a set of 20+ books?  Well, if I were to begin to tell you every humbling moment I have experienced in the last 3 years you would have at least that many books.  There were seasons of this experience that humbling moments came everyday, sometimes more than once a day.  If you decide to learn a foreign language for the first time at 45+ years old, be prepared to be humbled.

How do I choose one story to tell you? 

I got my driver's license when I was 16.  Before coming to Spain I had driven for 30+ years. About 6 months after arriving I studied and studied for the written exam and passed it on my first try.  I know - how is that humbling?  Well, after the written part came the driving part.  After 30 years who would think that I would have trouble with the driving part.  I had heard all the stories, but for sure I thought I could do this.  And add to it that the other student in the car had automatically failed (he turned the wrong way on a one way street) and I made it all the way back to the driving center without an immediate fail.  Imagine my surprise when the examiner said I had failed.  What?  I had been driving for 30+ years!  I had stopped at all lights, parked perfectly, checked my mirrors every 15 to 20 seconds, and didn't go down any roads the wrong way.  Ha!  That wasn't enough.  Apparently in one of the round abouts I did not look over my should at all the exits.  Fail.  No go!  No license!  Another week of neither Scott nor I having a license.  And worse than that, I had tell the world I had failed.

Oh how much sweeter the pass was on the second try.

I wouldn't choose to repeat a single of the humbling moments, but on the other hand, I have learned a ton.  I have learned to lean on God in a new and more desperate way.  I have developed sympathy and empathy for many people in my life.  I have had to examine my own failures. 

And yes, I am sure there are more editions of this lesson to come.  I expect a few of those moments will come next year when we are in the states for several months and I experience culture shock in the opposite direction. 

People, People, Everywhere - #10, 11, and 12

We moved to Spain to share Christ with the people here.  This forced a change in perspective for us - we were here to be with people.  I know that sounds like a "duh" moment, but for Americans (or at least a lot of them) this is a big shift in mentality.  Us Americans tend to focus on the task and work and fill in the gaps with relationships.  By no means are Spaniards lazy - the majority of them work really hard - but they have their priorities/value system in a different order than ours.  They focus on relationships - a top priority for them is family and friends - and they fill in the gaps with work.  I have loved seeing this change occur in me as well and as a result I have met some incredible people over the past 3+ years.  I am so very blessed!

Sara Davila - my language tutor and friend

#10 - My Teachers 

Yep, almost 50 (oh my!) and I am still learning.  Over the past three years I have had a variety of teachers - ones that taught me Spanish, some that taught me Spanish culture, some that taught me the church culture, and others that have taught me how this new profession looks.  Those are my "formal" teachers, but along the way I have also met a variety of "teachers" who have taught me through emails, facebook chats, or just time spent over a cup of coffee.  I feel sorry for the people who arrive at a certain age and believe they have learned all there is to learn.  They are missing out on a lot of blessings. 

#11 - My Family on this side of the Ocean

Armando and Noemi - our pastor & his wife

Martha - dear friend and confidant

I am a relationship type person.  I am an extrovert.  I love people, I find my energy being around people, and I always believe there is room for one more at the table, in the car, or in my life.  But one day, very soon after we arrived in Spain, I realized I didn't really have any of that any more.  I struggled.  I cried.  I pitched quite a few temper tantrums with God.  The phone never rang (unless it was a telemarketer in Spanish and I had no idea what he was saying).  The doorbell never rang (unless it was the mailman wanting in the building to deliver mail).  My table always had the same 4 (don't get me wrong - I love sharing a meal with my family, but I love the variety of life that comes with new people around the table).  I stayed connected with those on the other side of the ocean, but on this side - well, it was plain lonely!  Yet, as time passed new family grew.  Teammates, teachers Alex's school, Spanish friends, neighbors, and the church became my family on this side of the ocean.  Tough times came and passed and without these people I would have packed up and gone home.  When "issues" have arisen on either side they have been here to support and encourage.  This fall, when we went through a breast cancer scare I realized that I do now have family on this side of the ocean.  WhatsApp messages arrived before, during and after every appointment.  Offers to go with me to appointments and meals during the biopsy recover time.  Prayers abundantly filled the gap and let me know that I wasn't walking through this alone.  The coffee invitations are more frequent, the walks with a friend more common, the "I'm praying for you" comments come regularly, and the revolving door of friends and family has returned to the front of our house.  At our table you often find new faces.  The sound of messages can be heard throughout the day.  Laughter in the streets is no longer a spectator sport.  God has definitely blessed with me with a surrogate family here in Spain - and I am blessed beyond measure.

#12 - My Family on the other side of the Ocean

US team in 2012

Send off party

Robin and a few days of girl fun

September 30, 2011 will always be burned into my memory.  Standing in the airport with family and friends and saying goodbye.  As we walked down the hall to our plane, leaving behind all that felt "comfortable," I felt alone.  I felt like I was letting go of every relationship I had ever experienced and was fearful that the goodbye we had just said was permanent.  I shed quite a few tears over the next 15 hours as we waved goodbye in Greensboro and hello in Madrid.  Yet, my family and friends have been faithful over the 3+ years.  I have said that an ocean is a great proving ground for relationships and I am so thankful for those that have stood the test of time and distance.  My family has been incredibly supportive.  I know it was not hard for my parents to let us go - to say goodbye to
their grandkids (and daughter).  My sister knew with this move that if my parents needed help it

John & Jacqui from SC - visiting in Spain with our Spanish pastor & family

would all fall on her, and yet she let us go.  Our oldest son knew he was being left behind, shed a few tears, and let us go.  For the first year, one friend sent me a facebook message everyday!  Another friend, for the entire 3+ years we have been here has responded to every email newsletter with words of encouragement.  Other friends pop up with short (and sometimes long) emails just sharing how life is going and asking about mine.  Facebook chats, gmail chats, imessages, skype calls, magic jack calls (even from 3 couples who called in the middle of the night because they were all together and thinking of us - and unfortunately not thinking about the time difference), emails, care packages, snail mail, .... have all been cherished.  Friends and family have stood in the gap for us as parents as well - helping Hannah have a place to live, a job, move in to college, find a car, treat her to a family dinner and games, take her tailgating, sending her care packages.  I daily thank God for these people in my life and I pray that they too know how thankful I am for them.

Oh the Sights You Will See - #7, 8, and 9

Spain is a culture that walks a lot more I was used to when moved here.  There are times when I still prefer to get in the car and go somewhere, but I really will miss the walking when we are in the states next year.  We walk to do small errands, we walk to go out to eat, we walk to catch the bus, ....  Every time that I go out with time to enjoy the walk I see something new.  I love it!

#7  Locals selling their vegetables

Throughout our pueblo you will encounter different Spaniards sitting out by a card table with their fresh produce.  This is almost always produce from their own garden and you never know what you will find.  As I was walking through town today I stopped at three different "tables" hoping to find sweet potatoes, but no luck.  I did chat with older man (had to be 70+) who actually had his table set up on a sidewalk that was only as wide as his table.  Everyone had to walk in the street to get around his table.  What adventures!

#8  Las Abuelas

Age does not slow down the people from walking.  I love to walk down the small narrow streets of the town where you will find the abuelas (grandmas).  They are either pushing their grocery carts through the town or walking arm in arm with a friend.   They have one volume so it is impossible to not hear their conversations.  Today I overheard two ladies talking about how fun it is to watch their grand kids taking their first steps.  I have decided that when I have grand kids (hey kids - no hurry) I want to be called abuelita (little grandma). 

39  The Crazy Sights

Of course not everything you see when you are out walking is loving or beneficial.  There are of course crazy things that make you shake your head.  For example, today I passed an older man beating a tree in his yard with a broom.  He was trying to get all the dried leaves off the tree so that he could rake them all at once.  Then at another intersection where I was trying to cross the street I had to wait on a car that was backing all the way down the street.  It was a one way street and the car apparently didn't want to go around the block so he just backed up instead.  Of course there is also the cathedral that is being built out of all recycled materials, three wheeled motorcycles, pink mopeds, and one of my all time favorite - motorcycles with tops.  Also not uncommon to see someone in a wheel chair being pushed down the middle of the street or a child riding push toy through the grocery store.  I love how this culture always surprises me and very often keeps me smiling!

#4, 5, and 6 - It is all about FOOD

Where has the month gone?  It is flying by and life is so full I am at times not sure which way is up.  I guess it is appropriate that I am too busy to blog (I didn't move to Spain to sit at home), but I miss time for writing.  Still dream of writing a book - but when in the world would I have to write?

#4 - Smell of fresh baked bread

Today I walked around the corner to buy a loaf of bread for lunch (yes, we buy fresh bread everyday - a loaf of bread is 0.45€, about $0.56.  When I got there today the owner told me that the type of bread I wanted wasn't ready and I could wait 5 minutes or buy a different type.  5 minutes?  Oh my, definitely worth the wait for hot, fresh out of the oven bread.  So, yes I bought two loaves - one to snack on while walking home and one to actually have at lunch. 

#5 - Gifts that Keep On Giving

Within the first six months of our arrival in Spain, a couple of friends sent us a care package.  Inside the care package were two 9" cake pans.  Spaniards don't bake cakes the same size or shape that Americans do and thus my recipes just weren't turning out.  Saturday is Alex's 16th birthday and I pulled out the pans today to make him a cake to take to a youth retreat this weekend.  Every time I bake a cake I breathe a thank you to those gals that sent me the pans.

#6 - Adaptability

When we first arrived (more than 3 years ago - who can believe that?) I was face a recipe or a craving with the thought "can I get that in Spain?"  now I face those same recipes/cravings with "how can I do that here?"  Yes, there are still things that I want sent in care packages and brought along with every friend or team - JIF peanut butter, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Miracle Whip, Italian Salad dressing mix, and a few other things.  It used to be stressful to approach a recipe with questions of how do I do that.  Now it is fun and brings lots of contentment to decide how to make a taste of home with ingredients I can find here!  Love that God is changing is me!

#3 - Siestas & Sobremesa

Last night we hosted a couple from Guatemala for dinner.  We met him in 2011, right after we moved to Spain.  He was here for a about six months, was single, and was learning the culture and serving in churches.  He has now returned to Spain for two months with his wife to study the different ministry sites and to allow his wife to experience Spain as they pray about moving to Spain long term.
 
We laughed, shared, ate homemade pizza and chocolate chip pie, told our stories and heard theirs, and then all of a sudden looked at the time - and he proclaims "es casi el Martes."  In other words, it is almost Tuesday (very near midnight).  We were still at the dining room table!

Today, as the alarm went off I was very grateful to be here and realize that I didn't have to make it to 9:00 tonight before I can stop (after English clubs).  It is perfectly acceptable to stop in the middle of the day for a siesta!

Ahh - I love the schedule of Spain and the slow time spent around the table.  There is a cultural expectation of "sobremesa."  Which means, over the table.  My Spanish friend defined it as "time you spend surrounded by good friends at the same table or seat where you have had coffee, lunch, dinner or merienda with the single purpose to enjoy the company and the chat."  Meals here are not just for getting your nutrition, but instead are for relationship building.  Very rarely do people eat and run from the table.  This is a custom we have come to love and will definitely miss when we are not here.  I wonder if we can convince our friends and family in the states that lunch and dinner should last 2 hours?

#2 - New Perspective

A New Perspective

I realized yesterday that God has given me the ability to see life from a new perspective.  Things in Spain (and probably everywhere else) never go as planned.  No matter how hard you try to plan and consider the possibilities of change, in Spain it is impossible.  In fact, yesterday, a friend said she wakes up every morning wondering how today's plans will change.

When we first arrived here I found these constant unexpected changes to be obstacles and frustrations.  I found myself constantly judging the Spanish culture and people for their lack of ability to be as organized as I was or as efficient as I desired.  Yesterday, I realized that God had changed that perspective.

We had a rare Saturday with no commitments.  The weather was warm and sunny (especially for November 1).  We have learned to seize the moments and decided to use the day to head to the mountains for hike in an area we had recently heard of.  After a leisurely morning, we packed a picnic and headed out.  The trip should have been about an hour and fifteen minutes, but we hit some traffic and it took longer.   We then of course stopped for second breakfast - our favorite tradition of family days out.  Finally we were ready to head up the mountain - we were less than 8 km away from our destination.  Then all changed.

Apparently all of Spain thought it was a great day for walk in the mountains.  The park was closed due to being at capacity.  You could not drive up to the park nor could you take the public buses.  It was 1:00 and we were told we were welcome to come back after lunch and see if the crowds had gone down.




Here we were - 120 km from home, picnic packed, plans all made, and instead of moving forward, we were at a roadblock.  It was then that I realized God had done a work in me.  The old Cindy would have been frustrated and irritated that we had done all this work and now we couldn't enjoy our plans.  I would have pouted and sulked.  Instead all 3 of us said, "so what's next?"

We wandered the town, seeing another beautiful church.  Then we headed toward home.  We saw a brown sign (these are historic markers) and decided to check it out.  Turned out it was a famous pre-historic site.  We later walked through a garden where plans have been sculpted into a variety of shapes and finally stopped for a picnic.  We ended the day with popcorn for dinner and watching a movie together as a family. 

What fun it is to see life change before your eyes without it increasing your blood pressure!

November - Another 30 days of Thankfulness

As I realize how little I have written over the past months I have begun to wonder is there a need to even have a blog any more.  Then I think of all that is ahead of us and behind us and I can't imagine not sharing it.  So, here I am, November staring me in the face and challenging me to once again express my thankfulness.  Hopefully this month as I express my thankfulness I will also open the window to our life a little wider. 

The Privilege to Life in Spain

Sometimes I just complain about how hard things are or I dream of another life, and yet I have been given one incredible privilege - the opportunity to live and work in Spain.  Spain is a gorgeous country with a deep history.  The people value relationships more than anything else, and thus, after the passing of time, I have a group of friends that stop life just to chat with me.  

In October we have seen mountains, castles, churches (from the days before anyone was even dreaming of traveling to America), gardens, and more that proclaim the beauty of God!  We have laughed and cried with friends.  We have tasted new Spanish cuisine (some that I liked and some that go in the "interesting" list).  

The world is a huge place and I am thankful that God has allowed me to be here in Spain.  I cannot imagine another country where I would have rather that God sent me.
 

3 YEARS!

Friends and family at the airport as we headed to Spain

I cannot believe that 3 years ago we stepped off an airplane at the Madrid airport, teary eyed, full of hope and expectations, and scared to death.  We thought we knew what was ahead, but in reality we could not have imagined the highs and the lows that would occur. There have been days if I had an airplane ticket back to the states I would have run all the way to the airport.  There have been other days that if I had been given a ticket, you would have had to drag me there.  Roller Coaster ride is about the only way I can describe these years.

The highs (in no particular order):

• I passed the language exam - who knew that it was possible?  I think I was more proud of that passing grade than I was with either of my college degrees (which were awarded with honors).
• The relationships - oh what dear friends I have made here.  The fun thing about making friends with other cultures is that not only do you get to learn about their likes and dislikes, but relationships are filled with questions and you really get to understand what makes them tick.  And when you live an ocean away from family or friends, you place a new value on friends - both old and new.
• The country - if you need a vacation spot where heaven meets earth, come to Spain.  This is an incredibly beautiful country.  Where else can you visit both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic?  Where can you see the starched brown land of a desert and then a few hours later be in a plush, green forest?  The castles and the churches and the rivers and the pueblos and ....  It is all here.
• The church - after 3 years we are finally settled in a ministry site and are partnering with a small Spanish church while also hoping to start a point of mission here in our pueblo.  We walk into this church and we feel at home.  We fell in love with this church when we were first here and God has allowed us to return "home."  I wish everyone of you could come worship with us just one Sunday.  
• Our teammates - we all have different callings, different strengths, different life styles, different theologies or philosophies, but we all have a love for God and a desire for the world to know Him better.  
• ECA (the school where Alex attends and I work one day a week) - Alex did two years in the public schools and did fantastic, but a time came when he needed to be in an English speaking school that would prepare him for college in the states.  Without ECA we would have had some hard decisions. ECA allowed Hannah to spend her senior year in Spain making lifetime memories.  If you are a teacher (new, retired, looking for a sabatical), consider coming to ECA.  We need teachers.  
• Our partners - it seems like every time we are having a rough day one of our partners sends us a note of encouragement.  We literally could not be here without their support - prayer and financially.  We thank God for them everyday.
• Family - the ocean is really big and there are times when it feels even bigger, but our families have been great.  Sisters, and cousins and aunts and uncles have filled in for me when I felt as if I should have been there for my parents.  My parents have encouraged us to be here, even knowing how much they would prefer to see their grandkids more often (they have not seen Alex in 2 years).  Scott's sister has taken on the role of caregiver for his mom.  Zach and Hannah have had to navigate adulthood a lot faster, but have done so with cheerful hearts.  
• Teams and Visitors - Every visitor, whether on a short term trip or just passing through, have brought joy with them.  We have gotten to share our friends and land with them and they have filled us up with energy and love to keep going forward.
• Peanut Butter (well, care packages in general) - amazing what a care package can do for you!
• God - do you know that He is exactly who He claims to be?  He says that He will never leave you nor forsake you.  He says His strength is sufficient.  He says that the same Holy Spirit that lives in Him lives in us and will give us the strength to get through whatever may face us.  He says He loves me.  He says that He desires good for me and not evil.  He has proven to be everything He says He is.  Life has been hard; it has been filled with some incredibly difficult challenges, and yet, God has been who He says He is.  

Maybe another day I will come back and share the lows of the three years - but for today I will celebrate the highs.  I can't wait to see what year 4 has in store for us!

Language Laughs

So we have lived here in Spain for nearly 3 years.  We have both passed the language exam.  We can communicate fairly accurate and understand most - albeit it at times grammatically incorrect.  So you would think by now we have a Spanish filter in our brains when we read signs in Spain.

But, oh so not true!

We were up north last week seeing the work of our teammates.  We wandered around a beautiful town named Gijón.  It is on the norther coast of Spain.  It has fresh seafood, as well as other great delicacies.

We saw a sign listing the menu of the day and it said "Tacos de Bonito."  Bonito is a type of fish and Scott proclaimed Fish Tacos.  We knew that was where we were eating lunch.  We even waited on a table, because our mouths were watering with the idea of fish tacos.  We knew they wouldn't be like California, but fish tacos - oh what a great taste from the USA.

We imagined:

We ate our first plate of fabadas - large white beans cooked with chorizo and other meats.  Very typical for the north.  We stopped before we finished the bowls because we wanted to be sure we had room for the fish tacos.  Our mouths were watering as the waiter cleared our bean bowls and prepared to bring our 2nd plate - Tacos de Bonito.

As soon as I saw the waiter heading our way I knew what had happened.  Our brains had malfunctioned.  Our filters were confused.  We translated one word, but not the other.  Tacos de Bonito does not translate to Fish Tacos.  It translated to this:

In Spanish, a taco is a cube, a plug, a wedge.  It is not a Mexican food. 

Scott and I laughed all day long about wanting Fish Tacos.  We enjoyed our "tacos" of fish, but boy were we surprised.  I just wonder, will the day ever come when the two languages don't cross in my brain?  Oh well, guess it is a good thing we can still laugh.

Back to School

No, the summer is not over quite yet - but the end is coming very quickly!  But for me, I begin my "job" at ECA (Evangelical Christian Academy) today.

ECA

ECA is a small Christian school that is based on the American school system.  It is located outside of Madrid and serves about 90 students, with the majority being MKs (missionary kids).  Almost all the teachers are missionaries and do not receive a salary from the school, but instead live off of faith partnerships just like we do.  Without this school, many missionaries would not be able to remain in Spain.  The Spain school system has many positives, but it is very different from the US system.  Graduates who want to return to the states for college would have a very hard time without a lot of extra supplement in the home.  Plus, if you arrive in your teen days, there is the whole language problem.

Last year I ended up teaching one class (12th grade English) to help in an emergency situation (a teacher had to leave the field suddenly due to a family crisis).  I was invited back this year, but in a totally different role.

Our primary role here in Spain remains church planting, but I will devote about 20% of my time to the school.  I will not be in the classroom this year, but instead working with new teachers in a coaching/mentoring atmosphere as well as planning professional development for the whole staff.   I love the process of education and the excitement of watching teachers become better teachers.   I believe in the power of education and its ability to change the world.  I also remember those first years in the classroom when I wondered what in the world I was thinking when I decided to become a teacher.  

John F Kennedy said "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource."  I believe that quote.  I believe that education will be what transforms our nations and our world.  It is a great responsibility to teach, but it is also a fabulous privilege. 

My new role is excited because it is completely flexible.  I can come and go as I need and as things work around our primary ministry responsibilities.  I have no set schedule (I might drive the admin crazy at the school as they try to figure out when I will be there) and no deadlines.  This is beginning to feel like heaven!

The majority of my time will be with new teachers - teachers who are either new to teaching or new to teaching TCKs (Third Culture Kids - kids who have a home culture - for us America - living in another culture - for us Spanish - and create in reality a 3rd culture from the two - another blog post about this coming soon).  I get to serve as a coach/mentor to them.  I get to serve as a sounding board for questions, ideas, and frustrations.  I get to lead and direct conversations and discussions.  I get to encourage and comfort.  I get to celebrate and rejoice.  I get to have them all over to my house once a month.  Doesn't this job sound perfect for me?

Today is my first coaching session.  I can't wait! 

Beach Culture in Italy

I have learned to not be surprised by most cultural differences between not only the USA and Europe, but also between Spain and other countries, such as Italy.  I was prepared for language differences, food differences, driving differences, different dress codes, ... but I was not prepared for the huge difference in beach culture.

We spent today on one of the limited public beaches around Naples, Italy.  Most beaches are private and you pay for a chair and an umbrella on the beach.  With the beach being public I expected it to be more crowded (in US terms, not Spanish) and perhaps to see more differences in dress code (surprisingly, topless bathing did not exist at all).  What I did not expect was for the entire time on the beach to be in the midst of a moving vendors. 


All day different people selling different items were walking between the towels and umbrellas to offer their wares.  There were typical beach items such as floats, sand buckets, and towels, but the list kept going.  You could buy a bathing suit (uh, if you are at the beach, isn't it a little late?), sunglasses, and cover-ups.  OK - so maybe those are still in my "normal" perspective (being from Florida and Myrtle Beach areas).   But then it got different - how about a henna tattoo, or a knock-off designer purse, or a belt?  Clothes, fresh coconut, jewelry, CD's, roasted peanuts, phone covers, and bandannas?

Being that I am fair skinned and would turn into a lobster if I sat out in the sun all day, I enjoyed sitting under my umbrella and watching these vendors.  Nothing like "beach side service."

Beauty

We have seen some incredible sites here in Italy.  We have walked through ruins that are more than 2000 years old.  We have stared in amazement at the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  But yesterday, as I donned my snorkel and mask and headed out into the Mediterranean I realized that man can never out build or create any beauty greater than that of God's. 

These pictures don't do it justice, although Scott did a fabulous job with photography.  The place is breathtaking and serene and just simply gorgeous! 

We had to hike down about 30 minutes and it never really crossed my mind how steep we were going.  We enjoyed a picnic, jumped off the ledge, we swam into a cove, we explored the crystal clear waters, and then returned to our car.  Uh - what goes down, must go up when it comes to hiking.  I thought I was gonna die!  But the beauty was worth the pain (which I am still feeling in my legs today)!

He Passed!

Whoever said Spanish was an easy language to learn must not have ever really studied it completely.  With 14 major verb tenses, a sentence structure opposite of English, a reflexive pronoun scheme that makes inanimate objects capable of doing things, a subjunctive tense for hopes, dreams, and wishes, and a double r that is supposed to be rolled, we have found that speaking Spanish well is one thing, speaking Spanish properly is a whole different story!

SEND requires us to reach a B2 level.  This means that we can (according to the test administrators):

• Understand the gist of complex texts about concrete or abstract themes, even technical texts, provided that they are within the candidates’ field of specialization.
• Interact with native speakers with sufficient fluency and spontaneity, so that communication does not constitute an effort for the interlocutors.
• Produce clear and detailed texts about diverse topics, as well as defend a point of view on general topics, stating the pros and cons of the different options.

It means we have reached a level of fluency that we can participate in activities that require public speaking - such as preaching and teaching.

 In terms most Americans with teenagers can understand, a student passing the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam would pass the B1 exam, although would have some of the skills required for B2.

This week with great trepidation we opened Scott's language scores and the words we wanted to see were there!

Translated:  The final grade is:  Passed!

We have now both passed the language exam and are deemed fluent, although we both know that there is still so much to learn in regards to speaking Spanish.  We can communicate and we can usually be understood, but we are not natives and will be learning for the rest of our lives!

Inquiring Minds Want To Know

We are still in Italy and will probably need a vacation to recover from this one - but we have seen more sights, walked more miles, and eaten more gelato and pizza than I imagined possible.  We are thoroughly enjoying our time both as a family and getting to know our new friends.  We cannot wait to show them Spain. 

We do not speak Italian, but I am amazed at the amount we can understand based on our Spanish. Of course, we probably understand just enough to get us in trouble.  We have also run into many Spanish speaking people and have been able to keep practicing our language.

It has been a while since I have written about how our financial support works and we have been asked about how this vacation was funded, so thought I would take a moment out and do a Partnership Refresher.

The financial partnerships we receive each month or year go straight to SEND (this makes them tax deductible and gives us greater accountability and stretches the dollar).  The partnerships are used to fund a variety of things, including our monthly salary - but NOT vacations.  Just like the rest of the working world, we have to budget and save and plan for our personal monthly expenses (food, clothing, utilities, gas, medical, taxes, ......) and big expenditures, such as a vacation to Italy. 

We began to plan for this trip about a year ago - although at that point we thought we were saving for a trip to France.  We cashed in credit card rewards (which we pay off each month), said no to a lot of other frills, and were faithful to set aside money each month. 

Next major savings item - Hannah's plane ticket home for Christmas (that is another personal expense, our partners do not pay for this either).

We are incredibly blessed by our financial partners and could not continue to be here without them!

Going on a Jet Plane!

We have lived in Spain for nearly 3 years and we have only left Spain a couple of times - we crossed the French border twice for a couple of hours and the Portugal border once for an hour and once for a weekend at a beach hotel.  We haven't really visited either of those countries, much less the rest of Europe.



But God has given us a tremendous gift through some our of financial and prayer partners.  One partner connected us with their daughter and son-in-law who lives near Naples, Italy.  After a ton of facebook messages we have planned a vacation exchange.  We are headed to Italy tomorrow and sometime in the fall or spring they will come here to experience Spain.  When you no longer have to pay for a hotel, can have breakfast in the house, and don't need a rental car the trip becomes quite affordable.  Airfares within Europe are reasonable and there are lots of discounts at museums for European Union residents, so we are off to Italy for 10 days.  This is definitely a gift from God!

We will be based in Naples for the majority of the trip, but will take a train to Rome for 2 nights.  We hope to see Pompeii and Vesuvius, the Amalfi Coast, either Ischia or Capri, and who knows what else we can get into. 

Our hope and prayer is that we make some lifetime memories, spend some quality and quantity time together, and have some time alone with God.  Watch for photos!  I know we are going to have a great time!

Lessons learned from the Heat

Yes - three days in a row a new blog post!  Enjoy it while it lasts - vacation is coming and the posts will be less but the photos better than ever.

Although this weekend we had a great reprieve from the heat, it is just plain hot here in Spain.  95 to 105 is typical.  Sure, no humidity, but 100 is hot with or without humidity.  Sure we have a pool, but red headed, fair skinned girls like me can't stay out in the 100 degree heat, even in a pool, without looking like a lobster.  Sure, we have an air conditioner in the living room - but unfortunately due to the cost of electricity we would have to elect to be cool  and hungry instead of hot and fed.

But, on the other hand, houses in Spain are built with the 100 degree heat in mind.  The walls are concrete or stone or something and they hold in the heat, but also the cool.  The windows have persianas (metal blinds on the outside of the windows) that block the sun and the heat.  We have siesta.  It is light until really late at night so you can get outdoors when it finally begins to cool down.  And when all else fails, the malls and movie theaters are air conditioned!

We are perfecting cave living.  Watch the temperatures.  In the mornings, when the temperature outside is warmer than the temperatures inside (about 11 AM) close the windows, doors, persianas, curtains, ...   Keep that cool air in.  Run the fans in the rooms where you are.  In the evenings, when the temperature outside is finally warmer than the temperatures inside (about 11 PM) open the windows, doors, persianas, curtains, .... Run the fans all over the house to get that cool air inside.  It is dark and like a cave all day - but it is a lot cooler (house stays in low 80's when 100 outside).

We have learned how to have meals without using the oven.  I have learned to overcook so that I can "reuse" the same meat for other dishes to cut down on the time the stove is on.  We can completely close off the kitchen to keep the heat in there.

We have learned how to let me have hurricane force winds blowing on me at night and for Scott to only feel a gentle breeze.  We can sit on the floor in the basement and accomplish a lot of work since it is much cooler.  We can get up early in the morning because we know siesta is coming.

I have also learned that my attitude makes all the difference!  If I complain, it feels hotter.  If I count the hours until it starts to cool off my attitude deteriorates quickly.  If I post on Facebook how miserable I am, I feel twice as miserable, twice as grumpy, and twice as short with my family.

Encouragement goes a long way as well.  To hear from a Facebook friend, prayer partner, or family member that when they were hot they thought of us and prayed for a breeze to pass our way makes the air feel cooler.  To have someone with air condition say that they can not imagine what it would be like to not have air and are proud of us for sticking it out makes September not seem to far away (the heat will break around mid-September). 

This "attitude examination" has made me wonder about other areas in my life as well.   Wonder how often my attitude is more of the problem than the circumstance?  Wonder how often I could have spoke words of encouragement into someone who was doing their best to maintain a good attitude? 

Am I glad it is hot here?  Uh, no!  I want to live somewhere it is 75 degrees year round.  However, in

comparison to others in the world who are suffering great than me, I am glad this is the suffering I must endure.  And for today, as the thermometer climbs it way back up near 100, I will enjoy cave life until I take Alex to drum lessons (uh, what was I thinking when I bought him a set of drums?) and then I will find some air condition to enjoy.  Wonder how long I can stand in the freezer section of the grocery store?