Sevilla and beyond

Wow, it’s been so long since I last posted on here.  Let me update you on the last two months :/ oops…

I have been doing lots of traveling, both on school excursions (Toledo, Ronda) and independently with different groups of friends (Madrid; Málaga; Lisbon, Portugal).  It’s quite a different experience having to plan trips without my parents and having to do everything on my own.  Not only have I been learning practical things related to traveling (i.e. have a map, know how to get to your hostel from wherever you land), but I also found myself having to learn patience and flexibility in interacting with the different groups I have traveled with.  In Madrid, after packing lots of things into one day, walking a lot, and being hungry, I had to learn how to be patient with different people, flexibility and joyfulness, and how to go with the flow and not complain.  I have also been able to learn from different people within my traveling groups.  In Lisbon, after a 6-hour bus ride through the night, our group got off at the wrong bus stop in Lisbon, putting us miles and miles away from our hostel.  We ended up walking probably about 8 miles across the city before we took taxis the rest of the way there.  I was inspired and humbled by simple things that I saw in my friends, such as the selflessness of sharing gloves when we were walking in the cold or sharing food.  And I was especially grateful specifically for one girl in my group who maintained joy and a positive attitude amidst the frustration of walking for so long.  Our weekend in Málaga was full of rainy weather.  After doing some sight-seeing and walking along the wet beach, we planted ourselves in a café for a couple hours to chill, and I really enjoyed just being able to relax like that and chat with my friends.

I recently read Ephesians 4:20-21 which says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”  And it’s been cool to see how much God really has been accomplishing IMMEASURABLY MORE than I imagined.  One way I have seen this is with my roommate, Amber.  Not only do we get along and room together well, which is a blessing in itself when it comes to roommate placements, but we are very good friends and we have so much fun together.  We have been able to have great conversations and I have been able to grow and learn from her.  It’s so cool to see how much of a blessing that has been and what God is doing through that friendship.  Another cool way I have seen God doing IMMEASURABLY MORE than what I was necessarily expecting is through GBU.  GBU stands for Grupos Bíblicos Universitarios, or University Bible Groups, and it is basically a Christian campus ministry at the University of Sevilla.  Amber and I got connected with GBU through a girl named Damaris, one of the Spanish friends of our Student Ministries Director (SMC).  At the beginning of the semester when our group went to tapas and on a walking tour of the city with different Spaniards that our SMC knows, Amber and I went with Damaris both times.  Because of that, we were able to hear about GBU and occasionally attend the bible studies at the University, where we met other students from England, Brazil, Germany, and Austria (including one girl who is really nice and cool), all the while being able to communicate with all of them in Spanish. 

We recently had a week off of school for Semana Santa, or Holy Week.  Semana Santa is huge in Sevilla because Spain is very culturally Catholic.  During the week, different churches have processionals and lots of people (both from Sevilla and around the world) come out to the streets to watch them.  The processionals, or pasos, include members of the church wearing outfits that look like the KKK, a band usually, and basically floats that are carried through the streets which bear statues of biblical figures, usually Jesus and/or Mary.  Catholicism is very cultural in Spain, and while the country is considered to be 75% Catholic, not many Spaniards practice it.  Yet, because of the cultural significance, the streets are packed during Semana Santa with people crowding to see the pasos parade by.  Amber and I went to one paso during Madrugada (morning) the night of Holy Thursday/the morning of Good Friday.  Pasos happen basically all night that night.  We waited to see it for about 45 minutes, and it took about 45 minutes to pass, as there were over 2,000 candle bearers that walked in it.  We left our Spanish friends after one paso at about 2:15, and they, along with many others, were staying out for more.  Although it is a cultural practice that we aren’t used to, it was cool to see and experience.  Another cultural difference we observed here is that almost all the celebration in Spain ends on Good Friday.  Easter is not as big of a deal as it is in the States.  Where is the resurrection?  We went to the Cathedral for mass on Easter Sunday, but I was wishing I could be at my church back home.  “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”  1 Corinthians 15:17, 20

My family also came and visited during Semana Santa.  It was fun to see them, introduce them to my friends, show them around Sevilla, and travel with them to both Barcelona and Granada. 

Although my time here in Sevilla is quickly approaching the end, I still have about a month left to travel, enjoy breakfasts out, take tests, and attend classes.  It’s been such a blessing to be here, and I’m enjoying it so much!  Thanks so much for your prayers!   

Hello all!  Things are going well here in Sevilla.  Classes are going pretty well, and we have almost completed our first 5-day week of school! ¡Olé!  On Wednesdays, our group has, what we call, Encuentro, which is basically a little chapel or youth group type of service.  We start with worship and then our Student Ministries Director will share a message.  I have been participating in the worship band for Encuentro by playing the keyboard.  And although I have much experience playing the piano, I usually read from music and do not have much experience playing from a chord progression.  So it has been cool that I have the opportunity to learn that and work on that skill.  The past two weeks after Encuentro, a couple girls who live in my area have gone to eat at a place called Cien Montaditos, or 100 little sandwiches.  They have 100 different options of mini sandwiches and on Wednesdays and Sundays, each is 1 euro! 

 

Last week, we only had four days of classes, because we had an excursion to Córdoba on Friday.  It took about 2 hours to get there by bus.  In Córdoba, we visited la mezquita, or the mosque.  Before it was a mosque, it had been a Catholic basilica.  The Arabic part of the building was originally constructed during the 8^th century, and it was later modified and expanded during the 9^th and 10^th centuries.  Since then, it was again taken over by others, and it now has a Catholic church in it.  But the mosque still exists, so we were able to see the Arabic architecture.  It was cool to be able to see the architectural designs that we’ve been learning about in my art class.  After spending some time in the mosque, we visited a Jewish synagogue.  We then had a few hours of free time, so a few of us found a sunny plaza to sit in and we ate our bocadillos (a sack lunch packed by our señora).  The sun felt really good because it was a bit chilly out in the shade, and especially inside the stone mosque.  The weather has been pretty nice here, though.  We’ve had days with highs close to 70!  But usually that seems to mean that it may get that warm for a couple hours in the afternoon.  It’s still chilly in the mornings and evenings when we’re walking around outside.  But, I’m still thankful for it, since it’s warmer than being at Taylor J

On Saturday, I went with a couple girls and we visited the Cathedral here in Sevilla.  It is incredible to see the size of that building and how big it is inside!  It’s cool to think that that building was created as a place to worship and give glory to God.  And as incredible as it is, it was created by humans.  How much more amazing it will be when we are in heaven experiencing God’s glory in paradise and living in His presence!

This week, we had our first flamenco class!  We learned las sevillanas, a five-step dance move, and we had a good time!  Toward the end of the semester we will have a fiesta to show off our flamenco moves!  On Tuesday night, we had a noche de tapas.  Tapas are basically like appetizers, and they are common to have in Spain.  We split into smaller groups and were taken to dinner by 2 Spaniards.  My group bought lots of different tapas dishes and shared them between our tables.  They were quite delicious.  We didn’t get home until about 11:30…and that was early.  One of the other groups was taken to two different tapas places, ice cream and then tea!  In typical Spanish fashion, they didn’t get home until 1:30am. 

I hope you’re all doing well.  I appreciate your thoughts and prayers!

Becoming a Spaniard...

¡Hola from Spain!  Let me update you a little bit on my last couple days here.  On Wednesday and Thursday, we had orientation, safety/culture tips, and figured out our class schedule.  Wednesday night, we split into groups and took a walking tour of the city with some locals.  Thursday night we had a pizza dinner at the school and then went to a bar to see some flamenco dancing!!  Friday was our first day of classes!!  Mine are Cuentos Españoles (Spanish Short Stories), Gramática Avanzada (Advanced Grammar), Arte Español (Spanish Art), and Historia (History).  They went really well!  The professors are really nice, and they must speak slower and more clearly for us, because I could usually understand most of what they were saying, which is nice.  My classes start at 9:00 AM and end at 1:30 PM (and that includes a 50-minute break).  This would be a good time to tell you about the schedule of a Spanish day.  --For us (me and Amber), breakfast is in the morning before we leave for school (our señora is not out of bed when we leave).  We go to school until 1:30 and then come home in time for siesta.  There’s not much else you can do because pretty much everything closes from 2-5 PM.  So usually Amber and I come home and do some things in our room, maybe take a nap during our siesta, and then lunch for us is usually at 3:30 (the TV is always on during meals).  Stores and restaurants usually reopen around 5, and sometimes Spaniards will have a merienda, or a little snack of maybe coffee or pastries or churros around this time—when Americans would probably be eating dinner.  Spanish dinner is usually not until about 9 or so, usually 10 at our house.--  So anyway, Friday afternoon we met up with some friends and enjoyed a merienda, which for me was café con leche (coffee with milk) and an ice cream cone (it’s a pretty nice excuse for ice cream!).  Then we did some shopping, looking around for good bargains, as it is rebajas (sales) season, and then we hung out for a little bit at the apartment of our Student Ministries Director.  Saturday we did a photo scavenger hunt around the city, which means I walked for about 4 hours!  We met back at the school in the evening to go over results and then went out to eat (typical of Spain—at the restaurant we went to, the kitchen didn’t open until 8:30).  Today is Sunday, which means that most things are closed in Spain.  A lot of the students in our group went to the same church this morning, which was about a 20-25 minute walk for us.  We didn’t do much today, but we did have a merienda at a nearby chocolatería (which IS open on Sundays)—churros con chocolate=YUM!  Tomorrow we start our second day of school!  Hope things are going well back in the states!

Día en Sevilla

After two plane rides and a train ride, we finally made it to Sevilla!  When the taxi driver dropped us (me and my roommate, Amber) off at our apartment, we had trouble finding which room belonged to our host.  We looked around the building and stopped at various floors.  Finally, we heard voices coming from down the stairs, so we asked them to help us find the right room.  The person turned out to be our señora!!  After doing some unpacking in our room, we enjoyed a meal (which was technically lunch, even though it was a 4:30) with her, while watching Spanish soap operas.  After settling in some more, Amber and I decided to start exploring the city.  We were happy to find our school not too far away, and we are currently enjoying the use of the internet to connect with family and friends, before heading back home for dinner at 10pm :)  Tomorrow we start orientation, so it will be nice to hear more tips and information about the city and the program.  Thanks for your prayers!