Another email update

Hello everyone!

Time for another email update, I guess! How is everything back in the U.S.? I'm assuming it's probably raining back in Oregon City/McMinnville. As much as I am enjoying the sunny weather we've been having, I know we could really use the rain out here! It's getting colder and colder here as the weeks go by though.

I am doing pretty well overall! This last week I lived a kind of emotional roller-coaster... going back and forth between having a lot of stress and feeling at peace. My friend Katie and I had to figure out what we were doing for the 7 weeks we have between December 16th and February 4th, as we opted out of taking CC-CS's overly expensive (sort of like Linfield) Jan Term. All of the options looked way too expensive at first, and at times we despaired of even finding a place to live. We joked about finding cardboard boxes to sleep in, haha. Looking back, it definitely wasn't that bad, but we joked around a lot to keep our sanity because the stress of school essays and projects hit at the same time as this "project" of deciding what to do for the winter. In the end, it all worked out, and it turns out I will be staying in Spain for the winter instead of buying a Eurail pass and traveling. I will live with my host family for December and then rent a room (still figuring out details with that) for January, as it is less expensive. God worked everything out and continues to provide and be faithful! He taught me a lot about His faithfulness this week.

Other good news: Even though I won't be traveling for the winter as I originally wanted to, I am going on two more short trips for sure. We have a 5 day break in the beginning of December before finals, and I will be using that time to travel with friends through an organization called "We Love Spain" to Morocco!!! I am SO excited!! That was one of the places I knew I needed to go to when I came here. For those of you who may not be sure where it is, Morocco is just on the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain. I still can't believe I'll actually be in Africa and will get to see a completely different and new culture. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures! The other trip I am going on will be for Christmas. Katie and I are taking 4 or 5 days to travel to Rome and the Vatican City. The coolest part is that we are going to go to the Vatican Christmas Eve night for the service they have there. It was Katie's idea to do that, and I am super excited that she thought of it! It will be weird and probably hard to be away from home for Christmas (my first time ever), but I am excited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity too! I love Roman history, so I am excited to actually go there.

Anyway, life here has been good all in all, despite the stress! Classes are going well, although we have started the "Woops, I'd better get started on that project my professor assigned a month ago!" period of time. I have two papers that I am working on, which will take up a good chunk of my weekend, but it's all good. I took two tests last week, which means I probably won't have any this upcoming week. Yay!

Last Thursday (the 12th)  we had another fiesta at CC-CS (went out to eat tapas first). I invited my intercambio, Mari Paz, and introduced her to a lot of my friends. It was cool to see her again and to practice speaking in Spanish with someone my age that's from Spain. It's hard to work out schedules to meet up with an intercambio, but it's so helpful and cool to meet and get to know more Spanish people! On the following day, Friday, I went out with some friends to an Italian restaurant called San Marco's. It was a pretty fancy place, but it wasn't overly pricey and the food was really good! It was fun to get dressed up and go out to eat. After dinner we walked over to Yogurlandia to get some amazing, super delicious frozen yogurt and to chat with the owner, an Italian guy named Paulo. It was a lot of fun! The following morning I went to a market outside of Triana with a friend. Apparently they have this market every Saturday and there are SOOO many people! It's insane! The funniest thing is that a lot of the booths sell the same thing. The shoes, purses, clothing, toys, etc. all look suspiciously similar no matter what booth you're in. It was fun to walk around through all the chaos and just experience something new. I ended up buying a blouse for 12 Euros. The lady originally told me 15, but she kept dropping the price every time I looked skeptical or mentioned how the price had been lower earlier (the first time I passed that booth the guy told me 12). I should have kept pushing it! Maybe she would have sold it to me for 8! Haha

Church on Sunday was a blessing as usual. I need to take more time to get to know the people there though. They are all quite friendly, but after an hour and half/two hours of service it's almost lunch time and I usually just want to head home. I am determined to put myself out there more to get to meet more people there though. Tutoring is going really well! I feel like I am actually starting to teach Lucia things about English and not just help her with her homework. Their whole family is super nice too and I am so thankful that God put me with them. Last Wednesday (the 18th), her grandmother even gave me some really good empanada to take to my class for a snack. It was really sweet of her!

Bible study went really well this last week! God really convicted me through the verses that my friend Jake shared from James 2 about taming the tongue. I realized that I had been complaining and worrying a lot. The words that I had been using were a reflection of my heart - I had taken my eyes off of God and how powerful He is and instead focused on my problems and stress. God pointed out to me that I needed to change, but, more importantly, that He is the one that needs to do the changing of my heart. So I've been doing some more soul-searching and praying. I was very much encouraged by that Bible study and by my quiet time talking with God.

Three other newsworthy items:
1. I finally got my residency card! Yay! That means I am free to stay here in Spain for the year without any worries. I'm so thankful that process is over!
2. For my Anthropology project I have to describe a place and the people in it somewhere here in Sevilla. I chose to go back to the bball court where I played bball with those middle school/high school kids a while ago. I ended up going yesterday and the day before that and it went really well! I got to play 2-on-2 with some of the kids and also got to chat with them for a while. They were really friendly and asked me a bunch of questions and helped me out with my project by answering my questions. It was fun!
3. I went to El Teatro de Maestranza (I think that's what it's called) last night to watch a Symphony Orchestra with some friends. The music was very beautiful! It made me think of the few times I went to the symphony in Portland, including one time I had a father-daughter date with my dad several years ago. Good memories! The orchestra was very good, and it was neat to have that experience.

Anyway, I hope God is blessing all of you richly and that you are having a fantastic week! Again, if you want to see any pictures either visit my facebook page or ask me to send you some and I will try to send some pics your way. I will also hopefully put some more up on this blog. 

Besos y abrazos,
Sierra

Random musings...

You know what I realized as I was walking back home today? My friend Jenn and I were walking through Sevilla, close to the Cathedral, talking about a few things we missed from home. Jenn mentioned the fact that she misses the grass, and then it hit me. There really is not that much in the way of grass here!! Woah! I don't know why that seemed so interesting or important all of a sudden, but I realized that I too missed the grass, missed being able to look for miles and feel the wind on my face, a wind that doesn't carry choking cigarette smoke, sewer smells, or exhaust. Don't get me wrong - there are good or interesting smelling things here too: heladerias (ice cream stores), incense, roasting chestnuts, perfume, flowers, food, etc., but it doesn't match the smell of good, clean, fresh country air. And I definitely miss the "green-ness" of Oregon, all the grass and trees and plants. Being here has made me realize what a beautiful state I actually live in. 

Christmas is fast approaching us here. Thanksgiving hasn't even come yet and they are already starting to hang up Christmas lights and decorations throughout Sevilla (although they haven't lit them yet). It's kinda crazy! My friend Katie and I are still trying to figure out our plans for this winter (basically have to finalize everything by Friday), so I am quite stressed out, which stinks because I want to enjoy my time here. Finances are kind of tight though, so it's been a tough time. I am doing my best to just leave it all in God's hands and trust that He will figure out the best solution. 

I have a test that I need to do some last minute reviewing for, but I just felt like putting a few random thoughts in writing. Another cool fact before I sign off: I am officially going to Morocco! I know it means spending more money, but I don't know when I'll get this chance again, and I knew that it was something that I wanted to do before I came here, so I'm doing it! Exciting! Anyway, if you all could keep Katie and I and the other year-long students in your prayers, I would very much appreciate it.

God bless! 

Spontaneity!

Here's another email update for you all. I missed putting the one before it up, but I will have to do that later. Please forgive any spelling errors as I didn't do that much editing before I sent it. =)


Hola todos! ¿Qué tal?

How are you all doing this week? I can't believe it's Wednesday already, can you? Today has been a bit of a stressful day for me, but I have had a really good week overall and have some fun stories to share with you all.

Last time I wrote was a little over a week ago. Since then, I have not left Sevilla at all, but I am kind of glad because I have been finding out recently that I would almost rather stay here and get to know the city and the people better. It might have something to do with the fact that traveling adds up after a while too. But I am ultimately here to integrate myself into the culture here in Spain. Traveling is fun, but it takes away from precious time here, time that is slipping away with every passing minute. The fall semester students have 6 weeks left, which is crazy and which makes me really glad that I am here for a year. 3 and a half months is not very much time at all.

Tuesday (the 3rd) wasn't super out of the ordinary, but it was a fairly productive day for me in that I didn't procrastinate on my homework, which was good. I had to do a make up class from not having class the day before, which meant that I had to miss Bible study, which was disappointing. Oh well, what can you do?

There is one thing that I really struggle with here, and that is all of the people begging on the street. There really aren't a whole lot more than any other big city in the world, but seeing as I don't normally live in a big city, I am not used to walking by them every day. They all kind of have their own "spot" too, so I pass by the same people every day, and I really don't know what to do. I occasionally give them some money, but most of the time I just walk right by, always wishing I could help but knowing that even if I gave all the money I own, there would still be people on the street, the same ones, day after day after day. Being here in Spain has really opened up my eyes to all the problems there are in this world and to my own helplessness in fixing them. I always think of Peter and John healing the crippled man at the temple gate in Acts 3. Peter told the man that he did not have money to give him, but what he did have (the power of the Holy Spirit, the name of Jesus Christ) he would give to him. And then he was healed and began praising God. It just made me realize that it will take more than giving people your pocket change or even donating a bunch of money. People need food, but even if you feed them for a day, they will be hungry again the next day. Change for the good in this world comes from God and His will and His hand. People need Jesus a whole lot more than they need food. I just pray that He would show me a way that He can use me right here right now, even though I am small, weak, and timid.

Wednesday was pretty normal too, but it was a good day. My tutoring sessions with Lucia continue to go well. I hope I am helping her enough with her English! This is the first time I have done this type of tutoring. One other interesting thing that happened that day was that I helped a woman on the street by pointing her in the right direction, as she was lost. I couldjust tell because she was peering uncertainly at a map as I walked by. I stopped and turned around to help her out and realized as I did so that it's kind of exciting that, although I don't know the city backwards and forwards, I know enough now to at least help someone find their way to the bus station. Oh, and I realized something else too - we should be incredibly thankful we know English. The odds of someone who is in Spain (but doesn't speak Spanish) being able to speak at least a bit of English is very high. I didn't realize how much of an effect it has had on the world until I came here.

Last Thursday I just stayed at school for a while. I worked on some homework and discussed winter plans with Katie. We are starting to feel the pressure of figuring out what we are going to do with ourselves for 7 free weeks (this is part of the reason I am stressed today). I know it sounds exciting to have that much free time in Europe, but on a very limited budget, it causes more stress than glee. If you all could be praying that God works it all out, I would much appreciate it!

Friday was an interesting day. We had class to make up for the other classes we missed on Monday. It wasn't so bad though. In one my classes, our professor Luis said something really funny in English. He used a wrong word in a phrase which made the phrase completely different and it totally didn't fit the context. We all (Katie, Fatima, and I) burst out laughing. I felt a bit bad afterwards though because the professors don't laugh at us, and I'm pretty sure we make even sillier mistakes every day. Luis was a good sport about it though. After class I watched a Spanish movie (Te Doy Mis Ojos) at the school. It was cool to get free popcorn and pop, but the movie was not one I would watch again. It was about domestic violence/abuse, so it was pretty intense.

On a lighter note though, my Friday night turned out to be a super fun, spontaneous experience. You all probably know that I am not known for my spontaneity, but I am learning to love it! I was invited to go celebrate a birthday (21st) for one of my friends from the program. We went out for Chinese food, which was pretty good and fairly authentic for being in Spain. We then headed out to a discoteca in my neighborhood (Triana). As I mentioned last time, I hadn't gone to a discoteca before, but I decided to give it a try to see what it was like. I just prayed for wisdom in situations and decided I was going with the right motives - to hang out with friends. Fatima ended up joining us, which was cool because it was a new adventure for both of us.

It turns out that we only ended up being in the discoteca for about 2 whole minutes. Our group decided that there weren't enough people yet, so we headed out to a bar down the street. On the way there, Fatima and I ran into a friend of ours, Jake, from our Bible study. He and his Spanish friends were heading off to go salsa dancing, and they invited us to tag along. Fatima and I decided on the spot to change plans and go try out some salsa (although this was a first for both of us, and frankly, I am REALLY bad at dancing)! I ended up having a TON of fun and forgot about being self-conscious! We had a great time just hanging out and dancing and making some new friends! Spontaneity does pay off sometimes!

Saturday I was a bit tired (since I got home really late... or early... whichever you prefer), but it was cool because I got to meet more of my host family's family - their son, his two young sons, and his girlfriend. They were all really cool! I felt a bit awkward at times because I didn't know how much time I should spend with them. Was I invading their space, their family time? Is it rude if I leave too early? I finally just stopped worrying about it and tried to put myself out there, especially on Sunday at lunch time and after lunch, when another one of their daughters and her husband and little girl came over. I played and talked with the kids for a bit, which was a lot of fun! They were shy at first, but eventually opened up.

Sunday, as I mentioned, I spent some time with my host family in the afternoon. I went to church in the morning though. The worship was really neat because a lot of the songs this week were Spanish versions of songs we sing in church back home. The sermon was good too - the pastor talked about God guiding His people. It just reminds me how involved God really is in my and all of our lives. Later that day I finally went for another run down by the river. I ran for a while and then walked back, which was nice. I realized on that walk how much Spain is growing on me. If I pay attention to the beauty here and to all the little details around me, I realize even more what a neat place this really is. And I LOVE being able to speak Spanish! Sure, I am still by no means anywhere near perfect, but being able to communicate with the people that live here, to understand and be understood, to "bridge that gap", is incredible.

Monday was a fairly productive day again. I went for another run, this time on a bike path through Triana in an area I hadn't gone through before. It was a beautiful day and perfect temperature. Right now it is almost hot (at least really warm) during midmorning and afternoon, but at night and in the early morning it gets pretty chilly. There still hasn't been any rain since that last time it dumped water on us. I'm hoping there's some soon, because the land really needs it. The rest of my day went well overall, although my Anthropology class was a tough one because we discussed gay marriage. I was pretty alone in my opinion of the subject. I didn't speak up at first, but after some prodding I tried to voice my opinion. Let me tell you - discussing a controversial topic in ENGLISH is hard enough, but in SPANISH it's awful! The girls in my class were all very composed and nice about the discussion though. I just wish I could explain what I believe better without getting all red in the face and trembling. Oh well, it's just another learning experience.

One more story and then I will end this novel-of-an-email. Yesterday (Tuesday) was a pretty great day! School went well and everything, and I got to go to Bible study this week (it was my turn to share from the Word). That all went well overall, and it was good to see everyone again. As we all were getting ready to peace out, one of the guys from the study told us about the Sevilla futbol (soccer) game that night for only 10 EUROS!!! That is REALLY cheap here. Fatima and I decided to be spontaneous again (as the game was only 2 hours away), so we booked it home, put on red and white, and actually went to a Spanish football game!! It was pretty sweet! It was against a not-so-great team (hence the low prices), but we won 5-1, and it was an awesome, unforgettable experience!
Bullfight = check
Flamenco = check
Futbol game = check

Well, I hope you all have an amazing week! Let me know if any of you need prayer for anything at all. My life here is very blessed, and I thank God for giving me this opportunity. If you could pray for continued safety, wisdom, growth, and provision, that would be wonderful. Thanks so much for reading my lengthy emails and keeping up with my adventures! Know that you are in my thoughts often!

Besos,
Sierra

P.S. Besos is Spanish for kisses, fyi. It is quite common to end an email or a message with "besos" or "besitos". It doesn't mean anything romantic, it's just a part of the culture. It's as if you gave the other person a kiss on each cheek (common custom here). Haha. It's taken me a while to get used to the whole custom, but I'm used to it now. Anyway, there's your random fact of the day. Adios!

Me encanta bailar!

I finally went dancing! Crazy, I know. It didn't exactly turn out the way I expected it too though... in a good way. As many people probably know, I am not the most graceful person and have basically zero experience dancing, even though I love it. I hadn't gone dancing at all since coming here though, mostly because I was a bit unsure of the night life and that whole scene in general. Last night though, I decided to go out with friends and check it out just to see what it was like. My good friend Fatima joined our group part way through, and she and I ended up having a really random, fun adventure that we didn't expect. 

Last night was my friend Hannah's 21st birthday.  I went out to dinner with her and a big group of friends at a Chinese restaurant in Nervion (a neighborhood in Sevilla). It was a really fun time with friends, and the food was pretty good. Afterwards, we headed back to the center of Sevilla and then crossed the bridge into Triana, where I live. Fatima met up with us there. The group wanted to go to a discoteca (dance club) called Boss. When we got there it was pretty empty so we headed down the street to Big Ben, another bar/club. 

While we were walking over there though, I randomly ran into Jake, a friend from the Bible study that Fatima and I go to. We stopped to talk with him and with the group he was with, which were mostly Spanish people that he knew from a different Bible study type group that he is involved with. It was so cool to meet them and talk with them, and I felt comfortable around them right away, which I did not expect since I knew nothing about them at first. It was a really neat experience for me because I realized that God calls His followers the "family of God" for a reason - even when I meet Christians from a completely different culture and country, I still feel at home around them, even if I do not know them very well at all. 

After we talked for a bit, they invited Fatima and I to go salsa dancing with them. I was a bit skeptical of the idea just because of my lack of experience and rhythm as far as dancing goes, but at the same time it sounded like a lot of fun. Fatima and I were also not feeling up to staying in Big Ben, as there were a lot of people in there and it was just really hot and smoky from all the cigarettes and such. Just not really our scene. So, we decided to take a chance and go with the group to find a place to salsa.

It ended up being SO much fun!! Our group consisted of Fatima, Jake, and I and our new friends Abraham, Inma, Carmen, and Martha. They are all part of a group called Connexxion, which was started by Martha (who is from the U.S.) and which is a ministry group for young Christian adults here in Spain. They were all super nice and welcoming and fun to talk to and hang out with. We all took turns dancing, and for the first time in my life I actually didn't feel as self-conscious about how I looked when I danced. Maybe it was the really good music they had there. Maybe it was the fact that the people there didn't really know me. Maybe it was the fact that Abraham and Jake were super patient with me when they were trying to teach me how to salsa. Or maybe it was just the fact that we were a group of friends just having fun and laughing when we messed up. I don't know... probably all of the above. All I know is that it was a ton of fun, and I totally want to go salsa dancing again! 

I think the reason this experience stuck out to me so much out of the many that I have had so far is that I finally stepped out of my comfort zone and decided to try something new while trusting God that He would keep me safe and give me wisdom in how to act and in what decisions to make. And in return, He arranged the circumstances so Fatima and I would be in a particular place at a particular time so that we would randomly run into Jake and our new friends and end up salsa dancing and having a great time! I think it was a God-thing. I felt like I got to experience a part of Spain I had never seen before. And I got to meet some new Spanish friends! It was awesome. Thanks, God!!