Mi último año en la universidad ha empezado!

Hola amigos! 

Este es mi primer blog en español aquí. Antes escribía en inglés para mis americanos, pero ahora escribo en español (y si tengo el tiempo libre, en inglés también) para mis españoles (y alemanes, americanos, australianos, marroquís.... :)  jejeje ) Voy a intentar escribir aquí por lo menos 3 veces cada semana. Es buena práctica para mí, y en esta manera también puedo mantener más contacto con vosotros, porque todos vosotros y nuestras amistades son muy importantes para mí.

Bueno, ahora las noticias. Mi verano fue muy bien en general. Al principio la transición fue difícil para mí, especialmente espiritualmente. Me adapté bastante facilmente al principio, y me alegraba mucho ver a mis amigos y familia allí. Pero mi tiempo con Dios (orando, leyendo de la Biblia) fue corto y difícil. Creo que eso fue así porque yo sabía que Él quería que yo estuviera aquí en Oregon (no solo físicamente, sino también estar aquí en corazón y espíritu). Esto fue duro porque con mi corazón quería estar allí con vosotros en Sevilla. Pero Dios me recordaba que si me rindo a Él, Él tiene solo lo mejor para mí. Mi hogar no está en este mundo, y aunque me duele despedirme de amigos y tener mi corazón en muchas partes de este mundo (porque las personas que amo están en todas partes), sé que al final mi hogar está con Dios. ¡Qué alegría pensar en estar con Él algún día! (Hebreos 11:13-16)

Mi trabajo en la frutería fue muy bien. Me lo pasé bien con mis compañeros de trabajo, y es un buen lugar para trabajar porque todos son muy amigables. También pude hablar en español con algunos latinos que vinieron a la tienda. ¡Qué guay! La boda de mi padre fue muy bonita, y creo que ahora en general estamos acostumbrados a la situación. Me alegro mucho para él y para su esposa, Lisa. 

Ahora mismo estoy en la universidad! No puedo creerlo, pero mis clases empiezan mañana. Solo tengo una mañana (nutrición), pero todavía tengo muchas cositas para hacer. Me siento agobiada en algunas maneras, pero sé ahora que Dios quiere que yo me relaje en Él y confié en Él y en su fuerza y poder. Tengo tanta visión para este año, y a veces me agobio con tantas ideas. Tengo que recodarme que Dios es la personas que va a hacer los cambios aquí y responder a mis oraciones. Tengo que tomar cada día que viene como un día sólo, ¿sabéis?  

Vivo en una casa de ministerio aquí en Linfield College. Es una casa vieja pero linda, y mis dos compañeras de piso son lindísimas y muy amables. Eran buenas amigas antes, y estamos muy emocionadas vivir juntas y poder compartir nuestra casita con nuestros amigos viejos y nuevos. Cuando termino con las decoraciones en mi cuarto y terminar de deshacer las maletas, sacaré fotos para que podáis verlas. :) 

Bueno, escribiré más pronto, pero por ahora tengo que descansar un poquito. Os quiero y os echo de menos, mis amigos!!

Muchos besitos desde Oregon,

Sierra María

Do I want to go back to Sevilla? You betcha!

Hola otra vez!  

Okay, so this really is the last of my email updates from my time in Sevilla. It's bittersweet, but thanks for reading these, even if you only have read one or two or if you read all of them - thanks for following my journey! It was great to write to you all and hear back from you as well. This has been a good way for me to learn how to express what I was thinking and feeling and be able to share with others even in a small way what it was like for me this past year in Spain. And I absolutely loved being able to share stories of the people that I met and of how God worked in my and their lives!  

On May 17, Monday, I pretty much did nothing other than study. I had three finals that week, so that first day I spent in my house or at tutoring, trying to sit down and focus on doing well on my finals. On Tuesday I had my final for the Mosaics: Jews, Muslims, and the Christian Experience final, which went pretty well I think. It was just nice to get it done. I then took a break and met up with my friends Elizabeth (as it was her birthday!), Andrea, and JoHelen, just to see them. After lunch I also went to the last Bible study of the year and got to share with and hear stories about the year in general. It was really casual and laid-back, and it was nice to see that group one last time. I then took off for my last tutoring session and headed home to study before going to bed. I then got up the next morning, studied some more, and headed to the University of Sevilla for my first final there for my History class. That final will determine my whole grade for that class - talk about pressure!!! Geez. It just makes me appreciate so much more my classes in my program and the ones at Linfield. I felt like the test went pretty well, but we will see how I did. I was pretty stressed before I went there, even crying a bit, which is kinda sad looking back, but I think it was a mixture of stress, pressure, general weariness, fighting a cold and allergies, and trying to cope with the fact I was leaving soon. I'm pretty sure I ran on adrenaline that whole week. I still didn't succumb to drinking coffee though, and I still can't decide if that was a good or a bad decision. haha. But anyway, I felt better after I texted Jake, asking him for prayer, and he responded back with an enthusiastic, "Of course!" He and Martha and Lea and others were a huge encouragement to me that week as I knew that they were lifting me up in prayer.  

Anyway, after my final I went home for a bit to study some more and eat and then headed to the Goodbye Party at my program. Most of the students (minus those of us who had classes in the U. of Sevilla, were already done and were flying out the next day or very soon, so they threw a party for us. I got there quite late because I ate dinner late, but I got to say goodbye to several of the students that I actually met that semester, and it was neat to see a few people before they left. I was sad when I left Sevilla because I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to some of the wonderful professors and staff at CC-CS who had helped me a lot that year, but I hope they know how thankful I am for each one of them. I got to know them pretty well after being there for 9 months.  

On Thursday the 20 I had my last final - Classic Mythology. That final was also in the afternoon, so I had more time to study, but my roommate Emily left at 5 a.m. that morning so I was physically exhausted by the end of that day. I had stayed up late studying, woke up when she got back and couldn't sleep because I had so much on my mind (I actually studied at 4 in the morning, then helped her take her bags down and said goodbye), and I didn't get back to sleep until 6 or so, then getting up a few hours later. I do not recommend that, but at the time I was just so overwhelmed with everything and was still fighting a cold, and I just wanted to study, take the test and BE DONE. The test went pretty well, although I was worried about one part of it, but in the end I took it and finished and now have officially completed three years of college. What a strange thought!  

Later that evening I went over to see Lucía and tutor her one last time in English. I got to say goodbye to her and her family, taking some photos and chatting. They told me that I have a place to stay there if and when I go back to Sevilla, which really touched me. What a neat, loving family! I then went to the last Discipleship Group (for me anyway) and got to hear from David and Martha and the others in the group. At the end I asked if we could all pray as a group, and they brought me to tears because they all ended up praying, most of them praying for me. It meant so much to me that they would do that. Indescribable. Afterwards we hung out there for a bit, and eventually went home quite late. I think I got to sleep in Friday morning, but I couldn't sleep too late because the two new girls, Katie and Christian, were moving in for the month of June, and I had to move all of my stuff to the other guest room and clean up a bit. I spent some time at home relaxing and chatting with my family (as my host parents had finally gotten back from their trip), and then I headed over to Martha's to have a chat time with her (and got to chat with Elizabeth!), which was such a blessing. We then got ready for Charlemos and headed into the center. We had a really good discussion about the Centurion and Jesus and about having faith in God. My friend Leti also surprised me with these two cute bracelets as a gift. We also played this game where we all wrote little notes of encouragement to each other. After Charlemos I was able to meet up with my friend Rosie from Australia and have a really good heart-to-heart with her. Thanks girl!  

My last Saturday in Spain I spent with Inma, Jake, Martha, Hendrik, Maggie and Loida. Inma invited us to go out to her town on the beach and spend some time at the beach and then later at her family's chalet there. We all had fun playing in the water or sitting in the sun (although it was super windy and we got stung quite a bit from all the sand flying around) and watching the wind surfers. We hung out there for a while, and then went and got ice cream before heading over to the chalet. Thanks Martha! When we got there we met Inma's aunt and uncle (Jake and I met her uncle in Semana Santa), and they welcomed us there. It was a neat little place with a pretty garden and ceramic work that her aunt had done. I was impressed! They also had aloe plants that we used for the sunburns that we had accumulated at the beach. I thankfully put on sunscreen, so I didn't get it too bad, but some of the others were pretty red. I hope they healed quickly because it looked painful! Anyway, Hendrik, Maggie and Loida had to head back early, but Martha, Inma, Jake and I stayed for a while before we headed back, stopping in a few stores to shop for a bit. All in all it was a wonderful day. I also was able to get more good "heart conversations" with them, this time without finals looming over my head.  

On Sunday I went to my church in Triana one last time, the church that God blessed me with all the way back in September. I got to say goodbye to the people that I had met there, and I sincerely hope that I can go back and see them again. That church, group of people, is doing great things in their community. I then spent time at home, eating lunch and trying to pack and write letters. I had a bit of a breakdown again just from the tiredness and overwhelmed feeling (and the fact that I was only halfway packed), but I did have some good time to talk with God about it. I finally got out the door and biked over to Sala Encounter, the church out in the Alameda, to say goodbye to the dear people that I had met there. We couldn't stay for the service unfortunately as we had a "See you later" party (for Jake, Elizabeth, and I) to go to, but Jake and I got to go up front and share what God had done in our lives through that church. I'm so thankful for that opportunity. I then took off with Elizabeth, Rosie and Jake to bike over to Martha's house for the party. I took Elizabeth on my bike with me as she didn't have one, and let me tell you, even though she doesn't weigh hardly anything, it is difficult to carry anyone with you on a one-person bike. I gained a lot of respect for Jake and Abraham, who have to do that from time to time. haha.  

Anyway, the party was amazing. Hendrik and Maggie and Martha worked really hard and barbecued some yummy food and decorated Martha's place with balloons and such. A lot of our friends ended up coming (Martha, Hendrik, Maggie, Carlos, Inma, Rob, Jose Maria, Marixu, Carmen, Christy, Rosie, Rob, Thomas, Carlos M., Johnny, Loida, Marina, Yaneri, Nico...) and brought hugs and laughter and food with them. We all just spent time hanging out and talking, eating, writing notes, watching a cool slideshow that Martha made... I felt so incredibly loved and blessed and just wanted to shower all of that back on all of them but all I could do was say thank you and give them big hugs and smiles. I wanted to say more, but felt like I didn't have the proper words - in any language. It meant so much to me that they would take time out of their busy schedules just to come and spend time with us. And Martha and Inma even surprised me with this cute outfit that we saw in the store. It was such a sweet gift from them. It was hard to say "See you later" (I consider goodbye to be a bad word now) to so many wonderful people that night. People slowly left after a few hours, but Jake and Elizabeth and I stayed there for a bit, and Lea and Abraham were able to come over afterwards and hang out (as they were unable to come earlier). I was so happy to see them too, and I got the chance to have a good conversation with Abraham before he and Jake and I left to head home. I had to say Hasta Luego to Abraham then, which was hard, but I was able to head home with Jake (as we lived close together for about 5 days, haha), and it helped a lot to have someone to talk to and that I felt comfortable crying around. Thanks for cheering me up, Jake!  

Monday was my last full day in Sevilla, and boy was it FULL. I got up that morning after not getting a lot of sleep, and then I met up with Lea in the center to go do some last minute shopping and wander that area a bit, talking with her. It was so sweet of her to spend her whole morning with me before work. It was fun to wander into shops with her and chat and everything. Miss you, hermana! I ran into random people that I didn't expect to see while I was out there, which was fun. I also walked over to the University with Lea to say goodbye to Leti and Lucia (from my class) really quickly before we both hopped on bikes and rode over to a different part of town so I could meet up with my friend Laura. She and I stopped at a little cafe to chat for a bit, which was really fun. We then went to Martha's so I could see Hendrik and Maggie and give them hugs, and Martha helped me clear up an issue I had with one of my flights. Thank you!!! I then finally headed home for lunch and got to spend a bit of time with my family. I then spent time packing, but had to run into the center to CC-CS to drop off some stuff and say goodbye to whoever was there. I then raced back home, packed some more, ate dinner, wrote another letter, and left again to go say goodbye to my intercambio and friend Mari Paz. I'm so thankful I got see her before I left. I then went back home, packed some more, and chatted with my host family and the girls and watched a procession of the Virgin Mary from the church nearby pass by on our little street. I'm kinda bummed I didn't get more quality chatting time with Edu and Pepe before I left (although we had good talks throughout the year) but I hope they know I love them and am so thankful to have another family in Sevilla. Before I went to bed, I left the house one more time and rushed over to Johnny's to say see you later to him and to Jake. I had a good conversation with Jake about the year, and it was great to look back and see all that God had done through the Bible study and Connexxion and everything. And then to end my super crazy day, after saying see you later (another difficult one!), I headed back and home and in my exhaustion finished packing into the wee hours of the morning before crashing in bed for a few hours of sleep.  

I got up early Tuesday morning, ate some breakfast, lugged my bags into the hallway (and Pepe helped me carry them down) and then got to hug Pepe and Edu before heading out to meet Martha, who drove me to the airport. She, Inma, Rosie, Elizabeth, and Lea all went to the airport to see me off. I cannot explain how hard it was to hug them all again and then have to walk through security by myself, all the while wanting to turn around and run back. But I just prayed the whole way, knowing that wherever I go, I go with Jesus and knowing that it was time to go back to Oregon. Thanks girls for seeing me off!! I was so blessed this year in all that I learned from a God who really is God of the whole world and who really never leaves us or forsakes us and has plans waaayyy better than ours, and in all of the friendships that with wonderful people that He placed in my life. My flights back (all 4, yes FOUR of them) went well, and I even got to meet up with Fatima in Barcelona and then fly back with her, which was wonderful! I got to Portland quite tired and not a bit surprised that the pilot announced that it was raining outside. Welcome to Oregon!! But it was so nice to see my family and Alex again. And all of you that I have seen so far! Thank you so much for all of your prayers. They mean the world to me. This experience changed my life, and I have learned how to appreciate each person that God brings into my life and blessed me with - including each one of you! I hope you all are blessed!! I would love to catch up with you anytime. God bless you all immensely!  

Con mucho cariño y abrazos fuertes,

Sierra

Last few weeks just flew on by...

Hola todos!

Well, I was planning on writing this before I left Sevilla, but in the end, my last three weeks there were quite busy, so I decided to put this off until I got home. As most of you know, I am back in Oregon now. I got back last Tuesday night really late, and was welcomed at the airport by my whole family (minus Jackson, who is down in Corvallis) and my dear friend Alex Hayes. I got to fly back with Fatima, which was wonderful because it made the flight bearable. Thanks for your cheerfulness, Fatima!! You are like a ray of sunshine. It's INCREDIBLY hard to believe that the time to go back actually came already. The transition back has been good as I have been able to see a lot of you and catch up in one-on-one conversations and/or seen you at graduations. It's hard in some ways though because I still really miss the wonderful people I met in Sevilla. It really did become a second home to me. I am having a hard time accepting the fact that I don't know for sure when I will go back, but God is continuing to bless my life and giving me peace about it. I had the hardest time in the world saying goodbye, as I have made lifelong friends there and fell in love with the city and the people (people in general, don't get any wrong ideas, Salena and Jenna especially!), and I hope with all my heart to be able to return one day.

The last time I wrote to you all was the 1st of May. The day after that I went to church out in Bormujos, a small town outside of Sevilla, with several of my friends. I got to see and chat with my friends Jake, Rob, José María, and Martha. It was wonderful to spend time with them and to hear another message from the Bible - in Spanish! The pastor there's name is David, and he is one of the leaders of my discipleship group here. He and his family are absolutely wonderful people that really live for God in a genuine way. Later that evening, I went to Plaza Nueva to meet up with my friend Inma so that we could Skype with our friend Carolina (who is back home already). It was a lot of fun!! The only bummer was that I was starting to get allergies (or a cold, not really sure which and I had that cold, or whatever it is for about 3 weeks... BIG bummer! ... so I had to blow my nose every five minutes. But we all had a good chat. Inma also gave me a really awesome book that has cool Spanish coloquial phrases in it. I will have to translate some of them for you all when I get back. Some of them are absolutely hilarious!

Anyway, the following week 3-7 was pretty busy with studies. I went to my classes, went to tutoring, and started trying to study for my classes in the University of Sevilla. I also had a presentation in my literature class and had to finish writing a paper for that class as well. But in the end I got everything done and turned in! Whew! One of the highlights of my week was seeing my friend José María. We met up after Bible study and just chatted for a couple of hours. We are both busy with studies, so I really wanted to get a chance to catch up with him before the final exams hit. It's awesome to see how God is working in his life. Bible study went well too! My friend JoHelen shared about trusting in God, and her story was really powerful and touching. She reminded me that I need to remember all the characteristics of Christ and to not forget how great He is.

That following weekend, the 7th-9th, was probably one of the best weekends of my life. I spent the day Friday trying to get some studying done, and then I packed my stuff in my backpack and headed over to Martha's house to meet up with some friends for our last Connexxion retreat of the Spring. There were a 11 of us that went - my friends Martha, Jake, Inma, Lea, Abraham, Elizabeth, Tyler, Daniel, Hendrik, Margarita, and me! It was SOO much fun! We all took two cars and road-tripped it down to Algarve, Portugal, which is only a couple hour drive from Sevilla, and is really close to the beach. That area is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. There are pictures up on my facebook and I will hopefully get a chance to put some up on my blog, but it was one of the most beautiful places I saw in Europe. We drove down Friday night (4 of them went down earlier and got everything ready, including making a really yummy dinner) and we got to hang out and chat that night. The next day, Saturday, we were able to go to the beach, and we had fun climbing up and down rocks, exploring caves, and just hanging out, even though it rained a bit. We also went to the beach on Sunday, before we headed back to Sevilla, and thankfully that day the weather was amazing - totally sunny and perfect for being at the beach. The sand is Sooo soft there and the water is a mixture of beautiful blues and greens. We had fun taking pictures, swimming, playing volleyball and soccer, and just sitting in the sun.

The best part of that weekend though was the spiritual aspect of it. The point of the retreat was to get away and to spend some time with God and each other. We talked a lot about the fear of God versus the fear of man, and how we need to focus on Jesus and value what HE values, instead of constantly trying to please people. This is something that I have struggled with for a long time, and I thought it was appropriate, considering the fact that God has really begun (is continuing to) change me in that area throughout that whole year. I was able to share with the group how God had really taken away a lot of my fears and timidity, especially thanks to the friends that I made in Sevilla, and what God had taught me through them. My friend Abraham also shared a really neat testimony of what God had done in his life that year, and my friend Jake shared a talk about the story in the Bible where Peter walks to Jesus on the water. We talked about the fact that if we fix our eyes on Jesus we can walk on the water, but if we look at the waves, at all the troubles in our lives and focus on them, we are afraid and begin to sink. It's all in our perspective. Martha also shared a great talk on the fear of God, and she and my dear friend Lea organized the entire retreat... it was such an amazing weekend!! It was so nice to just get away from the books and stress of the week for a bit and spend some time with some of my best friends. I thank God so much that I got to do that before I left.

The next week, the 10-14, was my last week of classes. I had to turn in one last paper, go to tutoring, and study for my Literature final exam, which was on Friday. I felt like I did a good job on it though. Wow... that feels like forever ago! I really enjoyed that class, and the professor that I had was the first one that I had back in September, so it was kind of bittersweet to look back. That whole week my host parents were gone on vacation, so it was different around the house, but my roommate Emily and I had a lot to do, and our host sister Alicia took good care of us. I learned a lot from her! The Bible study on Tuesday went well as well. I think that week we all just kind of shared stuff that we had learned, as it was the last Bible study for a few people whose programs were ending. That same night I went out to eat tapas (popular way of eating in Sevilla.... they're kind of like appetizers) with my professors and some of the students. It was a good way to chat with a few of them our last week there. I also got to meet up with my dear friend Inma the next day and chat with her for a bit that evening, even though we were both quite tired. But we are good enough friends that it was okay even to just sit on a bench in Puerta de Jerez and just hang out together.

On Thursday, the 13, I went to Discipleship Group and got to hear from two friends and co-workers of Martha's that work in Spain. It was so neat to hear their stories and learn from them and spend time with some good friends. On Friday I also went to Charlemos, our Bible discussion group, and led that. It went really well, I thought! Afterwards several of us went salsa dancing again. It was bittersweet because I knew it was the last time I was going to go dancing with that particular group of friends, but it was wonderful because there were a lot of people that came, even if they didn't dance: Martha, Jake, Abraham, Lea, Inma, Carlos, Jose Maria, Marixu, Tyler, Elizabeth, Emily, Yaneri.... and more! What a great time. I owe a big thanks to Abraham, Lea, and Jake for teaching me how to dance.... this sounds weird but something as simple as that made me more confident as a person, and it was so fun to go out as a group on the weekends and just have fun, but in a good way, you know?

On Saturday I had to type up a second version of my thesis proposal - oh goody! - and another assignment for Linfield, but afterwards I was able to go meet up with Lea and hang out and chat. We had a good talk and time walking around that afternoon (the weather was gorgeous) and it was wonderful to sit and listen and chat with her, as she has become a wonderful friend and sister to me. She's such an encouragement! We then met up with my new friend from my program, Kendra, and we hung out with her and met up with another girl to then walk into the center and go see the medieval fair. Lea headed off to go eat dinner with friends, and Kendra and other girls from my program and I met up with Jake and wandered around the fair for a bit, chatting and looking at all of the interesting things they had for sale.

That Sunday was a very special one as I went out to the church in Bormujos again. A lot of us met up in Plaza de Armas, and we all carpooled out to the town. It was a big group of us! Abraham shared his testimony in the church service, and Jake shared some of what God had done in his life in the last nine months, and the pastor David gave a good sermon on baptism, as a woman in the church was being baptized that day. After the service we headed outside and watched the baptism in this little, shallow kids pool. But it was a precious, blessed moment to watch a sister-in-Christ proclaim that her life belongs to Jesus and to share that moment with her. We all then continued real church time - fellowship and eating lunch together, sharing stories and wonderful laughter moments. I even got to take some of the videos that Salena had suggested that I take, asking my friends to tell me on video a memory that they had of our time together. It was wonderful! A lot of us then headed back into town and went to the center and then walked to a nearby park, spending time together on a nice day to celebrate Hendrik's birthday and enjoy the good weather. We all had to then say "Hasta luego" to Tyler, who was heading back to the U.S. that next morning. I cried a bit in the park because of all of the emotions that were starting to pile up at the thought of leaving. That whole week I must have hugged my friends dozens of times and we had a lot of good talks and joking around too... just trying to savor the last weeks I had with them!

Anyway, this email is super long, and although I hate to break it into two, I am going to have to do that. There's only a week and a few days that I have left to recount, but a lot happened, and for those of you who are brave enough to read all of this, you may appreciate the two emails versus one that is insanely long.

Ya hablamos (we'll talk again soon)!
-Sierra

Feria and studies - an interesting mixture

Hello!  

Time for another update! Last time I wrote was the 17th of April, I believe, and it blows my mind that that was two weeks ago already. It's been a busy last two weeks! On the 18th I went to my church in Triana in the morning. It was so great to worship with them again! It is a great church full of people that I unfortunately have not had the opportunity to really get to know. I appreciate each one that I have met though, and I always feel welcomed there. In the afternoon that same day, after doing some homework, I set off for another church. Before the service we had time to practice and learn more of the Sevillanas, the dance here that is typical during the April Fair. It was fun to dance with friends, even though I know I looked like a dizzy duck (patito mareado... it's like their saying for dancing with two left feet), and was great to have more fellowship time too.  

That next week, on Monday and Tuesday I had school, but only in my program (not in the U. of Sevilla). It was the week of Feria, and so it was a second week of vacation. Woohoo! Monday night I went with friends to see the Alumbrao at midnight. That is went they turn on all the lights in the fairgrounds of the April Fair. The Portada, or great big entrance, was the coolest sight.. It was fun to walk around and look in all the casetas, or big tents where people eat, drink, talk, and dance! On Tuesday I also had a class in the morning and then hiked my way over to the doctor's for the second time. My foot has been bothering me (probably from walking too much), but I am doing a lot better now and have been trying to take it easier. So no worries! But anyway, after lunch I went to Bible study, and we had a time of worship, sitting on the edges of a dried-up fountain. Several tourists stopped by as we sang worship songs to Jesus, and they started taking pictures of us and with us! Haha! It was really unexpected, but a neat experience! After that, I took off for home, got dressed up a bit in my best feria costume possible (for Feria here the women usually wear flamenco dresses with combs and flowers in their hair, a shawl, big earrings, and a fan. I didn't have the dress, but I had a skirt and all the other accessories... check out my blog later for pictures) and met up with friends. We ended up just going into the public casetas and then wandering through the rides. I only went on one of the Ferris wheels, but it was fun!  

To explain a little more about Feria... the casetas are big tents that make up basically all of the fairgrounds, except for the rides (cachorritos) on one side. Most of them are private and you have to be invited to go, but there are a few public casetas too. Inside the tents there are usually two rooms, one that has table, chairs, a stage, decorations that make it look like a house, etc., and another that has a bar in the back where you can order food and drinks and more room to stand. People dress up every day that they go to Feria (or most do), and the best way to describe it is this (my theory formed from opinions from friends and from what I saw with my own eyes): Feria is like a mixture of a county fair, a HUGE prom, and the 4th of July. But it's totally Spanish! It's really cool to see, especially during the day, when people ride through the streets in horses and carriages or on horses, the men dressed up with a Cordoban suit, as they call it - traje de Córdoba, I believe - and the women riding sidesaddle in their dresses or suits. The typical food is ham (jamon... famous here), tapas, rebujito (which is an alcoholic drink - manzanilla mixed with some type of pop), almonds, Spanish tortilla... the list goes on!  

Anyway, I ended up going to the Feria Wednesday through Friday also. On Wednesday, a girl named Leti from my Mythology class invited me and friends of mine to go to her caseta, where we danced and ate and chatted. It was just a group of girls for a while - my friends Martha, Narjis, Kendra, Lea, and Inma came. What a mix of cultures (U.S., Spain, Morocco, Germany...waayy cool!)! We hung out at the caseta for a while and then walked around the Feria a bit before going home. The next day I stayed home for most of the day to rest and then went out again that night. The Feria is fun at night for a while, but when it gets too late there are way too many people that are tipsy or drunk, and the streets are a lot messier - definitely prettier during the day! But we had fun though, and I really am so thankful for my group of friends, because they are all quite responsible, and I don't have to worry about them. It was nice to hang out more with my friend Narjis too, as she was visiting from Morocco and had to head home the next day. Friday night I met up with a group of girls again, and we visited a few different casetas. In one of them two little girls (couldn't be more than 8 years old) taught some of my friends how to dance sevillanas some more. They were so cute! I have to say that at the end of the week, my abilities in dancing had improved greatly, and although I never quite got all of the steps, I learned how to put some acting into it and just pretend! Later that evening, we met up with more of our friends and continued to wander through the Feria some more before walking home.  

Last Saturday, my day was pretty relaxing, which was good after so much activity during Feria. I went to my Discipleship Group for a few hours, but then stayed home the rest of the day studying and relaxing. The next day I decided to take it easier again, and only went to church in the evening. Some girls that hadn't been to that church before came with me, and it was a good service. The pastor talked about the importance of friendships, and it made me realize just how blessed i am with friends in Oregon and friends here in Spain and how I can be a better friend too.  

This past week has been quite busy with studies and homework. I had two tests that I had to study for, and I now have some papers to be working on (that I need to finish SOON). I am feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything - all that I have to do as far as studying and homework, making sure I get time with people before I leave, knowing who and what to focus on.... I just really need a lot of prayer - that God would give me peace, guidance, wisdom, and the discipline I need to finish strong. But most importantly that He would continue to show me how to love each person that I have met here the way He loves me. If I walk away from here knowing that God has used me to touch someone's life and draw them closer to Him, I will have so much more peace.  

Well, today has been a good day as well. I got some homework done, talked on Skype with my dad and Jenna and later with my good friend Carolina, and ended out the night watching the Time Traveler's Wife (in Spanish) with my friends Lea and Leti. It was fun! I now have to go to bed soon as I have church in the morning and a lot of studying to do in the afternoon. I hope that God is continuing to bless each and every one of your lives. Thank you for reading my lengthy emails and following my crazy adventure! 

Much love, 

Sierra

Random pensamientos (thoughts)

Here's a few random thoughts I have had throughout the week:  

1. I passed by a bar on my way home the other night and heard a football (everyone else in the world's word for soccer) game on the TV. Apparently Barcelona had just scored a goal against Milan, and everyone was cheering. I stopped in the doorway to check the score, and chatted for a few seconds with some of the people in there. It made me smile on the way back - knowing that I could walk up to people here and talk to them and UNDERSTAND them and even get their jokes most of the time. I felt like I belonged, you know? 

2. I used to think art (paintings, sculptures, etc.) could be boring. Maybe because no one ever explained the history behind each painting and because every time I went to a museum I felt overwhelmed at the amount of art - it all began to look the same! But from all of my travels and visits to museums here, I have learned from professors, guides, and friends for how to appreciate each piece more. True, I still get overwhelmed after an hour or so, but I have learned a lot! And in my Mythology class we learn a lot about paintings (it's an Art History class), mosaics, sculptures, etc. It's really fun to see a slide pop up on the Power Point and to recognize a piece that I saw in Rome, here in Sevilla, or anywhere else. It makes it so much more real when you've actually SEEN it.

3. Things I understand in Spanish that I didn't before - Literature, movies, telephone conversations, text abbreviations, certain phrases... the list goes on!

4. I have a theory about the differences between the U.S. and countries like Spain or Italy or other European countries. In a few of my classes (like Literature or history), a lot of authors, professors, scholars, etc. say that Spain is a country that is still a few steps behind other countries in a lot of ways. Some people wonder why it took so long for certain changes. But I think that the reason it took longer for Spain than for the U.S. (our country is still very young) is that we in the U.S. started from the beginning. Our Constitution didn't really have to fight against traditions or many previous empires, dictators, monarchies, or any other leaders in order to make something new. I believe that it is SO much easier to start from scratch, with a blank slate, than to try and erase the old and make something new. Just a theory.

5. Here in Spain I feel like I have gained a lot of confidence. I hope very sincerely that this does not lead to pride or vanity, as both are something I need less of, but I get really excited every time someone tells me: "Oh you speak Spanish very well!" Even just hearing that a few times from native speakers made all those years of studying worth it. Now just to keep it up when I go home!!

Many thoughts and many lessons... having an incredible adventure I wish would never end!

Hi again!

Okay, as I promised I would catch up on my life here, I give you all part two of my email update! We are still in March (in this email anyway), and I have more activities that I wanted to fill you all in on. The weather here has been a bit rainy the last 2 or 3 days, but other than that, it has been beautiful the last month or so. That was such a relief after having so much rain! I have gone to the park several times now with my friends to take advantage of the sun. On the 21st, several of us met up the Parque María Luisa to eat lunch together and hang out, play card games, kick a soccer ball around, etc. I was also able to have some good talks with people that week and the next too, including my dear friends Carolina, Lea, Martha, Inma, and Elizabeth. I am so grateful for each time that God gives me to spend with them. The only tough part about that week was saying goodbye to my friend Rosa, who headed off to Italy for several months. We all went dancing with her one last time, which was fun, but it was sad to say "Goodbye for now!" I hope I will get to see her again soon!

The week after that started out well, with classes going well and with another trip to the park with Carolina, Abraham, and later Sallie Anna (Carolina's roommate and a friend of mine from Bible study). We had a good time hanging out, talking, and taking a walk. I appreciate these laidback times with friends so much more than traveling. I have learned here that it is definitely the people that matter more than the places. That week I was also able to go to an English Club again (after missing it for several weeks) and to help the Spanish students practice their English. The group has grown! It was great to see them again. I had my first test that week too (in Literature), which I did really well on. Yay! On the 25th a group of us met up to go the Carbonería, a restaurant/bar that features free flamenco dancing every Thursday night. One of the girls from my class in the U. of Sevilla joined us, and we had a good time watching and listening to flamenco. It's a difficult thing to describe to someone who has never seen flamenco, and you really have to experience it to understand it completely. It has such a great rhythm to it! I'm glad that Leti, the girl from my class came with me. I have been more courageous lately in meeting the Spanish students in my classes. They are all really friendly normally, but I have found that I need to be the one to reach out to them to be able to form friendships. "If you want a friend, be a friend" still holds true.

The day after that, Friday, Jake, Carolina, and I went with our friend Inma to her mom's school so that Jake could show them country dancing. He danced with Inma on stage and later with two of the students, and Carolina and I took pictures. It was so much fun to hang out and to see how excited all the kids got! Later that evening we had Charlemos, a Bible discussion group, which is continuing to go well I think. We had some good discussions! And of course that night we all went salsa dancing again! Man am I going to miss that! I also had the chance with some friends (the next day) to hear from Martha's dad, Waylon, who is a Christian pastor, author, and speaker and has a ton of wisdom to share and who was visiting Martha for a little while here. We listened to him share some stuff from the Bible and his heart for a bit and then ate dinner together and watched an old classic, Philadelphia Story. Even though I was a bit tired that next morning (Palm Sunday), I still got up and went to my home church in Triana, which was a blessing!

The next week was Semana Santa (Holy Week). In case you don't know, Semana Santa is the most important week here in Sevilla. There are TONS of tourists that flock here to see the famous processions of Christ and the virgin Mary being carried through the streets on floats carried on the men's shoulders. It is a really big deal here, and was one of the most interesting cultural experiences I have had. I am used to the importance of Good Friday, the day that Jesus died and the even greater importance of Easter Sunday, the day that He rose again, but I have never seen that whole week celebrated in the way it is celebrated here. Almost all of the churches have a paso (procession) in which Nazareinos (penitents) walk through the streets along with the two floats, one with a scene of Christ suffering, either on the cross, before Pilate, etc. and one with the virgin Mary dressed in some of the grandest clothing I have ever seen. The Nazareinos are men and women who are dressed in clothing with hats that resemble the KKK (no joke... although the KKK stole that idea from Spain, not the other way around) and that walk through the streets as a form of penitence (they wear the hats to be anonymous). Each procession has a specific schedule they have to follow, as they all leave their churches, pass through certain streets, and end up in the Cathedral in the Center (downtown). They then go from the Cathedral back to their churches. All of this big to-do starts on Palm Sunday and ends Easter Sunday. People dress up especially on Palm Sunday and on Thursday. Oh man, what a crazy week! 

My friends and I did go and see several of the "pasos", but we also spent a good deal of time in the park or just wandering around the city and hanging out. I especially spent a lot of time with Carolina, Inma, and Jake, and Inma even invited us to her house to eat lunch with her and to learn Sevillanas (the typical Sevillian dance for the April Fair they have here). She and her family are some of the nicest people ever, and it was so much fun to spend time with her! We also got to meet her uncle, who was a Nazareino, and to see the paso that goes out of her old church every year. I also tried to spend as much time as I could with Carolina, as she left the day before Easter. She is such an amazing girl! She ended up becoming one of my best friends, even though we have only known each other for a few months. I have been so encouraged in my walk with Christ just by seeing how she lives her life and by having really good talks with her. It was nice to have that last week here with her and other friends without having school because we were all able to spend a ton of time together. The four of us also spent a lot of time with Abraham, Johnny, Inga, Nela, Sallie Anna, Rosie and several others who are all friends of mine here from Spain and other countries as well. We walked all over this city that week! On Thursday night (or should I say Friday morning) it is traditional for todo el mundo (everyone) to stay out all night watching some of the most famous pasos go by. So I was literally out from 1:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., no joke. We ended up seeing 3 of the pasos, but spent quite a bit of time waiting for each one, because there were a lot of Nazareinos and they don't move that quickly. After all that, we stopped for some churros and chocolate and then went back to bed for a while! That was quite an adventure. You all might think I'm crazy, but literally almost everyone in this city was awake at hours we shouldn't have been. It wasn't just us at all!!

It's difficult to describe exactly how I feel about Semana Santa. Aesthetically it is beautiful, and all of the floats are decorated with flowers and trappings. The figures themselves are usually quite old, the music is very well done because they practice so much, and the people work all year to prepare the decorations for just one week. It is a very neat cultural experience, but behind all of that it feels quite empty to me. The majority of the population here would say they are Catholic, but the percentage of people that are actually practicing Catholics is very low. But during Semana Santa it appears as if people are very devoted all of a sudden, and they work ALL year just for this procession. Some of the costaleros, or the men that carry the floats (which is really hard work) are atheists, and would proudly tell you that. They actually PAY money to carry the floats, like it is an honor. All in all, that just doesn't make sense to me. Now this is all a generalization because there are people that don't care at all, and show that, and there are people that really do believe and practice what they believe. But putting on a show for one week and "ya está" (that's it)... I don't know, I just don't like that idea. But I think that unfortunately all of us can be like that at times - say one thing and live another.

Anyway, not to bore you all with my pensive thoughts... on Carolina's last night here a group of us went out for pizza and then went salsa dancing. It was a good night, but exhausting in the end (especially since it was the night after we had stayed out all night. I then got up early that morning to go to her place, ride with her and Jake and Martha to the airport and say our "See you later"s, which was so tough! I was pretty wiped out after that, so I took a siesta that afternoon and just stayed home. The next day (Easter Sunday!) I went to a small town outside of Sevilla with Martha, Inma, Elizabeth, and Fatima (who was visiting for a few days!! Yay!) to go to church and celebrate Jesus' Resurrection. It was a great service, and it was so nice to remember Christ's resurrection, especially after seeing so many pasos with Christ hanging on the cross. He's not dead - He is risen! He's alive!! After the service we went to a park nearby to all eat lunch together. It was definitely a family of God/community time! I felt pretty yucky at the end of it though as I had developed a cold, so I spent the rest of the day at home. That's what I get for staying out so late!!

Anyway, the week after Semana Santa I was feeling the pressure to get back to the books and put more time into studying! I have some projects that I have started reading and researching for, and I have been trying to focus on my studies more, although it is a difficult thing to do when you're abroad! I was able to meet up with Fatima a few times though and spend a bit of time chatting with her and catching up a bit. Even though we didn't have a lot of time since she was visiting for a few days and I was so busy, I know that she and I will be able to talk a lot when we get back (and on our plane ride home together!) and that she is someone that I can always talk with because we understand each other. We've both been there!

To wind up my storytelling, a week ago Friday I went to Charlemos as usual, which went well again, and then we all went outside of town to eat at a restaurant called La Choza. It was SO yummy! And at a good price too! We then went dancing again, although this time for a shorter period of time. It was a good way to end the week spending time with friends. The day afterwards I went back to that town for the Grand Opening of the church out there, and I got to talk with a really sweet Brasilian woman who married a Spanish man. They are evangelists here in Spain, and it was so neat to chat with her and hear her story! Later that day I also had the opportunity to take a few more impromptu "classes" in Sevillanas (the dance), but it is not something you learn in a day, let me tell you!

This last week I started receiving tutoring for my U. of Sevilla classes, went to classes/did homework, and had my fairly typical weekly activities. On Thursday CC-CS threw a Pre-Feria Fiesta with authentic flamenco/Sevillanas music. I brought a few of my friends to the fiesta with me, and they seemed to have a fun time! I also got to talk to a few more of the students from my program again. On Friday, we had another Pre-Feria Fiesta at Martha's place to help us prepare for the April Fair they have here, which is also famous. My host mom let me borrow these fun earrings, shawl, and flower for my hair so that I could look the part. She actually helped me put the flower in my hair and showed me how it was all supposed to look. It was so sweet of her and it was nice to have that bonding moment. I will have to put pictures on my blog of my costume! Ate the fiesta we all hung out, ate yummy Spanish food, danced Sevillanas, and played a "guess the movie" game, which was pretty entertaining! And today I just got back from watching a local play called "The Turn of the Screw" (English title) with some friends. Most of the actors were younger than I was, and they did a fabulous job! And I actually understood most of it! That made me super happy. .... So now you're all caught up! Whew! Sorry this is so long!!

I know this is strange to say, but I need to prepare all of you before I come home. It's going to be a difficult transition as I really do not want to leave. I'm going to leave a good-sized chunk of my heart here in Spain when I leave; I know that already. The thing is, when you don't know anyone in a place, it really is just another check on your checklist of "places to see before I die." But when you really meet the people and form strong friendships with them, laughing, crying, spending time together, learning from each other... it becomes like another home! I feel like my time here in Spain has really taught me that "home" is a relative term. Oregon still feels like home, but not as much as before. I know that God has put mission work on my heart, and now I feel like He has prepared me here and is still working in me to teach me how to build my home in Him, and how to be okay with living wherever He sends me.

I do not think I will be content in Oregon at first, but all in all I do hope that God helps me to be content wherever I am at (including Oregon, although I think it will be a grieving process to let go of Sevilla) and to let Him use me at home in the summer when I am working at Spicer's and next year at Linfield when I am living in the Emmaus House, being a part of Salt N' Light, studying, going to sporting events, etc. I pray that He will still help me hold on to the dear, precious friendships I have made here while still living WHERE I am at and rebuilding my older friendships in Oregon. I want to be present wherever God puts me, you know? I have very little time remaining compared to how long I have been here, but I still have enough time to continue to build friendships, bless people, study some more, and just continue my adventure! 

Much love,
Sierra

Germany, Granada, Sevilla... dreams come true!

Hola!!

Well, everyone, it seems that the longer time goes by, the longer it takes me to send off one of these emails. I can't believe we're halfway through April already! A lot has been happening around here, so I may have to turn this into two emails so as not to overwhelm you all.

I left off in the end of February, right before I went on a trip to Germany. I didn't think I would be able to make it to Germany in this Europe trip of mine, but in the end God brought along an opportunity that I didn't expect - a chance to learn more about Him and to see a part of one of the countries of my ancestors. I have been involved with a campus ministry here called Connexxion, and a group of us from that ministry flew to Germany to meet people from Connexxion there (where my friend Martha first started it), to have some time of fellowship, and to learn more about God. It was an absolutely amazing experience. We started out by flying from Sevilla to Hanover, where some friends picked us up and drove us to Braunschweig, a city nearby. We spent the next 5 days first in Braunschweig and then in Jena, and we stayed with students who opened up their homes to us. They are so hospitable!! Miriam and Esther, my two hostesses, are such sweet, welcoming young women, and I was able to have some awesome conversations with them. We were able to really get to know several of the German students there in our short time, and I know it really encouraged me in my faith and opened up my eyes to how God is moving in Europe. I really loved the German people too. They are not as affectionate as the Spanish people are at first, but they are just as welcoming and warm and loved to sit and talk or to hang out. They were a lot of fun!

One of the other neat experiences from being in Germany was the fact that I was able to practice interpreting a few times. All of the workshops/speakers that we had were in German (except for one, which was in English), so I had to listen to one of the students translate for me into English. It really made me appreciate the importance of knowing a second or third language. I was really listening to the German and trying to understand (even though I couldn't) just because I wanted so badly to know what they were saying and to communicate with them in THEIR language. It made me really want to expand my bilingualism into multilingualism (if that's a word). When the American speaker shared, I also was able to interpret for my friends Abraham and José María, who are Spanish. That was one of the most challenging but educational and rewarding experiences of my life. It is SO hard to do, but it really gave me a feeling of responsibility and the necessity to make sure that they also understood the message. The other really interesting thing was the fact that even though we went there as a Spanish campus ministry to visit the ministry in Germany, the language that connected most of us was English. And there were only 5 Americans in the whole group! It really gave me a glimpse of how important and useful the English language really is, but I also gained so much more respect for the many Europeans that know 2, 3, 4 or more languages. Why don't we do that?

Anyway, after our time in Jena and Braunschweig, Lea, Jake, Abraham, Jose, and I headed off for Potsdam (Martha stayed in Jena), the city where Lea (who is German) studied at. She took us on a tour around her beautiful city and then later that night took us salsa dancing as a surprise. It was so much fun! We stayed in her church, and the couple that live there in the church fed us breakfast there the next morning, which was so sweet! We then went to Berlin for our last day in Germany. We got to see the Brandenburg Gate and a few other parts of Berlin, although it is impossible to see everything in such a short time because the city is HUGE. It was really neat to see the Gate though, as it is a part of recent history. The Berlin Wall came down the year I was born, and it was so crazy to imagine that in that year there was still such a great division in that country. Only 20 years ago!! But anyway, in the end, our trip was absolutely amazing. Six days away from school meeting some incredible people and spending time with a group of some of my best friends here in Europe - couldn't ask for more!

When we got back from Germany (very beginning of March), I had a bit of a hard time getting back into school mode and classes, as we had just begun the new semester, but over the next few weeks I gradually got back into the groove of things. I really like my literature class that I am taking! It is my first one of my college career, and I am sort of disappointed in myself that I didn't take one before now. The Spanish poetry is especially fascinating and beautiful, in my opinion. It may be though that it sounds even prettier because it is in a different language, and because I really think more about the meanings of specific words. My class on the history of the three main religions (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism) is interesting too, although it is a ton of information to fit into one semester. I am starting a project soon about the Camino de Santiago, which is a pilgrimage trail (well, there are several) that goes to at town in the northwest of Spain. It's really interesting so far... I'll have to write more about it later! My classes in the University of Sevilla are finally getting better as I now have tutors, and I feel like I am no longer lost and have more of a background and base to what I'm learning. Yay!

Anyway, to fill you in on what I've been doing outside of school... on the 5th of March we (Connexxion) had a Japanese Party, which was a ton of fun! Several students made some legit decorations, and some of the guys even made sushi (along with other Japanese-ish foods)! There were quite a few people that came, and some of us even tried our hand at karaoke or origami. Good times! The discipleship group that I am a part of has also been a huge blessing in my life. I am learning a lot more about the Bible, and it is great to learn from our two leaders, Martha and David, and from their wisdom and experience. I continue to do church hopping on the weekends (between my home church in Triana, my other one in la Alameda, and visiting a few others here and there). It's hard to decide where to go sometimes! The American Bible study I am a part of is still a very large group, and it makes my heart happy to see how many students studying abroad also find fellowship and seeking God to be important, even so far from home. Each week someone else shares from their heart, and it is always so encouraging! I lead it one week (the week we split guys and girls), and I talked about God's faithfulness and our faith in Him, something I have learned a lot about here. Tutoring continues to go well too. I really enjoy being able to help Lucía and to chat with her!

March went by WAY too quickly. I will mention a few other things before I cut short this long email and start another one, haha. On the 11th of March I went with a few friends to a church to see a concert by Ingrid Rosario, a Latin Gospel singer with a voice that comes from God (I really mean that). I went with my friends Carolina, Jake, Abraham, Carmen (and we met a few others there), and it was an amazing experience to listen to her sing and to join in in worship songs. The day after that I went to Granada again, this time with CC-CS for the weekend. I had been wanting to return there ever since my first visit, so I was happy to go back and see La Alhambra (big famous palace) again, and this time to actually be able to go into the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real), where the graves of Ferdinand and Isabella are. A lot of history is wrapped up in that city! It was also neat to finally be able to meet more of the people in my program, as I don't know all of them this semester. I got to chat, stroll around the city, and just spend time with several of them. It was awesome! We also got to stay in a pretty nice hotel this time and have all of our food paid for. Woohoo! (Although I technically already paid for all of that when I paid for the program, it was nice to not have to fork out more cash and was good to take advantage of a trip given by the school). A few days after my trip a big group of my friends and I celebrated our friend Abraham's birthday, and Carolina and I helped prepare for it by shopping and baking a chocolate zucchini cake (using my mom's yummy recipe that Jenna so kindly sent me - thanks girl!). Carolina and Martha did a lot more later too, and it ended up being a big group that came. Fun times!

Okay, officially cutting short the email. For those of you brave enough to read this (or that had a sufficient amount of time on your hands), I hope you enjoyed reading about more of my adventures in Spain and beyond! I will compose another email very shortly, as I still have to catch up on a lot. Love you all!!

Besos y abrazos!
-Sierra

Photos of Extremadura

Last Fall I took a trip with CC-CS to Extremadura, a province above Andalusia. We visited three cities: Cáceres, Mérida, and Trujillo. I'm sorry that these photos are in reverse order... 

This photo is taken from the walls of a castle we visited in Trujillo.

Katie and I had fun taking model shots on the castle walls. =) 

What a beautiful view!!

More model shots!

View from inside this little tower on the wall

Me inside the tower

It was so much fun to walk along the walls!

Most of our CC-CS group on the trip

Still in Trujillo, before going inside the castle 

We went inside a monastery in Trujillo and saw the inside of it. We then bought these really yummy homemade cookies from the nuns there. 

Statue of Francisco Pizarro, who was from Trujillo

On the second day we were in Caceres, in this old Medieval city. You see the stork nests at the top? There's a story that if you touch the feet of a statue (that you can see a few photos down) you will get married soon... but then if you look at the stork nests afterwards you will have children soon after getting married.... Or something like that! 

Uh oh! Haha

The old city

My dear friend Fatima inside the Museum we visited in Mérida

They had some really neat artifacts in here from Roman times

This is actually an old Roman road inside the museum (they built over it). Isn't that cool? 

My friend Hannah and I by the amphitheater

The amphitheater

An old Roman theater. This was one of the coolest things I saw there! If you stand at the top of the stands you can hear the people talking down on the stage! They sure knew a lot about acoustics way back when!! 

Looking down at the stage...

In Mérida