Women's Prayer Gathering

The women from the WorldVenture Spain team recently spent the weekend in Zarautz, Spain (near San Sebastian on the northern coast) at the home of our teammates, Pontus & Becky Karnsund. Pontus and their kids spent the weekend at a nearby hotel so we could all spend the weekend together sharing with, and praying for, one another.

We also spent a good part of Saturday exploring the area. Becky showed us the beautiful beaches in Zarautz and we even went to a very small amusement park on the top of the hill next to the castle and rode the bumper cars. I'm sure the operator of the ride thought we were nuts! But we had fun.

We then drove to San Sebastian and walked around that beautiful town. This is a very popular place in the summer, but since it's winter and it was very cold, we had most places to ourselves with very few tourists.

I feel very blessed to be part of this "team" here in Spain. Although most of us do not work together, there is a wonderful feeling of being part of what God is doing here and a caring for one another that reminds us we are not alone. Thank you for your part in God's work here in Spain.

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

This blog is for my friend, Alice, who just this week moved to Poland and is grieving the loss of her precious Starbucks, and for those of you who have been asking me how life is different for me in Spain.

In actuality, it's really not very different except that milk comes in cartons that don't need to be refrigerated, hamburger and hot dog buns aren't presliced, people double-park (sometimes in the middle of the street) and park on the sidewalk, there are no mailboxes on the street (you have to go to the post office to mail your letters), they pick up the trash at 1 a.m., the banks are closed in the afternoon (except on Thursdays, but not in the summer) and almost everyone lives in an apartment or "townhouse" with very few "single family homes." I've gotten used to doing my laundry in the kitchen, having to "buzz in" the mail carrier (or anyone else who comes to visit), not having wall-to-wall carpeting, lowering heavy metal "shades" over my windows at night and probably a few other things that I'm so used to now that I can't remember them.

People here have two last names (their father's last name and their mother's last name) and the women don't change their names when they marry, so it's a little hard to keep track of who belongs to who when you're looking at a list of names. I'm no longer tempted by bookstores because I'm not good enough with the language to read in Spanish yet. Of course, office supply stores are still a temptation. I don't know what it is about all that wonderfully clean paper and those brand new pens. And post-it notes -- don't get me started about my weakness for those, especially the ones is fun colors and shapes. What can I say? I'm a secretary and I love all the "stuff" that goes with my job.

But as time goes by, I think I can truly say that I don't notice so many of the differences any more. So, Alice, hang in there. You can live without Starbucks, at least for awhile, and when we're both back in the States, or if you come visit me in Spain, I'll treat you to a latte!

January Update

Christmas
The kids and I spent Christmas Eve and most of Christmas Day with the Haleys. My daughter loves to cook (unlike her mother) and enjoyed helping Kathy prepare a lot of the side dishes for our Christmas meal. This was my first Christmas in 34 years, and the kids’ first Christmas ever, not celebrating with Alan’s family. You get used to being in a house of 30+ people with children running everywhere and it doesn’t feel quite the same without them. However, being with the Haleys helped fill in the empty space in our hearts. I also enjoyed the Christmas cards, letters and photos that many of you sent. Thank you for helping me stay connected!

Granada
We enjoyed Granada very much, but decided we would like to go back some time in the spring or fall when the weather is a little warmer and the flowers are blooming. The Alhambra is an amazing place and we took tons of photos. On the way home, we stopped in Toledo and took more pictures, walked around, shopped and enjoyed churros and chocolate for the first time. We highly recommend it! Jon and Kathy were able to join us on our trip, and Jon did all the driving, so that added greatly to our enjoyment and ability to get around easily.

This month’s quote:
In this race called life, when the pressing demands of time are upon us, we need to stop and get oriented. We need to discover that the Lord is God. He will be exalted; He is with us; He is our stronghold...Remember during your growing up years how your mother had a specially designed wall with some pencil marks on it where she marked where your head reached?...God uses an infinite number of vehicles in the process of helping us grow...It’s a painstaking process that God takes us through, and it includes such things as waiting, failing, losing, and being misunderstood--each one calling for extra doses of perseverance. In your own spiritual growth, where are the marks on the wall of your life? Where do you stand in light of last year?
-- Charles Swindoll, Day by Day

Praises:
1. My kids and I had a wonderful 10 days together and enjoyed our trip to southern Spain.
2. I passed the theory part of my driving test and will take the practicum part this Thursday.
3. My car was broken into the first night of the kids’ visit, but we were able to leave the car here and have the repairs made while we were on our trip to Granada with the Haleys.
4. Many of you have asked about my foot. It is much better. There are days when it doesn’t bother me at all, although it is hurting a little now, probably because of all the walking we did on our trip.

Prayer Requests:
1. Pray that I will be able to finish driving classes and pass the final test this week.
2. Pray for diligence in language study. I have not done very well in the last couple of months but will be returning to language school soon.
3. Pray for the necessary funds for me to attend a WorldVenture Leadership Conference in South Africa, March 12-19. I will be traveling with our field leaders and their family.

Driving School

You'd think that after driving for 30+ years, driving school would be a piece of cake. Not quite. They do things a little differently here and undoing 30 years of habits is not always easy. Not to mention learning to drive someone else's car. And learning that they will fail you if you shift into the wrong gear, if you don't make sure you can see clearly before you enter an intersection, and a myriad of other little details makes me more than a little insecure. Not to mention parallel parking. I've never liked it and I'm not very good at it and I think we've spent more time practicing that particular skill than anything else. And there's no avoiding it here, like I can in the States, where parking lots are abundant. I thought I could do this after 4 or 5 lessons, but today will be my 10th lesson! I'm hoping I will be ready to take the driving test either next week or the week after. Then I will be very glad to tell you that I have my Spanish driver's license and this part of my Spanish education is over.

A Different Kind of Christmas

I stole the title from my friend Tim's blog. His wife's parents came from Poland to spend Christmas in the States with their married daughters. My children came to Spain to spend Christmas with me. So both of us had a "different kind of Christmas" this year. For my children, it was the first time they had not spent Christmas with their cousins in California. We missed what has become "normal" for us, but we enjoyed our time with the Haleys and then two days later we all headed to the south of Spain to see Granada, the Alhambra, and Toledo.

Courtyard of the Lions at the Alhambra in Granada.

Arrayane's Courtyard

My kids at the Alhambra

We were even able to stop on the way to Granada and see some of the windmills that are famous from the story of Don Quijote.

On the way home, we stopped in Toledo and did some sightseeing and shopping.

We had a good time together and as expected, the time went by much too quickly. But it was a fun time of making memories and enjoying being together.