Today marks one month in Guate- I don´t know if it went fast or slow. All I know is that it feel like a very, very long time ago when I left my family at the airport.
Chochy Concert
So today I was in my first Chochy concert! I was honored to be a part of it. I got to wear the giant heart costume- haha. I messed up my lines a little, but it´s over now and it´s fine. I had a lot of fun dancing. I got to dance in two songs- ``Caminando`` and ``Te Seguire``. I hope that I can learn some other songs too! Chochy says that there are two more concerts scheduled for now but possibly more. I will get to be ``Amor`` again. Alllright!
Suitcase
I am so pumped because today my mom gave me the good news that Mr. Zellner (from the team that is coming next Saturday) is bringing a suitcase for me!! I am super excited because all day today I was thinking that it wouldn´t be possible to get a suitcase down here and that I´d have to buy everything here. So when I read mom´s email tonight I was ecstatic! Wearing only two weeks worth of clothes has been harder than I thought haha. I´ve been pretty thankful for Apple products lately- over Facetime, my mom was able to ``take me`` to my bedroom so I could pack from Guatemala. It´s a weird feeling. It´s like I´m there...but I´m not.
Baptisms
Tomorrow (Sunday) the three Ruano kids- Dennis Josue, Rossanita and Bryan are getting baptized! I am really excited for them and I think it is so cool that I will be able to witness their public profession of faith.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Guess what?!
I just got my hair cut for less than $6! Oh no wait- that´s not the exciting news. The news is...I just changed my ticket from August 16th to November 19th! Ah it´s so crazy!
So on Tuesday the Ruanos asked me if I could stay longer- they had been joking around about hiding my passport before, but this time they were serious. ``Ask your parents!``
I knew this was going to be a big deal, so I didn´t immediately call my parents about it- I slept on it overnight and prayed a lot. The next day I facetimed my mom to see what she thought.
``I have something to ask you.`` I told her.
She hid her face in her arms.
``Wait, do you already know what I´m going to ask you?``I laughed.
``Just- continue.``
``I was wondering. . . if I could stay until November.``
She proceeded to look surprised and took a few deep breaths before responding.
``Well, actually, I´m relieved,`` she said. `` I thought you were going to ask me if you could get married.``
-blank look from me-
Before last week, I couldn´t even consider staying longer because I was signed up for classes at NOVA, my local community college. I was writing emails back and forth with my parents about school and jobs when they gave me a choice. If I go to college, I have to go for 4 years. It wouldn´t be worth it for me to just get an associates. So it´s college or get a job. I chose work. I´ve never been thrilled about going to college, and I really don´t feel that a college education is necessary for what I want to do in life. My father made sure to let me know that he would support my decision, either way. He didn´t want me to feel forced to go to college, but he didn´t want me to not go because of money. I´d rather just go ahead and get a job. And just because I´m not going to college doesn´t mean I can´t keep learning- learning comes in many forms. I hope to continue to learn healthy cooking, guitar, sewing and other things that interest me, such as learning Spanish. There are so many awesome opportunities out there!
That is why I am so excited to start my non-college education with 5 months in Guatemala. This is the best way to learn Spanish and the time is now or never I feel. Once I get back to the States and get a job, I can´t just leave the country for a few months.
I would appreciate prayer, as always. Here are some specifics:
-First and foremost, that I can somehow get a suitcase down here with more much needed clothes and shoes. hehe.
- That God will bless my efforts in learning Spanish, and that I will make the most of the next 4 months. (4 months! Yikes, that sounds so long!)
-Praise God for the Ruanos and their willingness to bear with me for so long! And praise God for allowing me to come to Guatemala in the first place! I am so grateful.
So on Tuesday the Ruanos asked me if I could stay longer- they had been joking around about hiding my passport before, but this time they were serious. ``Ask your parents!``
I knew this was going to be a big deal, so I didn´t immediately call my parents about it- I slept on it overnight and prayed a lot. The next day I facetimed my mom to see what she thought.
``I have something to ask you.`` I told her.
She hid her face in her arms.
``Wait, do you already know what I´m going to ask you?``I laughed.
``Just- continue.``
``I was wondering. . . if I could stay until November.``
She proceeded to look surprised and took a few deep breaths before responding.
``Well, actually, I´m relieved,`` she said. `` I thought you were going to ask me if you could get married.``
-blank look from me-
Before last week, I couldn´t even consider staying longer because I was signed up for classes at NOVA, my local community college. I was writing emails back and forth with my parents about school and jobs when they gave me a choice. If I go to college, I have to go for 4 years. It wouldn´t be worth it for me to just get an associates. So it´s college or get a job. I chose work. I´ve never been thrilled about going to college, and I really don´t feel that a college education is necessary for what I want to do in life. My father made sure to let me know that he would support my decision, either way. He didn´t want me to feel forced to go to college, but he didn´t want me to not go because of money. I´d rather just go ahead and get a job. And just because I´m not going to college doesn´t mean I can´t keep learning- learning comes in many forms. I hope to continue to learn healthy cooking, guitar, sewing and other things that interest me, such as learning Spanish. There are so many awesome opportunities out there!
That is why I am so excited to start my non-college education with 5 months in Guatemala. This is the best way to learn Spanish and the time is now or never I feel. Once I get back to the States and get a job, I can´t just leave the country for a few months.
I would appreciate prayer, as always. Here are some specifics:
-First and foremost, that I can somehow get a suitcase down here with more much needed clothes and shoes. hehe.
- That God will bless my efforts in learning Spanish, and that I will make the most of the next 4 months. (4 months! Yikes, that sounds so long!)
-Praise God for the Ruanos and their willingness to bear with me for so long! And praise God for allowing me to come to Guatemala in the first place! I am so grateful.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
This morning I got up earlier than usual to go walking with Chochy, Dennis J. and Bryan. We walked at the beginning, but then decided to run some. We came to a bunch of stairs and went up and down them 3 times. Then we walked the rest of the time and on our walk home Chochy bought plantains, bananas and nectarines from some of the fruit shops we passed. When we got back to the house, she fried the plantains and heated up refried beans for breakfast. I really liked the plantains- they almost reminded me of a fried potato, but sweet.
Yesterday we felt an earthquake! That makes for two times since I´ve been here. It wasn´t very strong.
Yesterday we felt an earthquake! That makes for two times since I´ve been here. It wasn´t very strong.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Happy Sunday!
Today I had a lot of fun at church raising money for the kid´s camp the church is having in October. They set up tables in the upstairs of the church with different things for the Sunday School kids to do or buy. There were snacks like frozen fruit skewers dipped in chocolate, little bags of chips, and tostadas with guacamole or salsa. Then there were games to play to get prizes (my bracelets were one of them), face painting, and soccer (on the church roof). There was even a beauty salon! I helped with that by painting nails. It was a really fun and the teachers organized it well. They still have a lot more money to raise but I hope it was a good start.
Team
There will be a dental trip with a team from Chantilly Bible Church from July 29th-August 2nd. I´m excited! First we will go to El Faro which is six hours away from Guatemala City and is located on the coast. After a few days there, we will move to Halapa, which is only three hours away. I know some of the people on the team, because I used to go to CBC, so it will be good to see them. Until then, I hope to assist Dr. Ruano at his clinic here so I can be a better help during the trip.
Futbol
We had soccer again on Tuesday and Thursday night, and I think it went better for me than the first few times. Besides being completely wacked in the face by the ball on Tuesday. Hard. I thought I was going to have a headache after that, but thankfully I didn´t and I was fine. It´s so funny that Ï´m finally at eighteen learning soccer. I´ve been wanting to learn soccer for a while now because I´m the only one out of my friends that doesn´t know how to play. I never knew I`d learn in Guatemala!
Frutas
I´ve gotten to try some interesting fruits- this week I ate a pitaya. I think it is also called a dragon fruit. The inside is bright purple-fuchia. It doesn´t have much of a taste, it is mildly sweet and softer and smoother than a kiwi. I also tried guava and rambutan for the first time- guava is really hard in the middle but sort of sweet where it is soft near the outside. Rambutan is this little white ball when peeled- it has a pit inside and is sort of like a grape, but not snappy. Kind of chewy, but juicy. If that makes sense. I really like rambutans because they are sweet. And they bought mangos! Yes, I love mangos.
Learning a language means patience patience patience
So it has been awesome making friends here and being the Ruanos ``gringa daughter``. But I feel so bad not understanding what they say, even when they speak slowly to me! Really praying that I will rely on Christ here. And also that I will have patience with myself. Galations 2:20 `` I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.`` NASB
Today I had a lot of fun at church raising money for the kid´s camp the church is having in October. They set up tables in the upstairs of the church with different things for the Sunday School kids to do or buy. There were snacks like frozen fruit skewers dipped in chocolate, little bags of chips, and tostadas with guacamole or salsa. Then there were games to play to get prizes (my bracelets were one of them), face painting, and soccer (on the church roof). There was even a beauty salon! I helped with that by painting nails. It was a really fun and the teachers organized it well. They still have a lot more money to raise but I hope it was a good start.
Team
There will be a dental trip with a team from Chantilly Bible Church from July 29th-August 2nd. I´m excited! First we will go to El Faro which is six hours away from Guatemala City and is located on the coast. After a few days there, we will move to Halapa, which is only three hours away. I know some of the people on the team, because I used to go to CBC, so it will be good to see them. Until then, I hope to assist Dr. Ruano at his clinic here so I can be a better help during the trip.
Futbol
We had soccer again on Tuesday and Thursday night, and I think it went better for me than the first few times. Besides being completely wacked in the face by the ball on Tuesday. Hard. I thought I was going to have a headache after that, but thankfully I didn´t and I was fine. It´s so funny that Ï´m finally at eighteen learning soccer. I´ve been wanting to learn soccer for a while now because I´m the only one out of my friends that doesn´t know how to play. I never knew I`d learn in Guatemala!
Frutas
I´ve gotten to try some interesting fruits- this week I ate a pitaya. I think it is also called a dragon fruit. The inside is bright purple-fuchia. It doesn´t have much of a taste, it is mildly sweet and softer and smoother than a kiwi. I also tried guava and rambutan for the first time- guava is really hard in the middle but sort of sweet where it is soft near the outside. Rambutan is this little white ball when peeled- it has a pit inside and is sort of like a grape, but not snappy. Kind of chewy, but juicy. If that makes sense. I really like rambutans because they are sweet. And they bought mangos! Yes, I love mangos.
Learning a language means patience patience patience
So it has been awesome making friends here and being the Ruanos ``gringa daughter``. But I feel so bad not understanding what they say, even when they speak slowly to me! Really praying that I will rely on Christ here. And also that I will have patience with myself. Galations 2:20 `` I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.`` NASB
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