Our Mission Journey

College

2012-02-02T09:36:00.001+01:00

Hannah learned last night she had been accepted at Furman University in Greenville, SC. She has applied to several different colleges, with 2 of them being what we call her "dream colleges." These are colleges that she would love an opportunity to attend, but are so far outside of either our financial resources or our imagination that the likelihood of actually attending there are slim, unless God moves miraculously. Furman is one of those schools. So, who knows if she will actually attend there or not (anyone know where a money tree is growing?), but the joy in her face and in her voice last night was worth the application fee in itself.

Cooking with Cindy

2012-02-01T17:18:00.000+01:00

Back to something fun....

.... the last couple of days have been filled with lots of new recipes. Two have turned out great and thought you might like to try them too. (For those of you in Europe, I've included both the original recipe and how I altered them here).

Old Salem's Tavern Moravian Chicken Pie

1 whole large chicken
Salt
Pepper
Bay Leaf
1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour
4 cups chicken stock
Splash of white wine (optional)
1 pint half and half (I used Nata para Cocinar)
Egg Wash
2 Pie Crusts (be sure to use dough that does not have yeast)

Boil chicken in 6+ cups of water until chicken is ready to fall off the bones.
Return chicken to broth. Add salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Let simmer for a few hours. (I cooked the chicken in the pressure cooker - done in 15 minutes after coming to full pressure. Then I put the broth, chicken, and seasonings in the crock pot for the morning.)
Melt butter in a saucepan then add flour. Whisk until smooth.
Whisk in 4 cups of drained chicken stock and if desired, a splash of wine.
Continue to stir until thickened.
Whisk in half and half.
Combine half of cream sauce and chicken.
Line bottom of deep dish pie plate with one crust.
Top with chicken mix.
Top with 2nd crust and crimp edges shut. Put 4 slits in top crust.
Make an egg wash - one egg white and 2 Tbsp water - brush top of crust.
Bake at 350 Degrees (175 Degrees Celcius) until golden brown - about 45 minutes.
Reheat extra cream sauce and use as a "gravy."

Panera Style Macaroni and Cheese

1 (16-ounce) package of small pasta shells
5 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz soft white cheese (American, or other soft cheese)
1 c. milk
1 c. cream (I used Nata)

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.

Gradually whisk in milk and cream; cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.

Add cheeses, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.

Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated).

.... And

2012-02-01T08:58:00.000+01:00

I try to update the blog at least twice a week so I knew it was time to write again. There are so many things swirling in my head I want to write about and after the last post being so serious I have felt like I should write something fun and lively, whoever reads this wants to laugh with you, not hear the other stuff. Yet, although we do a lot of laughing (in fact last night, Alex's friend was over and at dinner we laughed so hard it was nearly impossible to eat), there are days which are incredibly hard. And even more so, there are weeks where those days run together.

Just this week (is it really only Wednesday?)

.... Hannah heard from her first college and was deferred due to not having grades from the school she is presently attending - learning about faith and trust again - she has to submit her fall semester grades and will be re-evaluated based on those grades (which are REALLY good) in March and how many spots are still available - this is a piece of reality from moving at the beginning of her senior year and afraid this may be the answer that we get from all of them
.... After comforting Hannah I checked email and there was an email from the attorney that did the closing on our house - apparently a mistake was made and no one paid property taxes (he was supposed to withhold our portion of taxes from our check and didn't) - so now they are billing us for the taxes plus late fees
.... Hannah crushed her finger in a phone booth door in Gibraltar over our Christmas trip. She still cannot stand for the finger to be touched, there are blood clots under the nail which we are waiting to fall off, it is still quite swollen, and she cannot bend it. I took her to the doctor today. She absolutely hates doctors and it took all I had to keep her from melting down before we even got there. He said they can't really do anything now because all the blood under the nail is clotted and wouldn't drain if they drilled a hole in it (I guess that is a praise), but we go back next week to have the finger xrayed just to be sure the bone wasn't chipped and to see if the nail has begun to fall off. If not, we'll think about dealing with that. [the first doctor we saw at this practice previously spoke less English than I speak Spanish so we praised God when Hannah's doctor spoke English. Although we laughed when I asked "so it will heal?" and he answered "perhaps." He thought I had asked "so it is ill?"]
.... And as if I wasn't already laughing, or crying, or just shaking my head, I went to take down laundry yesterday morning and the persiana (metal blinds on the outside of each window to help keep the heat out in the summer and in during the winter - they are solid) on Alex's window broke - so no taking in or hanging out laundry until Scott fixed because the laundry line is outside his window. Laundry happens every day during the winter because (thank goodness he was able to quickly fix it after school yesterday)
.... In the phone hunt this weekend the sales lady removed the battery from Scott's phone to get some information and somehow that messed up all the alarms on it. Figured that out this morning, when for the 2nd morning he woke up ten minutes before Alex's bus - crazy way to start a 2nd morning in a row

But we know who holds today and tomorrow. We are learning that this journey continues to be filled with unexpected curves and valleys and mountains. We are grateful for the blog and our personal journals to be reminded that God is faithful. We are learning more than we ever have needed to before, that God IS who He claims to be and capable of all He proclaims. We our learning that our knees need more callouses from time spent on them with Him and our Bibles need to be a little more worn from time in them and we are being reminded why we are here - because regardless how hard the days are, we know the Giver of Hope and Peace that is beyond circumstances and yet 99% of those around us do not.

Reality

2012-01-28T10:22:00.003+01:00

The last few posts have been about the fun and the laughter we have experienced in our new home. However, the reality of our new home slapped us in the face this week.

We are so very grateful for technology. We have repeatedly talked about what it was like for those who have gone before us - getting on a boat and heading across the world knowing that it took months for a letter to reach them and that in all likelihood, they would never return "home." We are blessed with skype, email, facebook, a Magic Jack, and more.

Yet, the reality is, there is an ocean between us and family, friends, and the place we called home.

No matter how much technology is available the ocean will never get smaller and life will continue on both sides of the ocean, at times making it feel even wider. Lives move forward and in different directions. Relationships change.

The other reality is that technology does not allow touch. Zach, our oldest son, called us Thursday evening to let us know he had lost his job. He was desperately broken on the other side of that piece of technology and there was nothing I could do. I couldn't reach out and hold him. I was grateful that I could listen and pray, but more than anything else I wanted to touch him. And at the same time, as I sat on this side of the ocean broken for my son I wanted to be touched. Yet there was this incredible ocean between us.

God is faithful to never leave nor forsake and I can proclaim that he provided comfort, encouragement, and even touch in the hours after that call. Yet the reality is, there will always be an ocean.

Phone Shopping

2012-01-23T09:07:00.001+01:00

I know, I am a glutton for punishment! First car shopping and now we are ready to attack phone shopping. Unlike in the United States, when you sign your first contract with a phone company you do not qualify for the great free phone deals. You must buy your first phone outright and then when your contract expires, you can trade up (or down). You qualify for a discount equivalent to the phone you are trading up.

We bought 20€ prepaid phones when we arrived (without residency you cannot buy any kind of contract phone). They dial, text, and ring. Exactly what phones were designed to do, however, living in a foreign country with another language, has caused me to think about additional phone uses and am considering a smart phone.

For example, during the car shopping escapades a dealer responded to an email I had sent by calling my cell phone. I am pretty sure he said he had the car I was looking for. However, I had no idea where he was nor the language skills to understand the directions he might give me. I was already in Madrid and it would have been much easier to go see the car while there. Unfortunately home is where I went instead.

Of course, like many I thought I needed an iPhone. That was until I found the price - 500€ (multiply that by 1.3 to see what that is in dollars). I get a 20€ discount because of my prepared phone and that is still so far over my budget I could only laugh.

We do not have to buy the phone from a company here, we just have to buy an unlocked version that accepts a SIMS card. I have shopped eBay, amazon, and other places and now feel almost as overwhelmed as car shopping.

So here are my questions for you readers (and I am hoping you might actually answer me - either comment or contact me).....

If you have a smart phone that you really like, what is it? What makes it so great?
If you have a smart phone that you don't like, what is it and why?
Anybody have a smart phone with a qwerty keyboard that they really like?
Of course older models of the iPhone are much cheaper. For those of you who have a an iPhone 3, are you able to still get apps that work and are you content?

Can't wait to read all your help.

Car and Driving

2012-01-21T21:45:00.001+01:00

Quick update - the search for a car is over - or at least we think so! We have begun the paperwork process to finalize the purchase of a car. When everything is truly finished and we have keys in our hands, I'll post details. We are truly grateful to all who financially partnered with us before we left for Spain. It is because of you that we are able to get a car. Thank you for all the prayers that have helped get us through the past two weeks of car shopping!

I have survived 13 hours of driving school and only have 6 more to go! I have two wonderful friends who are taking the class with me which is making it bearable, as well as the fact that the class is in English and the instructor has a great sense of humor. I promise, there will be a post in the coming days about all the interesting driving laws and the things I have been doing wrong. I have some serious studying to do before I'll be able to pass the exam.

Necessary Characteristics of Life in Spain - Part II

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000+01:00

Just to review (in case you forgot or didn't read yesterday) the two essential characteristics of life here in Spain are 1) the ability to laugh at yourself and 2) strong legs.

If the bus story didn't confirm that, then let me tell you about my pig. Yep - pig - the four legged animal that goes oink.

NO I do not have a live pig, but I got a good portion of a pig yesterday. On the menu for lunch today was pulled pork bar-b-q sandwiches. I have found that most co-workers or friends use tenderloin to make pulled pork (no, bar-b-q is not a food that Spaniards eat). Being the good southern that I am, I actually preferred to use the Boston Butt - more fat and thus juicier.

So first my lesson in butchering - a Boston Butt does not come from the butt of a pig, it comes from the shoulder. Now my Spanish lesson - how to say shoulder (hombro - being careful not to say hambre for hunger or hombre for man). Armed with my butcher and language knowledge I headed to the butcher shop.

Stop - you need a few more details for this make sense - Earlier in the day I had been to Madrid to look at a possible used car (liked the car, but it had been a smoker's car - so it is off the list). I was running late getting back into town and had to get meat before they closed for siesta. I decided to park as close to the meat store as possible instead of our apartment.

I went into the meat store and attempted to ask for the hombro de cerdo (the shoulder of a pig). The meat guys are fabulous - they have a ton of patience and laugh with me. We acted it out, we repeated it and finally he appeared to understand. He headed into the cooler with his big knife, came back out with the big knife, propped the cooler opened, disappeared for a minute, and then my mouth fell open - he was carrying the entire leg (including skin and hoof) of a pig! I mean the entire leg! Had I just committed to buying more than I wanted? Picture that conversation - me trying to tell Scott why I bought an entire leg of a pick?!

I sighed a huge sigh of relief when he pulled out his knife and pointed to the shoulder and asked how much. I was cooking for a friend, so I asked for 3 or 4 kilos - between 6 and 9 pounds. Then he asked if I wanted the skin or not - that was an easy question - NO! He cut out the entire shoulder and weighed it - 3.75 kilos so I took it - the whole thing! He was a little overwhelmed that I really wanted the whole thing.

He cut it apart, I ordered chicken for another meal, and headed out the door with the entire shoulder of a pig. I went across the street for onions, tomatoes, and avocados. Still needed to go to the bread store, but decided I'd rather carry it all instead of trying to move the car and find a new parking place. Walked the 5 minutes to the bread store, ordered my bread, walked another 5 minutes to our apartment, set down my bags to get my keys out and realized my keys were in my coat pocket. And guess where my coat was?

Yep, in the car.... a 5 - 7 minute walk back - and oh yeah, did you remember I was carrying the entire shoulder of a pig around this whole time?

Again, two necessary characteristics - sense of humor at oneself and strong feet (and strong arm and backs if you intend to carry around a pig's shoulder). By the way, the bar-b-q today was fabulous!

Necessary Characteristics of Life in Spain - Part 1

2012-01-18T09:15:00.000+01:00

If you are considering moving to Spain (or any other foreign country) I have decided there are at least two required characteristics..... 1) the ability to laugh at yourself and 2) strong legs. If in doubt, read on - if the next two stories don't convince you of that.... then you might need to laugh a little more.

Monday I needed to go to Madrid and it was also my language tutor day. My tutor lives between me and Madrid so I offered to go to her house instead of her come to mine (allowed me to get to Madrid quicker). She called and gave me bus directions and I felt prepared. I was slightly worried about getting off the bus at the right stop, but had practiced the language needed to ask the driver to help me and had even looked at google map street view for the bus stop location so that I would know exactly where I was going.... however the problem wasn't on the end of getting off the bus - it was at the beginning - getting on the bus.

It should take about 40 minutes to get to her house, so I left at about 9:15 (needed to be there at 10:30). All along, I thought if I get to her town early, I'll just stop for coffee first. Uh, should maybe have thought about lunch instead.

Apparently (uh, duh!) you should read all 3 numerals on the bus numbers at a bus stop. I needed bus 223 - but went to our common bus stop where I knew for sure there was a green bus (green buses cross communities, red buses stay in your town - this will be important again in a minute). I knew it started with 22, so of course it would be 223 - uh no - after standing there for about 5 mintues I decided to read the sign just to double check - it was a bus stop for 227 - uh oh! But where was the 223 bus stop?

So, I walked back to the apartment and grabbed the bus map. I found bus 223's route and looked for the closest bus stop - or so I thought. I grabbed another local bus and took it to where I expected to catch bus 227 now - however, those bus colors were now important. On the bus map there are dots where all the bus stops are. I found a dot (but was red, and remember I need a green bus) along the 223 route and walked to it (about a 5 minute walk), and although I am a slow learner I do learn, so I immediately read the sign and there were no green #s - relooked at map to double check and found that the stop only had red dots - apparently if you want a green bus you need a green dot on the map.

So, searching the map for the nearest green dot along 223's route, I discover it is about a 15 minute walk back the other direction.... ugh! Off I go and pray all along the way I don't see a 223 bus pass me -

Well, God answered that prayer, but I didn't pray quite specific enough because as I turned the corner to the bus station (where all buses that are going to Madrid originate) I see the #s 223 on the back of a bus and I begin to sigh in relief, until I realize that bus is moving..... out of the station and on the way to Madrid, without me.

It is now 10:30 - yes, an hour and fifteen minutes later and I am still in my town, so I call my tutor, tell her I'll be a little late (this bus only runs every 30 minutes... so maybe a little more late than a "little"), go into a coffee shop and grab a cup of coffee and a chocolate neopolitan (because chocolate always makes laughing a little easier) and stand firmly at the bus stop pole with my eyes glued in the direction the bus will be coming.

Finally the bus comes, I get on, find the right stop and arrive at tutoring - unfortunately it was now 11:30 - it only took 2 hours and 15 minutes to get to her house.... at least she had hot tea to warm me up (did I forget to mention it was about 35 degrees and raining this whole time?) and we had a great language lesson.

What did I tell you - you definitely need to be able to laugh at yourself and have strong legs - the day would have been a total waste without those two characteristics.....

Wait until tomorrow's post - you'll get to laugh about an entire pig's shoulder and me.

Car Update

2012-01-16T21:59:00.002+01:00

Our supervisor approved the vehicle we had picked out, but after Scott and I had more discussion and prayer, we have decided to go a different direction. We have picked out a new make and model and are searching for one within our budget. Keep praying that we will find the exact car that will fit us as a family and be useful in the coming days of ministry.

Shopping for a Car in Spain

2012-01-15T08:43:00.000+01:00

A dear friend in Ukraine posted on Scott's facebook page earlier this weekend, remember, T.I.N.A. - This Is Not America. If that was ever doubted, the process of shopping for and buying a car is a definite reminder.
We are extremely grateful to all those partners who either gave one time gifts or started their ongoing partnerships before we arrived in Spain. It is because of those givers that we are able to shop for a car. Although there is public transportation, it is not available everywhere we go and not always easily accessible. The kids ride city buses to school and we do a lot of walking, but there are many times that a car is a necessity. We have been blessed by the ability to use borrowed cars from teammates who are on homeservice up until now, but it is time to buy our own.

First, a few rules about car shopping in Spain:

There is no negotiation - the price on the car is the price - bottom line, no hidden charges.
There are no test drives - sit in, crank it, open all the doors, put the seats up and down, etc... but no test drives.
Just because it is shown on the internet as being in their inventory doesn't mean it really is - and vice versa, just because they don't show a model you are looking for doesn't mean they don't have it
Mileage (or Kilometers) affects the price of the vehicle very little
Be prepared for this process to take days

After much discussion with our supervisor and others here on the field we made a list of requirements:

Fits our budget
7 seats - a van or similar type car - although there are only four of us, ministry will be much easier with 7 seats
Less than 40,000 km (approximately 20,000 miles)
No more than 2 years old
Automatic
Diesel
Has a warranty

Armed with our list we began internet searches. There is no Craigslist here, but several good websites. Most of the websites are not really user friendly and this process took hours. This process allowed us to narrow down our options in regards to models and we thought we were ready to start looking.

Last week I headed to several dealers with Alex was in soccer. Remember, my Spanish is that of a toddler and I am using it to shop for a car. Would you let your two year old do the talking for you? I wasn't sure whether I was petrified, the comedian of the year, or superwoman!

First thing I learned - car lots are nowhere near the size of those in the states. If dealer had a total of 50 cars (new and used) they were a big dealer. Next I learned that what you see outside the dealer's showroom isn't usually what is for sale - what is for sale is inside (guess since you can't test drive they don't need to be able to get them out easily). And surprisingly to this American, there are no sales people waiting at the door to fight over the possibility of you being their next sale. You have to ask for someone to help you (you can't see the cars without their help) and it is all low key.

As I left each showroom I would write down what I think they told me. Who knows if I was anywhere near right! I'd also call Scott (he was at home supposed to be studying for Spanish class) and get him to do research on the additional models I had found. It took 1 1/2 hours to stop at 4 dealers (all next door to each other) and to see a total of 4 cars. One dealer had someone who spoke a little English so that was a nice break in the evening.

The next day was a repeat - coffee moms, grocery shop, errands, and then yes - car shop - several more dealers and only one car on the list of maybes.

Friday evening we decided to attack the list head on. We printed out all the possibilities from the internet, found their locations, plugged them all into google maps, designed a route to see them, and headed out. We had 5 possible cars all at 5 different locations. If we had driven straight from one place to the next without stopping Google said we had 2 hours of driving.

First stop - turned out to be a private, one bay garage in the middle of no where - closed, and of course this was off the list because it would not have given a warranty
Second stop - we never found - GPS and Google and even the street name and # matched, but no sign of a dealer, garage, or used car.
Third stop - yeah - we finally got to see cars. We learned here that salesmen do not make commission, they are on a flat salary, explains a lot of the process. The receptionist realized we spoke little Spanish (yes, it is that obvious) and preferred English so she called someone specific to help us - the computer guy. Yep, the computer guy became our salesman. Imagine that happening in the US. He was great. We looked at quite a few cars and successfully took one model off our list and added a new one to it. At least we finally got to sit in several and realize something we had not considered - Scott is bigger than the average Spaniard (I'm on the average size - always been on the short size - feels kind of nice for once). That means several of the vans are never going to be comfortable for Scott to drive. Found a car we liked, but it was out of our price range. The computer guy gave us some great information for car shopping and off we went to the fourth stop.
Fourth stop - no luck
Fifth stop - found the address and it was a restaurant and it was late so we kept on driving - we were now supposedly only 20 minutes from home. Set the GPS for home and made a turn and there sat the dealer - just because they have moved doesn't mean they update their information. (In one town we saw the KIA dealer sign and thought we'd stop while it was convenient and guess what, it had moved more than 10 years ago). Parked, walked to the door and it had closed 10 minutes earlier. Looked in the windows, marked the location on the GPS and headed home.

Yesterday we went back to the computer. Revised our searches based on all the information we had gathered and made a new list of cars to go see (guess we could call, but with the limited Spanish we have, talking on the phone is very difficult). We realized that one of the dealers (actually one of the largest used car dealers around - they actually have A LOT of cars, getting close to America's normal stock at a major dealer) had at least one of almost every model that was still on the list, was only a 20 minute drive away, and was open until 8:30.

So here we went again. After getting turned around a few times we finally arrived. Gave the receptionist our information and while we waited for an available salesman we walked around and looked in the windows of the cars we were searching for (and even added a few to the list). About 20 minutes later a very nice gentleman became available to help. He spoke NO English - I mean no English, as in none! But he was patient with our Spanish so off to look we went.

We sat in several, opened many, asked questions - oh for you to have been a fly on the wall - we could have won some comedy award - and narrowed it down to one. One model and one car - at least for the day.

Now we are praying over this model and waiting to talk with our supervisor about this vehicle. Perhaps on Monday morning we will put a deposit down on this car to hold it for us while we ask more questions and have time to deal with the logistics of buying a car here in Spain. That is a whole different blog post!

Keep watching - will keep you posted - because as my friend said on facebook - T.I.N.A. so I am sure there are surprises ahead.

We are Official

2012-01-13T08:04:00.000+01:00

After a crazy process that spanned since October 3, yesterday we picked up our residency cards and we are all official residents of Spain for one year. Not only does this mean we survived this process, it also means we can now open a "real" bank account ( we have had a temporary one since arriving), we can look for cell phones, we can get frequent buyer cards for local stores, and more.

We celebrated yesterday with cheese dip (A co-worker had just returned from the US and brought back Velveeta and Rotel to prepare for the celebration. She too received her residency cards yesterday), fried chicken, mashed potatoes, Napa Salad, and chocolate neopolitans from a local bakery. Thank goodness we don't have big celebrations like this too often or every pound I have lost since arriving would be found.

Thanks for all your prayers! Although there were some "bumps" along the way, the process went relatively smooth.

Beef Stew

2012-01-11T14:41:00.003+01:00

No good Spanish kitchen will be without a pressure cooker, so trying to fit in, I asked for a pressure cooker for Christmas. Then after getting the pressure cooker and reading the manual in Spanish I set out to try to find some Spanish recipes that my family would eat.

This recipe was a hit! And in Spanish style, you serve it with roasted potatoes (crispy) or french fries. Put the stew on your plate and your fries beside it. Yes, the fries will get a little soggy, but they are actually really good that way.

Madrid Style Beef Stew

Ingredients:

1 yellow or white onion
4 cloves garlic
2.2 lbs (1 kg) veal or beef (stew meat cut into chunks)
4-5 Tbsp (approximately) flour for coating meat
5-6 Tbsp Spanish virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
20 whole black peppercorns
1/2 tsp thyme
1-2 parsley stems
2 cups (500 ml) white wine
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lb (500 gr) potatoes
1 sweet green pepper
2 cups (500 ml) Spanish virgin olive oil for frying

Preparation:

Peel and slice onion and garlic into thin strips.
Chop parsley. Set aside.
Pour flour and a tsp salt onto a large dinner plate and mix together.
Pour a few tablespoons of Spanish olive oil into a large pot or casserole dish and heat on medium.
Pat dry meat and dredge through flour.
When oil is hot, brown meat on all sides.
Add onion and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients, except potatoes and green pepper.
Adjust salt to taste.
Stir well.
Cover and simmer for 60-90 minutes.

Pressure Cooker Note: If using a pressure cooker, once all ingredients have been added to the pot, close lid and bring to high pressure. Then lower heat and cook for 20-25 minutes.

While the stew is cooking, peel potatoes and fry in a large frying pan. When potatoes are done, remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.

(I did not do the peppers) Remove stem and seeds from pepper.
Cut into long strips.
Pour oil into small frying pan. (Oil should be about 1/4-inch deep in the pan.)
Heat the oil on medium heat and fry peppers until soft.

When meat is tender, place potatoes and peppers into wide, shallow bowls and ladle stew into bowls.

Retiro Park

2012-01-08T20:18:00.001+01:00

I know, I know.... I am way behind in blogging. I have so much I want to share but have had little time. Hopefully in the next couple days I will have some serious blogging time and share with you about our Christmas (more than just pictures), our holiday to the south, King's Day, language progress, friendships, cooking, a new favorite recipe, and more... but for today, I just want to share with you about my the rocks.

The weather has been gorgeous here (60ish during the days) so after church today (by the way, we are settled into a single church while we learn language - another blog post to come about that) we headed to one of the largest parks in Madrid. After navigating the metro system (and learning that there are parts of the system that require separate tickets) we finally made it there.

It is gorgeous. Reminds me a little of Central Park in New York City. Stretches for as far as the eye can see. There are paths that run every direction. In the middle is a lake where you can rent a row boat. Restaurants are sprinkled throughout. Vendors line the walkways. People are climbing on rocks, walking the paths, roller blading and biking. And yet, in the middle of it was a reminder that we are living in a country that is desperate need of the hope of Christ.

All along the walkway were fortune tellers - you could have your palms read or future told through a crystal ball. And yes, people were paying for these services and several of them had lines of people waiting. If that wasn't your method, then stop and see what the Tarot Cards have to say. There wasn't just one of these tables, but numerous ones.

In the middle of this beautiful park full of God's glorious creation, the only thing I could think of was Luke 19:40 "I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

Tomorrow I return to language studies and I pray that I will keep this vision in my head - a motivator to really learn the language. I pray that God will change the hearts of the people and perhaps there will be no need for the stones to cry out.

Our Trip to the South of Spain in Pictures

2012-01-03T16:31:00.000+01:00

Random Christmas Fact #22 - Christmas Eve

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000+01:00

Christmas Eve is known as Nochebuena or "the Good Night." It is a time for family members to gather together to rejoice and feast around the Nativity scenes that are present in nearly every home. As the stars come out, tiny oil lamps are lit in every house, and after Midnight Mass Christmas dinner is served.

Midnight mass on Christmas Eve is called 'La Misa Del Gallo' (The Mass of the Rooster). It is called this because a rooster is supposed to have crowed the night that Jesus was born.

A traditional Christmas Dinner includes:

Appetizer - jamón (Spanish ham), large shrimp, or a seafood soup
Main Dishes - Roast Lamb or 'Pavo Trufado de Navidad' which is Turkey stuffed with truffles (the mushrooms not the chocolate ones!) or Lobster (have heard of very few doing the lamb or turkey, most are doing lobster)
Dessert - Flan and the other pastries mentioned in earlier posts

Random Fact #21 - Parades

2011-12-21T08:53:00.000+01:00

Christmas parades are not a big thing here in Spain, however, King's Day Parades are a whole different story. On January 5, later in the evening - 9:00 ish, almost every city, town, or pueblo will have a King's Day Parade. This is how the kid's know that the kings have made it to their city and will be able to deliver presents to them for the King's Day (remember this is the big present day - the kids put their shoes out for the king's to put presents in and around. We had an American friend ask to borrow Scott's shoes for King's Day - he wears a size 12, she is only in the 4th grade). When the parade is over they return home and often find shoes already filled (assuming the king's dropped them off on their way to the parade).

In small pueblos where the "kings" are known people from the community parents will often give the kid's presents to the kings and as the parade is progressing the kids will receive their gifts, reinforcing that idea that the kings are real (sit on a king's lap and tell him what you want and then he delivers it as he arrives in town - sounds pretty real to me).

Random Christmas Fact #20 - Balthazar

2011-12-20T08:38:00.000+01:00

The final king is Balthazar. He is black and typically has a black beard. He wears a purple coat. He is the king of Egypt and Tarse and represents the myrrh brought to Jesus.

Random Fact #19 - Melchior

2011-12-19T08:37:00.000+01:00

The second king is Melchior. He has long white hair with a long white beard. He wears a long gold coat. He is the king of Arabia and is associated with the gold brought to Jesus.

Random Christmas Fact #18 - Gaspar

2011-12-18T08:36:00.000+01:00

The first of the Three Kings is Gaspar. He has brown hair and usually has a brown beard. He wears a green robe and a gold crown adorned with green jewels. He is the king of Sheba and associated with bringing frankincense.

Operación Niño de la Navidad

2011-12-17T19:26:00.001+01:00

Today we volunteered with Operación Niño de la Navidad. For the past many years we have always participated in Operation Christmas Child in the states. We have packed boxes, sorted boxes, collected and received boxes, and then even went to the processing center. It always kicked off Christmas for us because the whole process occurs much earlier in the states.

Operación Niño de la Navidad has only been in Spain for 3 years so it is still in the baby stages. What a great blessing it was to volunteer at such an intimate level. Hannah and Alex and I probably helped process a couple hundred boxes and it didn't even look like we made a dent. There were a few workers and other volunteers who spoke English which also helped. Everyone found it cool that we had helped in the states where the operation is so much bigger.

Wondering if I have time in my schedule to go back again this week.

Random Fact #17 - 3 Kings Day

2011-12-17T17:54:00.001+01:00

On January 6th, the Three Kings come deliver presents - this is the day many children and families exchange gifts. We see the Three Kings all over Spain! I've even read online that instead of getting your picture with Santa, children will take with the Three Kings (haven't seen this though). Watch for the next 3 days to see the descriptions of each of the kings.

Random Fact About Christmas #16 - Trick or Treat

2011-12-16T22:16:00.001+01:00

You thought Trick or Treat was only for Halloween, but here in Spain they have their own way of doing it. I was told today that it is customary on Christmas Eve for children to come to your door and ring the doorbell. They will then sing you a Christmas carol and you are to give them a treat or a 50 cent piece. Hmm, wonder if they come to apartment doors?

Random Christmas Fact #15 - King's Ring

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

Roscón de reyes (kings' ring) is a Spanish king's cake pastry traditionally eaten to celebrate Epiphany (January 6) The tradition of placing a trinket (figurine of the Christ Child) in the cake is very old. The baby Jesus, when hidden in the bread, represents the flight of Jesus, fleeing from King Herod's evil plan to kill all babies that could be the prophesied messiah. Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed. The candied fruit on top represents the jewels in the king's crown. In some cultures (haven't been able to determine if this is only a Mexican practice or also a Spanish one) whoever finds the figurine must take the figurine to the nearest church on February 2, Candlemas Day (Día de la Candelaria). Other traditions say that the person who gets the figurine in their slice of cake gets to be "king" for the day.

We are seeing these cakes all around town already. I wonder if you buy one early in the season if they have the figurine in them. Perhaps I'll have to buy one and eat it to find out.

Random Fact About Christmas #14 - Polvoron

2011-12-14T08:33:00.004+01:00

At Christmas time in Spain you are able to find all kinds of treats that are not available the rest of the year. In the grocery stories you see whole new sections and most of the items resemble nothing from home. A favorite Christmas treat is a shortbread-like cookie called polvorón. In Spanish, polvorón literally means powder cake. They are made using finely ground almonds, Iberico shortening (originally pig fat), sugar and not much else, so they literally crumble in your mouth! The result is a sweet, slightly crunchy treat.

Polvorones

Time 25 minutes
Serves 16

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose Flour
3/4 cup almonds (raw)
1 cup good quality lard
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup powder sugar (optional)

How to make it

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Measure and pour flour out onto a cookie sheet. Place in oven and "toast" the flour. Occasionally move the flour around on the sheet, so that it toasts evenly. Leave in oven for about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Place raw almonds on another cookie sheet. Toast the almonds until they change color just slightly. Remove and place almonds into a food processor. Process almonds until they are finely ground.
Cream lard, sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and finely ground almonds and continue mixing. The dough will be very crumbly!.
Place a sheet of waxed paper on a cutting board or other flat work surface. Press the dough together to form a ball. Then press the dough onto the waxed paper. Carefully flatten it down to about 1/2 inch. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
Use a small spatula to carefully move the cookies from the waxed paper to a cookie sheet for baking because the dough is very dry and flaky.
Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes at 400ºF.
Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow cookies to cool completely before removing them. Take special care not to break them.
Dust with powder sugar when ready to serve.
Makes approximately 16 cookies.

Random Facts About Christmas #13 - Jota

2011-12-13T13:30:00.000+01:00

The special Christmas dance of Spain is called 'Jota' and it is said that the lyrics and music on which it is performed is centuries old. Musical instruments such as guitars and castanets accompany Jota.

Random Fact About Christmas in Spain #12 - Tio De Nadal

2011-12-13T09:49:00.002+01:00

The Tio de Nadal, or "Christmas log," is a traditional decoration in the homes of the Catalan region of Spain. (By the way, we do not live in the Catalan Region - this region is up in the northeast of Spain) A crudely-painted face adorns one side of the log, and sticks are wedged in the bottom to represent arms and legs. Beginning December 8th, the children of the house "feed" it a little bit of food every day - nuts, dried fruits, etc - and cover it with a blanket at night. And then, on Christmas, the real terror begins. The kids take the Tio and put it into the unlit fireplace. They then hit it with sticks and make it poop out treats - candies, nuts, etc. It's sort of like a stocking here, only everything comes out of a butt.

Mi Esperanza (My Hope)

2011-12-12T10:31:00.001+01:00

At the end of this week the Decision office, a ministry of the Billy Graham Association, will be hosting Mi Esperanza - three days of broadcasts and teaching about Hope. Individuals and evangelical churches here in Spain have been praying together that this time will bring great fruit. Evangelicals have invited friends to join them for a meal and to watch the broadcasts together in their homes and then to have discussion as to what they heard. Will you pray for the families and churches that are hosting friends and family? The broadcasts are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening.

Here is a little more information:

The Need:
We live in times of crisis. Every day we wake up with a new story that shows how our world is suffering and is on the brink of the precipice. Unemployment, foreclosures, bank failures, companies and countries have generated a great despair. Today more than ever we need to provide answers and help foster the hope that a better world is possible.

In Spain there is a strong religious illiteracy in all that is not Catholic. In particular the Spanish culture is marked by ignorance and stereotypes about Protestantism, which promoted the years of intolerance in society, which promotes religious xenophobia actively or passively, consciously or unconsciously. Evangelical Churches assume their share of responsibility for failing to make themselves known, and want to make this campaign the media to express their ideas and contribute in building a more pluralistic and tolerant society. Moreover, we live a time of crisis, where it is necessary to integrate all the alternatives that help to build confidence and hope. In this area, Protestant Christianity is a group already doing this work in many different forms throughout the Spanish territory.

What Is It?
My hope is the project that evangelical churches and organizations have joined in the history of Spain. A project that aims to inform, spreading hope and demonstrate the power of faith, relying on the experience of some of its representative members, from anonymous people, even celebrities and scholars who share their values in three television programs, to be issued on schedule
prime and a national channel.

Around this central axis, the members of each church (parish) used these programs to their homes to invite friends and colleagues to share in a relaxed and informal content of programs. We believe it is so important (or more) talk about the vision of life based on faith, like football or politics.

When Is It?
Television programs will be broadcast on 15, 16 and December 17, 2011 at 9:30 PM (EST)

How:
Every TV show is different but has a similar scheme. Lasts 30 minutes and features of anonymous testimonies of different profiles that match social reality evangelicals who live in Spain. They express the experience and the strength that gives them their faith in the every day, with the aim of making Jesus known and not to a particular religion. also involved some celebrities like footballer Kaká or singer Juan Luis Guerra. In each program there will also be a short speech of evangelical pastor Billy Graham, offering a message of hope to the global crisis that shook our world.

For my Spanish speaking friends, you can watch promos and read more about this event at www.miesperanza.es

Since our language is still very limited we will not be hosting one of these events, however, we will be spending time praying each evening that in the homes around us the hope of eternity is being heard.

The Blessing (or is it a curse?) of Language

2011-12-11T21:28:00.001+01:00

We have been asked several times when are we going to start our "real work?" Another popular question is "what else are you doing other than learning Spanish?" Can't you just use a translator?

I wish we could just use a translator - that would be a lot easier than trying to master a new language. But the simple answer is no, we cannot. We are doing our real work right now and it is a full time job with lots of overtime. To reach those around us we must learn Spanish. It is slow and it is discouraging and it requires a lot of tylenol. We see lots of need and work that needs to be done, and yet we have our noses in books and flash cards. We ask ourselves (and I am sure some of you ask the same question) isn't there something more productive we could be doing?

I am reading Like a Flickering Flame: A History of Protestant Missions In Spain. It is a slow read, even in English. I skipped to the back however and read some of the appendices and I now know there is no shortcut or way around learning language. Appendix I is a "Manifesto to the Foreign Missionaries and Missions in Spain." It is a letter that was sent to missionary societies working in Spain many years ago, yet it still rings true.

In a section entitled Some Facts That Need to Be Pointed Out it says:

A brief trip around Spain, by people without a knowledge of the language and the characteristics of the field, is totally insufficient as a preparation for beginning a new work. Spain is a difficult and complicated place to work for many reasons and a minimum requisite is a serious study through ample consultations.......No one should be sent to the mission field without first knowing that they have the capacity to learn a language, as, without a profound knowledge of the normal means of expression, nothing effective can be done. Spain is a country with a long history and ancient culture that comes directly from the Latin and messages where missionaries "murder" the Spanish are not normally acceptable. Nevertheless, there are cases where missionaries that have not reached a sufficient level of dominating the language after two or three years of study, continue here as "missionaries." Does it surprise us that the national believers ask the reason for this?

Before we were placed in Spain we took a language acquisition test. It says we can learn the language (my brain begs to differ at times) and we are working full time at the task. We are studying the culture and the history of the country. We are doing our "real work." Without this, our work will be futile.

Random Christmas Fact #11 - Swing Sets

2011-12-11T16:53:00.001+01:00

Park in Alcala de Henares (our town)

A custom peculiar to Spain is that of "swinging." Sings are set up throughout the courtyards and young people swing to the accompaniment of songs and laughter. It is believed that swinging at solstice time (December 22) evokes an ancient desire in the sun to 'swing' higher in the sky.

Random Facts About Christmas #10 - No Chimneys

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000+01:00

Since the majority of the population in Spain lives in apartments it is difficult for Santa (or the Kings or any other character) to arrive via the chimney. Instead legend says that Santa arrives via a ladder through the window. You will see plastic or stuffed Santas and Kings hanging from window sills all throughout the country. They aren't trying to jump for their lives, but instead they are climbing a ladder in the window.

Random Facts About Christmas #9 - Olentzero

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000+01:00

In the Basque area of Spain (see map below) legend says that gifts are not brought by Santa or one of the Wise Men, but instead by a character named Olentzero. There are many legends surrounding this character and his personality has evolved over the years.

Basque Country of Spain

The original legend began in the 17th century. One common version has Olentzero being one of the jentillak, a mythological race of Basque giants living in the Pyrenees. Legend has it that they observed a glowing cloud in the sky one day. None of them could look at this bright cloud except for a very old, nearly blind man. When asked to examine it, he confirmed their fears and told them that it was a sign that Jesus will be born soon. According to some stories, the old man asked the giants to throw him off a cliff to avoid having to live through Christianisation. Having obliged him, the giants tripped on the way down and died themselves except Olentzero.

Other versions of the tell that as a new born he was abandoned in the woods and was found by a fairy who gave him the name Olentzero, bestowed gifts of strength and kindness on him and handed him to an older childless couple living alone in the woods. He turned into a strong man and charcoal burner who was also good with his hands, carving wooden toys that he would carry in a big charcoal bag to give to the children of the village. It is said that he died one day saving children from a burning house and that when he died, the fairy who had found him granted him eternal life to continue to bring joy to children and people.

In the modern version, Olentzero is depicted as a lovable character, widely attributed to being overweight, having a huge appetite and thirst. He is depicted as a Basque peasant wearing a Basque beret, a farmer's attire with traditional abarketa shoes and smoking a pipe. Whether he has a beard or not is not yet an established tradition. Sometimes his face is stained with charcoal, as a sign of his trade as a charcoal-burner. On Christmas Eve, groups of people or children carry effigies of Olentzero around on a chair through the streets, singing Olentzero carols and collecting food or sweets (not unlike the American trick or treat) and the traditions surrounding the holiday of Santa Ageda in the Basque Country where oles egitea "asking for alms" is practised. At the end, it is customary in some places to burn the Olentzero.

Random Facts About Christmas #8 - Immaculada

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000+01:00

December 8 is the official start to Christmas. It is a national festival day called Immaculada, a day to honor the Virgin Mary. In Sevilla it is best known for the night before on the 7th when los tunos, university student musical groups or fraternities, dress up and head into the streets to play guitar and sing through the night. All end up in front of La Purisima, leaving flowers and taking turns serenading the statue representing the Virgin Mary. Many people flood the streets and gather around the statue before midnight to get a good view of the serenading. The following day (the 8th) there is a service in the Cathedral with children performing traditional dances.

Random Facts About Christmas #7 - Turon

2011-12-07T14:00:00.001+01:00

A common Christmas treat is Turon. It is a nougat type dessert.

Today these sweets can be bought all over Spain. In olden days, Turron was a costly treat, and was made at home for special occasions such as christmas or Easter. Each family had its own recipe. I haven't made it yet, but it might be fun to try.

250g / 8 oz castor sugar
240g / 8 oz ground almonds
2 egg yolks
1 egg white

Thoroughly mix the sugar and almonds in a bowl. Fold in the egg yolks, one after the other. Whisk the egg white into a stiff foam and fold it into the mixture. Lay a sheet of foil over a baking sheet and place the mixture on it. Press the mixture into a slab about 1.5cm /1/2 inch thick using a rolling pin and your fingers. Cover it with foil and place a wooden board weighted down with a couple of full tin cans on top. Leave the turron to stand for 3 days, so that it dries out and hardnes, then slice it into 2.5cm/ 1 inch squares.

Note: EggBeaters and Just Whites can be used in place of raw eggs.

Ávila

2011-12-07T07:30:00.000+01:00

Ávila is a town that dates back to at least 600 B.C. Around the old city is the one of the best maintained original city walls in all of Europe. Yesterday we took off for a day of exploring. It is an unbelievable city. The weather was wonderful - sunny and clear. The temperatures were moderate. The mood was great. We stopped for coffee, wandering through old churches, walked on top of the wall, had lunch at a beautiful restaurant, shopped a little, and headed home. This is by far my favorite place we have visited so far. There is so much more to see. I cannot wait to have a day to return!

only green grass we have seen since arriving

Random Facts about Christmas #6 - The Cow

2011-12-06T12:30:00.000+01:00

Spanish tradition says that it was the cow that kept baby Jesus warm in the stable, therefore the cow receives special honor at Christmas time.

A Day in Madrid

2011-12-05T23:30:00.000+01:00

Mom, if you are reading this post don't panic - we are safe and still happy....

Sunday we were blessed to attend church at Immanuel Baptist Church in downtown Madrid. The church is an international church and services are in English, although they do space share with a couple other ethnic churches. It was wonderful to worship in our heart language and understand all that was happening. Afterwards we headed into the center of town to experience the Rastro.

Sundays in Madrid are crazy and Sundays in December in Madrid are even crazier! We spent about 30 minutes looking for a parking deck that had open spaces. We finally parked a little further away than we planned so we got on the metro for a short distance. We had been warned to always have purses close to your body and closed and to stay alert. Until yesterday we had never had any problems. The subway was packed. I had my purse across my chest and over my coat (I should have had it under my coat). The man standing next to me kept looking at me sheepishly and I felt my purse move against my leg. After feeling it move more than once (and God nudging me) I grabbed my purse and found it not only unzipped, but my wallet pouch pulled up to the top and unzipped as well. When he realized I had found it he immediately pushed his way across the train towards other people. My credit card and passport were untouched. Most of my cash was still in the pouch as well. I think he may have taken a bill that was on top, but I am not sure. It could have been so much worse so we were relieved! My tutor told me today that there are more pickpocket episodes in December than any other month and of course, those who look like tourists are more likely to be targets.

After getting off the metro we made our way to Rastro (after stopping and asking questions many times). The Rastro is a huge flea market. I read on one website that they limit the number of booths to 3500 vendors. There were people everywhere and you wandered for streets and streets. We bought a couple gifts and then went in search of lunch. A bocadilla is a sandwich on bread similar to a french loaf. Usually cold meat is served on it and since I am not a big sandwich eater, they aren't my favorites, but this restaurant had sandiwches with hot choices. I had a french omelette bocadilla. It was the best sandwich I have had since arriving. We then wandered around some more and headed home.

I can now say I have done the Rastro, however, it is not on my list of things to repeat. Not because of the pickpocketer, but because there were way too many people in too small of a place. Everyone should experience it at least once, but once was enough.

Sock Booth

Yes, those are people all the way up the hill

A rubber booth - all sizes of rubber

Beggars entertaining for money

Entrance to Plaza Mayor

Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T21:00:00.000+01:00

I know, we are knee deep in Christmas plans and I am just writing about Thanksgiving, but better late than never, right?

Spain does not celebrate Thanksgiving so Scott and Alex had school on Thursday, postponing our celebration to Saturday. Most of the foods we traditionally eat for Thanksgiving meal are not traditional foods in Spain, so the event required some creativity. We were gathering with several other families who are also serving here, making a total of 20 people.

As for the food,

Turkey - this had to be special ordered and a large one was requested, but no control over the size. Definitely no butterball factory here. The turkey wasn't quite large enough so notice the "extra" legs. The turkey did not come frozen and did not come totally plucked. Glad I signed up for dessert and not the turkey!

I made my first pumpkin pie totally from scratch (well, I didn't make the crust - I found it frozen). It tasted so much better than anything I had made before and wasn't a lot more work. Definitely worth it! Of course, if you know me, no Thanksgiving would be complete without something chocolate so I also made Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie pie and Hannah made a Snickerdoodle Cake.

Random Facts About Christmas #5 - April Fools

2011-12-05T18:17:00.001+01:00

Yes, April's fool is in December in Spain, although not called April's Fool. December 28 is called the day of Santos Inocentes (Holy Innocents). People play practical jokes on one another. Often the national media will include a nonsense story in their broadcasts. In some villages youngsters of a village light bonfires and one of them acts as the mayor who orders townspeople to carry out civic tasks such as sweeping the streets. Refusal to comply results in fines which are used to pay for the celebration.

Random Facts About Christmas #4 -

2011-12-04T08:00:00.000+01:00

At this time of the year around our home in North Carolina you cannot walk into a single store without seeing santa and a line of children waiting to sit on his lap and share their wish list. It will be rare to find a santa in the malls here, but instead you will find the Three Wise Men. However, they are not out yet. Since we have not yet celebrated Christ's birth they could not be on their way yet. They will appear the day after Christmas and will help prepare for Los Tres Reyes (Three Kings Day) on January 6. Children will wait in line to choose a king to sit on his lap and share their wish list. Often the three kings will have distinct different appearances - a white haired one, a brown haired one, and a black king.

Random Facts about Christmas in Spain #3

2011-12-03T08:00:00.000+01:00

In most Spanish towns you will find an elaborate Belen (a nativity display for the public - think about the nativity scene you have in homes and then add all of the village of Bethlehem to it for a Spanish Belen). They range in sizes all across the country. When Scott and I were walking the other night we came across one in a store window. It was lit up and played music through the windows. We could have stood there and examined it for hours. However, we did not know that we should have been looking for the Caganer. A caganer is a gnome-like man squatting with his pants down. He is hidden within the Belen. It is not unusual for children to be entertained by asking them "Where's Caganer?"

Roast Update

2011-12-02T21:08:00.001+01:00

The roast was fabulous! Tasted just like home!

A "quick" Shopping Trip

2011-12-02T08:34:00.001+01:00

I try to live life as much like a Spaniard as I can. My language stinks and my appearance will always yell foreigner, but in other ways I can try to adapt, for example, with shopping.

My impression (and teaching) is that most women do most of their shopping at small shops - meat stores, fruit stands, bread store, etc. After my language lesson yesterday I made my shopping list and headed out. The list wasn't long - laundry detergent, pie crust, diet coke, lomo (Pork tenderloin slices), pot roast, tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, bananas, and bread. Not much, right?

I grabbed my granny cart and off to the first stop (a 5- 10 minute walk) - Mercadona. Mercadona is a typical grocery store. Not huge in American standards, but decent size. Laundry detergent and pie crust were marked off the list for this stop. Of course I picked up several things that were not on the list, loaded them into the granny cart and was off to the next stop, the fruit store.

Mercadona - Grocery Store

There are two fruit stores near me that I like. One is combined with a fish store. The lady there is VERY patient with me and will attempt to teach me Spanish as well. I got lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes (5 kg - had to rearrange the granny cart so they were on the bottom and not squishing anything else), bananas, and then I saw mangoes. Hannah loves mangoes so I thought this would be a treat for her. They were 5.95€/kg ($8.03/2.2lbs) so I only asked for one. Do you know how much a single mango weighs? One mango was 2.75€ (nearly $4). Oh my - it better be good! The mango cost as much as the rest of my produce all together.

My Favorite Meat Store

Next stop was the meat store. Two young guys are the butchers. They are always laughing and smiling and I think they probably roll in the floor laughing every time I leave - but at least while I am in there they are helpful. There are two lines - one for chicken, one for beef and pork. I almost always get chicken (because it is healthier, right? uh not the real reason - I know the vocabulary for ordering it better than the beef). So the "chicken butcher" immediately gets ready and I tell him not today. He "pouts" while the other tells him I have left him for the better side of the market. I order the lomo - that one is easy - then I attempt my pot roast.

The pot roast is an on-going story. I can only imagine that a pot roast here will be wonderful and tender. The meat is much better here than at home. This was my 3rd attempt at a roast. First time I just tried it - no real vocabulary, figured I could wing it. We all laughed and I came home with my standard chicken. Second attempt I had looked up the part of the cow it comes from and knew that word. Chicken again. This time I had my language tutor write down for me what I wanted. Much more laughter, but at least this time the butcher had a piece of meat in his hands. I asked if it was from the shoulder and he said no. We then (along with the chicken butcher) played charades as I tried to explain again what I wanted. Finally the chicken butcher went in the back and brought a huge hunk of meat - a beef shoulder and we all thought we were finally making progress. I told him how much I wanted and he trimmed it and weighed it and then the cost came up.

16€ for 1.4 kilograms ($21.59/3 lbs). Gulp! At that point I didn't have any option except to buy it - they had been so good at trying to figure out what I wanted. After I paid for it I asked the beef butcher to write down for me what I had finally gotten so that I could ask for it again (or avoid it). He wrote it down and off to the next stop.

Blue "Chino"

Granny cart is full and heavy - remember the laundry detergent and 5 kg (11lbs) of potatoes but we are almost finished. I stop at my favorite "chino" for bread and order two "bars of de la casa, caliente" (2 loaves of the house bread, hot). As I am coming out - bread under arm, granny cart dragging behind me, and list in my hand - I realize I forgot carrots. No problem, I'll just go to the other fruit and veggie stand I like - no way I am going all the way back to the first one - too far and she'd laugh at me for forgetting it. The lady at this fruit stand always laughs and is personable and if she has no customers she is standing out in the courtyard visiting. When I arrive she comes in (along with her 2 friends she was visiting with - I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't tell them, oh here comes the crazy American with no language - this will be fun). I ask for my 5 carrots (in Spanish as I now know both of those words) but have no clue how much money she said it was. She came around the counter and then very slowly said the amount (45 cents). When I understood what she said her face lit up and she got all excited. Nothing like having your own language cheerleader!

Entrance to Apartment

Almost back to the apartment and I realized the one thing on my list that wasn't crossed off - Diet Coke! No way I am going home without that. Right below our apartment is another "chino" (these are small variety stores with everything from food to hardware in them - called "chino" because the majority are owned by Chinese residents). I work my way into that door (remember, the granny cart, bread under the arm, carrots in a bag in my hand, winter coat on, .... ) wiggle past the others and find my diet coke (yes, they even have caffeine free diet coke here!) and purchase it. Oh if there had been a video camera I could have won America's Funnies Videos! Out the door I come, dragging my very heavy granny cart, toting the bread, carrots, and now diet coke under my arm, and digging in my purse to find my keys (you have to have a key to get into the building) and I see one of my Spanish friends. We speak and she comments on all my "things." I tell her about my variety of stops and she responds in Spanish and some English "I go to Mercadona (remember the store I started at?)"

What do you do but laugh at that moment and pray that the mango and "roast" are the best things we have tasted in months! (check back tomorrow for a roast update - by the way, when I got home I translated what the butcher wrote down for me - it meant butcher's cut - so I still have no real idea what I bought)

Random Fact about Christmas in Spain - #2

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000+01:00

What do you expect to hear on the street corners at Christmas time? Silver Bells or the Salvation Army bell? Not in Spain. On every corner you will find people asking you to buy a lottery ticket for the Christmas lottery - El Gordo (English translation - The Fat One). This lottery has been going on since 1812. The winning ticket will be drawn on December 22.

25 Facts about Christmas in Spain

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000+01:00

It's our first Christmas in Spain and there is so much to learn, so I thought I would take you on a 25 day learning spree (with the help of my friend Caitlin Murano). Each day in December you will find some new random fact about Christmas in Spain. I hope you enjoy learning along with me.

There are four ways to say Merry Christmas in Spain because

there are four different languages spoken in Spain.

¡Feliz Navidad! (Spanish)
Bon Nadal! (Catalan)
Eguberri On! (Basque)
Bo Nadal! (Galician)

Residency Update, Again

2011-11-28T14:09:00.001+01:00

We are ALL APPROVED!

Our trip back to the residency office was successful today. We have all been approved for our temporary residence status. Now we wait 45 days and then return to pick up the cards. Of course, these are only good for a year, but hopefully the next time around will be without hiccups.

Operation Christmas Child

2011-11-26T09:25:00.001+01:00

I cannot remember the first time we particiapted in Operation Christmas Child. It seems like something we have done forever. Pack a shoebox for a child somewhere in the world. Originally it was all about giving to the less fortunate, especially at Christmas. But then the more I learned, it was about sharing the hope of Christ. It became a traditional way of "kicking off" the Christmas season for our family.

Then we moved to Spain. Knowing that many traditions would need to be let go of we never dreamed we would be able to continue this one. But Thursday night we met with our new friends for a packing party. Together we packed nearly 20 boxes, sampled American desserts, shared where the boxes from Spain went last year, and I even got a chance to share how I had seen the boxes in "real life" in other locations.

Operation Christmas Child is a smaller operation here. The Disciple office (a Billy Graham Ministry) manages the boxes here. All the boxes from Spain go to specific, spanish speaking locations in the world. We are learning a lot about the process. In fact, we even turned in our request to volunteer at their processing office later in December.

It is so cool to be able to carry this tradition on!

Residency Update

2011-11-26T09:16:00.001+01:00

We returned to complete the final step of our residency applications yesterday, or so we thought.

Good News: Scott and I have successfully completed the process. In about 45 days we will return one more time to pick up our residency cards. At that point, if we have not passed the driver's license test we will have to stop driving. We will be able to get "real" bank accounts as well as other services or perks. Of course, this first card is only good for one year and then we will have to repeat the entire process all over again.

Bad News: The kids did not successfully complete the process. As we were completing the final step it was discovered that the first step was done incorrectly. The kids were listed as independent people and not connected to a parent. They are minors so this is a big problem.... so, on Monday we go back to Aluche (an old jail that is now where residency applications are processed) and talk with the man in charge to see how to correct it. The good news is that Scott can go to language school and I can take them. Alex says the good news is also that he gets to miss school (he did not have Thanksgiving off).

Keep praying. They say this is normal (to have several hiccups in the process) so we are not worried. Besides, God has been faithful to this point so I have no reason to think He will not continue to be faithful.

Residency

2011-11-19T08:48:00.001+01:00

Coming to live legally in Spain is not such a simple task. If you have been following the blog for long you know that last April we began the process of collecting paperwork for our visa applications. On June 13 we finally had it all together and we went and applied (all four of us, in person, in Washington, DC) for our visas. Then in early September we received word that mine and Scott's visas were ready however the children's visas had not been issued yet. Then yes, 3 days before we left for Spain all four were ready and along with a friend I made a quick trip to DC to pick them all up. Then shortly after arriving in Spain, Hannah and I took an overnight trip to London so that she could enter the country after receiving her visa. But the visa is only the beginning of the process.

Once here we had a few days to go to the ayuntamiento (local government office) to complete our empadronamiento (basically census paperwork). In addition, we had 30 days to apply for our residency status.

Now the fun begins - here is how the process is supposed to work:

call, go online, fax, or go to the processing station and request an appointment to apply for residency
all adults appear in the processing station with a pile of paperwork and copies of everything and submit application
be awarded a residency number
go to a different location and request an appointment for fingerprinting (of entire family) and final application process
return to location for appointment
return 45 - 60 days later and pick up residency card

And here is how our process has worked (with each step including help from a co-worker who actually speaks Spanish:

faxed request for appointment and received a return call to go ASAP to a different location to set up an appointment
went to the location (a little more than an hour commute each way) and indicated we were there to set up an appointment, however, we had brought all paperwork just in case there was an available appointment that day
a nice young man said he had time to process us right then and 30 minutes later we were walking out of the office with residency paperwork - only to realize a little while later there was a problem
unsure how to handle the problem (we were assigned a residency status different than we wanted/needed) we forwarded all our paperwork to an attorney who has helped in similar situations
side note: you have 30 days to complete the residency process once you are awarded a residency status
3 weeks later (two days ago) we hear back that the easiest solution is to go back to the original office with all our paperwork in hand again and just attempt to explain the confusion (in Spanish of course) -and yes, still need to comply with the 30 days.
So yesterday, Friday, another co-worker takes us back to the original office to explain the problem and once again we were greeted by a very friendly lady who had to do some research - about 30 minutes later we were called over to sign our new residency paperwork and this time it is correct
but with the 30 days almost gone we were sent directly to another facility (20 minute drive away) to request our fingerprint appointment
We sat/stood in line for an hour to get our appointment and now next Friday we will return to sit/stand in line again to finalize the process.

Are you as confused as we are yet? We are blessed with great, patient co-workers who have helped us with this process. I have a whole new appreciation for immigrants coming to America without language. If we ever return to live permanently in the states again it will be with a whole different perspective.

When we were waiting in line to make an appointment we were seated on benches in a tent outside. Periodically an employee would come to the tent, allow the first row to enter the building, and then in a very orderly way the rows would snake their way around so that there was a new first row. There was no pushing or shoving and little frustration. The air was filled with a chill, yet you heard a variety of languages. Made me stop and ponder how those coming to America through Ellis Island must have felt. This was much less crowded, much more orderly, and we had a Spanish speaking person helping us through the process, yet - totally at the mercy of a country with a different language and procedures and processes we don't understand. Those first immigrants to America were mighty brave!

All in all, we have had an easy process with friendly people. And just think, all of this expires in one year and we do it again!

not sure how

A Day in the Pueblos

2011-11-14T08:21:00.001+01:00

Saturday was gorgeous here. The temperatures were nearing 70 degrees and although quite windy the higher we went, we couldn't avoid being outside. We decided cleaning and organizing could wait for a rainy or cold day and headed out to explore. We had been told one pueblo not too far from here was pretty, so off we went. When we reached the original town we didn't find a lot to see so decided to just keep on trekking (thank goodness for a GPS). We ended up stopping in several towns, doing a little shopping, a lot of tasting, and even finally went to the "city" to stop at a mall.

I have been looking for a rug for the living room that I could afford and was so excited when we stopped at a farmer's market and found one that was the right size, color, and price. But I didn't want to carry it around while we shopped so I left and thought I'd just stop back by when we were ready to leave.

So, after about 30 minutes of walking around and buying a few items I went back ready to buy the rug and it was gone. I was so disappointed but the stand owner proceeded to tell me in Spanish that if I could wait 30 minutes he could get another one. Sure, why not. 30 minutes is just enough time to find the local pasteleria (pastry store) for a few samples. I have fallen in love with Spanish chocolate or cream filled Neapolitans and any excuse is a good excuse to have one.

Sure enough, 30 minutes later we returned and he had a carpet for me. It looks perfect in the living room.

On the way home we stopped at the mall for lunch and had American food, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Burger King and shopped for Alex's birthday (he turns 13 Tuesday). Ended up buying both he and Scott bikes (not setting Alex free on these roads for a long time). He is quite excited.

We are definitely not ready for rain and winter to return.

2011-11-11T08:39:00.001+01:00

God is moving and working in Spain. We can see it all around us. There are so many opportunities available in these days. Today is 11-11-11 and the country is having it's largest lottery give away, 11 million Euros. Elections are right around the corner and major changes in the government are predicted. Billy Graham Association is hosting a 3 night television program called Mi Esperanza (My Hope) in early December. People are seeking for the truth. Will you pray Psalm 67 for Spain?

¹ May God be gracious to us and bless us
   and make his face shine on us—
² so that your ways may be known on earth,
   your salvation among all nations.
³ May the peoples praise you, God;
   may all the peoples praise you.
⁴ May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
   for you rule the peoples with equity
   and guide the nations of the earth.
⁵ May the peoples praise you, God;
   may all the peoples praise you.
⁶ The land yields its harvest;
   God, our God, blesses us.
⁷ May God bless us still,
   so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Day Light Savings Time

2011-11-10T08:43:00.001+01:00

I am not a fan of day light savings time! Actually, it falls on my list of things I REALLY don't like. The days end too early, the evenings are too long, and the life schedules don't change to match the daylight hours. However, last night I found a new joy in it.

Alex has soccer from 5:30 - 7:00 in the old part of Alcala. It is filled with historic buildings, cobble stone streets, and interesting sounds and smells. I usually go to a coffee shop for part of the time, but last night I was drawn into the streets by the sights. It was the first time I had been in the area as the sun was setting. A whole different view of the town.

Streets are lined with bars, cafe's, and restaurants - many have outdoor seating because
you can no longer smoke inside restaurants.

Gate at Alex's School

The Market

2011-11-08T13:11:00.000+01:00

Another food post - I promise I do more than just think about food.

One of my favorite foods here is fresh squeezed orange juice. It is orange season and oranges and clementines and mandarins are everywhere. I bought a juicer attachment for my mixer and we have fresh squeezed juice several times a week. The best place to get the oranges is at the open air market. It is on our side of town on Tuesdays so I thought I would share a pictorial journey of going to the market today.

A look at the market. It is about 5 blocks from our apartment.
It runs the length of a street that is closed off on Tuesdays. It
occurs regardless of the weather and you can buy mostly fresh produce, underwear, pajamas, and a few purses. There are also usually a few "odd" things for sale there. In addition, you will findmany gypsies standing on the opposite side of the street selling things directlyfrom their hands or off a tarp on the ground.

Although I may head to the market in search of a single item I always come home with a cart full. I use this "granny cart" whether I am going to the open air market or to the grocery store. Amazing what all can fit in it.

This is what made it home with me today. I spent $10 Euros (about $13.75 in US Dollars). It included 8 kg of juice oranges, 3 kg of green grapes (which by the way have seeds), 5 small pears, 3 bananas, and 3 kg of vine ripe tomatoes.

Gofre

2011-11-07T22:27:00.001+01:00

My new favorite snack is called Gofre. That is spanish for waffle. It is a snack that does something crazy to your mind because it looks just like a waffle. The first time I saw someone eating one I was totally confused - why would anyone eat a cold waffle out of a plastic package? Then I tasted one - they may look like a waffle, but they aren't. They are solid and topped with crystalized sugar. You can even get them topped with chocolate. They leave a little waxy feeling in your mouth - but well worth it! Apparently you can also find fresh ones in bakeries topped with everything from whipped cream to fruit sauces. I am definitely going to be on a gofre hunt in the near future!

Alex's Blog

2011-11-03T17:24:00.000+01:00

Alex (our 12 year old) is attending public school here in Spain. He is in a class for students who are learning Spanish as a Second Language. Their class has begun a blog - a way of sharing their language progress as well as practicing thier language. It is pretty cool when you realize that at the beginning of the school year these students had next to no Spanish language.

Alex's Class Blog

Not in Spain

2011-11-01T07:54:00.000+01:00

Many have asked about things we can not find in Spain so I have added a page to the blog entitled Not In Spain. This list will be a continually changing list so check back often. The more we shop and adjust to life I am sure I will find things I thought did not exist (mostly because of the language issue) and other things that I thought did.

(Siempre Tu) Forever Yours

2011-10-30T21:50:00.001+01:00

This weekend I served as an assistant cook for a youth retreat here in Spain. There were nearly 70 youth and youth workers. I understood very little of what was being said or done but had a good time anyhow. We served a lot of food (remember a Spanish schedule includes 5 meals per day) and laughed a lot.

I sat in one of the worship sessions. I am still amazed how the Holy Spirit can speak and move even when I don't understand the language at all. This was one of the songs they sang. Don't worry, I'll give you the English translation at the end. I tried to find it being sung on You Tube put didn't have any luck. It was a beautiful and unique description of Christ.

Tu que eres dueno del tiempo,
Tu que agrandas mi ilusion,
Tu que seguiras haciendo
Todo lo que no puedo hacer yo,
Tu que enciendes mi esperanza,
Que eres mi necesidad,
Que das vida a tus palabras,
Vida que ya nunca morira
Quiero sumergirme
Eneste amor sin tregua

Tu que cuidas cada paso
Regalandome tu amor
Que olvidas mis fracasos
Que me has dado tu perdon
Que vives en mi mente
Que me haces diferente
Que me alivias siempre tu
Que nunca me abandonas
Que me aceptas como soy
Que conoces mis horas
Que me has puesto donde estoy
Que te llamasa mis padre,
Que me amas como nadie
Que me asombraas siempre tu

Tu que has sido mi refugio
Al llegar la tempestad
Que no hoy nada mas seguro
Que la luz de tu fidelidad
Quiero summergirme
En este amor sin tregua

(a very rough translation)

You who are Masters of Time,
You who enlarge my illusion,
You will continue to do
All I can not do myself,

Your turn on my hope,
What are my needs,
To give life to your words,
Life that will never die
I want to dive
In this love relentlessly

Your every step you take care
Giving your love
You forget my failures
You have given me your forgiveness
You live in my mind
You are different
You always soothe me
You never abandon me
You accept me as I am
You know my hours
You that know where I am
You that I call father,
You love me like nobody
You always amazes me

You who have been my refuge
By the storm
That I cannot be anymore secure today
May the light of your truth
I want to dive
In this love relentlessly

A Challenge

2011-10-27T14:00:00.001+02:00

I don't usually just post a video or movie from somewhere else, but this sermon is well worth the hour it takes to listen to it. I challenge you to first pray that your heart and ears will be open to hear whatever God wants you to hear from this and then be prepared to be challenged. It is well worth the hour to stop and listen.

From Every Land to Every Land: The Internationalization of Missions – Its Potential and the Price

The Apple Pie

2011-10-25T21:28:00.000+02:00

And one more cooking post...

I wanted to make an Upside Down Caramel Apple Pie. I've made it a dozen times and never had any problems, but something about crossing the ocean changed that whole story.

From the beginning:

I don't have a pie plate so I borrowed two pie pans (thinking the two would equal the volume of my large Pampered Chef pie plate)
I bought two boxes of pie crust - after using my dictionary to translate both Spanish and french to be sure I had pie crust and not phyllo dough or pizza crust (got at two different stores after deciding I would make two instead of one - one was a french brand and the directions were in french instead of Spanish)
I went to the outdoor market and bought apples.
I pulled out the recipe ready to attack it -
Problem #1 - the recipe calls for white Karo syrup - there is no syrup in Spain, much less a specific type.
Google to the rescue - searched for how to make homemade Karo syrup and did so
Made the caramel sauce that calls for brown sugar - brown sugar is not the same over here - it is dry and granular like white sugar in the states - doesn't cook the same because of the lack of moisture
Open the pie crusts - and discover one box has two in it and the other has one - I need four - this recipe has a top and bottom crust.
No problem - my pans are small and I can cut off some crust and make a fourth crust
Make flavoring for inside of pie - calls again for brown sugar and cinnamon and nutmeg - no nutmeg in Spain either, so just used all cinnamon
Go to put the 2 pies in the oven that took 30 minutes to preheat and discover only one pan fits.
Cook first pie and right after putting the 2nd pie in to cook the oven turns off - if it stays hot for longer than it thinks is acceptable it turns off (I am sure I am doing something wrong with it, but the knobs and directions are not in English) - I didn't notice it had turned off so had to take pie out of oven and reheat the oven and then finish cooking the 2nd pie
Dump pies out on plate and enjoy as well as deliver one to friends

Never a boring moment in the Hunter's kitchen!

UPSIDE DOWN CARAMEL APPLE PIE

This is a Pampered Chef recipe.

Glaze and pastry

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbl butter, melted
1Tbl corn syrup
1/3 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1 package refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Filling

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3Tbl all purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
4 large Granny Smith apples
1 Tbl lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. For glaze, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in Stoneware 9" Pie Plate; spread evenly onto bottom. Chop pecans using Food Chopper; sprinkle over sugar mixture. Top with 1 pastry crust; set aside.

For filling, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in 1-Qt Batter Bowl; mix well. Peel, core and slice apples using Apple/Peeler/Corer/Slicer; cut slices crosswise in half. Place apple slices in Classic 2-Qt Batter Bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice.

Layer half of the apples in pastry-lined Pie Plate; sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Place remaining crust over filling. Fold edge of top crust under edge of bottom crust; flute edge. Cut several slits in top crust.

Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Loosen edge of pie from Pie Plate; carefully invert pie onto heat resistant serving plate. Scrape any remaining caramel topping from pie plate onto pie.

Cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Vocabulary Does NOT equal Understanding

2011-10-25T18:00:00.000+02:00

I just had to laugh. I was so excited I knew the words for a whole, cut up chicken and was thrilled to find exactly what I wanted. In America a whole, cut up chicken is 8 pieces - 2 each of legs, thighs, breasts, and wings. Perfect for frying or other recipes that call for whole pieces.

However, knowing the words here does not equal understanding what you are getting. A whole, cut up chicken here is closer to 25 or more pieces! They literally mean cut-up! Oh well, glad I was making chicken soup this time.

Eating in Spain

2011-10-25T08:53:00.000+02:00

We are learning a lot about Spain and the culture and the people. One of the many things we are learning is that we like the Spanish food schedule - except when it comes to doing so many dishes!

The food schedule here is 5 meals a day.

Breakfast - this is around 8:00 or so - consists of cafe con leche (coffee with milk) or a hot chocolate milk drink and cookies or toast. Simple meal.
2nd Breakfast - this is around 11 or 11:30. Even the schools and many employers recognize this meal. This is again a coffee or a cola and a tapa size meal. It could consist of 1/2 of a sandwich, chocolate and churros, or a smaller serving of a main dish (I had a dish with potatoes, ham, and an egg the other day - about 6 -8 bite size). If you are going to eat out somewhere, this is the meal to do it at. Many of the restaurants offer free tapa when you order a drink. If you are out shopping or traveling or doing errands you always stop for this meal.
Lunch - served around 2:30. This is the biggest meal of the day. Most days I try to have it prepared and ready when Scott and Alex get home from school. This meal would be equivalent to the American evening meal. Today's menu is pork fillets, a salad, mashed potatoes, and baked apples.
Merienda - between 5:30 and 6:30. You might serve meat and cheese and crackers with chips and fruit, or a quiche, or something light - purpose is to hold you over to dinner.
Dinner - served between 8 and 10 at night. This is again a full meal. For example last night I cooked pan fried fish, roasted vegetables, fruit, and bread.

We love the first three meals. We find that unless we have company we either do Merienda or Dinner, but not both - unless someone wants a snack or a piece of fruit. My first thought was that I would be as big as a house after living here for a month, but I actually think I may be losing weight. The meals are healthier and the portions are smaller because you know another meal is in 3 hours are so. And then of course there is all the walking! Most meat, fruit, and vegetables are fresh. Canned food and frozen food is not easily obtained.

Eating a full meal out is expensive so we do that only for a treat. A combination meal at McDonalds is about the equivalent of $9.

What about church?

2011-10-23T06:39:00.000+02:00

It is early Sunday morning and many have wondered where do we go to church here in Spain and what is it like. For now, the where is a complicated answer. We are church students (and we often say preschool students). We will not have our own church to attend or help with for quite a while. Our first job is learn about church here. We will be visiting all the churches that our teammates work with first. That accounts for about 6 different churches.

Also, we are going to be doing quite a bit of traveling and sight seeing over the first year so that we can learn about the places and events that helped make Spain what it is today. Just like each of us, Spaniards are very proud of their history and their famous landmarks and we want to understand it as well. When we are away from our home on a Sunday we will visit other evangelical churches.

Church services are longer than the average service in America. They are also more interactive. Many of the songs they sing are the same ones we sing, however in Spanish. And something crazy happens in my brain at that point - I know the words to a song until the person next to me is singing in Spanish and then I can't remember a single lyric.

Several mission trips ago I decided I could use church in a foreign language for one of two purposes - to learn the language or worship. I have chosen worship. Although I don't understand most of what is said or sung, I can sit back and let my brain relax and worship. The Holy Spirit transcends all languages and will speak even if you do not understand the pastor.

Then, usually sometime on Sunday or Monday, I try to find an online service to watch on the Internet. If you are a member of a church that broadcasts your entire service, let me know. Most only do the sermon and you miss out on something there. I know it is more expensive for churches to include the music on their podcast (royalties and etc), but those of serving on foreign fields say thank you for spending the money.

We miss our home church, but we are learning the discipline of not depending on someone else to take us to the throne of God or to spoon feed us discipleship.

Today we are going to church in Azuqueca (pronounced A-thu-ka-ka). We will walk about 20 minutes to the train station then take a 10 minute train ride then walk a couple of blocks. A whole new lifestyle!

These are a few of my favorite things

2011-10-21T09:31:00.000+02:00

Life in Spain is different than anything I have ever experienced. Every sound, sight, and smell reminds me "I am not in NC anymore."

Here are a few of my favorite things:

The sound of our town waking up. Most windows in Spain have persianas on them. These are metal blinds that keep the heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter. They can make a room pitch black no matter the time of the day. But, they are noisy. You know when your neighbors go up or down. In the mornings when you walk through the streets you can hear them going up everywhere.
Chocolate Neapolitans. We had them for our first time yesterday - maybe a mistake to have tasted them. Oh they are wonderful! Kind of like a croissant, but not as flaky (or messy) and filled with either a cream filling or chocolate.
Bread shops - nothing like the smell of fresh baked bread filling the streets.
Coffee Time - not unusual to just stop along the way with a friend for coffee and a tapa (a small snack). Relationships are important here and coffee time helps solidify them.
New Friends - each new friend here is a jewel. I don't understand most of what they are saying, but their faces and bodies tell me I am being accepted.
Teammates - to sit with a teammate and pray together is an unexplainable gift.
Zach - I hear from him more now that we are on this side of the ocean than when were closer together geographically. I love his quick one sentence emails throughout the day.
Watching language grow in the kids and Scott - they are doing so good!
Spontaneity - I have never been a spontaneous person, but this is a spontaneous lifestyle. Just stop by for a visit, just decide to do an errand, just decide to take a trip, .... I am learning to love it.
Sunshine - It has not rained since Hannah arrived here on August 25 (although we have a slight chance of light rain on Monday). The skies are not cloudy and the sun shines bright. Sometimes just getting out and walking in the sunshine makes everything ok.

Home

2011-10-13T08:53:00.000+02:00

Hannah and I went to London yesterday (Hannah had to leave Spain so that she had a passport stamp entering Spain after the issue of her visa) and as we were preparing to return to Spain she asked me if I was ready to go home. That question made me stop and gulp. Home, where was home?

In June we sold our house in Kernersville and for six weeks we lived amidst boxes and in a continual yard sale. In July we moved into a temporary home, a blessing bigger than words could ever express, yet it was a borrowed home. At the end of September we moved to Spain and landed in our own apartment, yet no furniture was followed by lots of Ikea boxes and furniture in every stage from still int eh box, partially assembled, and usable.

There is just something about the place you lay your head. I know the old saying "home is where the heart is." Maybe that is why that question was so hard to answer. I know that I am where I am supposed to be, but there is still a piece of my heart that isn't sure where it is.

So my answer to Hannah's question - I was ready to be back with family, but home is still a little hard to define.

No Groceries in the House

2011-10-11T09:39:00.002+02:00

Another lesson I learned this weekend is that the stores in our area do not open back up after siesta on Saturday and not at all on Sunday, and oh by the way, they don't open on fiesta days either - which yesterday happened to be. Not such a big deal when I lived in North Carolina - there was always something in the freezer (even if it wasn't our first choice) and of course I believed in an overflowing pantry. Here - well, let's just say the cupboards were bare!

Sunday was fine, but Monday was time to get creative. Breakfast was easy (coffee and cookies is acceptable here), 2nd breakfast just begged for churros and chocolate (the restaurants are open on fiesta days - but the budget said only one stop at a restaurant).

After that I was off to explore the neighborhood to determine what was open. First I found an open bread store so 2 loaves of the "de la casa" (bread of the house - basically french loaves) were added to the bag. Next I found an a small fruit stand that was open. Apples, oranges, plantains and grapes were added. Finally I explored the chino (a small variety store - reminds me of Dollar General - has a little of everything in it and appears to almost always be open) and added a package of bacon and sandwich bread (Alex has a field trip today and had to have bread to pack his lunch with today) to the bag. Then I was back home.

Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and consisted of french toast with bacon. Of course no syrup in the house so it was topped with jelly or honey.

Merienda (the snack meal between lunch and dinner, served around 6:00) was apple crisp. We had a team meeting here last night so it was a little fancier than normal.

And dinner, well let's just say it was individualized. Hannah had a cheese quesadilla (made with cured goat cheese), Alex had a bag of cereal (a close replica of Cinnamon Toast Crunch), I had cheese with crackers and an orange, and Scott had bread and cheese and a couple carrots.

Guess what is first on the agenda today? Yep, grocery shopping!

Lessons from Spain, so far

2011-10-08T11:24:00.000+02:00

Today marks 1 week since we arrived. According to everyone around us, we have accomplished more than expected - having internet in our apartment being a prime example. The week has been filled with to do lists, paperwork, shopping, language learning, visiting, and lots of lesson learning. I thought today I might share a few of those lessons with you.

Kitchen floors in Spain have to be mopped almost daily, if not more often. I don't get it - but somehow the floor is covered in black, sticky streaks every morning. How can this same family of four make such a mess here that we didn't make before. Now I understand the whole "take your shoes off at the door and wear house shoes (shoes that never leave the apartment)" concept.
Just because the bus runs every 15 minutes for part of the day, doesn't mean it runs every 15 minutes all day. Point in case - Thursday night we took the bus to a nearby town to meet some friends for an early dinner (met at 8:00 PM - that is a whole additional lesson). I checked the bus schedule and between 6 and 8 it runs every 15 minutes. Assumed that was the case all evening. However at 10:05, we learned the bus only comes once every 50 minutes - and had just come at 10:00.
Just because an item on the menu says "con Jamon (with Spanish ham)," doesn't mean you should order it. We went to dinner on our own last night and Scott ordered off the "daily menu." Unsure what the first word was, knowing he liked the Spanish ham, he ordered alcachuga con jamon. In America it would be called artichokes with ham. Not being a fan of artichokes, Scott was served an entire plate of artichokes with a little jamon sprinkled around.
Fried eggs go with everything. Thursday night I had a hamburger with a fried egg on it and last night I had a thin piece of grilled beef with a fried egg next to it.
Ikea furniture is not as easy to assemble as they advertise! When furnishing an entire place with Ikea furniture, be prepared to take a lot of aspirin or pay Ikea to do it.
Your head will begin to feel like it is exploding when learning a new language. Alex in school, Scott at language school, or me just walking the streets have all had the "I think my head will explode any moment" feeling.
Don't expect siestas the first couple weeks in a new country. I know that the entire country is taking siesta around us, but so far it has rarely found it's way into our apartment. Hopefully in the coming weeks!
Your priority list and the priorities of those around you do not always match up. If I was in charge of the world, the world would stop and we would have every room in our apartment put together. Scott is much more relaxed and would do a room a day, or perhaps a piece of furniture a day. Alex would find the toys and assemble those first (although he and Hannah are both begging for beds already). As for those in the stores and shops - talk and visit first, then see if they can help you with your list. Then of course there are delivery men and technicians..... morning appointment became 12 - 3 and I'll be there between 10 and 2 became 2:45.
5 meals a day is a good thing. So far I have managed to get 4 meals in during one day, but not 5. When we find siesta the last meal will be introduced. When you eat this often you are never miserably full. Perhaps weight loss will come out of this move.
You can walk further than you think when you don't have an alternative. No car and the bus is not always convenient (see #2) and gets expensive for shorter trips means you do a lot of walking. Alex's school is about a 35 minute walk. A couple mornings this week I have taken him to school and then turned around immediately and walked back home. My feet are sore, but the walks get a little easier each time. (If you are coming for a visit, start walking every day now!)
The Chinese man at the general store (kind of like a Dollar General or Big Lots) may be one of my best Spanish teachers. Alex and I went in to buy him a pair of headphones for school. I asked for them in English and pointed to my ears. He handed them to me, said "cochas, repeat." I said the word and then he allowed me to purchase them. Wonder if I can find something for a dollar a day to keep learning Spanish.
Friendships can develop without language. I have met a lady named "Loli." She is friends with another SENDer. She has welcomed me into her friendship circle and we have laughed quite a bit together - wonder if we are laughing at the same things?
Fuzzy blankets and black couches are not a good match. A vacuum cleaner just found its way to the top of the shopping list.
Home is where your family is. The apartment is a mess, our furniture is mostly in boxes, I don't understand anyone who rings the doorbell, shopping is slow and tedious, but this is home.

Thursday

2011-10-06T11:51:00.004+02:00

Hard to believe we have been here almost a week. Part of me thinks I have just arrived, the rest of me feels like we have been here much longer. We have accomplished a ton and there is much more to do. Have a whole new perspective on what it takes to start from scratch!

In one day we bought an entire apartment's worth of furniture. Exhausting but good. It was all delivered yesterday. Will take longer to assemble than to pick out!

Alex has started school and we are blessed beyond measure with the situation there. I'll write a whole additional blog post about thhat in the coming days.

Scott is learning Spanish, although he says his head may explode any day now.

Hannah is enjoying being back in the family, although she says she misses having a big sister.

I am learning to navigate life and hoping to squeeze a siesta into the schedule very soon.

We are good.

There is a chance we will have internet at our apartment tomorrow, but we will wait and see. Technician is coming, but that does not guarantee when he leaves it is all fixed. Once that happens I will go back to regular posting.

When I find the box with the camera cord in it, I'll post pictures of our new life as well.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

School Registration

2011-10-03T14:33:00.001+02:00

Alex and his new teacher Blanca as well as all the
people who went with us to register.

Our biggest prayer request for today (Monday) was for the registration process for Alex and school. We were prepared to accept our 3rd choice and for it to take at least a week to navigate the system. This morning we walked into the education office prepared to start, requesting a bilingual school that was part Spanish, part English.

The administrator told us of a school option we did not know existed - a transitional class, basically, a Newcomers School. There are two schools in town that offer this class and one of them is only about a block from the language school Scott is attending. We left the office with paperwork to complete and met with some new Spanish friends for a coke and tapa. The education office closed at 1 and it was only noon so we decided to return the paperwork and get the process going.

The whole crew went with us - Scott, Alex, Deb, Giles, our 3 new Spanish friends, and me. We all walked in and the original gentleman was available. He accepted our paperwork and began to process it. There was one spot left in the school that was our first choice! He processed our application and within 20 minutes Alex was registered for school - at our first choice - a transitional class for students who speak no Spanish.

We then walked to the new school to turn in paperwork as the class bell was ringing. His new teacher, Blanca, was about to beginn her planning period and was able to come down and greet us. She was very friendly and assured us that Alex would do great. He begins school tomorrow.

We prayed from the beginning of this process that God would direct our paths in ways that only God could take credit. Today was a definite answer to that request!

We are here!

2011-10-01T13:36:00.001+02:00

We have arrived with all our luggage. No problems at any point. Our apartment is nice and of course very empty. We have gone to the store and picked up prepaid cell phones to get us through for a couple of weeks and are preparing for lunch. It was good to see Hannah. We are all a little tired and will be glad when it is late enough to go to sleep.

Thank you to everyone who has prayed us safely here.

It will be a few days before I am back online to update, but keep checking - lots of pictures and updates to come.

Today is THE Day

2011-09-30T13:31:00.000+02:00

Can you believe it? Today we actually take the first steps towards beginning the next season of this journey. Lots of last minute details around the house this morning, then we walk out the door towards the airport.

Today will be filled with lots of emotions. We will all process them differently and before it is all over we will probably feel like we are a little crazy.

How can you pray for us today?

Scott - As the head of the house give him confidence that he is leading his family in obedience of God and not off into the deep end of some unknown pool. As he tells his mom goodbye at the airport knowing that she will probably never travel to Spain, give them both a beautiful goodbye. As he cares for me and Alex today that he will know exactly how to help.
Zach - As he watches his family walk away and leave him behind, give him confidence to find his footing where he knows in the deepest parts of his soul it should be. Pray for people, and especially Godly men, to be in his paths in the coming days. Pray that he finds a job with more consistent pay and hours quickly. Pray for wisdom and the courage to walk in it.
Hannah - As she has said goodbye to living with her new "sister" and transitioning back into the family, pray for excitement and the little "twangs" in her heart that are there. She has adjusted well so far, pray for patience as she now helps us adjust.
Alex - As a 12 year old, pray as he processes all the changes. Pray that he makes a friend quickly. Pray that he will be able to express how he is feeling over the coming days.
Me - Pray for confidence that I can learn the language. Pray for the excitement to be greater than the "butterflies." Today as we are seen off by friends and family, pray for beautiful goodbyes.

Flights - pray for safe travels:

1:52 EST - depart Greensboro
3:24 EST - arrive Newark
8:40 PM EST - depart Newark
4:05 AM (Saturday) EST - arrive Madrid

Not sure when I'll be back online - but keep watching, the next chapter of the story is about to begin!

Uno Mas

2011-09-29T13:59:00.002+02:00

One more day. It has been nearly three years (Oct, 2008) since the life changing walk on the beach. Some days that seems like an entire life ago, other times it seems like it has flown. But now we are just a little more than 24 hours away from stepping on the plane.

What is going through our heads right now?

Did you remember to pack _____?
Where is _____?
Do I have time to see _______ one more time?
Are we sure?
What about?
Are the kids really ok?
Can you believe it is here?
Did you call _______?
I can't wait until _______.
How are you doing?
Do we have time to ______?
Can you believe we leave tomorrow?
Are you sure?
I can't wait!
Don't forget to _________.

Not quite any one word describes how we are feeling right now. The most predominant emotion is excitement and anticipation. There is a calm and peace in the house and we know that is only from God.

Today is filled with final logistics, some one on one goodbyes to friends, and a family dinner with my parents and Scott's mom. It is a full day!

On a different note, once we arrive in Spain we will not have daily access to the internet for about the first month. We cannot get internet until we have a bank account. We cannot get a bank account until we have our residency cards. We cannot get our residency cards until Hannah and I travel to England on the 12th. I will visit friends and co-workers who have internet periodically to keep the blog updated. So after Friday if you come to the blog and it is not updated, keep checking - I'll be back.

2 Days

2011-09-28T14:35:00.000+02:00

Gulp... 2 days. Why does that sound like so much less than 3?

This may sound crazy, but today it really feels like we are going. I don't know - no VISAs in hand and not being at 100%, it just didn't feel quite real. However, this morning when I woke up one of my first thoughts was we are fully supported and we have all of our legal documents to leave - we are really going! Guess it is about time to realize that, huh?

A friend was offering encouragement this morning and she pointed out to me that today is Rosh Hashanah - literally the head of the new year. Wow! That is a great description of today for us. The head of a new year - of a new season of life. We have turned the page on the calendar and we are beginning anew.

Today will be filled with emotions and tasks, yet a new sense of excitement is seeping in as well. The future is unknown but we do know that the ONE who holds the days ahead is more than faithful and able to do "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think." (Ephesians 3:20)

3 Days

2011-09-28T03:13:00.001+02:00

Sorry for the delay in writing today, but it was a very early morning when we hit the road for Washington, DC and am just now finally reaching the point in the day where I have a computer to write with.

First, we have 100% of our support. Many people asked us over this past week were we not worried about the last bit of support. Our answer - no. We serve a God that is not a 97 or 98% God, we serve a God that is a 100% God. He doesn't call us to obedience so that He can desert us at 97% of the task. He can be counted on from the beginning to the end!

Second, we have VISAs! Michelle Pizarro (a dear friend) and I left Greensboro at 7:30 last night and drove to Charlottesville, Virginia. A short night of sleep and we were back on the road this morning. We drove to the Washington, DC area and caught the metro to the Spanish embassy. Expecting to walk right in and out we had a little moment of panic when we were told to come back around noon (it was 10:00 then). No explanation or discussion, just come back. No other choice but to find something to do in the rain, Michelle and I walked down the street to a Barnes and Noble, enjoyed the air condition, read a few magazines, and passed the time. Back to the embassy at 11:45 and the woman who has helped me all through the process met me at the window. She took our passports, told us to have a seat, and 45 minutes later we had VISAs!

It's 3 days until we leave and reality is a little closer! Today the emotion that is overwhelming is excitement! Tomorrow or in an hour, who knows?

On a totally different note - today was also Scott's birthday. We were in separate locations, but what a way to celebrate - 100% and VISAs!

And of course, no road trip is complete without some good company...

Duck and VISAs at the Metro Station

Yes, that is chocolate - Michelle and I were almost home. Stopped for dinner and
learned we were at 100% of our support and ordered dessert to celebrate!

4 Days

2011-09-26T14:22:00.001+02:00

Now we are getting serious about it being almost time to leave - 4 more days - that really does not sound like very long!

On tap for today:

ship desktop to Spain (didn't want it on a ship for a month, too heavy to put in a suitcase, too good to dispose of, what's left - ship it via FedEx)
departure call - we will skype with SEND co-workers at the office in Michigan for a final chance for them to send us off - a time of prayer and encouragement for us as we leave and for them as they continue to work with those still raising their support
turn over the Camry - it has been a blessing and a way of growing my prayer life - but it is time for the fear of being stranded to come to an end.
hair cuts for the boys - one last time while we can give directions in English
diner with a friend and family
pick up rental car
drive to Charlottesville, Virginia tonight - decided I would drive about 3 hours tonight and not get up so early in the morning - want to be at embassy shortly after they open tomorrow to pick up VISAs.
and who knows what else

It is getting a little more real and a little more real....

2011-09-25T23:02:00.001+02:00

Today has been a hard one! 5 days until we leave. Only one less than yesterday, but today was a big last. Our last Sunday at Cornerstone Baptist Church. Lots and lots of tears as we said goodbye to friends. I realized as I was processing the morning we have been at this church longer than I have been at any church my entire life - 14 years. It is much more than a church, it is a family. It was more than an employer - it was home.

The tears just flowed all morning. Now I am exhausted - even after a nap. As the day gets closer the reality gets clearer. The hold on today gets tighter. Goodbyes are hard. That is just the bottom line!

2011-09-24T13:00:00.000+02:00

(Scott, my husband, is the guest writer today)

We have six days left before we get on the plane to Spain. It has been six years since I started my journey to Spain and in six more days we will finish the first step.

Sometimes God is very clear about His plans for us well in advance of when they actually come to pass. I went through several years of waiting before Cindy got to the same place I was. I don't mean that she was less spiritual or not hearing God, just that it took several years before we met up on God's timeline. We had some major setbacks on our path to missions, we were rejected by the first organization we applied to, it took us 21 months to sell our house.

Hebrews 12 is very much about endurance:

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

If you are truly convinced that God has given you a vision for your life, don't allow yourself to be derailed. There are times that you may need to wait. Waiting is good... the quiet times of waiting usually mean that God has something to teach us.

There may be times when men tell you that your "call" is not valid. This is a time to seriously consider your path. They may be right. Then again, they may only be telling you to go another way. This is a call to serious prayer. Find other Christians that you admire and ask their advice. Ask them to pray with you and for you as you continue to find your way.

Circumstances may seem to be against you in the eyes of others. We were asked if we thought God was trying to tell us no when our house didn't sell month after month. In truth, God just had a different timeline than any of us could see and His time was (and always is!) perfect.

A vision requires endurance. Keep yourself focused on the goal. You may find yourself waiting. There will certainly be challenges and road blocks. The people around you may question your goal. They mean well but they don't have your vision. Don't give up! Keep running the race!

2011-09-23T15:13:00.001+02:00

7 Days - one week. Wow! It is getting here quickly and yet at the same time I feel like I am moving in slow motion. Most of what is on the to do list that can be done in advance is done (except packing) and yet the to do list is still quite long. We are not running around in a frenzy like I would expect to be, yet we are busy. Just an odd spot.

On tap for 7 days before we leave - Scott has social time planned today instead of me. He is going by his work and out to lunch with friends from there. Of course I tacked on a couple errands at the same time. Then later this afternoon going to DMV to change a car title as well as make some hospital visits to friends and partners. I managed to arrange that part of the day so that I get dinner out as well. Cooking is becoming a foreign word around here.

I think for the first time what leaving really meant began to hit last night. I was writing a friend who I have not managed to get up with yet and it hit me - even if we don't have time together before next Friday we are leaving. The clock is not going to stand still until she and I have one last time together. The worst thing was, that realization hit around 11:00 PM. I began to process names of friends and family who I won't get to see again before we leave. And then of course came the question - will they even remember me after we are gone?

I think I'll go back to denial today. Its a lot easier to focus on what we need to get done then the emotions of this season of the journey.

VISA Party

2011-09-22T18:38:00.002+02:00

The embassy just called and the kid's VISAs have been approved. All four VISAs will be ready for me to pick up on Tuesday.

God is never late and never early - always in HIS perfect timing!

8 Days

2011-09-22T12:20:00.001+02:00

8 days. Wow! Realized yesterday we were down to single digits. Tomorrow we will be down to 1 week. Has it hit? No, not really.

One of the many wonderful blessings of serving on a church staff was the opportunities to be involved with a variety of people - people I wouldn't normally seek out as friends. Today I will celebrate 8 days by going to brunch with a group of ladies from Cornerstone's JOY Group (Just Older Youth, aka Senior adults). These ladies are beautiful - on the inside and the out. We will laugh (and maybe cry) and share and just chat over breakfast. I am going to miss these ladies dearly!

My advice to women - have friends of all ages! I have learned much from these ladies. Two big lessons:

Although the world has changed greatly over the past 30 years or so, they faced the same issues. I realized this one night several years ago. On the spur of the moment a group of us ladies who were exhausted from VBS decided to have ladies' night out at the movies and dinner. We went to see The Proposal. It was rated PG-13 and there were a few scenes in there where I just squirmed! Not because it wasn't something I had seen in the movies before, but because I had brought the senior ladies to see it. Afterwards we were laughing about parts of the movie and I made a comment about being embarrassed for them and one sweet lady said "Cindy, do you really think there was anything in that movie we haven't seen before and most of it in real life?" I felt better, but later the real meaning of what she said hit.
They are some of the best prayer warriors around. In our busy life style we have lost the value of strong prayer warriors. We are much more of "drive thru" pray-ers. If I need someone to be willing to set aside all they are doing and spend intimate time before the throne of God on my behalf one of these ladies is who I am going to turn to first. Oh that when I am their age someone would say the same of me!

Back to Day 8. Scott and Alex are taking the day off from getting ready to go and just spending time together. They are headed to the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Aviation Museum (where the plane from the miracle on the Hudson is displayed) in Charlotte. I pray they have a day of fun and relaxation.

As for me, finishing up odds and ends around the house and beginning to think about suitcases. I am looking forward to a day alone with my to do list.

Yesterday at lunch (I am going to weigh 200 pounds before we leave for Spain by having a meal a day out with friends and family) I was sharing that I don't think it has really hit that we are moving to the other side of the ocean. She said "oh I know it hasn't." She went on to share that she prayed it began to hit on this side of the ocean and not totally crash on the other side. I pondered that all afternoon. My prayer has become that God will allow for healthy emotions in the midst of all the tasks to be done, whatever that may look like or however hard that may be. 8 days is not very long.

9 Days

2011-09-21T13:20:00.000+02:00

Last night Alex and I went for our last visit to the Burmese ministry. It has been so cool over the past 18 months to see Alex take on that ministry as his own and I was just his source of transportation (or Hannah when she was here). This was not a ministry that mom did and Alex tagged along, this was a ministry that Alex did and mom tagged along. So cool!

But I digress..... 9 days until we leave. On the way to the Burmese ministry last night Alex and I discussed this was our last time and it hit both of us, these goodbyes are for real now. We've been saying goodbye for the past month, but they were only temporary because we knew there was a good chance we would see everyone again. But we have turned that corner.

Our goodbyes now are for real. Last night was the beginning of lasts. On today's agenda of lasts...

Scott meets with his accountability partner for breakfast for the last time
Cindy is going to lunch with a church friend (she'll see on Sunday) for their last face to face, heart to heart lunch (at the cafeteria - she is the only friend that will eat with her there)

Lots and lots of logistics left to handle, but now the "lasts" are creeping their way into the list as well. What a journey this is!

10 Days

2011-09-20T13:17:00.001+02:00

What do you do 10 days before you move to a foreign country? Wake up early because the to do list is raging in your mind. Then you ignore it and check email, facebook, skype, blogs, and whatever else you can find to avoid the dreaded list.

On the agenda today is Scott going to the church to record a clip on how the men's ministry has impacted his life over the past couple years. Sunday at church another lady gave a testimony on how her husband's involvement in men's ministry had impacted her family. I wanted to say AMEN! Not that the ministry changed him, but that through the ministry he learned how to became more and more the man God was calling him to be.

As in all, or at least most, marriages (or at least I hope in all and we were not the exception instead of the rule) there was a season where we wondered if we would stay married. Forget if we were going to stay married, the question was did we even want to stay married. In that season God got a hold of Scott's heart. He broke Scott for Him and then began to remold Scott into the man God is calling him to become. God changed him - through individual time with God as well as through corporate times (Sunday morning, Wednesday night classes, and men's Bible studies). I began to watch Him love God more and through that I was loved more. (by the way, God also did a lot of changing in my heart at that time too)

Let me tell you something - there is nothing more wonderful than a husband who takes his wife's hand and says "can I pray for you?' I'd give Scott about anything he asked for after those words! As Scott became the spiritual leader in the house there was such relief. As Scott grew into the man God wanted Him to be, there was freedom to be who God called me to be. So many aspects of our life began to change (uh, #1 being we are headed to Spain in 10 days).

Women - stop praying that God will fix your husbands. Start praying that they will allow God to do a work in their hearts so that they can become who God wants them to be. Pray that they will walk so close to God there isn't room for you to be between them and God. Don't be jealous of their time with God or in the study of God's word. Encourage it (but no nagging allowed). Pray for it. You will be the biggest beneficiary.

Men - want a wife who can't wait to spend the next 50 years with you? Want a wife who desires intimate times with you? Then invest in your relationship with God! There is no greater gift you can give your wife nor anything she will appreciate more than a husband who desires to be a man of God.

The Countdown Begins!

2011-09-19T16:59:00.001+02:00

11 days until we leave
11 days until we are considered immigrants
11 days until very few people around us speak English
11 days until we get to camp out in our new apartment
11 days until we are on our way to see Hannah
11 days to accomplish a to do list long enough for 20 days
11 days of fellowship and goodbyes

VISA, VISA, and No VISAs

2011-09-17T15:37:00.001+02:00

Scott and my VISAs have been approved. They are waiting for us to come to Washington, DC to pick them up. The kids however, still have no VISAs. Lots of people are confused by why and what this means for us - so today is a primer in Spanish VISAs (and an elementary primer at that!)

You do not have to have a VISA to visit Spain. As an American we can visit Spain with just our passports for up to 90 days. We are tourists. If you wish to stay longer than 90 consecutive days, then you need a VISA. (At 90 days you must leave the country for at least 90 days)

Spain offers a variety of VISAs. We have applied for a Residential VISA with a no work exception. In other words we want to live in Spain but will not have a paying job. (Work VISAs are very difficult to obtain - Spain protects the jobs in the country for the Spaniard as the unemployment rate is nearing 30%) To apply for this VISA we had to have birth certificates, marriage certificates, proof of insurance, proof of financial means to be there, a letter of invitation, FBI background checks, and more.

On June 13 we traveled to Washington, DC to turn in our applications (by the way there are several Spanish embassies in the United States, but you are assigned an embassy where you must apply based on your state of residence - we are blessed that ours is DC and not Miami or Chicago - where we could not drive in a day). All of our paperwork was accepted and our fees were paid.

Normal turn around time on these VISAs is 90 days, but August is a holiday month for most of Europe so that had the potential to slow our VISA applications down.

We learned about two weeks ago that our VISAs have been approved and the kid's VISAs are still pending (meaning they have not been rejected, just not approved). We were told to call back in a couple days and when we did nothing had changed. We have a fabulous contact at the embassy in DC that is trying to help us, but so far no changes.

So what does it mean if the kid's VISAs are not approved before we leave?

We will wait as late as September 27 to go pick up Scott's and my VISA. This gives the embassy as much time as possible to approve the kid's VISAs. Thankfully only one adult must go pick up the VISAs - so if nothing changes before then, on the 27th I will get up very early and drive to DC (while Scott and Alex head to his mom's to finish fixing the shed that was damaged by Hurricane Irene and pick her up to be here for our departure). I will get the adult VISAs and then return home.
Scott and I will enter Spain with our VISAs and the kids will be in the country as tourists.
On November 17 I will return to the states for a quick VISA trip. Remember the kids are only allowed in Spain up to 90 days and Hannah has already been there for a month.
After I return to Spain with the kid's VISAs we will have to take a quick trip out of the European Union (Morocco is the closest non-EU country) so that the kids can re-enter the country and have their VISAs stamped.

So, yes we are still leaving on the 30th. Yes, the kids are going with us. Yes, we are learning a lot about the Spanish government. And Yes, we are learning a whole lot more about faith!

Where's Duck?

2011-09-16T17:27:00.001+02:00

Do you think the duck needs a name?

18 boxes packed and ready to go to the freight forwarder. All of it will be forwarded to Savannah, Georgia then on October 3 goes on a boat to Madrid. Scheduled to arrive in Madrid October 21. Until then, we'll camp out in our apartment and wear the same clothes over and over again. No furniture in the the boxes, just clothes, pictures, pampered chef pots and pans and stones, measuring cups, coats, blankets, shoes, and the like. Except the 6 suitcases we will take on the plane with us - this is all we own.

2011-09-14T22:00:00.000+02:00

We are asked the same questions repeatedly - are you nervous? are you excited? how are the kids? what are you afraid of? how long until you come home? what if you fail? what if you hate it? are you sure this is the right thing? what if your support falls through? The list goes on.

As departure date is now only 16 days away the emotions range in all extremes and the answers get a little harder. I follow a blog of a family serving in Guatemala, A Little Elbow Grease, and last week she summed up my biggest fear - being forgotten and alone. She is writing from the perspective of being on the field already, but we have already found some of it to be true and we haven't left yet, so we know in the deepest parts of our hearts, she has nailed the rest of the picture too.

The days ahead are exciting. We know we are walking right where we have been asked to walk, yet they are also filled with sadness and a little anxiety. We know we serve a God that is bigger than anything that we will encounter, yet we also know that the life is not a rose garden. Please continue to pray for us as we process it all in our own individual ways.

Oh I know, the life of a missionary is shiny, exciting and adventurous. There are full satisfying days of serving, there’s just a hint of danger around each turn, there are the lives that are transformed everywhere we go, there’s spiritual growth shooting out all over the place.…

Yep, that missionary life sure isn’t like “regular ole life”. It’s exciting, it’s exotic, it’s amazing, it’s…….

Really, really tough right now.

Frankly, most days we are downright lonely. Friendships take a long time, and we haven’t found people we’ve connected with.

Daily, adapting to a new culture is challenging. The balancing act of staying ourselves and learning how to fit in here is exhausting!

Sometimes trying to serve is pretty darn discouraging. There is still some ambiguity to our roles, and while God’s timing is perfect, waiting is hard.

Often, it feels like a spiritual desert. We’re still looking for a church.

And, navigating the ministry God has called us to can be just plain confusing.

Wanna trade places??

God is good, we know. God is faithful, we see it. God is providing, daily. God is love…

We know all the answers we’ll hear. We tell ourselves the little pep-talks we’ll get. We’re sure we’re right back into culture shock (4 months in a new culture), and with time it will pass.

But in the meantime, we’re human, we’re flawed and we’re in serious need of love. And yet, we don’t feel like we can even ask for it. Everyone is struggling with things no matter where they live. And most of all, Cool Missionaries don’t get lonesome!

So I will ask for other people. (They are cool missionaries!!)

You see, we aren’t alone in how we feel. We have friends who live in Guatemala as well and they are feeling a bit ‘abandoned’. They are realizing it doesn’t take long to get ‘disconnected’, and are desperate for love too.

~For a phone call to say “we miss you and want to chat”.
~For a Skype call to see a familiar face and get a long-distance hug.
~For their home congregation to intentionally reach out, and send encouragement.
~For someone to ask “REALLY, how are you doing” and offer a shoulder.
~For an invite to a church event just to ‘feel included’.

Matt keeps reminding me, and we shared with these friends as well, that so many of you feel connected to our lives here through the blog. I LOVE that God is using this in the ways He does and I am so thankful for the words that He gives me to write…but the connection doesn’t often go both ways. Someone can read a blog or a newsletter and have the news in our lives. On this end, there is only silence…and that silence is a deafeningly loud reminder that Satan is trying to discourage those on the field in any way he can, and isolation and loneliness are pretty easy ways.

So there it is. I think I’ve been hiding from emails and facebook and even the blog this last while because this isn’t what folks want to read. But, it is where we (and others we know) are at.

Have you hugged your missionary lately?
Kristy Messick

A New Home

2011-09-14T11:15:00.000+02:00

We have a new home. Through the wonderful Internet, a fellow SENDer and friend, and Hannah we have already chosen an apartment. It will be ours as soon as we arrive. What a wonderful feeling to know we have a place to call home.

It's 110 square meters (1184 square feet). 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It even has a dishwasher! It is considered to be on the 3rd floor, however it is really the 4th (the 1st floor of the building is shops). It doesn't have a terrace (patio), but it does have big windows on one side that look out into green space, a luxury with a city apartment. There is a pool - Spaniards definition of air condition (in other words, when it is hot, like 100 degrees plus, and open windows are not enough to cool off take a dip in the pool - very common for apartments to have a pool). Two of the three bedrooms have built in closets and the kitchen was even furnished with cabinets, both added blessings. We do not have a parking place - that costs extra - but until we master the driver's test that is not an issue.

Hannah's bus stop is about a 5 minute walk. Scott's language school is about 2.5 miles away. Alex will have several school choices. There is a coffee shop in the bottom of the building. There is not a pub (a bar is a restaurant that serves wine and beer and food, a pub is for harder drinking and partying) in the building.

We are excited to be able to land in our own place. We have no furniture and the items we are shipping will not arrive until the 21st of October, but we will have a roof over our heads and a place to call home. What more can we ask for?

Clothes Line - Hang out either the living room or master bedroom window and hang out the laundry -
this should take some talent to not fall out.

Built in closet

Courtyard

Hall Bath

Kitchen

Washing Machine is in the Kitchen - the door to the right is to an extra "drying" room -
if we had a dryer it would go out there, but also for extra storage

One last kitchen View

Living Room

Master Bath

Master Bedroom

Outside View

There is a playground in the courtyard

The pool on the right goes with our apartment complex -
the pool on the left is another apartment complex

In the mirror's reflection you can see the 2nd toilet, called a bidet -
so far I have seen it used for storing cleaning supplies and a potted plant

The Duck

2011-09-13T21:48:00.001+02:00

The journey to an international mission field is a crazy one! You never know what will trigger tears or laughter. Much of the whole journey makes no logical sense - of course, that makes sense since it involves selling everything you own, voluntarily quitting good paying jobs, and uprooting your family to move to a country you have only visited for two weeks.

Right after we began this journey we were at a staff Christmas party. We do a dirty santa exchange and gifts range from serious to prank. The duck in the video above was one of the gifts. For some reason I decided I really wanted the duck. I had committed to giving up everything we owned and this duck just struck me as something fun we could take with us. I had it to the very end, then someone stole it and I never got it back. I almost cried. I know, I know - makes no sense at all, does it?

Well the next morning at church, sitting in the big hallway outside the preschool wing (remember I was the preschool and children's minister) was a new duck. No tags or cards - just a duck. I knew it was for me. I knew I was loved (or considered totally insane).

When we began to pack for the move we decided each family could one have tub filled with whatever they wanted to take to Spain. No judgement or questions. The only thing that made its way into my tub was this duck. (Now we know I am crazy!) You can press the button and cannot help but laugh.

So after much laughter and discussion at our house we have decided the duck is going to Spain. Watch over the coming days and months where the duck may be photographed, kind of like Where's Waldo. The duck will give you a photo journal of the days ahead. He will be the best traveled duck around.

WOW!

2011-09-11T01:29:00.003+02:00

Things have been changing this last 30 minutes faster than I could keep up with!

We had a goal for Monday that would allow us to purchase our tickets. We started the day $188 away. We had a partner who said that they would do the $100 when the $88 was accomplished. We have prayed that God would answer our prayers to reach this goal by Monday, but also agreed that His perfect timing was better than any goal we could set.

We sent out a few emails to people who were praying about partnership and let them know why Monday was our goal and left for the day. While gone we got an email that we had a new partner for $50. Posted an update on facebook when we got home - $38 more to go.

A friend sent me an email that they would do $1 per month. Remember every size partnership counts and we were just as excited over that partnership as any other partnership.

Posted an update and before I could finish with the paperwork for the $1 partnership got a facebook message asking to change the goal to $7 - they were taking $30/month.

While telling them thank you another person chimed in said DONE! They were taking the last $7.

Now here is the funny story - I am horrible about rounding and SEND told me no rounding for this goal - had to be exactly the amount they said - well, I had been rounding 23 cents off not expecting it to come down that close (ok, one day I will learn). A partner (who knows about my rounding habit) was watching the progression on facebook and sent me a message to see if the $7 was still needed and I told her no - it was all done, but I had rounded by 23 cents. Guess what she did? She increased her partnership by $5.

So God not only answered our prayers for our Monday goal - he exceeded it! Isn't that just like God?

So on Monday we will call the embassy and pray that the kid's VISAs have been resolved and then we will be set free to make our airline reservations. We are hoping to depart sometime between September 28 and 30.

There are still 3 provinces left on the partnership map - but God has taken care of every other detail, so I believe He will finish the map as well.

Tonight, however... there is some serious celebrating and praising going on in the Hunter household.

Almost...

2011-09-10T23:24:00.001+02:00

$38.23/month away from Monday's goal....
or $458.76/year away from Monday's goal....
or a one time donation of $2293.80

Would you consider being the one?

Monday Goal

2011-09-10T03:39:00.000+02:00

We are $188/month away from our partnership goal for Monday. We have someone who has agreed to help us meet that goal. When we get the $88 or more/month promised he will do $100/month. He is ready to do it Monday morning to help push us over.

Would you pray about being part of the $88 (or more)? All size partnerships add up, nothing is too small or too large.

With Bated Breath.....

2011-09-09T14:21:00.000+02:00

.... we wait. We are close, really, really close. We are almost there. We can see the finish line and we can taste the bitterness of goodbyes and smell the joy of hellos. Oh so close.

As you know by now there are two things that still have to happen for us to leave - VISAs and support. Here is the exciting news on both fronts and some general updates.

VISA: We learned Wednesday that Scott and my VISAs have been approved. We are waiting excitingly to go get them. We also learned Wednesday that the kid's VISAs have not been approved. They have not been rejected, just not approved. The embassy is trying to resolve the problem and told us to call back Monday morning in hopes that it will all be resolved.

Support: We are at 95% of our support. We are hoping to have enough support to purchase our airplane tickets by Monday as well.

Shipping: We are almost packed and are shipping our stuff to Spain by the end of next week.

Apartment Hunting: We began the apartment hunt this week. It is a crazy process from here:

Deb (a co-worker in Alcala) looks at apartments online in Spain and sends me possibilities of apartments to look at online here
I tell Deb yes or no to pursue
Hannah and Deb go look at the potential apartment and take pictures from every angle and send to me
Scott and I keep it on the list or rule it out based on Hannah and pictures and our wish list
And then sometime between now and the end of the month hopefully Deb signs a lease for us on an apartment we have only seen online
And then we arrive and move in - well, actually just camp out in the apartment until we make it to IKEA to furnish it.

Hopeful Timeline:

Resolve VISAs and support level by Monday, September 12
Make plane reservations on Tuesday, September 13
Depart sometime during the last week of September, 29th or 30th
Scott start language school on Monday, October 3

It is close, really, really close.

Complete Joy

2011-09-06T19:54:00.001+02:00

After spending months with God working my way through Ezekiel I felt led into the New Testament. After praying through where to "settle in" I landed in the 1 John (with a plan to go through all 3 letters of John). I made it as far as chapter 1, verse 4 before I had to stop and ponder.

John writers "These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete." Now I like to write but I wouldn't say it brings me complete joy so I wondered what John was getting at. Then I read the footnote - it reads "John's joy in the Lord could not be complete unless his readers shared the true knowledge of the Christ."

Wow! John's joy had nothing to do with writing - it had to do with what and why he was writing. He knew he would never find complete joy until he had shared with everyone he possible could the true story of Christ. Nothing less would do.

What about me? Do I find complete joy in things, people, places? Or will I lack that complete joy until everyone I encounter knows the true knowledge of Christ?

The Bottom Line

2011-09-05T03:40:00.000+02:00

The bottom line is we need you. We have raised 92.5% of our support. We are $738/month away from being fully supported. One person has asked for the privilege of being the partner that puts us at 100%, so some portion of that $738 is already committed - we just do not know how much. So actually, we need less than $738/month and we need it soon.

Why the urgency?

The obvious spiritual reason

People need to hear the Good News.

The practical reasons:

Public schools in Spain begin next week. Alex is going to have plenty of adjustments to make just by going to Spanish schools and not speaking the language. The longer into the school year we wait to get him enrolled, the harder the adjustment for him.
Cindy's car died this weekend. We are down to one car (although a partner who is on vacation this week loaned us his car until Saturday). Life is not impossible with one car, but it sure did get a lot more complicated.
Hannah is already in Spain and has been since the 25th of August. We would like to be reunited as a family as soon as possible.
Scott's last day of work is next Thursday. We will draw a small stipend from SEND after that, however, we will not receive a full salary until we arrive in Spain.
We are living in a temporary home. The owners of the home tentatively plan to return at the end of the month, meaning we really need to be on our way by then or able to tell them we are leaving shortly after that.

The emotional reasons:

We have been living in limbo for more than 18 months already. Our hearts and ministry have been turned to Spain a long time ago. We are not fully here and we are not fully there.
The separation of our family is hard.
Until we are closer to 100% we cannot set travel dates. Although a lot of our future life will be dealing with unknowns, this unknown gets more difficult each day.

So what do we need? People who are willing to partner in an on-going basis with us. Partnerships of all sizes help us get there. The map to the right shows what we have left. Although the provinces are labeled with $50 and $100 per month, partnerships come in all sizes and shapes.

If 15 people were willing to do $50/month we would be on our way to Spain. If 7 people did $100/month we would almost be there.

Maybe by the month doesn't work for. How about $150/quarter or $600/year in one lump sum. That all counts the same for us. (of course, other sizes are ok too)

Maybe September is a yucky month to start. Can you commit to start in October, November, December, or even as late as January? If you commit now with a start date by January we can also count that now.

Maybe you have been following this blog for the last 18 months and don't really know me or my family and would like to ask some questions before you commit. I'd love to Skype with you and answer all your questions. Fill out the "contact me" tab above and we will arrange a time to Skype.

Do you attend a church that supports individual missionaries and could help get us connected? Do you own a business or have a friend who owns a business who would like a tax write-off that helps share the message of the gospel?

It is time to move to the next phase of the journey and we need your help. Will you pray today as to how you might help?

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!” Romans 10:14-15

And a BIG Leap of Faith

2011-09-02T13:00:00.001+02:00

I guess there is no turning back now. Scott gave his notice at work today. We are now a "no-income" family. The crazy thing, is we are here by choice. In the world's eyes we are totally insane! And maybe we are, but we are on the journey of a lifetime!

This puts us one step closer to Spain. Two more hurdles to go - last 9% of our support and our VISAs. Keep praying. Our goal is still to be in Spain at the end of September.

Another Homeschool Bonus

2011-09-02T02:41:00.000+02:00

Alex and I did science together this afternoon. We went to the Natural Science Center, had a picnic dinner with Scott, and then the three of walked about a mile and a half. Love this kind of schooling!

Siamese Twin Turtles - two heads, one shell,
four legs, two stomachs, brains, and etc.

How many times must it be said?

2011-09-01T14:50:00.000+02:00

Do you ever have those conversations with your kids or friends around you and wonder "didn't I just say that? how many times do I have to say it before you get it? am I talking to myself or is someone listening?"

I have been reading through the book of Ezekiel during my quiet times. According to all the scholars the theme of the book is God's pending judgment. And yeah, I got that while I read it. How could you not? Every chapter describes one more way God is going to judge because of unrighteous behaviors.

But being the simple minded person I am, I see a different theme. 29 times in Ezekiel God says "and they will know that I am the Lord." Sometimes I am slow, but after 29 times of it being repeated I have to stop and say - hmm, guess He did all this judgement so that it is known to all that He is the Lord.

Made me stop and consider my own life. Wonder what things He allowed to happen (notice I did not say caused) in my life so that I would know that He was Lord. I wonder what He wants to do in my life so that others may know that He is Lord. And on a little less selfish thought, wonder what He is doing or allowing in the world so that all the nations know that He is the Lord.

Just a little something to ponder today.

New Hometown

2011-08-30T23:54:00.000+02:00

We learned today where we are heading to in Spain. We knew all along we would be somewhere near Madrid, but exactly where was not going to be determined until we got closer to arriving. I guess they think we are close to arriving, because today the leadership in Spain decided where we are going to live.

Our first home will be in Alcala de Henares - Alcala for short. This was our first choice town. We loved the town for many reasons, but mostly because it gave us a variety of opportunities for Alex's schooling, was close to language school for us, provided public transportation for Hannah to her school, and was just a beautiful city all around.

Alcala is in the Madrid province. If you look on the map below, find Madrid. Off to the right of the "d" is a yellow dot. Alcala is about there. The population is about 200,000. The town was conquered by the Romans in 1st century BC. Needless to say there is quite a bit of history in the town. It is filled with cobblestone streets and old buildings.

Alcala is known for a variety of things, but while we were there two things stood out - storks and Don Quixote. The town is the home to more than 90 pairs of storks. They make their huge nests on top of many of the cathedrals. Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote was born in Alcala. There are statues of him as well as his supposed home. There are even festivals that celebrate both his birth and his death.

And for those of you who know me, there was a chocoleteria in Alcala that served fabulous chocolate and churros!

Hannah and Don Quixote

A possible Language School

Stork Nests on the Cathedral

Best Part of Homeschooling

2011-08-30T21:13:00.000+02:00

I homeschooled Hannah for two years while I worked full time and now I am homeschooling Alex until we leave for Spain. Hannah decided to be homeschooled because she did not like public school. We decided to keep Alex home because it just wasn't worth all the hassle to enroll him in a new school for what we hope is only a few weeks.

Today Alex and I had some errands to do (went to the social security office - predicted wait time when we arrived was 29 minutes, actual wait time was 59 minutes - ugh!) and then stopped for lunch. It was there that it hit me.

Hannah and I had this routine. Every Friday (my day off work) she and I would get a slow start to the day, then do any errands we needed to do, then go to lunch together. It was over these lunches that I really got to know Hannah. Those were special times.

At lunch today with Alex as we chatted over upcoming plans I realized how much I actually am blessed with the opportunity to spend this time with the kids. I also realized how much I miss Hannah.

I am grateful for the time with Alex and I am ready to be reunited with Hannah. Isn't it cool how God reminds us of the blessings in front of us if we keep our eyes open!

Blessing of a Believing Family

2011-08-30T14:18:00.000+02:00

If you read the last post you know that life was kind of wild this past weekend. In the middle of all the craziness was Christine, a friend from SEND who was raised in Connecticut and now lives in Philadelphia. Bottom line - she is a northerner.

I invited her to go with me to the family gathering in South Carolina (about as southern style as you can get). I was giving her a heads up about what it might be like and she was pondering whether to go or stay home with Scott and his mom. Then I casually said "they are almost all believers." She immediately wanted to go.

On the way back to NC she and I discussed how welcome she had felt. Wonder why that it is? Yes, southerners are known for their hospitality, but it was more than that. I believe it had more to do that we are all actually part of the same family to begin with - the family of believers.

Wonder how the event would have been different if there were few believers there? Wonder what the conversations would have sounded like if Christ was not the center of most in attendance? I wonder how welcome Christine would have felt?

I am truly blessed to be a part of an extended family where the majority place their hope and joy in Jesus. Thank you Aunt Joann and Uncle Levonne for putting the weekend together (and for welcoming Christine at the last minute). I had a wonderful time, but it also served to remind me of the blessing of a believing family.

Hurricanes and Family

2011-08-29T00:14:00.000+02:00

I truly live a crazy life! No telling what direction life will take me next.

I had my weekend and most of next week all planned out - home together as a family on Friday night, Saturday go to Florence, South Carolina for a family gathering, Sunday morning attend church with an old college friend then drive home, and then on Wednesday Christine, a friend from SEND was coming to stay the night and I would take her to the Charlotte airport on Thursday. A nice full and tidy schedule.

Then, hurricane Irene threatened to rear her nasty head and my neat and tidy schedule began to change by the hour:

My mother-in-law was directly in the path, so Scott headed to Jacksonville, North Carolina to pick up his mom and bring her back to our house on Friday.
Christine sent me a facebook message that her flight to Charlotte on Sunday was in jeopardy and she wasn't sure what her schedule was going to be. We chatted for awhile and she changed her flight to come late Saturday night. Not a problem, since Scott's mom was coming here he wasn't going to the Florence gathering and could go get Christine.
I went to the bank (and then planned to go to the grocery store) and my car wouldn't start when I came out. Usually that just means it is tired and needs to just sit for 30 minutes or so, so I walked to the grocery store and bought my groceries and brought them back to the car (practicing for being in Spain where I will walk to the store all the time).
While cooking dinner Christine sent me another message that her Saturday flight has now been cancelled. We talked for awhile and decided she would come that night (yes, it was now 6:00 or later and she coming tonight!)
I realized I had bought the wrong cut of chicken and had to go back to the grocery store.
I sat the table for dinner and forgot Hannah wasn't here and sat too many places.
Scott and his mom arrived home, we visited for awhile, and then I drove to Charlotte to pick up Christine at 11:30 PM.
Saturday morning we drove to Florence, and yes, took Christine with me. She needed a full southern experience! (read about it at her blog The Journey For Which I Was Made)
Came home from SC today and Scott took his mom home today (she has no power, but her house was not damaged - did have a hole in a storage building and a power line down across one of her driveways)

But we have had a blast (well, Scott may not say he has had a blast since he has worked while I have played). Christine and I have laughed and talked about every topic under the sun. We visited with family I have not seen in years (we won't talk about how many years). We introduced Christine to some southern delicacies - boiled peanuts and sweet tea. We played Dutch Blitz and ate pizza. We traveled home with laughter. A Boston butt is in the oven for homemade bar-b-q. I got to skype with Hannah for an hour (she is doing wonderful - I'll try to get her to do a guest blogger spot soon). Chocolate chip ice cream and Hershey's chocolate shell are in stock for dessert. Scott is on his way home. Games are calling our names tonight!

Front porch of my aunt's house
in Florence, South Carolina

Life is good - even when it is not so neat and tidy!

Recipe Exchange

2011-08-26T15:22:00.000+02:00

I had a fabulous time yesterday with Robin and Olga again. This week we went to Olga's new home for her to cook Tortilla de Patatas (Spanish omelet) for us. She also fixed my favorite bocadilla, the one with crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and garlic. Yum! Hopefully I learned enough to duplicate it here. Then I shared with her the recipe for the chicken casserole that I made for her when we first met. I walked her through each step, being sure my English terms made sense to her. She is going to try to make it on Saturday.

In the middle of the recipe exchanging both Olga and Robin made comments that once again made me excited to get to Spain - "as much as you love to cook and share recipes, the women of Spain are going to love you." I cannot wait to start sharing time in my kitchen and new friend's kitchens and learn all new kinds of recipes. What a wonderful way to build relationships and share lives.

And for your enjoyment - both recipes from yesterday:

http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas/r/tortilla.htm

Chicken Casserole:

1 whole chicken, boiled, taken off the bone, and shredded
1 small package Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing
1 small onion, chopped
1 stick butter, melted
1 can Cream of Celery Soup diluted with one can of chicken broth
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup diluted with one can of chicken broth

Combine stuffing, onion, and butter.

In a 9 x 13 pan layer ingredients in the following order:

1/2 stuffing, onion, and butter mix
Shredded chicken
Diluted Cream of Celery Soup
1/2 stuffing, onion, and butter mix
Diluted Cream of Chicken Soup

Bake at 350 degrees or until brown and bubbly.