IHH - Once More - #5

Hopefully, this may be my last report of house hunting - we do believe we may have made a decision (how is that for decision?).  We will now work through logistics and see where it all ends.  Thank goodness our supervisor will handle that part - cause of course it is all in Spanish!

We returned for trip #5 today - I think my car can drive itself to Illescas!  We took our new teammate with us, which always adds to the excitement (and Spanish is his first language so that helps too!)

#1 - If we had liked this one, things would have been a bit complicated due to the way it is listed and what our immobiliaria can ethically do in this situation and etc (more than my spanish brain can understand!)  It was in a great location and had a really long, narrow patio.  Something really interesting, is that it also had kind of a cellar - a small door in the floor of the garage led to a storage area under the house.  First time we have seen that here.  It was cute, but didn't quite meet our needs.

#2 - Had a really big patio area in the front and to the side, but in the back it was tiny.  It was fence so we could have used the front for bar-b-q if we had wanted, but my American filter struggled with that.  There were bars over the door in the living room that led to the back patio, again - probably not a bad thing for Spain, but for this NC gal, I just struggled.  Add to it that the house had definitely been occupied previously by a smoker and we decided it wasn't for us.

#3 - We visited the outside of #1 from IHH#4 (the owner wasn't available to allow us back inside).  Our teammate liked the area as well as the outside.  We learned it is about 700 meters from the school where we would try to enroll Alex (that is a whole different post - you are not guaranteed a place in your neighborhood school) and about 1 km from the large city park.  This continues to be our favorite.

#4 - This was another new chalet that had not been occupied before.  They were beautiful with both an attic and a garage (basement) that would be put to great use.  However, they were directly across from the train track and we had to stop talking to wait on a train to pass.  And at the end, we learned they were not just for rent, they were rent with the option to buy.  We do not want to buy a house here (you think the housing market is difficult in the states - you ought to see it here!).

Now we pray and think and allow our supervisor to work through logistics.  Hopefully in the next couple of days the post will read "New House Rented!"

IHH - 104

Yep, last night was one more round of International House Hunting (without a translator and our immobiliaria only speaks Spanish), but at least at the end of the evening we felt like we had hope.  We met with our immobiliaria (the one from IHH - 103).  She had three potential homes lined up for us to see.

#1 - Less than 5 years old and has never been lived in - new appliances (yes, it has an oven), lots of space, and a garage that will work for great hospitality opportunities!  It is a little further away from the center of town than we imagined, but it is doable.

#2 - Right smack in the middle of town, on a corner, with a secondary school in the front and the grocery store on the side.  It had a great patio (really big, great bar-b-q's could happen there), a common natural area, however, the inside wasn't quite what we were looking for.

#3 - Never made it inside, because across the street is a chalet (townhouse) where someone has sprayed on the garage door "tus perros nos molestan" (your dogs bother us), and running in the tiny front yard, barking loudly, are 3 large dogs.

We then drove around to see a couple other potential areas and headed home to think.

Tomorrow we go back to potentially see two more and revisit #1 from our fourth trip.  If these two new ones do not "knock our socks off" we will choose #1.  Keep praying!  It would be nice to be finished with this step of the process.  Pictures will follow if we say "yes."

IHH - 103

Never a dull moment when it comes to house hunting in Spain!
(Click on the links f you missed Part 1 or Part 2)

Grateful that on day 3 of this journey a friend and her daughter accompanied me (with the promise of finding the chocolateria), we met our first appointment (slightly late) and quickly jumped into her car.  She knew we had worked the previous night with a different immobilaria so she began asking about what we had already seen and liked or disliked.  She then drove us to one property that she thought matched our needs, but that the listing was shared by other companies.  Sure enough, we had seen that one the night before.

(side note - yes, when you list your house with an immobiliaria you can list it with as many companies as you want - remember, no MLS system - very different than the states)

Since we had told her we only wanted to see things in the north she had nothing else lined up to show us.  She drove us around the central and south and explained a few things to us...

.... the majority of the properties in the north are owned outright, so the financial crisis is not creating a need for many of these to become available for rent -

....  what we find in the north for rent will probably be much more expensive and smaller

....  if we live in the north we will be in a "driving" community - meaning, we would no longer be able to just walk to the market or the park, but if we live in the south - it is a walking community (much closer to what we presently live in)

Now the question became, what next?  As we discussed schools and Alex and timing and more she realized that what was driving us was the school registration timeline (Alex really needs to be registered in school before July 2) and she felt instead of looking for more houses we should solve the school situation first

So, she offers to go with us to Toledo (Toe-Lay-Dough, not pronounced like the Toe-Lee-Dough in Ohio), where the main education office for this province is located and see what we can find out (it was about a 30 minute drive each way).  Off we go and we find out that Alex really has little chance of getting into the north school, because as of right now there was only one opening, but more than 10 in the south.

Now what?  Back to Illescas and the agent takes us to the school in the south, helps us get in to see the school and tells us more about the community where the school is located.

By now, we have had to cancel our 2nd and 3rd appointment, are exhausted, and as we finish the time with this agent we have decided we really need to look in the south and central parts of Illescas.  We set an appointment for Thursday to look some more, drop her off, and head out for the "important" parts of the day - lunch (chocolate and churros got totally missed today) and shopping!

We ate lunch at a restaurant we had visited before and it was all homemade- including the chocolate mouse!  I think I may have found my favorite dessert in town.

When I called Scott to give him the overview of the day he asks "so, how many chalets did you look at today?"  My answer, "none."  It was a productive day, but not so productive in the way we expected.

Day #4 on Thursday.  

IHH - 102

Day 2 of International House Hunting (IHH) was Monday.
(If you missed part 1 you can read it here.

The day began with more emails being sent and finally hearing responses from a few of the immobiliarias (remember, real estate agents).  When they respond via e-mail, it isn't so bad - I have time to think of my response and use the help of a translator (if needed).  Thank goodness, I had a team meeting all morning, so when they responded via calls, either a teammate or her daughter helped (I still hate to talk in Spanish on the phone!).

The majority of the people who called only had properties in the south and we were only looking in the north.  Since we already had to return to Illescas Monday evening, I was trying to make additional appointments for the same trip (if you read yesterday, you'll remember that Illescas is about an hour from our home).  One agent called and had a property that was available on the north, but she wasn't available to show it until Tuesday morning.  (Thankfully a dear friend, and teammate, volunteered to go back with me on Tuesday).

Monday night we headed to Illescas for two appointments.  Oh, the fun you can have looking at chalets in a foreign country!

A fun review of 5 chalets....

#1 - Positive - had a lot of character, semi-furnished, several terraces, and friendly landlords.  Interesting - there was an area inside, yes, I said inside, that was filled with mulch.  Negative - when you look out the front door you face an industrial looking building - which we learn houses two clubs (in Spain, that usually refers to prostitute area) and several topless bars.  Nope - that one is off the list.

#2 - Positive - it had the biggest kitchen that I have seen in Spain, even having room for an industrial size refrigerator!  Interesting - the kitchen was red and the living room was purple - and yes, you could see both rooms at one time!  Negative - the owner of the property intended to turn one corner of the basement/garage into a storage room where he would store all of his furniture and etc behind a locked door while he moved out of the country.  Uh, who knows what would be behind that door?  Nope - one more down.

#3 - Positive - it had a beautiful view over an open field and was below our housing budget.  Interesting - it had a single car garage that had no access to the interior of the house and the only "green" area was in the front yard.  Negative - there were only windows on the front side of the chalet.  Remember, we don't have air condition so the cross breezes are essential to cooling the house on a 100+ degree day.  Nope to #3.

#4 - (changed to our 2nd appointment - who somehow missed the fact that we only wanted to see things in the north and scheduled all our appointments for the south, but maybe we should look there anyhow) - Positive - it was really big and the basement had lots of potential (and was in our housing budget)!  Interesting - hmm, the clothes line was out the kitchen window and was at a lower level than the window - not sure I could imagine myself hanging down the window.  Negative - there was no oven in the kitchen, which is not all that unusual (many rental properties come with no furnishings in the kitchen - appliances/cabinets), however, this one didn't even have the area or wiring to add an oven.  Uh, nope to that one too!

#5 - Across the street and down a little ways is finally a little hope - Positive - it is big, has lots of potential for future activities, is in our budget, and the basement is finished into two large rooms - plus, there is a separate single car garage!  Interesting - the dining room had this huge, and I mean huge, black chandelier with crystals and all (most rental properties have no light fixtures).  Negative - it is in the south and on Monday we are still thinking we want to be in the north.

The 2nd immobiliaria then told us they had one more property in the south we could see, but it didn't have any lights and it was already nearing sunset so would be difficult to see anything, and one in the north that was a lot older.  So, since I was already coming back for IHH 103 on Tuesday, I added them to the schedule.

International House Hunting 101

Just about the time I think I am beginning to understand the culture and ways are done in our new homeland, I realize I really have no clue!  This week, as we began our search for a new home, I entered the "no clue" zone again.  So, I thought I would bring ya'll along.  Perhaps between all of you and me (and some great teammates and immobilarias), we might successfully find us a new home!

A little background information - we are moving to a town that is about an hour away from our present home.  We are moving from what is referred to as a city (approx 200,000 people) to a pueblo (approx 22,000 people).  We are presently living in the Madrid province and moving to the Toledo province (we presently live north of Madrid and are heading to the south of Madrid).  We presently live in an apartment and we are looking for a chalet (translated to town home).

Real Estate companies are called Immobilarias.  There is no such thing as the MLS in Spain.  Some houses (both for sale and rent) are listed with only one immobilaria, while others are listed with several.  Sometimes things are listed by owner as well, or perhaps only by owner.  Many of the immobilarias list their properties online at real estate search sites, but they don't give addresses of the properties.  Some immobilarias respond to your request for more information almost immediately, while others never respond. 

And of course - there is the whole language thing - they all speak Spanish.

Do you have a feel for the task ahead?

So, let's rewind to last Friday - International House Hunting (IHH) Day 1.  Hannah and I met our new teammate and toured the school on the side of the town where we "thought" we wanted to live.  Afterwards, we headed to our first immobilaria (of course, there was a stop for 2nd breakfast in there).  We explained to the worker at the immobilaria what we were looking for, the area we wanted to live in (the north), and that both families desired to find a chalet.  She shared a little information and then told us that she could not show any properties that afternoon (so we made an appointment for Monday - watch for IHH 102).  We then visited 2 more immobilarias who each told us they had no properties to match our needs.

Hannah and I then spent the next hour and half driving up and down streets writing down phone numbers and addresses of potential rental properties.  Friday was followed by a weekend of Internet searching, emailing, and praying for direction. 

End of Day 1 - no new home.

Illescas - In Pictures



The original Puerta (Gate) to Illescas - still standing



Calle Real - Connected the two gates of Illescas -
the road from Madrid and the road to Toledo (the original capital of Spain)



One of the two major Catholic Churches in Illescas

The 2nd Catholic Church

All good towns have a bull ring - Illescas, an older town,
has one of the more modern ones with a retractable roof

And of course, every town has a Plaza Mayor

The Youth Center - Located on the side of town we are hoping to live -
they offer free and low cost activities for youth and families -
 great relationship opportunities

Community Pool

One of 2 Community Sport Areas -
 of course they have soccer fields at both

Illescas has several parks - one is on the north side -
the area where we are looking to live

One park has walking/bike paths that lead around the side of town

A taste of "old town"

Illescas has a larger industrial area - much is related to carbon fibers -
the area of textiles that Scott worked with - another "door" for relationships

Airbus has a factory where they make the horizontal tail pieces - again, related to
carbon fiber technology

The Perfect Trio

What better combination of food can there be than banana, chocolate, and peanut butter.  To me any recipe that combines those three flavors gets a thumbs up.  In fact, I like that combination enough to part with my "beloved JIF Peanut Butter."  We can get some Spanish varieties of peanut butter, but nothing like JIF.

Tonight, in need of using some very ripe bananas and in need of a brunch food for a guest coming tomorrow, I googled those three ingredients and came across a muffin recipe.  I heated up my kitchen (yes, it was 80+ degrees and we don't have air condition but I turned on the oven anyhow - thank goodness for the kitchen door that blocks all the heat in the kitchen!) and tried out the recipe.  They were fabulous!  They are definitely a make again recipe!

(taken from www.noblepig.com)

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins


2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed, golden brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 large, ripe bananas, mashed-enough for 1-1/4 cups banana
1 cup milk
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, sift together (make sure to sift), flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and the cinnamon; combine.

In another mixing vessel combine mashed bananas, milk, peanut butter, egg, oil, and vanilla; mix well.  Add this to the dry mixture previously prepared; mix just enough to combine.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray, if you are using liners, spray those too, and fill tins 3/4 full.  This will make 18 nicely sized muffins.  You can double the recipe if you need more.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Different, yet Alike

As I walk this crazy life I am now living there are days where I think I must be the only crazy person here.  I want "my readers" (those few of you crazy enough to keep coming back here) to experience life here, yet it isn't so easy to find a way for that to happen.  How do you explain the crazy experiences in such a way that someone not here understands?  How do you explain with laughter and acceptance the way things are done here?  How do you celebrate the small accomplishments and yet understand how monumental they are? 

Yet, every now and then you come across a like soul, someone walking just a few steps ahead of you that helps you realize, oh wait - I am not the only one walking these exact same steps.  Maybe we are taking a little different path, but you are reminded that you are a lot more alike than diffent.

Shar Carlson is a middle school English teacher at Hannah's school.  She celebrated her one year of life in Spain anniversary this week. She wrote a blog post that had me rolling in laughter and a few tears rolling down my cheeks.  She lives in a neighboring small town, is single, and is here for a two year term, yet in the midst of those differences there were so many similarities I had to share it with you.  It is a little long, so pull up a comfy chair, get a cup of coffee (or iced team for me), and enjoy the laughter as you read her account of her first year in Spain.

Won't Find Me In Any Book

Yesterday I had a break from ordinary life and got to spend a couple hours sitting on a park bench chatting and sharing a chocolate Neapolitan (ahh - one of my favorite things in Spain) with a co-worker and friend.  We were sharing the triumphs and the heartaches of our lives during the past couple of weeks.   We were mourning the loss of a common friend and discussing the possibilities of our futures.

Somewhere the conversation turned to some heartaches we had both seen on the mission field and the question arose as to where many get their "picture" of mission work.  Many have a glorified vision of the field, while others see it as an escape from the problems in their homeland, and others believe God must be more present to those serving in foreign fields, and most (including me) have some warped picture.  But where did these ideas come from?  In the end, we decided books.

I love to read the stories of the spiritual warriors that have come and gone before me.  I love to read how men and women gave up everything and moved to the ends of the earth and saw great movements for Christ.  I marvel at the courage of those who boarded a boat, forsaking all that was being left behind, and moved to a forgotten place in the world, knowing their lives would be lost at that moment.  I find encouragement in reading the stories of those who, through serving in the jungle without running water or indoor bathrooms or being imprisoned, grew so close to God that the giving of their lives was a gain.

But you know what, I think those people are the exception.  There isn't much about our life that I would say was glamorous.  There isn't much that I would even say was earth shattering.  Even less, I can't say that I am one of those with the courage to forsake it all (yeah, I moved to Spain and sold all my worldly goods - but I have Internet and re-bought a lot of material things once arriving here).  My life is ordinary.

I don't live in a country without running water or indoor bathrooms (although we don't have air condition and summer is fast approaching).  I don't have to walk miles to the nearest market and I don't fear death for carrying a Bible.  I doubt anyone is ever gonna write a book about my life as a missionary.

But this is reality - there are thousands and thousands who have accepted the privilege of serving Christ in a foreign field.  For most their stories will never be written.  Only a small percentage will face death as a result.  But for the majority of us - reality is still hard at times.

The reality is that this life is tremendously lonely - we left our friends and family and skype just isn't the same.  We have teammates, but our job is not to spend time with our teammates, it is to get to know the nationals.  The nationals all speak a different language.  Last Saturday as I stood at a field day event I was reminded that it is possible to be in a crowd of a couple hundred and feel completely and utterly alone.  Life is hard - even with modern day conveniences.  The processes for everything is different and there are so many unwritten rules to how to do things that we may never figure it all out.  Church, a place where I always found hope, refreshment, and fellowship, is now a place of work - work to just understand what is being said and why something is being done the way it is.

We live in a country where "progress" is slow.  Following Christ comes with a cost and that cost is calculated and considered for long periods before someone is ready to pay the price.

My life isn't glamorous and I am pretty sure it isn't novel worthy, but it is reality.  And most days, I am thankful for the privilege of this reality, but then there are others where I yearn for what has been written in the books I love to read, and if I can't have that - then I just yearn for simple and familiar.

A Lo Pobre

I just love when I am reading about Spain and it all of a sudden comes to life!

I am reading the book Driving Over Lemons, by Chris Stewart, a book that tells the story of a British couple who move to Andalucia, the southern portion of Spain, in the post-war period of history.  The area they have moved is dreadfully poor and a very common dish is Potatoes "A Lo Pobre."  The author describes it as a pan of potatoes, garlic, oil, and a few veggies, with an occasional side of meat - if the budget allows.

And, knowing my love for cooking, I am following a blog entitled My Kitchen in Spain, written by Janet Mendel.  So far it has been fun to read, but I had not found any recipes I wanted to try - until this week.  Guess what her recipe is!  Yep, Potatoes "A Lo Pobre."  I fixed them and they were fabulous - both yesterday and today as left overs.  We will definitely be cooking these again.

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick 

1/3 cup olive oil    
2 teaspoons salt1 onion, sliced1 green pepper, cut in strips1 large tomato, quartered and sliced3 tablespoons chopped parsley3 cloves garlic, chopped¼ teaspoon crumbled dry thyme (optional)1 teaspoon pimentón (paprika)1/3 cup white wine1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place half the oil in a 3-quart cazuela or other heat-proof casserole. 


Arrange half the sliced potatoes in the casserole and sprinkle with half the salt. Top with half the sliced onion, green pepper, tomato, parsley and garlic. 

Add remaining potatoes, sprinkle with salt and remaining onion, pepper, tomato, parsley and garlic. Sprinkle with thyme and pimentón. Pour over remaining oil, wine and 1/3 cup water. 

If using a heat-proof casserole, place on a medium heat on top of the stove until the liquid begins to simmer. Then cover the casserole with a lid or foil and bake until potatoes are fork tender, about 60 minutes.

Let rest 10 minutes before serving.


(copied from http://mykitcheninspain.blogspot.com.es/2012/05/potatoes-lo-pobre-are-classic.html)

Economy

Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you that I have no idea what is happening in the government or economy here or in the US.  I know the big things - Spain has an economic crisis, US is preparing for the election of a new president, NC just voted to amend the constitution,... You know, the big things.  Scot tries to talk to me about some of these issues, but I get that glazed look in my eyes and he usually just gives up.

But, in several recent conversations with friends/family from the states I have been asked how the economic crisis is going to affect us and our assignment.  The glazed look just doesn't go over too well, so decided to do a little research.  Before I know how it is going to affect us, I guess I should understand exactly what the crisis is.  I did a lot of reading this evening and came across this list of "22 Signs That The Collapsing Spanish Economy Is Heading Into A Great Depression." ( I even understood most of them) 

What does this mean for us?  We are waiting to see.  We are being wise with our money - both what we keep in our Spanish account and our American account.  We are being wise with our spending as there is no predictability as to what will happen with the exchange rate.  But more than that, we are praying that this crisis may open doors for relationships and conversations that would have never occurred before.

I figure I cannot be the only one out there who gets the "glazed look" so I thought I would share the list with you.

#1 The unemployment rate in Spain has reached 24.4 percent - a new all-time record high. Back in April 2007, the unemployment rate in Spain was only 7.9 percent.

#2 The unemployment rate in Spain is now higher than the U.S. unemployment rate was during any point during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

#3 According to CNBC, some analysts are projecting that the unemployment rate in Spain is going to go above 30 percent.

#4 The unemployment rate for those under the age of 25 in Spain is now a whopping 52 percent.

#5 There are more than 47 million people living in Spain today. Only about 17 million of them have jobs.

#6 Retail sales in Spain have declined for 21 months in a row.

#7 The Bank of Spain has officially confirmed that Spain has already entered another recession.

#8 Last week, Standard & Poor's Ratings Services slashed Spain's credit rating from A to BBB+.

#9 The yield on 10-year Spanish bonds is up around 6 percent again. That is considered to be very dangerous territory.

#10 Two of Spain's biggest banks have announced that they are going to stop increasing their holdings of Spanish government debt.

#11 Of all the loans held by Spanish banks, 8.15 percent are considered to be "bad loans".

#12 The total value of all bad loans in Spain is equivalent to approximately 13 percent of Spanish GDP.

#13 Of all real estate assets held by Spanish banks, more than 50 percent of them are considered to be "troubled" by the Spanish government.

#14 That total amount of money loaned out by Spanish banks is equivalent to approximately 170 percent of Spanish GDP.

#15 Home prices in Spain fell by 11.2 percent last year, and the number of property repossessions in Spain rose by a staggering 32 percent during 2011.

#16 Spanish housing prices are now down 25 percent from the peak of the housing market and Citibank's Willem Buiter expects the eventual decline to be somewhere around 60 percent.

#17 It is being projected the the economy of Spain will shrink by 1.7 percent this year, although there are some analysts that feel that projection is way too optimistic.

#18 The Spanish government has announced a ban on all cash transactions larger than 2,500 euros.

#19 One key Spanish stock index has already fallen by more than 19 percent so far this year.

#20 The Spanish government recently admitted that its 2011 budget deficit was much larger than originally projected and that it probably will not meet its budget targets for 2012 either.

#21 Spain's debt to GDP ratio is projected to rise by more than 11 percent during 2012.

#22 Worldwide exposure to Spanish debt is estimated to be well over a trillion euros.

(source:  http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2012/04/30/22-signs-collapsing-spanish-economy-heading-great-depression-127491/)

Only in Spain

I know you must think I have fallen off the edge of the earth since I have been so slack about writing lately, but I promise I am still alive and well, just incredibly busy.  And at times life seems so ordinary that I figure you might not be interested in reading.  But today, well I was reminded I don't live in NC anymore.

I have a break between my grammar and conversation class that lasts for about 30 minutes (well, on paper it lasts for that long - but we never get out of grammar right on time and the teacher doesn't usually come to conversation right on time - she has to have coffee in a local "bar" between classes too - so that 30 minutes is pretty fluid).  I usually use that break to do an errand, grab 2nd breakfast, do my grammar homework, catch up on facebook, ...  Today I decided to grab 2nd breakfast "to go" and bring it back to the classroom to do my homework.  (I always was the studious one :) )

A specialty here is a bowl with french fries on the bottom, then a meat (chorizo, ham, or bacon), and then topped with a fried egg.   It is one of my favorite dishes.  So I ordered that to go (the lady at the restaurant knows me by now cause I usually go in once or twice a week and get a sandwich mixto (a grilled ham and cheese).  A little while later out comes my food and I glance in the bag to be sure I have a fork and there isn't one.  I ask for one and she says "we don't have forks to go, only ones for in the restaurant."  My brain starts swirling - how am I going to eat this in the classroom without a fork?  But then she says "but you can have one of these forks (holding up a real one) and just bring it back to me tomorrow."  Ha!  I am definitely not in NC anymore.

And yes, it tasted delicious!  And since I have to take the fork back tomorrow, perhaps I will need to have a 2nd one - but this time I will have a fork in my bag.

Two Successes and a Failure

So I guess you call the day a success if you have more successes than failures.

So first the successes...

1)  My regular fruit and fish store has closed (product of the economic crisis) so I have had to go to a new one lately.  A couple months ago I had bought cucumbers from this place that were the best we had so far, so I returned to them.  It's a little further away, but can be on the way home from school if I want.  Today I stopped for a long list (hint to self - next time list is this long go home and get rolling cart first - it is a long way to walk with lots of stuff).  About a month ago I bought Pink Lady Apples there but they have not had them since.  The kids keep trying other types, but so far nothing they really like as much.  Every time I go in I ask for Pink Ladies and he tells me no, they have such and such type.  Today, I asked again and he says "tomorrow, for you, because you keep coming back and are such a good woman I will have them, for sure!"  I keep going back because they are patient with teaching me language, reinforce me when I say things right, and speak slowly enough I can understand them.  Now I will keep going back because he is getting the kids the apples they want.  Success #1.

2)  After the fruit store I headed to m my favorite meat store.  I have used the same one since arriving and you have probably read many of the funny stories of my buying meat from them.  Today I used the right vocabulary for everything - even the pork chops that he didn't have and the new type of beans I was buying.  The butcher made me day when after each item I ordered he responds with "perfecto."  At the end (cause he says perfecto not because my words are right but because he is giving me what I want) he says "tu espanol es muy bien - very good."  Ahh - progress!

And then there was the failure....

Last night I put black beans in to soak for lunch today.  This morning I put them in the crock pot to cook while in class.  Unfortunately, I forgot a very important part of cooking in a crock pot - plugging it up.  So the beans are soaked - really well, but not cooked.  Thank goodness for a pressure cooker!

Strawberry Cake

Growing up we only visited my father's side of the family once or twice a year because of the distance from our home in Florida to their homes in SC.  Every time we went, however, I was guaranteed a strawberry cake - regardless of the time of the year.  My Great Aunt Wanetta would often even make two cakes - one to share with everyone, and one for me to take with me.  Come to think of it, I have a lot of food memories associated with our visits to SC - pound cake, Chicken and Dumplings, Biscuits, Bar-b-Q,...

However, there is no cake that compares to her strawberry cake.

2 sticks butter
1/2 c Crisco
3 c sugar
6 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 c evaporated milk

Cream butter, Crisco, and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Finally add vanilla and milk.

Bake in 3 layers for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or in a 9 x 12 pan at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Layer cake with fresh strawberries and cool whip.  Ice the entire outside with cool whip as well.

(In Spain there is no cool whip, so I am using fresh whipping cream in place.  YUM!)

Driving Again - But Time it is the Practical Part

Tomorrow is the day.  Here is what it will look like - nothing like the way it was in the states!

I have to be at the driving school at 8:10 (thank goodness it is later than I originally was told!).  It will take about an hour or so to get there (yes, I'll drive myself - isn't that crazy!).  

When I arrive I will meet the teacher and 3 more people - a chinese man who is taking the test for the 4th time, a spanish man who is taking the test for the 2nd time, and a spanish woman who is taking the test for the first time.

We will all, including the teacher, climb into a small car.  Each of us will drive for 30 minutes.  That means 1 1/2 hours in the backseat of a small car with other new drivers.  So prayer request #1 is that I don't get carsick.  I never ride in the backseat of a car because I ALWAYS get carsick.  

After 2 hours of the four of us driving for 30 minutes each we will arrive at the driving test center.  I am #4 and my instructor thought the chinese guy (who is trying for the 4th time to pass) is #3.  That means, he and I will sit on the curb for an hour while #1 and #2 take their exams.  (Prayer request #2 - pray for warm, dry weather). 

Then at 11:00 #3 and I will get in the car - he driving, me in the back seat again - see prayer request #1.  He will take his exam, and then finally at 11:35ish I will get to take my exam.  

It will last for 30 minutes and I will know immediately at the end if I pass.  My instructor seems confident, but I am a little nervous - no fear, just a healthy dose of nerves.

Spring Break Pueblo Hopping

Although the weather was cold, wet, and dreary through much of spring break, we did squeeze in one day of pueblo hopping - our favorite past time here in Spain. My tutor had recommended two towns - Chinchon and Aranjuez. They were both incredible.

Chinchon is known for it's round Plaza Mayor. Bull Fights and other performance actually still occur in the middle. There are lots of cafes that line the edges that are just calling our name to return on a warm sunny day (although, have no fear, we did squeeze in a coffee stop and a pastry stop in this town).

Then we traveled to Aranjuez - allowing the GPS to direct our route - it claims these roads to be the fastest route, but I'll leave that to your own calculation. Most of the roads were about 1 1/2 lanes wide - but I got to use my new driving law information when it came to who had the right of way on narrow roads.

This town has an incredible palace that we toured. The entire town is filled with gardens and in another month or so will be the location of more strawberries than anywhere else in Spain. We stopped in a "hole in the wall" for lunch and ate so much I was miserable for the rest of the day.

I didn't think Avila could be replaced as our favorite town so far, but these towns did it. Combined, they are a perfect day - especially if we could have a little more sunshine to go with them.

Semana Santa

 .. or Holy Week began last Friday and continues through tomorrow, Easter Sunday.  The celebration of Easter looks very different here in Spain than what we are accustomed to seeing and hearing in the states. There are no Easter Egg trees, or pretty pastel baskets, or even egg dye kits to be found.  In a few stores you may find some Easter candy, but this is just becoming a little more popular - it is definitely not the norm.

Instead Semana Santa is marked with processions.  There are processions nearly every day for the entire week, and on some days more than one.  The processions, or parades, are religious in nature and are very solemn and serious.  Each day the procession will mark a different moment in the ministry of Jesus.

On Monday we attended a procession here in town.  The processions here are small compared to some of the towns with great marks in religious history, but it was large enough to begin to get a feel for them.

When we arrived at the procession the biggest crowds were at the beginning - at a Catholic Church.  It was important to see the people and floats emerge from the church.  After a considerable wait you began to smell the incense and the ringing of the single bell and then the crowds grew silent.  The only noise in the crowds were the occasional sound of a baby or a camera clicking.  Imagine being at your town's Christmas parade and when it beginning the crowds growing completely quiet.

Toward the beginning of the procession were a few children who walked along the edge of the crowd collecting an offering.  Immediately after them were members of a "brotherhood,"laypersons in the catholic church who perform religious acts of service.  These people were in a robe and hate that will cause Americans to draw a comparison to a non-religious group in history, however there is no connection in their meaning.

There will be elaborate floats that are carried on the shoulders of many men.  There will often be a band at the end of the procession as well.

It was incredible to watch and experience this procession.

We were told by one person that to be part of the procession is a tremendous honor in the Catholic church as well as, in a sense, a way to gain favor with the church.

Interestingly, another contrast is that by far the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday processions are of the highest importance.

In reaction, the evangelical church in Spain chooses to do very little celebration of Easter.  The meaning is talked about in the church and the spirit of celebration is there - but again, in a very different way than our home culture.  It is small, quiet, and personal to each church and congregation.

And the results are in....

... no more driving exam posts for me because I PASSED!!

A God Size Answer

If you have read any post here lately you know that today I took the theory part of my driving exam.  I really have no idea how I did, but the results are for another post (you find out the day after the exam). But, as I promised God, HE alone gets the glory, regardless of my score.  And HE answered one of today's prayers in a way bigger than I ever imagined.

Let me back up and explain today's process...

.... first I took Alex to the train station with me this morning.  He doesn't have school at all this week and Scott and I have school today and tomorrow.  God graciously  presented an opportunity for Alex to spend the day getting to know a team member better, allowing both Scott and I to focus on the task at hand without worrying or guilt about Alex.  Thank you to this family for being the first answer to many prayers!

.... then I got on the train (going in the opposite direction of Alex) and rode into Madrid - about an hour ride. 

... then when I got off the train I searched for where I would catch the bus to the test center - but the map that the lady at the driving school drew really didn't make sense to me, but no worries, yet - I was headed to the driving school and would ask again. 

... walked 10 minutes to the driving school and paid for my bus ticket, asked again about the bus stop and she showed me the same map with the same directions, so figured I must have just missed something and prayed a quick prayer that I would find it and not miss the bus.

... studied for an hour more at the driving school - doing practice tests.

... 30 minutes before time for bus I packed up and made a bathroom trip at the driving school (yes, that is an important detail to this story!)

... as I was coming out of the bathroom a Spanish lady was coming in.  She asked if I was going to take the exam and I replied yes.  She asked if I wanted to walk to the bus stop together.  Uh, yes... especially if you have a clue where we are going!  Thinking this was the end of my answer to my prayer I waited and we began to walk together.

... as we were walking and conversing in Spanish (thank goodness she was very patient) we asked the normal get to know you questions - where are you from, how many times have you taken the test, are you nervous, ...  then came the question that I always wonder exactly how to answer.  Do you work in Spain?  My answer today was "not yet, I am learning Spanish (and she smiled - probably meaning I surely hope so!), but when we master a little more language we will be working with the evangelical church."  Her entire demeanor changed.  Her face lit up.  She says "you are a born again believer?  I am too!"  Then she tells me she speaks English!

... remember, we work in an area where less than 1% of the population is evangelical - so you tell me the odds of running into a lady in the bathroom of the driving school that speaks English, is heading to the same bus stop I am, and is an evangelical believer. 

... We talked the entire time we waited on the bus (not where I thought it was supposed to be), the entire hour trip to the bus stop, and the 30 minutes while we were waiting on the test.  After the test she met me back on the bus and we talked about God being in charge of the results - we did our part in preparation and He would handle the rest, regardless of the score.

... She was getting off at an earlier stop for an appointment, but before she got off she asked for us to exchange numbers and wanted to know if I would like to get together again to practice Spanish because missionaries were needed in Spain and practicing would speed up our opportunity to share.

Now how is that for an answer to a quick little prayer breathed in the moment of worry?  God gets the glory for today's encounter and tomorrow's scores - regardless!  (but I am still praying that I passed).

Out of Left Field

Today we celebrate living in Spain for 6 months.  There are days that it feels like we have been here for an eternity, whereas other days it feels like it has passed in the blink of an eye.  Everyday things feel a little more comfortable, but then there are days where life is still difficult.  There are times when we know a hard season is ahead of us and we prepare - draw a little closer to each other, put up some walls of defense, and set aside time to process the emotions - however, there are times that life seems to be sailing along ok and bang!

Out of left field some emotion reaches out and slaps you in the face.  There's no time to prepare for the surprise and life keeps on going, leaving you standing there wondering what just ran over you.

Last week I spent a wonderful week in Germany with nearly 50 other women who serve with SEND throughout Europe.  The speaker was encouraging, the fellowship was warm, the time to rest was wonderful, and of course the late night game time was filled with laughter.  It was all in English!  I had no decisions to make, no stores to navigate, no driving, just pretending life was simple and stress free.

As we were saying our final goodbyes at the airport and I hugged a dear friend goodbye it hit!  She was heading to the states, everyone was talking about going "home," and I was going somewhere that I wasn't sure what to call.  I wanted to cling with all I had to this friend and beg her to let me go with her to the states and yet I knew I couldn't.  Teammates around me were asking if I was ready to be home and yes was my answer, but I wasn't sure where that was.

Everyone says it is normal - but I sure much prefer the times when I can prepare in advance.  I like surprises, such as gifts, trips, dinner, new outfits, and more... but emotions, no thank you.

This week is filled with my driving test, waiting on the results, catching up with Spanish language lessons, laundry, college paperwork, and hopefully some time to explore some new pueblos around here.  Praying that there are no hidden emotional bombs set along the way!