Marhaban!

Once again, I feel so blessed to have seen so much of the world (even though there is still so much more to see)! In March, Kristin and I were able to take a trip to Morocco. We went with a Sevillan program called SolChases. I’m so glad we went with a program, and not by ourselves, for many different reasons. We left early on Friday morning and we got back on Sunday evening. It really was an indescribable whirlwind experience.

After crossing the Straight of Gibraltar, I immediately left western culture as I got off the boat in Tanger. It is amazing how different the culture is compared to Spain. However, it is has been interesting to see a lot of the Arabic or Muslim influence in southern Spain, like Flamenco music or Granada. Morocco really reminded me of Israel, specifically Jerusalem’s Arabic quarter.

For each city we went to, we had a new guide who was from that city. It made the tour very unique because the guide knew a lot about the culture and was really proud of that city. Our first guide in Chefchauoen was about my height. He kind of reminded me of grandpa and he taught me a little bit of Arabic (I’m thinking about making that my 3^rd language someday ). Fez was an incredible city, nothing like I’ve ever experienced. It is so old and the current culture really gave me a glimpse into the past. Asilah was a really cute city. All of the buildings were blue and white and the city was right on the Mediterranean. Being in Morocco definitely reminds me to appreciate what I have. It also helped me understand the Arabic culture a little better.

Some observations/first experiences from Morocco:

• We ate our food, with the dead carcass of our food in our view.
• Everyone used donkeys to transport things (their pick-up trucks) because of the small streets.
• Almost all of the women had their heads, or sometimes faces, covered. Many of the men wore traditional clothing as well.
• I saw a camel’s head hanging up in the market! (and I rode a live one too! )
• My friend was offered 1,000 camels if she would move to Fez and marry this man’s son.
• The toilets were holes in the ground with porcelain on top.
• Our guide told us that the majority of the women had washer machines in their homes. However, they never used them. They preferred to bring their clothes down to the river where the other women are. They use it as a time to socialize. Washer machines don’t talk back, so why would they use them? Also, the hours for the local bath change depending on if you’re a man or a women. It is open a lot more for the women, since they take hours washing their long hair and chatting. However, the men just use it to bathe. I guess despite the fact that they still wash their clothes in the river and go to a local community bath… women are still the same in every culture.
  
• The people work hard. I was able to see people at work at a tannery (worst smell I’ve every experienced), making ceramics, and weaving linens. The working conditions definitely seemed to be worse than anything I’ve really seen. A lot of work is labor and they really seemed to work hard. It was cool to see the process of leather and ceramics from start to finish.
• It’s pretty heavy to be in this culture and see so many people mislead and oppressed. However, it is encouraging to see that God’s presence is still there. A friend of mine that came on the trip had a missionary friend who was living there. After visiting her, she came back with some stories of how she is being used as a teacher. She said it’s difficult to be a single women in that culture, but being a teacher puts her in a lot of people’s lives. One of her students (3^rd grade I think) has been having dreams about the Bible and is now questioning the Koran. I think it’s cool how God could start to speak to someone at such a young age who is surrounded by this community. Not to mention, her teacher is a Christian. God is working in cool ways!

Although I’m writing this at the end of my semester, I still have a few more experiences to share. Hopefully, I’ll be posting them over the next few weeks. Morocco was definitely my most unique experience while being abroad. Here are my pictures:

Pictures part 1
Pictures part 2
Pictures part 3

Maa alsalameh!

Things in Sevilla have been wonderful. I definitely feel as though it is my home. It is really special to come home from trips and see the Cathedral or the Torre del Oro and have the “I’m home” feeling… what a cool experience. I changed the main picture for my blog… it’s one that I took from the bridge that I cross every day over the river by the Torre del Oro.

Once again, I have been so blessed to be here in Spain. I have been able to travel a little more and I still have some pretty cool trips coming up.

Cathedral de Sevilla

First, I was finally able to visit the Cathedral of Sevilla. It is pretty impressive. It is the 3rd largest cathedral in the world (only smaller than St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City and Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil) and the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. The Cathedral of Seville used to be a mosque (built in 1198), but was Christianized in 1248 by Ferdinan III. I was replaced in 1401 and it completely finished in 1575. My favorite part about the cathedral (other than climbing the 38 stories of the Giralda tower to see an incredible view of the city) is the Redemption room. Sometimes catholic cathedrals kind of get to me because there can be more focus on the saints and on Mary than on Christ. However, every tourist that listens to the tour gets a discription of the “Redemption Room” which tells us about what Christ did for us. Through all my cathedral viewings… I also decided that it wasn’t a total waste to build these huge elaborate structures. These people loved God and they wanted to build something that would display a tiny bit of His glory. My perspective has definitely changed a little. Here are some of my pictures. But my favorite part about the Cathedral is it’s dominant presence in the city. I love walking by it at night.

CÓRDOBA

Next, I took a day trip to Córdoba with my program. Córdoba has been one of my favorite towns so far. The mosque was just really different than the other ones I had seen. It was beautiful! It was interesting because when the Christians conquered Córdoba and they saw the mosque, they thought it was so beautiful that they didn’t tear it down (like they would normally do). Instead, they built a cathedral inside the mosque. It was interesting to see the combination of the two religions in one place of worship. Also, the mosque was in such a cute town. Supposidly it is even more beautiful in May when the flowers start to bloom. We also went to one of the oldest wineries in Spain and did some wine tasting… it was a very cool day. Here are my pictures.

PARIS

A weekend in Paris! This was so much fun! It was Kristin’s 21st birthday, so we took an unforgettable trip. Caleb came too as a start to his 10 days visiting me. We did all of the touristy things (the Eiffel Tower, the Arche, the Lovre, the French Statue of Liberty, Notre Dame… ) and we were able to go out and experience a little of the (expensive) night life. It was such a great experience to share with two of my favorite people. Here are some pictures… and some more pictures.

BARCELONA

On our way back from Paris, we were able to get a 24 hour layover in Barcelona. It was not nearly enough time to see the city, but it was fun to see what we could and to hang out on the beach. The Mediteranian is beautiful! We even took one of the rental bikes around (not the kind that you peddle yourself, the taxi kind where some poor man peddles for us… haha). Here are some pictures of Barcelona.

Rock of Gibraltar

One of my classes took a trip to Gibraltar. It was a really fun day trip. It wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was cool because it was an English colony. It was cool to step into a bubble of a different culture within Spain. The Straight of Gibraltar separates Spain and Africa and is so important for trade. Especially when people thought that you would fall off the end of the earth if you went too far past the straight. You can see Morocco, Africa from Gibraltar. Also, Gibraltar is full of monkeys! We got attacked by one, but Caleb saved us by giving up his bread. Here are some pictures.

Plaza de España en Seville

Another mini-vacation for me was Caleb’s spring break. Other than going to Paris, Barcelona, and Gibraltar, we just stayed in Seville (since I still have classes, ha). It was fun to catch up, to show him my new home, and to introduce him to my family and friends. It was such an amazing week! Here are some pictures that we took while he was here.

I just got back from Morocco, so I’ll be posting about that soon too. I absolutely love Seville, but I do miss Phoenix and Gordon too. I’m signing up for summer classes, registering for classes, applying for an apartment, and applying for an internship teaching ESL for the Fall. Specifically for that last one, I would appreciate your prayers. That’s all for now!

Hmm… how am I supposed to relate Jesus and the Red Sox… There are many connections… but I’ll stick with one for now…

Well being in Spain has been great… but very discouraging. Red Sox fans always talk about the “Red Sox Nation” and how no matter where you go you can always find a true fan. This is true. Even in Spain, I have found some Sox fans… which is very exciting. However, it has been discouraging that I haven’t always found the body of Christ everywhere I go. Is the Red Sox Nation really more global than the body of Christ? Or are they just more vocal? (of course, the t-shirts help). These were the thoughts that were running through my head about 24 hours ago… then everything changed.

I have been praying that God would lead me toward a community of believers and I’ve asked so many of you to be praying the same thing for me. I’m so glad to be here… however, it can be a little lonely when you don’t have a small group or people that will just pray with you. (I am so so thankful for Kristin… she’s made it so much easier. However, the two of us are sisters… not a group).  So I still missed community and I was craving it more than I ever have. Within 24 hours, God helped me connect with one person…who knew about a group of American students that were meeting weekly.

I went to the group tonight… there were almost 15 people! I was just blown away. I obviously knew that I wasn’t the only Christian in Seville (especially since I’ve been going to church). But seeing the group and talking about Christ (IN ENGLISH!) just put so much joy in my heart! It was so great to pray with a group of Christians who were in almost the exact same situation as me.  It was also cool that the guy who lead it had prepared something about redemption and repentance, a girl had come with Psalm 51 bookmarked (Prayer of repentance), and a different girl had come with something about redemption from Hosea to share… all on the day that I finished Vermon’s Hosea series.

Anyways, I do not think this was a coincidence… God answers prayers… and I was begging Him for a community… what else should I expect?

Italica

I was able to take a day trip to Italica (right outside Sevilla). “Italica was founded in the year 206BC by General Publius Cornelius Scipio as a place of settlement for soldiers wounded in the battle of Illipa. It also served as an important military outpost. The name Italica gave reference to the first settlers who came from Italy”. It has one of the largest amphitheaters in the Roman Empire. (Taken from idealspain.com). Here are my pictures.

Real Alcázar de Sevilla

“The Alcázar of Seville (Spanish “Alcázares Reales de Sevilla” or “Royal Alcazars of Seville”) is a royal palace in Sevilla, Spain. Originally a Moorish fort, the Alcázar (from the Arabic القصر, al-qasr, meaning “palace”). The Almohades were the first to build a palace, which was called Al-Muwarak, on the site of the modern day Alcázar. The palace isone of the best remaining examples of mudéjar architecture. Subsequent monarchs have added their own additions to the Alcázar. The upper levels of the Alcázar are still used by the royal family as the official Seville residence and are administered by the Patrimonio Nacional” (Taken from wikipedia).

This was a beautiful palace with a lot of history! Here is a link to my pictures!

Granada

The city of Granada غرناطہ is placed at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers (Beiro, Darro and Genil), at an elevation of 738 metres above sea level yet only one hour from the Mediterrean coast, the Costa Tropical. It is ranked as the 13th-largest urban area of the Spanish Kingdom

Alahambra

The Alhambra (from Arabic الْحَمْرَاء, literally “the red one”; the complete name was الْقَلْعَةُ ٱلْحَمْرَاءُ = “the red fortress”) is a palace and fortress complex of the Moorish rulers of Granada, occupying a hilly terrace on the southeastern border of the city. Here are my pictures. (Taken from Wikipedia).

“Cathedral of the Incarnation” and cute neighborhoods

This Cathedral in Granada was designed at the peak of the Spanish Renaissance. It is really pretty; however, I wasn’t able to take any pictures. We also were able to tour some really cute neighborhoods and see some good sights. Granada has a huge Arabic influence. It was really interesting! Here are some more pictures!

Madrid

Madrid—the capital of Spain—is very big. It’s actually the third most populous city in the European Union. There was a lot of history and culture… I really enjoyed my time there. Especially because I was able to meet up with a Gordon friend that is studying there. Madrid was great… although, it also made me happy that I picked Sevilla instead. Madrid is just a lot bigger and the people really aren’t as nice. Although, I have had a lot more time to adjust to Sevilla. My trip wasn’t long enough at all… but here are some pictures from my visit!

Well Sevilla is such a beautiful city. It is very surreal for me to walk to school every day in this beautiful European city with violinist and accordion players for background music as I walk down the streets. It is hard to capture my experience, but I wanted to show you some of the things I see ever day. So here are pictures from my daily 30 minuet walk to school.

First I leave my apartment (3rd floor)...

and I walk down my cute street...

I walk over a bridge to cross the river, with the Torre del Oro on my left...

and I walk by one of many fountains...

Sometimes I turn and walk to the Universidad de Sevilla, an old Tobacco Factory.

But when I go to CIEE (other classes) I keep walking down the street... most streets are lined with orange trees.

And I walk by the famous Cathedral

I walk down some more cute streets...

...and through the Plaza de San Fransico,

...finally I walk through some back streets, until I reach CIEE.

It really is a peaceful and pleasant walk. I absolutely love it. Plus, it makes up for all the food I eat.

I have more pictures on facebook if you want to look at  them.

I cannot believe I have been here for a month. Time has really flown by. In some ways it’s disappointing… I don’t want this experience to end. My family is amazing. It’s been so fun to get to know them. Today I had lunch with the whole family, even my mom’s boyfriend. It’s so fun to just observe the family dynamics. They do treat me as their daughter/sister and I really feel that they’ve become an addition to my family.

My mom, Macarena, is so sweet. It was hard to get used to her hospitality. I never can do the dishes, she washes my clothes almost every day, and she makes my bed twice a day (after ciesta of course). However, I’ve learned it’s the culture. She does the same for her 28-year-old son. My brothers are great. Fernando (28) is very smart. I love talking to him about deeper issues. Sometimes it’s a little frustrating that our conversations aren’t as deep as they would be in English… but the fact that I’m even talking to him about fair trade, the government, politics, human rights, and Iraq is kind of exciting. My brother Guilermo (27) is great too. He’s a lot more outgoing and really easy to talk to. My roommate, Lauren, is amazing. I am really glad to have such a great family here… it definitely has made the adjustment easier.

In Spain…
— Everything is so much slower… no “walk” buttons at the paso de cebra (or crosswalk… cebra=zebra… ever notice how the pattern for a crosswalk looks like a zebra?); no “close” buttons on elevators; “fast food” places take at least 20 mins; and going out to eat is at least a 2 hour event. I love it so much… I think I was supposed to be in this culture.
— People walk on the train tracks… then they move when the train honks at them…
— The “soda fountain” at McDonalds has cerveza (beer)! Also, one of my professors said that high schools also serve beer. He used to sit with his teachers and drink  (and the drinking age is 18)… I’m told it’s just part of thier culture.
— The food is different. It isn’t as ethnically diverse as the States. However, it’s so good! Most of the time I don’t even know what I’m eating… but it’s typically great. With the exception of a few very rare things. They really like ham… and most restaurants display the pig before it’s eaten. I also saw un-skinned pigeons and rabbits hanging at the open market.
— The schedule is much different. In addition to everything being at a slower pace (not quite like Latin America, but close), the times for events are different too. No breakfast, but you normally buy a snack around 11. If you do eat breakfast, it’s a piece of toast or a tangerine. Lunch is at 3 or 4. Dinner is between 9:30 and 11:30. People don’t go out for the night until late (after dinner) and are usually out until at least 3… but the clubs don’t even close until 6 or 7…
— Churches are small. Well, protestant churches at least. There are a lot of catholic churches, but not many people go. 97% of Spaniards say their Christians, 20% of Spaniards attend church, 0.4% of Christians are protestant. These statistics are very evident when talking to the locals. As well as their distaste for religious talk.
— They don’t dismiss the kids for children’s church or nursery. It is a little distracting to have kids talking or crying during service, but it really gives the church a more family oriented atmosphere.
— Everyone smokes! I feel like I have asthma…
— Secularism. Spain is much worse than the US. I miss my community of believers from home and from Gordon. I’ve never been labeled “protestant” so much. It’s a little lonely at times, but it is definitely stretching my comfort zone. The best part is that I’ve grown in ways that I’m sure I would not have outside of this environment. I definitely crave the Word more than I ever have.

None of these things are complaints. Their just differences. And I really love all of the differences (excpet the smoking and the thought of eatting pigeons). I’ve already learned a lot from this environment and from the people around me. I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to be here. It’s still a little surreal for me… and I love it so much! One of the things I’ve been thinking about Janelle (Gordon friend—Latin American Studies program/Costa Rica) said perfectly in her last update. “We’re here to tell a better story, not just buy into the one that’s already being told. We’re here to love and appreciate people. We’re here to add to the beauty, to be creative, to live in the confidence that God loves us more than we could know. We’re here to LIVE”.

Well, I made it to Spain! It’s been an adventurous few of days. I left Boston on Saturday after an amazing week visiting with Caleb, Brittany, and my other amazing Gordon friends. I really am blessed to have the friends that I have. I took a bus to New York to meet up with Kristin, my travel buddy. On Sunday evening, we flew from New York to London to Barcelona to Sevilla. After about 28 hours without sleep and little food, I was exhausted and hungry! Unfortunately, I had to wait at the airport for a while to report my lost luggage (which I finally received yesterday! Thank God!).

The first two days of orientation have been crazy. It is really fun getting to know the beautiful city. I do not think it’s really hit me yet that I’ll be here for so long. Today was our last day at the hotel. Until now, I haven’t spoken too much Spanish because I was in a hotel with 200 other American students. However, today we are all settling into our homes, so hopefully things will calm down a bit. I’ve already spoken a lot of Spanish with Macarena… but I have a roommate, who pretty much only speaks English.

Ok, so I’m living with a single lady named Macarena. She’s sweet, but she smokes, like everyone else in this country. But I do really like her. She has two sons, Guilermo y Fernando, (27 and 26 years old) that live with her. It is really common in Europe to live with your parents until you’re married. My roommate is Lauren. She’s from New York. I think we’ll get along really well. She seems really nice. It’s been really fun eating with them and talking. I’ve already learned a lot about the culture and my confidence to speak is increasing a lot. They told me that I am already way better off than most of the students when they start. They think I speak better and understand more than most, which is so encouraging… but I still have a long way to go. Oh… and the food has been so great!

Some of my first impressions—Sevilla is such a beautiful city! I’m already falling in love with the city and the culture. The CIEE staff has been great and makes all of this a lot less stressful. I definitely am not experiencing culture shock yet. If anything, I’m experiencing it with the other American students. Let’s just say the atmosphere is much different than Gordon. Again, I feel so blessed to have the community I do at Gordon.

I am excited to settle in, get to know my family, and start my classes. I could definitely use some prayer. It is a little difficult adjusting because it’s a little different than I expected.

Tuesday I went to a bar that was showing the Inauguration. It was packed full of Americans and some Spaniards. It was so fun to see it from such a different perspective. Most people here are really proud that we have Obama as our new president.

Also, the seminar that I’m in (see last post) seems like it’s going to be amazing!

¡Participaré en este cuando estoy en España!

This is an optional seminar that I will receive extra credits for. The objective of the seminar is to develop a series of abilities, through chatting and interactive activities, that will help me to relate better in an intercultural environment. Through this seminar I will get to know Spain’s culture better and visit various parts of the country… including La Isla de Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands). I will also be certified for “Achievement in International Education”. Signing up for this has made my trip a little more realistic. I’m starting to get excited! I leave in less than one week (On Sunday, January 18^th)!!

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace” (Luke 8:43-48 ESV).

One day, Lauren, Christina, and I went off exploring to find the famous falafel stand. We were outside the Old City for some reason, so we entered the Old City through the Damascus Gate. As we entered the gate, I found myself surrounded by people. As I pushed my way through the crowd, I saw some beggars sitting on the side of the stone road. All of a sudden, I seemed to have a view of what Jerusalem was like through Jesus’ eyes. I thought of Luke 8 and Jesus’ encounter with the sick woman. The disciples seem to question Christ’s question… but in this situation it did seem a little absurd that Jesus asked, “Who was it that touched me?” It is amazing that Christ could feel the power of His healing, despite the crowd around Him.

And after all that… we found some falafels

We went on this amazing hike on the cliffs of Arbel. It was so much fun. We got stuck at one point because there was a HUGE group of kids coming down the cliffs. They had fun practicing their English and we sang them some of the Hebrew songs we knew.

The Sea of Galilee was so amazing! We stayed right on the Sea and took a trip out on a boat. It was so beautiful, relaxing, and SO much fun! We also got to celebrate Christina’s birthday when we got back.