Intense

Read Cry, the Beloved Country. It's really good.

Other news: Folks from my church have made it to Juarez, Mexico. I've gone with them for the last five years, but this time I'm still in Norman. My roommate Kim went for the second time this year and was kind enough to send me a text message saying that Maria had asked about me first thing. Maria helps out in the kitchen and with the children at the orphanage and is very dear to my heart because of the memories built one week each year. One time when I was there I got very sick the day before we left. Maria came to check on me repeatedly throughout the day, she gave me her blanket to keep warm when I developed a bit of fever and later asked someone to drive her to a convenient store so she could buy me gatorade and yogurt which actually did help my stomach, as doubtful as I had been when she suggested them. She has a daughter, Adrianna, and a son, Jorge. She understands English, but doesn't speak it very well and was always there to help when I didn't know how to say something or was obviously confused.

Last year I was really stressed out because we were doing two vacation bible schools instead of one and we hadn't brought anyone that year who was fluent in Spanish... She came and sat by me and listened to me and not only comforted me, but redirected me to trust in God and not to depend on myself as I was trying to do. It ended up being my favorite year of all five that I gone. God did amazing things and showed himself faithful in so many ways. I could write so much more, but I don't think I will tonight. I need to learn to help out on the trip through prayer instead of sulking and revelling in the memories of years past. :-)

Goodnight.

Consulate, Paperwork and Funny Kids

It's been awhile since I've written, so I thought I might give an update, not that many will read it. ;)

Today I was at the Consulate General of Spain in Houston, Texas from 9:30 AM until 12:55 PM. They are only open from nine until one. Unfortunately, they cleverly disguise the necessity of extra documentation in invisible ink and unspoken instructions even though they have lovely smiles and cheery voices coated in a wonderful Spanish accent. They informed me of the missing documents and gave me their fax number to send them to. I made multiple phone calls to Norman, attempting to have these various documents sent before they closed today at one so I would be sure that they received them and that they didn't need anything else. While waiting, and to be honest--not too patiently, I met many people from Spain and a few students that will be travelling to Spain. There were even a couple of families with small children to play with!

So, while I waited for faxes and the parents filled out paperwork, I played with kids. I was able to practise my Spanish and hone some oragami jumping-frog folding skills that I had been getting rusty in. One girl's grandmother attempted to take photographs while the nymph raced her newfound toys and then spotted the camera and dodged over to the sofa, sinking her giggling face into the cushions. Nevertheless, there were at least two good pictures of girl and frogs. :)

When all of the faxes came in, at about 12:45, I went back to the counter to make sure that this was all they needed from me. Alas, the letter that they had me call my education abroad office to type up, notarize and fax was "not an original" so they need me to mail the original and then they can get started processing the visa. Also, the bank statements from my parents--that notarized letter that the checklist had requested was not enough so I had to have my dad get off work early and go by his bank and then go by his second job to fax these documents--were apparently not completely satisfactory either, so they will be calling in another three months to check their bank statements again???? I will hopefully already be in Spain by then. I'm not sure on that one, so I think I'm going to gather up scholarship information and mail that to them as well to show them my financial resources that I will actually be drawing from. I could have done that originally, but was told that the notarized letter from my parents assuming financial responsibility would be most simple. Anyway, this was rather frustrating, as was my flight being delayed one hour after already having to wait in the airport for two hours.

Yet, to show God's hand at work, as it always is, if I had not been there all day, I would not have met so many charming people who were able to tell me things about Spain and the area that I was going to and encourage me about my trip (and warn my great aunt not to expect to see me again, as I wouldn't want to leave Spain). I would also not have met the adorable young children who are the easiest to practise a language with and whom also encourage me in the idea that's been nibbling on my brain of possibly teaching in some capacity someday, somehow incorporating Spanish.

One of the other students applying for a visa will be in Barcelona in the fall and happened to be at the airport when I got there after lunch. She was also flying Southwest and her gate was near mine, so we were able to talk about studies and churches and exchanged email addresses (yet another contact while abroad!). And if I had not stayed at the consulate so long, I would have taken an earlier flight, thus not seeing this girl at the airport and not meeting the interesting boys I sat with on the plane. They were named Ricky and ....well the other one had a name too, but I've forgotten, how about Fred? Fred is going into the fifth grade, very interested in video games and more video games and a bit of dragonballz. Typical boy of his age. Ricky an incoming high school freshman and is into drama, specifically musicals. He likes to sing and dance and has been both a salesman and village boy in his school's production of The Music Man. So, what does he want to do after high school? Culinary school!!! Isn't that great? So we talked about cooking and his ideas of how to learn some cooking skills from his father and get into contests and win scholarships so it won't be too terribly unaffordable. I told him about all the wonderful ingredients and interesting recipes that Joel has introduced to me. He is from Houston and was on his way to visit a friend. Not so typical of a high school freshman, but delightful conversation.

This entry is getting towards the lengthy side of things, so I thing I shall lable it sufficient for the evening and retire to conversation with roommates and then some much longed-for slumber. Goodnight my reader(s).