The End for Now

I am going home today!! It's unreal and hard to believe. After living here for 3 1/2 months I am having trouble remembering my life any other way. Despite that feeling, I am ready to come home!! The time with my Casa Family has been such a blessing and I know that we will be seeing each other again.
Last night was spent enjoying the memories from the semester. Kate made a video for the Walkers along with a blooper video. It was hilarious to see how much we've grown together and different from the people we were before. At the end, Autumn and Kate gave us necklaces. On the necklaces were slivers of a coin that had been cut into 19 pieces...which is exactly how many people are here! It was a wonderful way to end the semester, along with our mate Christmas ornaments :)
About 24 hours, mas or menos, until I am back with my true family and Abilene, TX. I can't wait to tell my stories to anyone that wants to hear them!! Pray for safe flights. Besos.

Music Boxes

I said I would probably only write one last blog post but I think there might be 2 or 3. We are nearing the end! I will be back in Texas one week from today. I have taken 1 final so far and have 3 more to go (2 tomorrow and 1 Monday). So far it's been relaxed but I'm not looking forward to the 2 tomorrow :/
Tuesday I was able to go back to the Alianza one more time to talk with my friends. One of them thanked me for helping them learn English several times this semester. I must say I was not expecting a 'thank you' because truly they taught me more than I taught them. I will miss them dearly but maybe we'll see each other again someday.
A few other events of note:
Friday (after finals) is our trip to the cerro and a British high tea at Hotel del Prado. I've always wanted to have a high tea, but never thought it would happen in Montevideo, Uruguay. It should be fun. Then on Saturday night, we're having an asado (a cook-out). Everything else is packing, cleaning, donating and saying our goodbyes :(
Lately I pulled up the songs from Rigoletto on YouTube. Its a movie that my grandmother owns that is one of my favorites. The music is beautiful but the lyrics are important too. One song talks about how music boxes have a song inside them. It relates people as the same; one they open up we can hear their song. Es verdad! We just have to take the time to listen. I have learned so much about myself, the world and people in general. Studying abraod really does broaden your worldview but allowing yourself to be transformed is your own choice. I would love to show people what I've experienced, but unfortunately most people will only hear my stories. Besos.

Vamos Pepe!

Today was run-off day and the Frente Amplio won! The streets are crazy with honking cars and banderas hanging everywhere. It is really cool to be here during an election year.
We just came back from Rocha. The beaches were beautiful and the weather was perfect. This week begins our final classes and finals starting. Then I have to pack for home! 11 days!!
There won't be many events to report, but I will write a farewell blogpost.
I will say that God has changed me more into His likeness as I've experienced South America. It's hard for me to ignore the new things but I am excited to have all of the old things back too. A reunion party is definitely in order :D
Please pray for me as I finish the home stretch. I love every one of you and can't wait to be in my beloved Abilene again!

Fabulous Finales

We're down to 15 days and everyday is full with events. Yesterday I tried step class for the first time. Normally I wouldn't consider myself coordinated enough to do something like this, but this semester I've discovered otherwise. It makes everything better when you can laugh at yourself when you mess up.
I am excited about Thanksgiving even though it will be my first one away from home. Our wonderful cook Raquel will be making turkey, so it won't be vastly different from home, just with new people. Friday begins our last trip of the semester...Rocha! We will be staying in a hotel on the beach! I may get to go horseback riding on the beach; that's something I've always wanted to do :D
Then finals...ugh. God has blessed me with abnormal focus for being in a foreign country, so I hope that continues. For those of you still reading my blog, be looking for an event on Facebook for a coming home party for Kate, Linley and I.
Besos.

Painted Faces on Parade

As I said yesterday, we went to the last playoff game for Uruguay to be in the World Cup. It was total craziness!! The game was sold out...the 1 1/2 hour early deal wasn't early enough this time, so we sat near the top. We were thankful that God chose to hold off the rain for a night but it was very foggy. There were no goals scored the first half and Costa Rica was playing dirty. Second half, we pulled it together and scored with about 25 minutes left to play. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, which may be partly because I play and love soccer but I also love Uruguay.
Sadly, Costa Rica scored about 3 minutes later. The game ended in a tie but Uruguay still gets the World Cup spot because they were ahead in points.
Our group went all out for this match. The majority of us had bought jerseys and we all painted our faces with the countries colors (see my Facebook for those pictures). I truly felt like a Uruguaya. Futbol is somehting that brings people together here [Uruguay] and I enjoy being a part of it.
Tomorrow, I will be going with four of my friends back to Punta del Este for free weekend. Lots of time on the beach is in order :) 20 days to go.

Please Wake Me Up

I am absolutely lost. In my literature class we've been reading about reality and dreams; I feel like I am becoming a character in a story, just like those I've read. Over this semester a lot of things have changed. Some of those changes I was expecting and even excited about. Others have been dumped upon me not by my choice at all. I can't decide if being in South America while the unexpected changes took place is a good thing or not. In a way it dulls the pain, but it also makes me helpless. Through it all, I still trust that God has a plan for me. Maybe it was time for me to experience a little heartbreak because my entire life has been overly blessed....I don't know. Now the title of my blog has taken on another possible meaning: discovery of reality. I'm not saying I lived in a world that was sheltered but just a world that was very trusting.

I'm sorry that I've taken up your time writing about more personal things when you might rather hear that I'm going to a World Cup qualifier tonight (which I am). Besos.

The Time in Between

I offically have 24 days left in beautiful Montevideo. I will be sad to go, but right now I'm at the crossroad. Part of my heart will be left here in South America and its people but I am ready to be home again. All of the history, politics and culture that I've learned about and become a part of will not be forgotten.
On a lighter note, we still have two trips left :D One to Punta del Este for free weekend and the other to Rocha. Both are beach towns, so I'm excited to have a tan while everyone back home is putting on sweaters. Just hope no one gets too sunburned. Wednesday will be awesome because we're going to another World Cup qualifier!! Uruguay v. Costa Rica. Soy Celeste!!!
I can't seem to decide whether or not to make something for our Thanksgiving celebration; it's hard to find the same ingredients as in the States, but that's ok.

I know I'm about to come home, but I would love to hear from any of you that are still reading my blog :D

The Bus Diaries

The last stop on our trip was in Santiago, Chile! It was a very well kept city; parks everywhere and relatively clean streets compared to BA and MVD. When we first arrived, of course we got settled in our hostel, then went out to explore the barrio. There are lots of places to shop nearby and for dinner we had more Mexican food. This was a lot better than the first time but more expensive at the same time. Once we were back at the hostel, we watched The Motorcycle Diaries. It was the story of young Che Guevara and I really enjoyed it. One of the books we've read for INTS, which I also enjoyed, mentioned him so it was cool to hear a little more history and make connections.
Our last full day in Chile (Friday) was spent shopping in the artisan market, taking pictures in the park and riding the tram to the top of San Lucia. 6 out of 8 bought panchos made of Alpaca :D We found a KFC for lunch and for dinner I went to a cafe with Taylor and Linley. The next morning was an early one because our bus to MVD left at 8:30 am. It was a 27 hour bus ride! Not as bad as I was expecting, but still WAY too long to be on a bus.
I absolutely loved Chile and would go back someday if I had the chance! God most definitely made himself known and I cannot help but to praise Him. Thanks for thinking of me while I'm gone. Only 4 more weeks...much love <3

Ridiculous One Liners

On Monday, our bus left at 10 am and did not arrive in Vina del Mar, Chile until 7 pm. Going through the mountains takes a long time. We were not thinking correctly when all of dressed for warm weather, since our destination was the beach. Passing though the mountains, it was snowing! So began the ridiculous one liners (mostly from Joyce). That became a joke with our group along with "you're" jokes.
After getting settled into our hostel we exchanged money again and went to Pepe's Pizza for dinner. I had a calzone, Canada Dry and tiramisu! It was still warm enough, so we walked down to the beach. After an hour, we walked back. Tuesday morning, we had to find a cambio, go to the beach again and get on a bus to Lo Valdes. At the beach, a few of us climbed out to a rock in the ocean. While we were taking pictures, a wave washed over us and we were soaked!! Very Little Mermaid. After grabbing a light lunch we hopped on the bus, having no idea where our ride would pick us up. It all worked out and the ride out to the reserve was beautiful. It was long but we sang most of the way. God had been with us through everything and now we could truly feel his majesty. We were in the heart of the Andes Mountains :D
Wednesday the plan was to go horseback riding then to the hot springs but that fell through. We attempted to walk the 7 mi up to the hot springs, but it just wasn't worth it. Kate, Linley and I turned back. We sat on a rock for about an hour, just talking about life and how God was working(of course while drinking mate'). That was such a blessing! That evening, once everyone came back, we explored around the house. There was a pond, lavender bushes, trees to climb and trails to explore. When the sun was going down, we all sat on one of the large rocks on the side of the mountain and sang together.
Next stop: Santiago, Chile

It's a Bit Chile Outside

There is no possible way for me to recount my entire 10 day free travel in one blog entry, so I am going to split it into 3.
It was a group of 7 that went with me to Argentina and Chile, as I think I stated in a previous blog. The plan was to BuqueBus over to Buenos Aires and stay the night. Everything went fine until Friday at lunchtime. We decided to eat at Burger King, which was very nice in comparison to the ones in the States. After we finished sitting and relaxing, we stood up to leave and one of the boys couldn't find his backpack. It had been sitting right next to him but we determined that it had been stolen! Not good! It had his passport, money, credit cards, iPhone, camera and shoes in it. This was only the first full day of our trip and we were scrambling for what to do.
It was less than 3 hours until our bus was supposed to leave, so we split into 2 groups of 4. Abel, Taylor, Rachel and I went on to Mendoza after changing the other 4 tickets to a later time. We were nervous that whole ride because we did not have any type of communication with the other group. Kate, Ben, Linley and Joyce stayed behind to work things out. They had to get a new photo for the emergency passport, fill out that info, file a police report and get on the next bus by 8:15. Sounds like a lot of time but Buenos Aires is a big city!
When my group arrived in Mendoza at 8:30 Saturday morning, we walked to our hostel (having only a google map to tell us where it was). The owner was very helpful in getting everything ready for us. Only 2 1/2 hours later, the second group came! We were so excited to see each other after being separated and we spent time telling of our adventures. The rest of the day was spent exploring and relaxing in Mendoza. That night we found a Mexican food place. It felt good to be eating some after missing it in Texas (even though it wasn't nearly as tasty).
The next morning we were picked up in a van that would take us out to Argentina Rafting. We spend the morning rafting on the Mendoza river. I have been rafting before and this time the water wasn't very high so there were only Level 1 and Level 2 rapids. We still had a good time with our group. After eating lunch at the base, 5 of us got ready to do Canopy. It's similar to zip lining. We went across 6 cables in the mountains; 2 of them went across the river :D I was nervous at first but it was a blast!! Pictures should be coming soon.
Next stop: Vina del Mar, Chile

Wanna Fanta

Last night we celebrated Halloween, since we are leaving today for Free Travel. Everyone dressed up in costumes (very creative ones at that)! We had a zebra, a puppy, a cowgirl, a hippie, a gypsy, Amber and Josh, a Uruguayo, a helado vender, a clown, a Pink Lady, Wimon, a soccer player, Chewy and Princess Leia, a ghost, and the Fanta girls!! My roommates and I were the Fantanas...Summer (Kate: orange), Melody (Linley: grape), and Shakira (me: Pinapple). We used our colorful bedsheets, my headbands and printed logos. Of course we had the appropriate hair and makeup :) For the party, we had crepes and halloween candy sent by the Great Pumpkin.
Now the day is full of packing and getting everything set to travel to Argentina and Chile. I will tell all (or most of) my adventures when I get back! Please pray for our group of 8, as we have no "adults" on our trip. 6 of us are only in beginner Spanish so it will be a challenge but great practice.

Who am I?

When I say this next statement, it may sound vain, but that's not what I'm going for. Ready?
I am really good at the tango and art!
So here's the reason I say that. On Wednesday, we went to Museo Torres-Garcia. He is a Uruguayan artist and his art is very noticable. At first it was Grecian, then it was New York bustle, the simple and symbolic Uruguay. We had the chance to go through the workshop and attempt some art ourselves. Mine wasn't the most amazing, but it was still good and my creative juices were flowing. So when I came home, I started on my World Lit art project that I wasn't looking forward to before. Now I have two of four done (I think)...just wish i had paint or charcoal :D
Later that evening, we had our second tango lesson. It was a lot more fun than the first one and we progressed much more than any other group before us. Now we know the basic step, the turn and the kick. The turn and the kick have other, more professional sounding names, but I don't remember them. lol. My goal was to get better at following the male. I can say that I succeeded in that and I was good at it. Remember, if anyone wants to learn...I can teach :)

Today we went to the American Embassy just to see what its like to be a diplomat here. It was short but informative. It has become a tradtion for us to cook on Friday nights. Tonight was enchiladas, salad with ranch, brownies and sweet tea! Most of these things we don't have on a normal basis so it was a real treat. Life is wonderful!

On the Slide Down

I officially have 7 1/2 weeks til' I'm back in the States! It seems like a long time and not very long at all. School starts back up today after being in Brazil for a week...I'm not thrilled, but I'll get over it. Saturday was a beautiful day, so a group of us decided to go to the Rambla for a couple hours. We played soccer, frisbee and buried people in the sand! It felt good to get out of the house and enojy the sunshine. If y'all couldn't tell, as it gets colder where you are, it's getting warmer here. That's going to do crazy things to my system when I get back. haha

This week is full with activity as well: a museum tour and tango lesson on Wednesday, the Alianza on Thursday, American Emabssy on Friday and hopefully Punta del Este on Saturday. It's a hopefully because we want nice weather. My pictures are up on Facebook from the Brazil trip....so go look at them and enjoy God's beauty!

Another cool side note: During my Study Abraod time, I will have visited 5 countries. 4 of those 5 are qualified for the World Cup and the 5th is in the playoff game! I think that's really cool :D
Much love to everyone!

Welcome to the Jungle

I am going to sum up our week long Brazil trip in one blog post (hopefully it will all make sense). It was a blast! After celebrating Raquel's birthday by making her lunch, we began our 20+ hour bus ride to Foz de Iguacu, Brazil. It was long and uncomfortable but I slept and read most of the way. In Argentina, we stopped to see the Jesuit mission and the house of Horacio Quiroga. If you've ever seen The Mission, that's where we were (part of it was used for filming). Quiroga is a Latin American writer that had a very sad life.
Once we were in Brazil, we stopped at a grocery store to buy snacks and exchange our money for Real. The rest of the evening was used to relax at our hotel. The next day, we started at the bird park. It is a bird sancutary so there are many types of birds. Lots of parrots, macaws and tucans! It was a nice day to walk around. Next was the Brazilian side of Iguacu falls; the line was long to get in because it was a holiday weekend in Brazil. Once inside, we hopped on a bus and went to the safari site. There were three parts: first, a jeep tour of the jungle; second, a walking tour by a small waterfall; third, the boat ride! We had all been anxiously awaiting this part. For U$S 50 you could take this boat ride along the river and under the falls. It was gorgeous and the water was at 2x its normal level that day. We were completely soaked!! After changing into dry clothes, we walked the trail across from the falls. We took many pictures and enjoyed the mist.
Since it was Sunday, we all had a worship together that night. During our time, it began to storm like crazy and it knocked some of the power out.
Day 2 was supposed to be on the Argentina side of the falls but plans were switched because of the rain. So we went to the Itaipu Dam and Ciudad del Este, Paraguay. The dam was cool but I wasn't feeling very good that day, so I wasn't interested. Ciudad del Este is described as Walmart blown out onto the streets. Everything is super cheap and its chaos. We all bought soccer jerseys there. For dinner, instead of eating in the hotel, we got dressed up and went to a samba show called Rafain. It was cool to see all the dances from the surrounding Latin American countries.
Day 3 we were able to go to the Argentina side of the falls. There was a lot more walking involved this time. Coati's roamed everywhere and were not afraid of people. Our tour guide told us about many of the plants in the park. This time we walked above the falls and saw how much water there really was. That day it was 3.5x as much as normal! Bottega was where we ate for dinner. Day 4 was a trip to the Guarani village in Argentina. They were really inventive people and very talented. Some of the children sang for us and we all bought their hand crafts. It was Amanda's birthday so we all went to Pizza Hut. I had been wanting real pepperoni pizza so it hit the spot! We had the afternoon free to shop downtown and get back to the hotel. My group got off a couple miles to early and had to walk. And it started to rain....but we had fun running in the rain! What a great memory for Amanda's birthday. Our whole group gather in Autumn's room to watch the Uruguay v. Argentina World Cup Qualifier....it was intense....sadly Uruguay lost 0-1.
Day 5 was a free morning before we started the trek home. The ride home was much more bearable and it felt soooo good to come back.
I enjoyed every minute of our Brazil trip but I am worn out!! Thanks for reading :)

My Brain Hurts

The past few days have been relatively uneventful but Monday was interesting. As previously mentioned, we went to a hear a political speech from the Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates for the Blanco Party. The first half of the "20 minutes" (more like 2 1/2 hours!) was just citizens talking about what they wanted to see change. There were 6 different people that each talked for 5-10 minutes. That's a lot of Spanish! So my brain was hurting from trying to translate and I had no food in my stomach. We had a good time watching the candidates as they listened intently...this included sticking pens in their ears, making faces, laughing and slouching in their chairs. Absolutely hilarious! After it was over, we were greeted by both and took pictures with them.

Yesterday I went with Kate to the Alianza. We signed up to be in an English conversation club this month. The idea is to speak English with Uruguayans so they can work on their language skills. It was cool. One thing that I learned...that America is running out of water, and will be out by the year 2020. They were surprised that I had not heard that statement before. I'm not sure if I completely believe it or not, but at least I'm aware.
Well, we're off to Brazil! Yay for 20 hour bus rides. I am taking my computer, so I will be able to update frequently :)

That's why they call it the blues!

Another Monday here in Montevideo and it rained once again. It was an odd weekend...we came back from Buenos Aires on Tuesday night and had school the next morning, so the weekend was for recovery. Despite the resting we wanted to do, there is so much homework to keep up with! I did learn how to play Idiot (a card game) and taught 3 new people how to play Rook (another card game). On Sunday, we changed times. It is spring, so we jumped ahead an hour. Until the U.S. goes back an hour, we will be three hours ahead. Last night after church, we continued our tradition of going out for ice cream at La Cigale. We were greeted by the sound of Elton John songs! Autumn and I had fun singing along while eating our amazing ice cream. I'm pretty sure we got a few looks from the ladies who work there :) O well, we were just being ourselves.

As for this morning, our (Kate, Linley and I) alarm clocks did not go off and so the boys decided to jump on the ceiling above our room because we were late for chapel. We all thought someone was falling down the stairs or the building was collapsing but it sure did wake us up! Tonight we were supposed to have another Tango lesson but we're cancelling so we can go see one of the Presidential candidates of Uruguay. Maybe we'll get to shake his hand! That's all I've got for today. I miss everyone back in Texas. Two months to go....

Buenos Aires: Day 3, 4 and 5

27 September 2009: We left the hotel at 9 am and walked in the rain to the subway. It was Sunday, so we were on our way to church. We rode to the Carlos Gardel stop and walked from there to Iglesia de Cristo en Caballito. We hung out with the youth group there until 4:30pm, eating pizza, playing ping pong and metigol (fusball). Then we went to a mall, the bus ride of which we were packed into. Their bus system is not as efficient as Montevideo's. For dinner, a smaller group of us went to Clasica y Moderna, a restaurant and bookstore. There was live music that night. Our waiter was hilarious!

28 September 2009: Kate's 20th birthday!!! The day started out on Florida street (a pedestrian street) where we shopped a little until taking taxis to La Boca once again. This is where Kate wanted to have her birthday lunch. We picked a restaurant with live dancers and music! They gave us a group deal: 40 AR pesos each. This included a drink, empanada and entree. Basically $10 US per person. It was a beautiful day. After shopping around a bit, we left for Recoleta. We squeezed 5 people in a 4 person taxi....this is illegal, so we had to pay double. After more walking, we did more walking, all the way to the horsetrack in Palermo...20 city blocks!! I had never seen a horse race before and it was pretty cool. I was with Abel and Karaline. We walked about 40 blocks back to the hotel (mostly because we didn't want to pay for a taxi, but also because we forgot how cheap the subway is). Haha! Finally, to cap off Kate's birthday, we went to a concert at a place called La Cigale. And so ends a long but amazing day!

29 September 2009: We spent time at the Botanical Gardens and the Buenos Aires Zoo. Both places were relaxing and interesting. At the gardens, we recreated one of the statues...it was so funny! Hopefully one person will post the picture soon. Then at 5pm it was time to come back to Montevideo!

Buenos Aires: Day 1 and 2

25 September 2009: After getting up at 7 in the morning, our bus left Casa ACU at 8 am. We took a two hour drive to Colonia-I slept most of the way :) We stopped at a place where a man had a pencil and keychain collection that made the Guiness Book of World Records!! We also just tried some home-made jams (onion, pumpkin, banana and grape) were just a few. We explored the town for three hours-taking pictures and playing at the parks. After getting everyone back together we drove to the port and got on the ferry. This ferry was completely different from the Statton Island ferry in NY. It was almost like an airplane, but in boat form. The ride was an hour to BA and the rest of the night was spent getting settled. We also found an ATM, ate dinner and swam in the heated pool.

26 September 2009: We woke up for breakfast at 8 and left at 9:30 to go on our tour of the city. Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo, La Boca, Puerto Madero, Palermo and Recoleta. There are lots of places to shop and buildings to see! If you want more details about these places, please ask. At five we went to a art museum...for a long time. We then changed to go a Tango show! That was lots of fun :)

Level 2, Box 4

Estoy cansado! Last night we went to Teatro Solis to hear a Philharmonic Orchestra and before that we heard a lecture from a sociologist named Javier. Javier had a lot of interesting things to say about living in Uruguay and the United States for a time. We were also able to present the information we had researched about Buenos Aires, Argentina. It just so happened that I drew the question about futbol! I talked about Maradona, Argentine national team and the imoprtance of the sport in that country.
At Teatro Solis, we were all seated in the second level. It was amazing because they were box seats and on the railing, just like in the movies! If any of you have ever seen Anastasia, that is what I thought of (I just wasn't in a full length formal dress). The music was beautiful, a little long a times. We all got into the last song! Instead of taking taxis back to Casa, we walked and my heels have large blisters on them now. It felt really nice to get dressed up wehn you're used to wearing sweats or pajamas to class ;)
I have enjoyed late night conversations with my two roommates! We are all changing and can see those changes in each other. Please continue to pray that we will place our trust in the Lord and not be afraid to step out of the boat!

Earth, Wind and....Ice?

I apologize for not updating as frequently this past week. Thursday was full of preparations for our trip coming up...we're going to Buenos Aires, Argentina! I'm excited to see another new country :) We all went to get our Yellow Fever shots and Brazilian visas because our trip to Brazil is only a week after we return from BA. Everything is coming up very quickly! One of our assignment for our INTS class was to research things to do for our free day in BA. Some of the options included Japanese gardens, horse races and skydiving. I haven't decided what I want to do yet, but skydiving sounds pretty adventurous to me.
It is officially spring here in Montevideo. The weather is getting warmer but with that comes "tree droppings" being picked up by the wind. For me that is not a good thing beacause it means contact trouble and allergies. Warm weather is nice though.
Yesterday a group of us went to Montevideo Shopping to ice skate with one of our Uruguayo friends. It was 200 pesos to skate for an hour. We had a lot of fun even though the ice was really choppy. No zamboni at this rink, it was in part of the parking garage. Supposedly I tripped one of the guys while skating, but I'm pretty sure I didn't. For one, I would have fallen too but i didn't! I'm also too kind to do that to someone ;)
Hope everyone is doing well! I would love to hear from You!

Deseo Un Gaucho Guapo (I want a handsome cowboy)

It felt good to wake up this morning. I think it may have been because I went to bed at 10:45pm the night before. That is a good 2 hours before I normally go to sleep. The week is going to get crazy on Thursday, so I need to stay ahead on sleep and homework.
In the place of our regular beginner Spanish class, we took a trip to the RURAL at El Prado. It was a fair type of event for farm type things. There was food, leather wares, machinery and lots of animals. Cows, sheep and horses were the most abundant but I think there were rabbits too. The gauchos dress very classy in my opinion. Their pants are tucked into nice knee high boots and they wear a beret looking hat. Their shirts are most of the time button down in a thin plaid pattern. Our task was to find five words we did not know before, that we could ask about in class. I think it was worth the 95 pesos we paid to get in.
The bus ride was long to get back, but my group knew the way there had taken relatively 20 minutes. I recognized a buliding I had passed several times and was able to warn the group before we passed our stop. After resting my feet a little, I went to take pictures of balconies. For my world literature class, we were assigned to take a picture of a balcony that inspired us. We had just read a short story about a balcony, so it wasn't just out of the blue.
One funny thing that happens often here involves Uruguayan men and U.S. women. They stare or say smething to us or whistle. It is not the way our culture works for the most part, but it is nice to be noticed. Most of the time we're in a pack and we just laugh it off.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow because my classes end at 2:30 and I will have time to run errands. Walking everywhere is one of my forms of exercise now. 8 blocks seems like nothing now...who knows maybe I will walk more when I get back to the states, I just may need new shoes!

Wide Long Deep and High

I do not have any exciting events to report today, but just some thoughts that I've had in the past couple of days.
After talking to my roommates and another friend from back home, I've realized something. The people that I am here with in Casa ACU are Jesus in the flesh for me. We were created for relationship and whenever we're away from what we've known, they become our family. I want to be completely engulfed in what God has to show me in Montevideo (or wherever I might travel). Only when I have my eyes fixed on Him can I follow His path for me. Both Jacob and Thomas in the Bible had a time where God became theirs. It became a relationship that was like no one else's. I've always felt that I was on my way to knowing God better, but now I'm questioning. Being taken from my church, some of my core friends and even my town is like starting over again.
Will I gain confidence? Who can I turn to? How drastically is my life going to change? Am I ready? I honestly don't know, but i do know that Christ's love for me is Wide, Long, Deep and High! He will stick by me when I feel lonely, when I choose to risk and fail, when I want a hug and when I am joyful.
As the train tracks cross each other or run parallel, so are my life experiences. I will trust that He will say to me You are mine and You are loved always!

Thanks for listening to my thoughts :)

Aw It's Like Texas

Estancia! It is once again Saturday and we had another eventful day. After an hour bus ride, we got to a ranch complete with cows, sheep and horses. We enjoyed taking pictures and being goofy before having a very large lunch. There was salad, asado, bread, deli meats and cheese. For dessert was crepes with dulce and ice cream. The rest of the afternoon was spent touring the land and going for a horseback ride. It defintely reminded me of Texas! The day was beautiful and the open land was a nice change from city life. Our group attempeted to make a human pyramid, but it was only semi-successful :)
It was a day where I missed home a lot. So far I've had a "homesick moment" once a week. Do I see a pattern forming? Who knows. I just know that God is defintely here with me and is who i enjoy talking to most in this house.
I hope everyone is doing well back in Abilene, or wherever you may be! Somebody in Uruguay loves you....that's me!!

Soy celeste!!! U-RU-GUAY

Tonight was unbelievable!! It was our night to go to a World Cup qualifier futbol (soccer) game! almost the entire stadium was full of people. There were flares, confetti and chants always going. Uruguay was playing Colombia. Uruguay scored withing the first 12 minutes of the game...beautiful shot! We went wild. It wasn't until second half that Colombia scored to tie the game. For a while we were nervous, but then with 20 minutes left to go Uruguay scored twice more to end the game 3-1. The second was scored off a header and the third was a shot on the ground. I really wanted to buy a jersey there, because there were several stands but I was unable to. Our group was trying to stay together. Hopefully I will find some more at a feria, maybe cheaper too.
This week is half over already. It's going by faster each day and I am not sure if that's good or bad. I am most definitely enjoying every minute!!
P.S. I did get my laundry back if that was not clear before :)

Counting to 8

As I in my previous post, our group learned about and danced some Tango last night! It was interesting to say the least. The first 30 minutes or so was used to tell some history of this dance. I am a big fan of Dancing with the Stars, so I have always been curious about the dances they do. After our history lesson we went into our patio classroom to actually learn the basic steps.
They had us move on own to begin with (which felt pointless and silly), then we were separated into guys and girls so that we could learn our specific movements. Doing the 8 steps by yourself was a breeze, but of course the next step was with the boys! Our intructors demonstrated a tango and a milonga (two types of dances). They are the pros and none of us looked nearly as smooth as they did :) There is a shortage of guys in our group so we had to share. The boys did a wonderful job of dancing with every girl, even though they may not have been happy to be there. Hey they got to control the girls movements and we had to obey, so that's what they always want right? Just kidding.
Hopefully we will have at least a few more tango lessons! I really enjoyed learning the little that we did, and I think I was pretty good at it. If any of you want me to teach you the steps I can....obviously I will know the girls' steps better than the boys' but it's easy to figure out.
Raquel, our main cook, is back and her food is amazing! The food that we had previously was stil great but hers has topped all of it. For people's birthday's she makes whatever kind of cake they want, and I think they get to choose what's for lunch too.
Today I went to pick up my laundry and was expecting 2 loads back, but only recieved 1. I went back later in the afternoon and the owner of the place remembered my name. She realized that my second bag wasn't there when I came that morning. I was afraid I would have to explain what clothes I was missing! Just the fact that she remembered my name was awesome...yet another thing that makes me feel at home. God is so great to all people, not just me.

Sing Me Sweet

Update from yesterday: A few of us went to one of the Catholic churches in our neighborhood, just to see what it was like. I had only previously been to a Catholic funeral, but not Mass. It was interesting not only because it was in Spanish but because there were three baptisms. If you know anything about the way they do things, you know its nothing close to the CoC. The church was beautiful on the inside. It was definitely an experience, but I think I will be going to the Iglesia de Cristo from now on.
I'm doing better on keeping up with my assignments and finding specific times for each subject. I get frustrated more now when I can't push what I want to say out of my mouth. My brain knows the words but just can't do both tasks at once yet. The friends that we've made at church are very patient with us. I really enjoyed drawing pictures to help one of the preacher's twin girls learn some English words. I think we're going to bring colors this week :) I love how God allows us to communicate cross-culturally even without the having the correct words. Just with small 2nd grade drawings, I was blessed.
I will say that I haven't gotten a whole lot of sleep...but that's just because of the great conversations with my roommates! My voice is also a bit hoarse....that's because of the endless singing that we do in this house! Doesn't matter where we're going or what we're doing, if a song is started people jump in and sing the whole thing. It does my heart good :D
Tango is in about 45 minutes and I'm excited!! We only have five boys to share among eleven girls, but it will be a hoot. Who knows, maybe we will all catch on quickly.

Oh! It's a bus...

Not just a whole lot has happened in the last few days, that hadn't happened before. We finished our first week of school and slept in til 11:30 today....it was much needed! My Spanish is coming back to me little by little and I'm trying to gain the confidence to speak it myself. This afternoon some us went to an arts and crafts exhibition that featured artists from only Uruguay. A lot of the things you could buy were either too expensive for me or things that I would be unable to carry back. I enjoyed looking though. On our way back, we tried to catch a bus back to our house. The only ones that passed were to other places :( So that's where the phrase "Oh! It's a bus..." came from.
The relationships between my peers in the house are growing. We enjoy eating, singing and walking together. There are times when we almost overwhelm the people working at the place where we go! We have even invented our own game....Flail Ball. I'm not entirely sure its an original invention but we have fun with it.
The only thing I truly miss right now, besides my family and friends, is football season! The upside is that I get to see real soccer here. We are going to the Uruguay and Colombia World Cup Qualifier this next week :) Get excited!

Combat! Hoo Ah!

World Literature is going to be my relaxing class this semester, so I am very excited about it! We also had our first beginner Spanish lab, which is with a small group (3) and an instructor. It was intimidating at first and took all of my concentration, but I think it will be beneficial. Then this afternoon we took a bus tour of the entire city that we had not yet seen. We went to the cemetary, the bay, the hill and several parks. It was good information to know, but it took too long in most people's opinion.
At 8, a few of us girls went to attend fight/combat class. It was the best workout I've had in a while. Pretty much non-stop movement! I was glad I brought water this time :) Fabricio was our instructor and he was great! We are all determined not to gain weight on this trip.
This week has seemed long so far...I hope things speed up somewhat, but not so fast I miss everything.
I can't think of anything else right now. Knowing me I probably forgot something...ridiculous.
More tomorrow!

Getting Comfortable...Mostly

I am so excited to be here!! Hopefully you all know that by now, but I just thought I'd say it again. This morning was not the best. I had trouble in my Spanish class and got a little frustrated. After that, I tried my best to perk up and tell myself to keep going.
We took our laundry to be washed for the first time here, which made us feel like we actually belong. Things like finding somewhere to eat and realizing where you are in relation to the casa are large parts of feeling "at home". This evening a group of the girls went to Gimnasio Urbano, which is a gym that our instructor likes and has friends at. We all participated in an Aerobics class. It was a blast! Not only were we working off all the food we'd been eating and attempting to follow along in Spanish, we were also finding another place to belong. I have never done aerobics class before, so I looked ridiculous at first but after awhile I got the hang of it. Each of us paid only 200 pesos ($10) for a month's membership!
I have enjoyed getting to know the people I live and go to class with. We are finding that we click and also sing very well together :)
To all of you who have been reading these blogs, I really enjoy writing them but also would love to hear your comments, questions, etc.
Mucho amor!

I Love the Rain

So the summer has officially ended and classes have begun! I am both excited and nervous. Excited because it means a bit of structure. Nervous because of time management and homework. My schedule is fairly spread out and the only downside is occasional classes on Friday. The first half of our semester is packed with events and we are going to back off second half. This is partially because of the weather. Right now it is winter and in November it will be spring/summer.
As I am writing this, it is raining and has been raining most of the morning. It's awesome!! We were all ready to wear long sleeves and sweat pants :) A common tradition here in Uruguay, when it rains, is to make fried bread. I would say that it is similar to sopapillas in the States...muy delicioso! We may be having that a lot because it rains a lot.
My main break from class is right now, so I am going to take a siesta to recharge. Buenos tardes mis amigos!

Yo Tengo Gozo (I've got joy)

Today was . We went to all Spanish services and understood nothing. The singing was fun and so was meeting people. The rest of the afternoon was free. We went to another feria that was bigger and better. I bought a mate gourd and a bombilla. It will be something to take home but I can use it with the yerba mate I bought now. Finding food was a new adventure. A few of us went to the Gran Sportman and had to figure out how to give tip and whether or not tax is included. Wow! Later we sang some more in Spanish and English with the teenagers (which is where the title of this blog comes from).
A trip to the beach was in order, since it will be the last warm day for a while. We were going to play soccer and frisbee, but it became dark and we were hungry. At 9 we had our first group gathering and talked about cross-cultural servants in the Bible.
O yeah....school supplies for the equivalent of $14....yeah, I think so!
Well I am tired out...more from Montevideo to come!

Kisses and Mate'

Hope my blog is finding everyone well. I have been busy seeing the city more today. We explored Punta Carretas and Feria Villa Biarritz. Punta Carretas is a shopping mall that used to be a prison back when the country was under dictatorial rule. It was very modern. The Feria, on the other hand, was a large market in a park. Some might call it the equivalent of a flea market in the States. There was jewelry, clothes, PS2 games, shoes, fruit and vegetables. Very crowded but interesting to see. Once again we were our own to explore and find our way home!

This evening we took a tour of the Iglesia de Cristo (the church) that we work with and live in the same building with. The buliding used to be a coffee factory named El Chana. The clock tower is still on the roof along with a beautiful view of the city. While we were waiting for food to get to the church, so we could share a meal with the teenagers, they let us try some mate'. It is pronounced MA-tay and is a drink found here in Uruguay. The best way I can describe it would be an herbal tea drinken though a metal straw. It is hot when you drink it. It burned my tongue but I liked it :) The teenagers were accepting and fun....they are going to challenge us on our Spanish though.

Everyone we met tonight kissed us on the cheek. Its the common greeting. It isn't an actual kiss, you just make the noise but touch cheeks. They were not afraid to greet every single one of us.
Hanging with them will be exciting! One thing I did forget to mention yesterday, I went to Las Carretas to try the Midnight sandwich Gary Green told me about (in the Miami airport). It was goood. Tomorrow is Sunday, obviously, so we will be going to services for the first time- complete with singing in Spanish :)

Comments por favor (please)!

Bienvenidos a Montevideo (Welcome to Montevideo)

If some of you didn't know, I am currently spending my fall semester in Montevideo, Uruguay with the Study Abroad group from ACU. It has been a wild ride so far!

To summarize my trip here: we did not get through security and to our gate in Dallas until 50 min before our flight left, had no trouble in Miami, endured a 9 hour flight to Montevideo instead of Buenos Aires, and arrived 3 hours early. All that said, someone had to lose a piece of luggage....that person was me! It wasn't a big deal, because it just went to Buenos Aires (where we were supposed to land first). I got it back today and am thankful it was such a short time. I have wonderful roommates who let me borrow their clothes :)

Once at Casa ACU, we took a tour/scavenger hunt of our neighborhood. Avenida 18 de Julio and Tres Cruces were two areas we explaored. We were able to begin using the few Spanish phrases we knew! For lunch we had empanadas (4 kinds) made by the lovely Mariella- and for dessert...dulce de leche empanadas!! That night we went to an artisan market and looked around. Dinner is late here, so at 8 pm we ordered. I had pollo al horno c/papas y bonietas (baked chicken with potatoes and sweet potatoes). It was amazing!!! Dessert was bread pudding.

There have been many firsts on this trip and it's only the second day! First taxi ride, carbonated water and bus ride with a fare. My legs are definitely sore from our downtown walking tour today. We went all the way in to the Old City and back down 18 de Julio to get back to Casa. Our hosts pretty much let us explore today. Some foods of the day were shepherd's pie and milanesa al carne.

This is my first blog, so let me know if you want more details than I am giving or if this is just right! Comments are always appreciated and I would love to hear from You! Much love, chau!