first day!

So here I am. It’s going to be hard to explain the feelings I have right now. It feels SO weird to move into a house in the middle of a big city in Spain. I have never lived in a city, this is something that I didn’t even consider before I left. When I realized that I will not only be experiencing a new language, home, school, friends, etc but also changing from rural life to city life I got a little nervous. But here I am, laying on my new bed, listening to the sound of Isabel (my senora) watching TV and the people outside. Its HOT here. I have my own room which is really great and I have a lot of space for my things (mom I think I brought too many clothes!) I am completely moved in and I feel like my body is adjusted fairly well to the time difference. True to self I slept through the whole plane ride after my new friend Shanoa and I exchanged life stories. Everyone was jealous of my ability to sleep so easily on the plane. What can I say, I have sleeping skills.

I know that this is really scattered but I want to get all the new things down for everyone to get a feel for my first day here….

I was dropped off with two girls I had met 9 hours earlier on the side of the road in Seville where my host mom (Isabel) was standing. She is spunky and cute and I loved her right away. After quick introductions we scurried along the sidewalks following in a row to the apartment I will be staying in. This involved sweat, heavy breathing, glares from the Spainards, loud luggage wheels on the stone sidewalks and feeling like I couldn’t move when I got up the last flight of stairs to the apartment. Ha. Needless to say, wheeling two suitcases through the city is not an ideal situation.

The apartment is quaint. Isabel lives alone because her husband passed away 2 years ago. She is older, in her 70’s. It was fun getting a tour of the house, we have two balconies and rooms for eating and hanging out in. The kitchen is tiny but with all the standard appliances and we have our own bathroom to share.

It I had never travelled before I would be in a state of shock right now but I feel like the weird differences are things that I am fairly familiar with. Even things like the décor in this apartment. It is so ridiculous from my American perspective… there are very strange things and gadgets hanging all over the place. I feel very blessed though, Isabel is great and an amazing cook so far (almuerzo at 2pm was the most amazing french fries, grilled chicked with lemon sauce and salad and fresh bread plus some fruit). She has made it clear that she wants us to be as comfortable as possible and told me to please call her by her name and not “Senora” and to use all the informal forms in Spanish because now we are family. J

Its basically siesta time here, I will take a short nap and then I am meeting some new friends at 4 to walk around the city a little.

It is so weird that I am here, exciting and intimidating. I still kind of have this feeling of “what was I thinking, why am I doing this!” but I am sure that will wear off.

If you are planning on praying for me daily I have a very realistic prayer request…

I will be living with three people this semester who do not know God at all on a personal level. No one in this apartment are Christians. I was surprised by this but I also feel like God has been preparing me for it so I am not shocked that I’m in the situation. I feel like He really wants to use me in these other girls lives and potenially in Isabel’s too. Pray that I will have wisdom and discernment so that I can show a little bit of Christ as I live here.

Laura