imagine all the people

This past week I experienced whole other world in our world. I went to Morocco and felt like I stepped back in time at least 1000 years. It was a very overwhelming and intense week for me. My eyes were defintely opened to other people and places that I really can't believe exist.

here are some moments to help capture this experience:

First we went to Fez, this is the "oldest city in the world" (that's what someone told me...I believe it though, because they seem like they haven't really moved on since the time they first estabished themselves.) We were walking through the "madina" which means old city, the center city and it was ancient feeling, dirty and filled with people selling anything and everything. I felt like images and senses were flying at me as we were walking, so to be funny and to some how express the overwhelming-ness of it all I just started saying every image I was seeing, it was like this, "sight and smell of cooking snails, donkey carrying propane, used shoes for sale, mosque, rugs, women with head coverings and face masks, smell of fish, man killing chicken, underware being sold on the street, man with pots and pans hanging off his outfit, dead hanging cow and other unidentifiable animals..." it was sensory overload.

Monday morning our group took Arabic class for about 3 hours. So that evening we all went into the "new city" of Fez and went up to people and practiced our Arabic with them. We found some nice girls and sat and talked with them for about half an hour. It was fun trying to commuincate with the different languages, since we had more or less of each, Spanish, English, Arabic and the 2 words of French I know and our hands. They were very welcoming to us. Another day in Tetouan I met an older Muslim women, I began speaking to her in Arabic and found out she knew Spanish (which was very refreshing to speak again) So we talked for a long time. She invited me to her house, she wanted me to meet her daughters my age. But I didn't have time, so she got my information and we said maybe next time I am in Tetouan.

One day we were in a Mosque and I saw an image that will stick with me for a long time. There is this fountain in the middle of the mosque, but no water is flowing, it was just standing shallow water. And when we were in there the call to prayer came on. The call to prayer happens five times a day. It is so loud and scary sounding. It sounds like depressing moaning over loud speakers for the whole city. Every time I heard it I was like "make it stop". I am not a fan of call to prayer time... Anyways, while we were in there I saw two men preparing to pray. It is tradition for them to wash their faces, mouth, hands, arms, and feet before they pray... I guess to be clean before God. I couldn't get over how ironic it was that they were "washing" themselves in this disgusting, filthy water that everyone spits in and washes themselves in (and they are pretty dirty after slaughtering all those dead animals). Some how after smearing unsantinary, bacteria filled water all over themselves they feel worthy to come before God. Then I realized I do the same thing in a sense when I start to believe my good deeds make me right before God and I can earn His love rather than depending on the righteousness of Christ to cover me and cleanse me. It was a humbling moment and made me see how we are all in the same desperate need of Jesus, the only one who makes us fit and truly clean to come before God.

On our way home we took a taxi from the hotel to the border, we left at 6:30 in the morning. On the way there we were were talking about how old this taxi was... maybe made in the 70's? To prove our doubts in the stability of this vehicle we got a flat tire. So all the men got out to change the tire. About 20 minutes later we got another flat tire. Luckily another taxi driver pulled over and gave us his spare! Isn't that sweet? As the guys are changing the tire the second time I look behind us and the police men stopped the traffic so a heard of cows could cross the highway! hahahahhaha I was just like, "I am in a strange world... get me back to Espana"... Twelve hours later we arrived in Granada and I feel more at home here than ever!

"destiny"

The roommates!

Some recent occurances:

The other night me and the roommates decided to do this dance/work out with flora's "batuka" dvd. We moved all the furniture and did syncronized dances in front of the mirror! haha. Afterwards we were eating dinner and Flora said "molly I think it must be destiny that you moved in here with us." I told her that they are a gift to me and how thankful I am for them.

The other day my roommates and I were sitting down for lunch and I was looking at my lunch I had just cooked and thinking, "mmmm salmon!" and out of no where they said, "molly, tell us the difference between Protestant and Evangelical." I was like whooaa, hi random question.... Anyways we talked for over an hour about what we believe about God or lack of a God, Jesus, life after death, the bible and creation. At one point in the conversation Noemi was explaining how she doesn't believe that we have souls. I said, "yeah but...you feel things, joy and sadness..." She said, "yes, but that is in different sections of your brain where these emotions come from." I think she saw sadness in my face because she interrupted herself and said, "molly it is not a sad thing. I believe I die and my body will become a part of the earth...it's a beautiful thing." I was torn between feeling joy for this opportunity from God to connect on a deeper level with my friends yet feeling pain because they don't know Christ. Well I just keep on praying for God's spirit to work because this is not up to me.... I love them.

That night I went out to tapas with Noemi and the group of friends. On the way home we were talking about how sad it was for her that these are her last 2 months of college and knowing everyone is about to move on and leave one another. I could completely identify because I went through the exact same thing this time last year. In our conversation I was given a little hope that maybe she does believe we have a soul and doesn't even know it, when she said, "molly it just hurts here" not pointing to a section of her brain rather pointing to her heart... and I said, " yeah, I know that pain"

Sat night I was walking home with some of my friends. One of the girls said, "molly, it's like it's destiny that you found the apartment and have become friends with all of us."

a tribute to my mom!

"She speaks with wisdom, faithful instruction is on her tongue...Her children arise and call her blessed" ~ proverbs 31:26-28

awwww my mom!! hi mom! Happy mothers day!

I love my mom so much. I feel so proud to be her daughter! I feel honored that God has brought me here through her and along side of her all my days of growing up! I have watched her life and learned how to "Love God and others with all my heart, mind and soul" by constantly experiencing it first hand through her life...day after day, in each pain and every joy. I saw a glimps of the impact of her life at my parents going away party in Charlotte. I have seen what investing your self and giving your life away looks like in human form! My mom and my dad! I hope God makes me into a woman like her.

She is my example, my advice giver, she believes in me and makes me believe in me too. When I have kids I want to give them to her for the first 18 years, because she seems to know what she is doing when her children adore her the way we do and feel this proud to be hers!

The other day I was talking to my mom on the phone and she said (in the most sincere voice), "aw honey do you want me to send you anything else? I can send you rice krispies and mashmellows and butter to make rice krispy treats.... do they have butter there?" hahahahahhahah!! I said, "no mom, there's no butter in Spain, can you send me some milk too? they don't have that here either" hahhahahaha

AWWW I MISS YOU MOM! I wish I could be with you today. To anyone in Memphis who reads this, please give her a hug and pretend like it is from me! Happy mother's day mom, i love you!

las cruces

Yesterday was a holiday called Las Cruces. I don't really understand the holiday. They decorate crosses with flowers and put them up over the city then everyone fills the streets and gets wasted. Its really a strange combination. Therefore I don't think they really understand the holiday either.

Yesterday I walked home from school and all the friends were standing in front of my apartment building waiting for my roommate to come down and they said, "Molly come with us to get tapas." So I went with them at 1:30 in the afternoon then we went to this massive party in the street. There were thousands of people there, it was so big! We stayed there from 6 until 3:30 in the morning. It was great for practicing Spanish! I can't get over how normal it is for this culture to party so long and hard. Oh and I think I was on the news again! hahah the camera guy came up to our group of friends and filmed us cheering at him. hahhaa that is twice in 2 months being on the Spanish news.

The more time I spend with these people the more I feel so deeply for them. And since we go out for 12 hours or more, it provides a lot of time. I have never been this connected to people who don't believe in God and I am dying for them to know, I'm dying for them to believe. I've never wanted something so badly for others as I do right now.

Loving hard is... hard. I fall so quickly in love with the people in my life and the time of life I am in. It is hard to think that in 2 months all these new friends will graduate and move away. This keeps happening, I fall in love with a place and with people and then things change. But as I look back at every stage in my life since high school graduation, I never wanted to leave because I loved it... but God always moved me on and I fell in love all over again with a new place and new people: Charlotte, Boone, Brazil, Wilmigton, even Memphis, and now Spain. So I am learning to trust him as he carries me on and to not take the present moment and present relationships for granted. As for right now, I will soak it in and enjoy what and who is around me. People and places will always change... but God remains good, he remains faithful and our relationship is the one that always goes with me.