delight

The other night me and some friends went to tapas. Pilar was asking what my parents jobs were. I told them my dad was a pastor. Noemi said, "yeah but molly tell them about your church back home and what it is like!" This one time I showed her and my other roommates the dvd of the christmas dinner at Hope. There was a fashion show, a hair show, fun music and about 1000 people. They were shocked that was even a church. So I atempted to explain Hope to them. But then they all started discussing the church. Some said the church just wants power and others said yeah but some churches "like send missionaries to Africa to help the poor kids and stuff." Others said well I believe in God but I don't go. Noemi said, "well molly I dont believe in God but I think I'd like your church in Memphis"

I have a verse written on an index card sitting on my desk and Flora saw it and asked what it said, so I translated this verse for her: "I delight greatly in the lord, my soul rejoices in my God for he has clothed me with garments of slavation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness... and "for the Lord will take delight in you, your god will rejoice over you" I told her I keep it out because it reminds me of who I am in Christ and how much God loves me. She just looked at me and smiled for a minute and said, "well I am going to go put on a robe of studying." And I said, "haha but Flora righteousness is so much more fun than studying!"

Last night at the beach my friend, Canario asked me to tell him about my religion. So I shared in broken Spanish about God's love and Jesus' sacrifice. I don't know what he was thinking except how strange he thought it was that I actually read the bible. I asked him to tell me about what he believes. All he said was, "Spain pretends to like religion, we have all the crosses and statues of Mary, but really... Spain loves alcohol and Spain loves the party so we have all these religious holidays, but molly, no one really believes it..."

I've been reflecting on these past three months. I have come to Spain because I felt God leading me here. I got here with no language or understanding of this culture. And God has put me in this very specific apartment and into very specific lives. I have been embraced here. These people shock me because they don't know Christ in a personal way and at the same time every time I am with them I experience God's love in such real ways through them. I think about myself in my groups of friends and how quick I have been to exculde others that don't fit in. And here are these people who I don't fit in with yet they've included me (this random American girl with broken spanish) and have treated me like I am one of them. When I am with them I feel adored, interested in and delighted in... for NO reason. I barely even have their language. A lot of times I just sit there and smile when they are all talking at once and I don't understand what they are saying and can't contribute anything to the conversation. Yet I am always invited and always wanted. These people have pointed me to the heart of God in the way he adores me and finds delight in me, the way he embraces me and invites me... not for anything I offer or anything I've done, just because He wants me with him. I want to turn around and somehow embrace others in that same way.

to dad

happy father's day dad!!!

aw i so wish i could be there with you today!

If there is any reason I have a good concept of God as my father it is because of the way the love of dad has pointed me to the way God loves his children. I feel so thankful to have grown up under the example and love of my dad. By us watching him, he made his children fall in love with family and with God, there probably isn't anything greater than that! Through out our lives I have watched him follow God in the the closest way and taking our family along in each step of faith in His journey for us. It encourages me to do the same with my own life.

In my dad's love I have experienced what it means to be enjoyed. Dad has sacrificed himself in so many ways for us. Even as far as allowing himself to be the one we "give a hard time" when joking around. Some how he created an atmosphere of rest and fun in our home. When I remember growing up, the first image that comes to my mind is us sitting around the dinner table laughing and enjoying one another.

Last night some of my Spanish friends asked me what my dad does. I told them that he is a "pastor" the word is the same in spanish. Before even thinking, "oh yes, pastor, the kind that works in a church" they said, "oh my gosh, your dad is a shepherd?? like of sheep in a pasture??" hahhaha. Yes it is kind of a foriegn concept here to be a preacher's kid.... Which has actually been the source of many interesting conversations here!

Awww i am so proud to be your daughter, I love you dad!!! happy father's day!!!

the spanish fair and "tapa-ing"

So last week I was really sick. After we got back from Morocco I spent 4 days at home in bed from stomach issues. I went to the doctor and she told me it was probably from the food or water in Morocco. It's hard to be away from home when you're sick. But during this week I saw how much God has provided for me even down to the details. I was so well-taken care of this past week and saw (even more) how much of a gift this apartment and my roomates are (they are in the 2nd picture up from the bottom). It is like God opened up his hand and gave me something that he knew would fit me more than I anything I could've ever imagined or designed for myself! They cooked foods that their moms make for them when they are sick. They always came in and checked on me before they'd go to class and take my tempurature. haha I opened my mouth for the themometer and they put it under my armpit. I was like oh ok, or there. Jamie came over one day and brought me soup and 7up, which was so sweet! My sickness was awful but in it I saw God's gifts in even bigger ways...plus I spent a lot of time making flash cards to increase my spanish vocabulary!

Last saturday I got to experience a typical Spanish graduation! My roommate Flora invited me to come watch her graduate. It was really cool to be there and even kind of symbolic as it was this time last year I was walking across the stage and thinking "hmm I don't really have any plans for the rest of my life!... I wonder where I will go or what I will do?" and now living in the answer to those questions. Afterwards I went with her and her family to Loja (the home town of all my roommtes). I am learning that summer time here means fairs. I got to experience my first Spanish fair in Loja Sat night. It basically runs all day and all night. We went from about midnight to 6 am. The next day her family threw a huge party to celebrate her graduation, it was fun to meet her family... all 40 of them! My favorite part was when they gave her a small gift to open in front of everyone, it was a wallet with a key inside and as she was pulling out the key the garage door behind her was opening!! yes! she got a brand new car wrapped in a bow! It was such a happy moment and I was laughing so hard because EVERYONE was crying! haha. We ate literally from 2:30 til 6:30, a huge celebration. If there is anything Spaniards are awesome at, it is celebrating anything and everything!

"To tapa". Yesterday I learned that there is actually a verb for getting tapas: tapear. Tapas is when you order a drink and a small portion of food comes with it, sometimes you get a choice other time they just bring whatever. Yesterday afternoon I went to get tapas with my roommate and literally 20 of her friends. This group of friends has a hard time finding a place" to tapa" because they always are in a mass group. Anyways it was very fun, they even invited me to go to London with them this summer! Occasionally (when they don't "have shame" as the say) they will practice a little of their English with me. Of course I always say, "there is no way you can have 'shame' speaking with me, because look at my Spanish, I say things wrong all the time and don't have shame." And when they speak it, it is sooooooo cute! I just love foreign people! haha well I guess I am the foreign one :) But still I adore their effort and accent! (that is us tapa-ing in the 3rd picture down)

Last night I went to the fair in Granada and experienced my second Spanish fair! (the picture with all the lights) It was sooooo packed out, I was thinking, "every young person in Spain must be here right now." I could barely move in the crowds of people. There were so many tents just filled with people dancing in them. My favorite part was when I was dancing and looked to my left and saw my favorite teacher, Cristina! (she is in the bottom photo, in the front) At our school they switch out our teachers each week or two, but I had Cristina for 4 or 5 weeks straight and really enjoyed her teaching style. She is so fun and would always joke and laugh with us. Well now it has been 3 weeks since I have seen her (because she has been on vacation and I was in morocco and sick) and I just so happend to be dancing right next to her last night! In class I always talked about my roommates and at home I would tell my roommates about her! So they all got to meet eachother last night, that was a cool moment! Over all my fair experiences have been fun and way different than any fair I've been to in the US.