Hey all!

Man, it feels like forever since I last wrote to you. Maybe it’s just been a long past few days.

I’ll start by saying that last week was really good. Let’s see, on Wednesday after Spanish class we all went over to Hilary’s house (the designated party house since it is in a pretty central location and a block away from the church) to hang out and make cookies! It was quite the mission to find chocolate (for chocolate chip cookies, obviously) because they don’t really sell chocolate chips here. We asked a few people, stopped at some random little stores, and then found this amazing little “Mini Market” not to far from the church. We ended up just buying a bunch of chocolate bars and chopping them up for chocolate CHUNK cookies. It was also challenging to figure out the whole cooking-at-altitudes thing. They ended up being a bit puffy, but still good. Anyway, we all brought some home for our families, and they ALL thought these cookies were the best thing since cooked rice! John’s host-mom even asked him for the recipe.

Thursday was GREAT. We actually ended up not having Physiology OR Spanish class, for unrelated reasons, so I spent quite a bit of time at the church office doing homework and on the internet. I <3 st="on">Taylor) which was amazing! It crazy how wonderful it feels to simply hear the voices of people you love. J AND THEN…I also got to talk to my one and only roommate Sara Bailey on the phone! I think were both a little distracted (I was Hilary’s house where there was a bunch of commotion, and she was at the grocery store…) Still awesome though. Then, we all went to Tami’s house (remember, our emotional support lady…) for dinner and such. I think it was later that night that I ALSO got to talk to my fabulous friend from high school, Anne Kvinge. Although my phone card only lasted a few minutes, that day was such a blessing to be able to reconnect with so many friends from home.

Let’s see. Oh, Friday! Nothing really special…class, home for lunch, Spanish class (because we didn’t have it the day before), and then! After class, I walked home. My host family knew I had a lot of reading and studying to do (test on Monday) so they gave me keys to the house and said it was fine if I went home by myself while they were at their Grandma’s. This was exactly what I needed. It was a good week, but a long week, and it didn’t help that I hadn’t be able to exercise much that week. I’ve found that our schedules don’t really allow a good time to exercise, so I’ve been opting to take the bus home because it requires a bit of walking as well. ANYWAYS, since I knew there was no one at home waiting for my arrival, and I had the keys to let myself in whenever I got there, I decided to prolong my walk, explore a bit, and stop at a few stores. I hadn’t realized how much I had grown to love my walks home until that night. Navigating cities on foot is so much different than in any sort of vehicle. You somehow feel more part of the city, like you belong there (minus, of course, the frequent stares from people wondering what that blonde, sun-burned gringo is doing). It has been so cool to be able to get around the city myself (and with the other students), to able to go into stores and actually talk to people. There is something so satisfying about being self-sufficient. And plus, walking just FEELS GOOD!

Ok, so this weekend was less than exciting. It included a lot of catching up on physiology reading and studying, group studying, attending a school program for my host-brother and sister, eating my first Ecuadorian fast food (no different than U.S.), and of course church and meals with the extended family.

Yesterday- pretty stressful morning (physiology test-didn’t go very well), but later made up for it. After class, we all decided we wanted to hang out later, and maybe watch a movie. So, after lunch, naps, a little homework and such, we all gathered at Hilary’s house to have some fun. Can I just say, that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE OUR GROUP. I don’t think I’ve really talked much about the other Taylor students who are here with me. I think we have all agreed that it has been such an answer to prayer having each other. None of us knew each other very well at all prior to coming to Ecuador, yet I feel that we have all bonded in a special way.

There are six of us, John Whitteny, Luke Collins, Sarah Soden, Hilary Pederson, and Claire Marchello, and me! If personalities could be written in less than 2 sentences, this is my description of them:

John: Previous to this trip, I only knew John as a nice guy who was pretty reserved. John really is a very kind person, but I’ve learned that he when you get him talking, he’s a riot!

Luke: About 5 minutes after we arrived at the airport on our way here from Indianapolis, Luke announced that he was going to be the Patriarch of our group. We all complied, hahaha, he’s a great dad. He loves to initiate new ideas or adventures. He’s quite funny but also very genuine.

Sarah: Sarah has a very sweet and loving personality. We share a lot of desires in life and connect on many different levels.

Hilary: Hilary exudes joy every day. She always has a smile to give and laughs with her whole heart.

Claire: I had never met Claire before this, and it has been so cool to get to know her and her story this past month. She is a very intelligent and beautiful young woman, who strives to give God her best.

*I should also mention that I have been deemed the Mother-figure for the group. I’m finding this to be a reoccurring theme in my life. I do like to take care of people, so I guess it’s a compliment. But still, how funny is it to have a group of my peers calling me “Mama”?

Some things we share in common:

1) Each one of us has an obviously strong sense of humor; we are constantly laughing everywhere we go.

2) We are all wired the distinct love for learning about living organisms, and more specifically, humans. We also love to have fun with the things we are learning in class. For example, acting out the activities of certain cells and incorporating sound effects in our actions.

3) We love to be creative and witty. Today, we had to stop by the University of Azay to sign some papers. The woman helping us showed us into one of the lecture halls. We had to wait for a long time for her to come back. It wasn’t several minutes later, we began taking turns giving lectures (Mine was about the delicious treat of Wisconsin-made, squeaky cheese), reciting poems, and presenting questions to a panel consisting of John and Sarah (questions such as, “What do you think about the cost of Oreos in Cuenca, Ecuador?”). Perhaps these examples do not efficiently demonstrate how much fun we have, but we really do entertain ourselves quite well.

4) We all love peanut butter.

5) We like to try new things.

6) We’re adventurous.

7) We all share Jesus Christ as the center of our lives. (This is the one that really makes the difference J )

In short, they are each blessings to me and I love them. Praise God for such a wonderful group!

I really like to blog. Sometimes I forget that people are reading this. I just spew out my thoughts. Sklsdjfs;ldjfosfsndmvwer9usoif….

Next blog post, hopefully soon, you can look forward to (mostly for you, Mom and Dad)! I will be writing about a normal day for me, in Cuenca, Ecuador. There will also be pictures to complement, which I began taking today.

LOVE AND PEACE.

Linds

It’s not about me.

I can see it very clearly now, a simple post-it note that was strategically placed above my roommate’s (I LOVE YOU SARA MARIA ROW-AHM BAILEY) computer screen. That’s what it said, “It’s not about me.” A nice sentiment and reminder of our status as the hands and feet of a much greater plan by the Almighty God we serve, alas it never meant as much to me as it does now.

A few events contributed to my new found revelation. First, it was brought up in prayer last week during our Taylor student Bible study, just the idea of being open to God’s workings and not our own agendas. And again, yesterday, we had a devotional with Bob C., one of the pastors/elders at Verbo Church. He talked about being aware of what God was doing with and through this experience, and that we should look at this opportunity (studying in Cuenca) as part of the process of God’s growth in us and not just an event in the span of our lives. It really hit home for me that God was doing much more than I could see or understand. It became clear that my being here was a lot more than just me learning some Spanish, maybe some lessons in patience, and living out of my comfort zone. God is using me in ways that I don’t even know and probably won’t ever know this side of heaven. With that said, the same must then apply to others. The other students I’m here with, our professors, all those coordinating things for us, those working for the church, all the members of the church, our host families…you! Our lives are not made up of separate EVENTS. No, our lives are part of a very deliberate, intricate, inter-connecting story that began at the beginning of time and will continue to be written for the ultimate honor of our King, the One who planned and created us to show His love.

That is amazing.

Each of us is important, but the bigger picture is just that, SO MUCH BIGGER! It’s not about me. It’s not about me being in Cuenca, or studying biology, or studying Spanish. And just for the record, it’s not about you either. We don’t even know about it. (Yeah, Gerig Hall verse!)

“Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.” Habakkuk 1:5

On that note, I’m sure you all are dieing to know what I have been up to.

Well, let’s see. I’ll keep it in chronological order for logic’s sake. Last Thursday, at approximately 6:45 am (which by the way, is a mere 10 minutes AFTER I leave the house in the morning, so I did not get to watch…grr.), our number of household dogs increased 300%. Coky, the mother, gave birth to 6 beautiful, adorable, PERFECT Doxon puppies. They are so cute! Which reminds me, my host family has picked up from the several students they’ve hosted, the fact that we Americans really like the phrase “So cute.” It’s hilarious to hear them saying it all the time, but I decided to add a little of my own Minnesotan flare to their Spanish speaking tongues. I explained to them, that in Minnesota, our O’s and A’s are a little more…pronounced. So using the phrase “so cute,” I demonstrated. Soooooh cuuuaate! It’s too much…I wish you all could hear them. In short, the puppies are so cute.

Ok, then on Friday, after class we had our group bible study, and then I went with Claire, who needed a few things, to the big grocery store in town. This is only noteworthy, because the grocery store is called the SUPERMAXI. Haha. No one here thinks it’s a funny name. But come on. Supermaxi…It just has to make you giggle.

Friday still, I started studying, because we had our first physiology test yesterday. Later that night, we had a family gathering in honor of my host-grandma’s birthday. That was pretty fun, and we ate some interesting, but delicious pineapple cake. I was pretty tired though. Saturday, I studied most of the morning, and then we had Heather Sommer and her husband over for lunch! Heather is the director of off-campus studies at Taylor, and is visiting this week to do some business for future trips. Sunday was mostly spent going to church, and studying (the body is a complicated thing!). I got together with a few of the other Taylor-ites to study that evening. We ate peanut butter (most Ecuadorians don’t like it, how weird is THAT???) and laughed a ton, but we actually did retain a few things. Very relieving, the test was not that bad. It’s so weird that after one 10-point, 10-question test, I have already been given 1/5 of the points I will receive for the entire class. Crazy.

Anyway, after class, we came to the church with Heather, had a group devotional, and were then distributed gifts from far off lands. I was given my very own LAPTOP CHARGE CORD, which I so mindless left sitting on a shelf the morning I left Taylor, and a beautiful card from that girl that lives in the same room as me (thanks babe!). Afterwards, we went with Heather and her husband for lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant down the street. I love lasagna. And THENNN a few of us, made the very dangerous discovery of an awesome heladoria (ice cream store) that is not too far from the church and actually on my way home. The ice cream is great, and you can get a cone, with whip cream and topping for a mere 65 cents!

Last night, I didn’t feel like doing ANY homework. I spent awhile just talking with my host mom about classes, life, and God, and then I hung out with my host sister and we watched our favorite show, Patito Feo!

I hope you are all doing well; I’m missing home a bit. I want to skype but I only use the internet in the mornings, after class…I do want to talk to some people soon though. Calling on cell phone is cheep, but I don’t know when people are around. Let me know when a good time to call is!

With love,

Lindsay

Feiliz dia de San Valentine! <3

Feiliz dia de San Valentine para todos! <3

So, it was pretty cute. Today, after class, John and Luke informed us that we were all going with them to the city so they could treat us to ice cream. On our way to the ice cream place, we all wanted to stop at the flower market to get flowers for our families. Then, we ventured our to Tutto Freddo (the ice cream place), and when we got there, the boys told us to go away because they had a surprise for us. When we were allowed to return, they had given us each a flower at our spots, and then we all (in honor of Valentine's day) got the ice cream sundae entitled "Amore." Delicious.

Hope you all have a wonderful and blessed day!

Love, Linds

Hola! Que Pasa?

Soooo I know I haven’t written in a while, my apologies. Anyways, this weekend was pretty fun. On Saturday, there was this huge church picnic a little bit outside of the Cuenca. It was pretty cool. There was a big field for playing sports and things with a hill right next to it for people to sit on and watch. They also had a sound system set up with music playing and a hilarious announcer guy from the church. There were a few soccer games, and some of the missionaries in the church tried to start a kickball game, but the Ecuadorians didn’t really get it…and they also played dodge ball which everyone loved. After they had been playing dodge ball for a while, someone suggested Los Estudiantes de Taylor, should play. Well, we were not going to back down from that offer. After all, we’re the ones who grew up playing dodge ball in gym class every week. So, all 6 of strutted onto the field wearing out most intimidating faces as we stood opposite of our opposing team made up of a bunch of 11 year old boys. The guy with the microphone announced our presence on the field as the “team of gringos” and then the whistle blew. It was a fierce and terrifying match, as the other team ran towards us holding nothing back. After a long battle, it was down to 1 vs. 1 with John as the only remaining player on our team. The other player launched one ball right toward John’s stomach and with one graceful swoop of his arms he cradled that ball, catching it to win the game! Los Grigos gano! We won! I will not take any credit for our victory, as I was most likely more of hindrance to our performance…however, they asked us to play again and we beat them yet another time, proving ourselves worthy of our title. All in good fun, it was cool to be able to play with them, and I think everyone got a kick out of watching run around.

On Sunday, we had a group trip to Incapirca, which is a site of Incan ruins about 2 hours away from Cuenca. It was a really fun day. The ruins were pretty cool; it’s always hard for me to imagine people actually living there and what it might have looked like when they first built it. There are some pretty fun pictures which will make they’re way onto facebook sooner or later. Actually, the coolest part I thought was this rock a little ways down the mountain from the ruins, in the shape of a face! The pictures will speak for that too. I think what really made the day awesome though, was the chance for our group to really bond. During the entire 2 hour bus ride, both there and back we had some wonderful conversations together. For a while, we talked about favorite books, and childhood memories, and we had some good laughs as well. But, on the way back especially, we had a chance to share what God has been teaching us since being here, which includes a lot about patience, trust, and sharing His love. So, praise the Lord for such awesome bonding!

Monday was our first day of physiology class! In the mornings, we have a van driver who picks us all up and brings us to the University. It’s pretty nice, except that I am actually the first to be picked up, which is no later than 6:30 AM! Anyway, we are all kind of nervous (normal first day of class jitters) and didn’t know what to expect from our professor, but of course it turned out to be just fine. Our professor, Dr. Toral, is a practicing doctor at a nearby hospital and has been teaching physiology classes at the University of Azuay for a number of years now. It is still pretty daunting to know that we will be covering ALL the material in less than a month, but I guess we’ll just roll with it.

Monday night, we met with Tami (our official emotional counselor/support person while we’re here). She had us all over to her house and we made DELICIOUS homemade pizzas and a humungous salad. It was again, a lot of fun to hang out with each other and to have a chance to talk about how things are going. Tami is a wonderful woman. She is a member of Verbo church, and works coordinating medical missions teams to help out with the ministry. She was born in Ecuador, but grew up in the U.S. So, she speaks perfect English and Spanish, and kind understands the challenges with culture. Her job with us is really just to be a go-to person if there were ever to be any problems and also just to keep tabs on how we’re doing.

Tuesday, class again, nothing special. However, AFTER class the adventure began. Both John and Clarie ended up staying at the University to use the internet and head home from there, but the rest of planned on going back to the church. We had walked a few blocks the day before to catch the bus we knew went to the church and that seemed to work just fine. As we walked, we discussed our curiosity with the bus system as there are 2 different “Bus 15”s which is the one we take most often. We knew that “Bus 15 Fierra Libre” always gets us to the church, but where does “Bus 15 Monay” go? Well, we decided to “follow our hearts” again, and get on “Bus 15 Monay.” We were pumped. Finally, we would know the mystery of Bus 15 Fierra Libre vs. Monay. The bus pulled away from the curb and went straight. That’s funny, there really isn’t anything in that direction, only a small road leading up a mountain. Well, you’d be surprised what the buses here can do. That bus kept driving up that mountain, and just kept driving. We passed some really beautiful scenery, for which I wished I had my camera, but we just kept truckin’ up that mountain. A few go on, and a few got off on the way, but there was no sign of the road leading anywhere near back to Cuenca or even another city for that matter. After about a half hour riding up this mountain all of a sudden, our bus makes a sharp turn to the right and begins turning the other direction…as if to turn around. THEN, the guy who collects money from the riders, reaches down to the dashboard, and FLIPS THE SIGN IN FRONT OF THE BUS. That’s right. Monay TURNS INTO Fierra Libre! The mystery revealed! Genius! They’re just going opposite directions! And then stop. The bus had pulled up to the side of the road and shut its engine off. We were the only ones left on the bus. We were told to get off. We walked off that bus so proud that we had uncovered the secret of Bus 15, we did not realize until standing at the top of this mountain we had no idea where we were. There was but a moment of panic, before the previously parked bus started running again, and people were getting on. Heads hung low, we stepped onto the now Bus 15 Fierra Libre knowing we had “Gringo” written all over us. As we sat in our square of ignorance (a term coined by our very own, Hilary Pederson) riding back down the mountain, we still congratulated ourselves for the discovery and laughed at what we must seem like to the Ecuadorians. So, thanks to our valiant efforts and fearless following of our hearts, now you all know the secret of the Bus 15 switch.

Class again today. I don’t think my alarm is working, as I woke up at 6:23 this morning. It’s a little different than at Taylor, when you accidentally sleep in you can push getting ready and then run to class. But today, I had a woman in a van honking at me, and the fate of all the others being picked up that was changed by my lack of punctuality. Sorry! Anyways, class was fine and we got out a bit early. Sarah and I decided to try and go to the mall since we had some extra time, but Bus 13 doesn’t actually go to the mall. We road for about an hour or so, definitely got a feel for that bus route. It wasn’t nearly as adventurous as yesterdays ride, but still educational. Now I am just back at the church waiting for Marie de Lores to head home for lunch. I am starving!

I think that’s all for now! Hasta Luego.

~Lindsay

…Carnival continued:

So, I got my fair-share of the Carnival celebrations. And I also got my share of my Ecuadorian family! If there’s one thing I learned this weekend, it’s that all families are the same. I had this epiphany while observing the aunt who swept the baby out of the arms of its mother the moment they arrived, cooing and ooing over her precious, chubby cheeks; and while watching the boys of all ages, being mindlessly entertained by playstation games for hours on end; and in helping to quiet the dogs that are always growling at something, and while listening quietly to the bickering of in-laws about money matters and the chatter of middle-aged women about their lack of form and their newest, favorite beauty product; and in noticing the matriarch of the family meticulously direct the goings on of her kitchen. And beneath the surface-y roles and habits of each family member, I also found that special bond that ties all families together. Families really do have their own kind of love--love that is unconditional and everlasting. Kind of like God’s love, huh? I think the Latin-American culture really understands this truth, seen in their emphasis of family in their lives.

In observing for days on end, all the goings-on of this new family I now have ties to, I felt comforted by how easily it compared to my family or any family rather. I have to admit though; it did get long and lonely at times—times for which I was especially thankful to have a Taylor friend nearby. And in talking to the rest of the Taylor group today, it seems we all experienced similar feelings during this long weekend. Like I mentioned before, it is so incredibly exhausting to force myself to understand and communicate with people in a language (despite my prior education) is very unfamiliar to me. I think there is added pressure in knowing we are expected to eventually master it. And it does not help that my host mom tells me just about every day, “You have a lot to learn, you need to study MUCHISIMO.”

I will quote my 2-year-old self, “DON’T TELL ME!!!!!” J

In other news:

The food is great. Among my favorites from this weekend were “Bananas wrapped in love” aka Bananas dipped in pancake batter and fried, “Chocle con Queso” aka corn on the cob with cheese (the corn was grilled, rolled in a creamy cheese sauce and then shredded cheese), and “yuca con queso” –yucca roots with cheese.

Another cool thing about this weekend, was seeing my family (notably my brother Sebas, and sister Carolina) start to come out of their shells a bit. I think it helped that they had their cousins and the rest of their family around so that they were sort of “in their element” and could act themselves. Carolina is EXTREMELY shy, around me anyways. She has been talking a lot more though, not necessarily to me, but around me, which is still good. She is a very bright, young girl but loves to be silly. She has the most contagious laugh, and I love to listen to her Spanish especially in silly voices. Sebas also loves to be funny. He absolutely loves the beach boys and the song, “Pretty Woman.” It is hilarious to hear him sing them. The more I get to know them, the more they remind me of me and my sister. J Another note for Sarah Bohl: The other day we played that game we used to play at home, where one person would stand at the window and throw down something attached to some sort of elastic cord (or phone cord, Haha) and the others would catch it and attach something else…you know what I’m talking about. But they kids were playing it! Their main goal was to tease the dogs, but we did that too! I couldn’t believe it. And I’ve also been shown just ONE of the movies they made together. Yep, just like us. I love it!

Also, it is sooooo nice to finally have a class to attend. (I will probably question why I said this in days to come.) But it was frustrating knowing that I was supposed to be learning Spanish and not having any organized form of teaching from which to guide myself. After one day of class, I can say it’s sort of cool to be in a class of only six (4 once we split into our different levels) and have the class structured around our needs. But of course it’s also pretty daunting with the professor RIGHT THERE and also continually learning how much I really don’t know.

As for prayer requests, which many have asked about (thank you, from the bottom of my heart for your prayers):

I think for myself as well as the rest of the group, pray that our uneasy feelings about communication and feelings of loneliness because of the lack of communication would be lifted. And also continue to pray for my host family in dealing with Carolina’s small tumor.

New Spanish phrase for the day:

Que te vaya bien. (That it may go well you)

Que te vaya bien.

Lindsay

Carnival!

I just got back from Carnival weekend, what a blast! I went with my family to their vacation home in the city of Yunguilla (pronounced: yoon-gia). They kept telling me we were going to Yunguilla, which didn’t mean a thing to me, and all I could think of was yogi-bear. (This is for you, Sarah Bohl. “I can’t believe we’re at yogi bear!) Well, it turned out to be nothing like the yogi-bear park I was picturing, but I would take Yungilla over any animated-character-themed-park any day. Minus, of course, the nerve-racking, RECKLESS driving that occurs on the dangerously narrow and unkempt roads through the mountains, it was a very beautiful drive. Again, I will say, I LOVE the mountains. There is just something awesome, humbling, and reverent about seeing layers of enormous mounds—if you will, of earth, both above and below you as far as you can see. It’s as if the tips of the earth are reaching up towards the sky, embracing the clouds which so dependably replenish the foliage that thrives on their peaks. It is seeing this small part of Creation that causes me to worship. How awesome a God, who thought of such spectacular formations.

When we arrived at the house, early Saturday afternoon, I was promptly greeted by the LARGEST animal in the canine family I have EVER seen. This dog was no joke, the size of a small horse. Yikes! I was then introduced to the rest of the family. It was like an entire family reunion! Grandma, great aunt and uncle, aunt, uncles, and cousins galore…plus, Claire! (Claire is another Taylor student who is staying with the sister of my host-dad) It was so nice to have her there this weekend. As relaxing as it was, it is so surprisingly exhausting to try to engage in conversations and such when it is such a struggle to understand simple words. Also, all the cousins seemed to pair off with their respective, similar-aged “buds” so many times we simply entertained ourselves.

Like I said, it really was a very relaxing weekend. Lots of good food, reading, chatting, sleeping, playing board games, sitting on the patio enjoying the scenery. Oh, and of course there was some “playing” of Carnival and swimming in the pool, but unfortunately, it was fairly chilly all four days we were there, and it rained more than usual. I only did go swimming once, which was freeeeezzing, but the squirt guns and colored/scented spray-foam were active almost all waking hours. The last day was the climax of all the Carnival battles I participated in. It began with my host sister, Carolina, and Claire’s host sister, Gabi, mischievously squirting us with water guns and running away giggling. It quickly escalated to an all out war-zone with water balloons flying through the air, entire buckets of water being dumped from strategic spots behind corners, and then finally pushing each other into the pool (fully clothed I might add).

To be continued… (I have to go home now, I will write more tomorrow.)

We had our first Spanish class today though! Yey!

Ok.

Mucho amor,

Lindsay

“Gracias.” I’ve been saying that a lot lately. Not only to my Ecuadorian family, (because sometimes it’s the only thing I know to say) but also to God. I really have so much to be thankful for. A) This extraordinary opportunity to study and learn in the beautiful country of Ecuador. 2) Lots of other things. And D) ALL OF YOU! Seriously, it is so wonderful to be reminded of and hear from those I love so much back home. And I am especially grateful for those who were responsible for the all the notes, cards, gifts, and chocolate ;) that mysteriously (or not-so-mysteriously…) made they’re way into my bags. I cannot even tell you how much they mean to me! I have been rationing my way through the cards and such. Even though I really want to open them all right now, I also want to appreciate each word you all wrote. I can honestly say that every card I’ve read so far has made me cry. And not the “oh-I’m-so-sad” kind of cry, but the “I-am-so-truly-touched-by-this-person” kind. I love you guys so much! Gracias, or thank you, or however you say it, really doesn’t do justice to all the blessings I’ve been given. So ummmm…MUCHAS gracias!!!

On a different note, I am also so very thankful for the peace given me by my Father in Heaven. I was pretty anxious for about a week before I left to Ecuador, normal nerves and such. But I must tell you all that last Friday morning, from the moment I woke up, I was so comforted and truly at peace with what I was doing, it could only be of God. That peace continues to follow me despite frustrations with my lame-o Spanish skills, stress on my family with Carolina’s tumor, the fact my entire family is sick with colds, and how much I miss you all in the States. It reminds me of that Sunday school song…”I’ve got the peace that passes understanding, down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart…”

Lastly, I so thankful for a sunny day! It’s absolutely gorgeous outside. (It has rained everyday so far) I can’t wait for Carnival this weekend! I got sprayed with water at least 5 times as we were walking around the city this morning. So fun!

With more love than you know,

Lindsay