Pictures of My Life

For you non-Facebookers, here are a few snapshots from the last couple of weeks. God has been so good to me in this beautiful place! 

The Mediterranean

View from the a favorite spot

God has been so good to give me cats to pet! 

Some of my new, dear friends, greeting a donkey in the morning. 

Things That Are Funny.

There are a number of funny/awesome/random things about life in Spain so far. Here are a few: 

• There are quite a few tourists wandering around Mijas. One of the things they do is ride these 'donkey taxis' around the town. It's a pretty comical sight to see a grown man being led around on a small donkey. It looks something like this: 

• One of the local shop owners is half-Iowan. I was wandering around town one afternoon and stopped to admire a lovely leather bag in a shop window. The shop owner came outside and asked where I was from (because I don't quite fit the physical description of a local), and I answered, "The United States," like usual. He asked where, and I responded, "I'm from Iowa," with a hint of question, because most people don't have a clue where Iowa is located. He says, "Really?! My father was born in Sioux City!" If I wasn't before, I'm definitely now a believer in the world's smallness.  

• All the shops are closed between the hours of 2 and 5 pm here in Mijas. Siesta. Naptime. It's serious business. 

• Toilet paper is un-flushable. Bathroom garbage cans have lids. 

• Because of the previously mentioned donkey taxis roaming around Mijas, you have to watch your step on the lovely cobbled streets. 

• There's a group of nice older gentlemen that sit in the square down the street from our house. They have fun hats, some have canes, and they seem to be in constant conversation/consideration about the happenings of Mijas. They always sit on the same bench, and they always have a friendly, "Hola!" for me on my way to and from class. We're friends. 

• Good news: An ice cream shop opened for the season. Bad news: It's on our street. 

In His Hands

How are you doing, friends?

I finally feel like I can put into some words all that I've been learning and seeing these past three weeks in Spain. I was doing a bit of wandering around the square in Mijas today, and I stopped inside an art gallery to have a look around. Towards the back of the room, there was a sculpture from a series called, "Trust." The sculpture itself was a large hand with a woman lying inside the palm of the hand. As I looked at it, I realized that the sculpture was really how I've felt these past three weeks: held in the palm of God.

I'm so very thankful to belong to Him, friends.

In class these past weeks, we've been learning a lot about the Father's love for us, His children. It's amazing to realize that you and I are actually children of the Lord Most High. It's life altering, actually.

He changes the way I do life. Every little action matters. Every moment of my life can be used to display His love to the people around me.

God is in the details, dear friends. The grand plans are awesome to see, amazing to dream about, but each little piece along the way is precious.

Arrival!

Hello Everyone!

I arrived safe and sound (with luggage) last night around 7:30pm, Spain time. I'm getting settled, meeting the other interns, and starting to explore Mijas a bit. Here are a few photos from our walk around Mijas this morning:

View of Mijas 

The sea, and somewhere out there, Africa. 

The Local Bull Fighting Ring

My Street! 

It's been a great first day here in Mijas! Thank you all for praying for me!

Tres Días. [Three Days.]

Last New Year's Eve, I was filling out my application for Generation 42, and today, I have 3 days left before I'm there! My bags are half-packed, I've whittled my stack of books to take down to four, and I'm finishing up a bunch of little things before I'm gone for half a year! 

There are a few things I would love prayer for as I get ready to go, and I'm so thankful that you all are lifting me up to the Father. 

Pray...

...for my final time with the youth group I've been blessed to lead this fall/winter. Pray that they would continue to see Jesus more & more! 

...for my parents. My leaving makes them real empty-nesters; my sister, Megan left last week for 3 months in Romania. 

...for health & wellness as I travel. So far, so good! 

...for some good conversations with the people I meet along the way. 

...for all my team's luggage to arrive promptly. 

...for fast & real friendships to be built among our team as we arrive in Mijas over the next week. 

I can't say it enough. I am so thankful for each and every one of you. I really, really mean it when I say I couldn't do it without you!!