Beginnings & Endings

Saludos from Andalucía,

Something I have grown very fond of in Spain, is sitting at a table, to small for the number of people gathered around it. I think in the states, it would be considered crowded, but here, it is a sign of family.

A new friend...
Last week, I found myself sitting at such a table with friends from church and a new acquaintance. We are the same age and he is a native of this city. A was asking me to explain why I'm here and why I'm a Christian. He is very open to talking about spiritual things, especially Christianity. As we were talking, it was as if the plot to humanity's play, The Purpose of Life, was unfolding. During our conversation over coffee and dessert (several hours), I watched as a reality hit him head-on. The thought of eternity, the thought that this life will not last forever, the thought that we were not made for ourselves, completely changed his demeanor. It is no accident that he found himself sitting at a table with five Christians, pondering the Gospel message of Christ crucified and Christ risen.

College Ministry
Throughout my time here, I have thought about the differences in high school students and university students. In this city, I am mainly serving with jovenes en instituto (students in high school). I loved my years in the college ministry of my church in Texas and lately, have been desiring to have more relationships with university students here. Let's just say, walking with God, will lead you to things you never expected! Literally...

Recently, I was walking through one of our main plazas and spotted a group of young people wearing flip-flops and t-shirts. I did a double take, and immediately knew they were Americans. Spaniards don't wear flip-flops and they definitely don't wear t-shirts. I lingered around to see if I could hear what language they were speaking to make sure, and sure enough, it was a group of thirty university students from the states! The group of sophomores just arrived a day before to spend a month here studying Spanish. So far, it has been an amazing opportunity to share life with them as they are taking in the sights and sounds.

Future Plans
After much prayer and wearing down the passages in my Bible about seeking the Lord's will (serious!), I have some updates to share and wanted to communicate my plans for the future. I will arrive in Texas on June 11th, and spend the following two months with my family, visiting friends and supporters, celebrating weddings, and raising support. Why will I be raising support? Because I would like to return to serve here for a little while longer! I would like to return to Spain in August 2009 and remain until May 2010.

The Lord has been confirming this decision in the past two weeks and I'm excited to follow where He leads. I have been granted two years of residency, and the leadership of the church has asked me to return and continue serving with them. I have enjoyed being a testimony of Christ in this culture and serving within the church here.

Over the past month, I have been trying to discern if He was leading me back to the states to work full time, take classes at seminary, or return here and be salt and light in this culture. Why go back? Because, "He told them, The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go!" Luke 10:2-3

Whatever my geography, my prayer is that people would see the love of God in my life, and that they would hear and understand that the same is available to them.

Prayer Points:

• Ending/Beginning, please pray for a good ending to these seven months here in Spain and for the process of transitioning into American culture.
• Please pray for my new friends...
  
• Please pray for me as I begin the support raising process and submit plans before the Lord. Please pray for people to send me back out into the harvest field.
• Please praise Him, for His sovereignty, for His goodness, for His faithfulness, and His grace in my life and yours!

Thank you!
Arista

Flamenco shoes...

So, I'm going video crazy...

My friend, Luisa, has a niece named Laura. Laura is a six-year old, with the gestures, accent, and Andalucían pride of a sixty year-old woman. She's precious!

As we were walking to take her to her dance class, her high-heels started hurting her feet. So we stopped so she could change her shoes. Pay close attention to her accent!

Las Chirigotas

This is a small clip of a chirigota. Chirigotas are groups of men that sing silly songs. I can't completely understand what they're saying, but that's ok, because some of the Spaniards couldn't either. Chirigotas are especially popular around Carnaval, which was months ago. I just couldn't figure out how to upload videos until now....Anyway, enjoy!

planes, trains, and autobús'

Travel. That's the topic for this post...During my time in Spain I have learned to change my perspective, mode, and opinion of travel, and all that pertains to it, i.e. packing, independence, etc.

Up until seven months ago, if I wanted to travel somewhere, I had to pack a bag (with many things I now know that I didn't need), find my keys, make sure I had my gas credit cards, a little cash, and that's it. The words "public transportation" don't occur anywhere in my history of traveling, that is, until I moved to España...

I have really enjoyed the ease and efficiency that public transportation has provided here. I thought I would highlight a few of my main modes of travel...

By train...the national railway system is Renfe. The train is a good (and economical) option if one is desiring to travel more quickly that a bus, but slower than a plane. General, I know, but it's the truth. There are lots of different trains, that run at different times, to different places, and run at different paces. Not trying to resemble a Shakespearean sonnet, but honestly, there are less stops than a bus, and you still get to see the countryside while moving along to your destination. Also, they are (normally) very prompt. There are also high speed trains, called Ave's, that make you feel like your in a plane, instead of a train. However, you will have to pay a little more for this ground-flying experience. Here's a clip of a train experience...



By bus...ALSA is the bus line that I use the most. The good thing about a bus is that sometimes they will take you closer to your intended destination that a plane/train. Many times, the bus station is in the center of the city. However, Sundays and public holidays generally have a different schedule. By different, I mean a reduced schedule. So plan ahead if you don't want to be stuck in a bus station wondering where the nearest café is.

By plane...of course there are large carriers such as Iberia, & SpanAir but for traveling within Spain, and the other EU countries nearby (France, Italy, England, Ireland, etc.), the better option is EasyJet, Ryan Air, or Vueling...just a few of my favorites. These smaller carriers are able to offer amazing deals, such as Granada to Barcelona Girona for €0.99. However, you will be eaten alive if you're not careful about hidden costs. What's a hidden cost? You must make sure to uncheck extras before buying online, if you don't print out your boarding pass (for online check-in) you could end up paying €20,00 for a piece of paper, they might charge a few cents to use the bathroom, if you want to check a bag, if you want priority boarding, etc. All of these things can be avoided by reading carefully and paying attention to exactly what you're paying for. Also, these smaller carriers are very nit-picky about the size of your carry-on.

Wouldn't you like to know...

Wouldn't you like to know...…this is a list of interesting tid-bits from living in Spanish culture. The list may include, but is not limited to: food, people, expressions, daily living, language blunders, etc.

• ...I was standing in one of the main plazas in Úbeda not to long ago, it was around 10:00pm...and I noticed these funny looking birds flying around. Turns out, murciélagos, or bats, are quite common to see at night time.
• ...Saying yes, and nodding your head, even when you don't understand, can really get you into trouble. A man (50-60ish) was telling me that when it warms up, I should bring my bikini over to his house and we should all go swimming. I was just smiling and nodding...until my friend told me what he was saying. And then, if you can, picture the look of horror on my face.
  
• ...Surnames are a little different here. In Spain, the middle and the last name in a person's name are the last names of their father and mother (in that order). It is called an apellido. In the states, we have one surname, here, they have two. A little more explanation below...
  
• ...When a couple gets married, it is not a custom for the bride to take the groom's last name. She keeps her name the way it is. If the couple has children, the are given a first name, and then his/her last name is made from the father's apellido + the mother's apellido.
• ...I was taught how to put the Andalucían rose in my hair.
• ...Ojalá is a word which means “Hopefully" or "I hope so." Funny enough, the word is Arabic, not Spanish.
• ...When I walk into the bus station, the man behind the ticket counter calls out, "Hola Tejas!" I love it.
  
• ...I was cooking with my friend Luisa the other night, and when I started chopping some shallots, she asked what they were and said that she has never seen a shallot before. The same thing happened when I made a vegetable dip and served celery to the jovenes.
• ...You can buy fresh milk (goat, cow, etc.), but normally, milk is bought in cartons and is not kept cold. Most beverages that I buy, juice, milk, etc. are specially treated with Ultra High Temperature Processing (UHT) where the liquid is heated to 275°F to kill bacteria. It generally has a 6-9 month shelf life.
• ...This past week, the city of Úbeda installed parking meters on all of the main streets. The Úbetenses are not happy about this. However, I have secretly enjoyed walking past and seeing older groups of people frown at the machines and wave their arms at them before storming off.
  
• ...On Tuesday, May 12, the Spanish Ministry of Health legalized the "the morning-after pill" (an emergency contraceptive) to be sold in Pharmacies over the counter.