Simplemente una otra semana // Simply Another Week

Well, I find myself sitting at my computer on yet another Sunday, just in awe that another week has passed.

Some of my week's top 4 highlights:

1.  On Monday, 10 people from our WIM team spoke via Skype with Westmont's Freshman Class, for the yearly "class chapels." I had the privilege of sharing a little extra about my time here so far in Mexico (finally fulfilling a part of my dream to get to speak in chapel :) ).  I hope within my four allotted minutes I was able to express to the new students just how great studying abroad is, and how if you truly let God take you abroad, He does great things. All in all, it was just fun reconnecting with Westmont campus again- seeing Joel Patterson's face, hearing student worship and a chapel message. Makes me so excited to return back come Spring! 

2. Thursday I had a 20 minute presentation about the Mexican state of Oaxaca for my conversation class, meaning the beginning of my week was well consumed with working and researching. By Thursday morning I was incredibly exhausted from the work, however by the end, it was all vale la pena. All my work was worth it and it went SO well. I loved being in front of the class and being able to talk for 20 minutes straight in fluid Spanish. It is incredible seeing the growth that has taken place linguistically for me, especially in my confidence to speak. Whereas before, a five minute presentation would be daunting, this one did not fluster me one bit! In fact, I did not want to stop my presentation, because the usage of Spanish combined with the joy of teaching left me so exhilarated and full. 

3This Friday after classes I went to a Starbucks (only 15 minutes from my house!) with Betsy and ordered my first Starbucks drink in Mexico. Honestly, I have never enjoyed a Cafe Mocha more than I did this weekend..It was just so good, and such a needed treat after a long week of classes. Plus, with my wonderful friend Betsy, there is never a dull moment, and we ended up having an Indie/Indy for 2+hours.  (Don't know how to spell it, but it is a Westmont word for one-on-one, heart- to-heart, or whatever you call a really solid, vulnerable conversation). Basically, I just had the chance to eat my bagel and cream cheese, drink my coffee, and enjoy the company and conversation of my beautiful friend. Such a special time for me to see how God is so present in this girl, and how she can bless me with her servant's heart and quick ability to listen and ask deep and insightful questions. I am thankful for the neighbor and friend God has given me in her!

Betsy...aka Besty :)

4. Friday NIGHT was another Gallos soccer game...this time in the pouring rain. On our way to the game, the sky let loose another torrential downpour, and my jeans were soaked in the matter of time it took to run from the car to the front gate. However, nothing could physically or emotionally dampen our spirits, and by the time the game got going, I was so excited to be there. The Queretaro Gallos  played the Monterrey Tigres, and both teams put out an incredible fight. The Gallos were leading 2-0 until receiving a red card forced them down a man. The Tigres used this opportunity to pull out 2 goals themselves, thanks to the bad reffing and circumstances. By the end, the game ended in a tie, but it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole game. Plus, I learned one of the Gallo's cheering songs making me even feel that much cooler- yeah, I'm a true aficionada. :) Still, another great night with friends, laughter, rain and the real fútbol. 

To give you a taste of how exciting the game was...here is a video of the two incredible goals the Gallos made! :)

While I did not have any super crazy adventures this week, I feel as though I spent a good amount of quality time with my family, especially Andy, and although that meant less adventuring after classes at night, I wouldn't trade my family time for anything else. I feel very blessed by the family I have been given, and I enjoy my moments with each of them, especially with  my little sister. Andy and I have developed a special relationship over the past month, and I love being the big sister to this 15 year old girl.

This weekend Andy had her friend's quinceañera, which of course means it's a big and important party. So, all week she was trying to figure out what to wear, how to do her hair, etc. My favorite part though was that she included me in this party preparation and wanted to know my opinion on everything. That meant that while I was trying to finish reading a packet on the Conquest of Cortés, Andy stood  in my doorway modeling her different dresses and shoes. Eventually, I just gave up trying to finish my homework, and I decided to put my relationship with her first. I am so glad I did, because we ended up spending about an hour and a half picking out her complete outfit, trying on our "mom's" high heels together and looking at my old high school dance pictures on my computer. Friday afternoon we painted our toenails together out on our upstairs porch and passed more time and laughing/talking in Spanglish. Andy is a pretty adequate English speaker, and sometimes she only wants to talk in English. So, she starts in English, I respond in Spanglish and by the end, we both have a mix of our own "Spanglish" language. We probably sound ridiculous together but if it takes being ridiculous to form a good relationship with this girl, I'm up for it!

Old photo, but still my favorite:)

Today, as I sit here at my computer, I am thankful for the memories I've been making, the relationships I've been building, and all the struggles and joys I've had. I chose not to go to church this morning, and instead chose to spend some time alone reading my bible and listening to a podcast of messages and worship online. I found a Westmont chapel sermon that Megan Fate gave this month on campus, and was so blessed by her message. She spoke about Ephesians 3, one of my favorite passages in the book. I want to share it with you as a closure for this blog post, so that you, too, may gain the encouragement I did on this beautiful Sunday morning. Whether you are sitting at your desk or your bed, on your phone or on your I pad, reading this post in Mexico, at Westmont, in Oregon or in the heart of Orange County, whoever you may be and wherever you may be, I hope that you, too, can read this passage and truly know how full Christ's love is for you. Just as this was Paul's prayer for the church of Ephesus, this is my prayer for you and me, and this is God's word:

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all of the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long, and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge- that you may be filed to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen."- Ephesians 3:14-21

Feliz Cumpleaños Zach!// Happy Birthday Zach!

It's always weird when you aren't there to celebrate your own family member's birthday. I know I am not at home, and I know I am not at Westmont to celebrate with him, but I just wanted to publicly shout out a Happy 22nd Birthday to my one and only sibling and big brother, Zach! I am blessed to attend the same college as him, but, we only have had 1 year on campus together...because now I am away in Mexico, and he is off campus living and finishing his last semester at Westmont this fall. Crazy how time flies! How grateful I am for his always being patient with his little sister, and how thankful I am for his allowing me to always follow in his footsteps (and by that, I pretty much mean always...) and how grateful I am for having him in my life. Thank you for all you've taught me and for always looking out for me! So, that being said, Feliz Cumpleaños a mi hermano mayor. Te amo mucho,  te extraño mucho tambien!:)

[and now for a little blast from the past..some of my favorite pictures of us!]

Ups, Downs and All Arounds

Well, yet another week has passed, and as we enter into our SIXTH week, I know it is absolutely crazy that it is nearing the end of September, I can say that I have definitely settled in to my life here in Mexico. Now, "settling in" connotes both positive and negative traits, because quite frankly, the more comfortable you become with a place, the more apparent your surroundings become to you. You are familiar with your living style, and thus you recognize that some things are great, whereas other things just make you want to scream. I feel as if I hit both of those emotions this week- as if some moments have been incredibly fun and exhilarating, and also, as if other moments have been extremely lonely and disparaging. Not surprisingly, there is a term for this so called whirlwind of emotions, and like most anyone that studies abroad, or experiences long periods of time in a different country, this is an occurrence that almost always happens. What is this exactly that I have been experiencing? This, this is Culture Shock.

Now, I have thought over and over again, for a few days, about what I should share with my friends and family about just how real Culture Shock is, because without ever experiencing it yourself, you don't truly understand what it feels like or how it effects a person. This week we had an assignment to write about how or if culture shock has affected us thus far in our semester abroad, and of course, I had a lot to say on the matter. Out of honesty and out of vulnerability, I have chosen to share with you the  reflective essay I wrote, because I want you, as my readers, to understand that I too am human. I too feel pain and loneliness even in the midst of something as GREAT and INCREDIBLE as a chance to study abroad. I can write week after week about how everything is just fine and dandy. But, if I don't choose to show you that no, sometimes life is hard, then I would be giving a false witness and testament to the entirety of my journey here in Mexico. So, included at the end of this post, is a short account of the the tough stuff I've been experiencing this week.

However, there is good stuff too. Before the few of you do go and read my essay, I want to say that I did still have some incredibly joyful moments this past weekend. For example, even though I started off the weekend with no plans, we all know that "no plans" actually means "you are free, so your schedule will be filled with random, unplanned activities." That being said....

Friday consisted of una cita (a date) with Melissa and Mary, our WIM professor; we enjoyed three hours of conversation and an incredible meal out.  After our convo, I went to the movies to see White House Down (super great film and even greater company), and then we all took an impromptu trip to a Taqueria with some church friends we've made. If ever there has been a flexible side of me, it was definitely proven on Friday, as I just went along for the ride, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Saturday morning included a trip to The Red Cross to help pack boxes of food and sanitary items for the victims of Mexico's 2 recent hurricanes. Irlanda, my Mexican mom and a wonderful woman, has been faithfully working with La Cruz Roja every afternoon, and she invited me and my friends to also come. I am glad I did!! My heart was SO full throughout the entire morning because I was able to make a difference by coming alongside the Mexicans to help them fight their own causes. In the evening, I attended the youth (aka College) service at Iglesia Betel, which has become my home church here in Mexico. Let me just say, I'm so thankful for the openness and welcoming arms of the people at Betel; they have embraced us so tightly, and as Evangelical believers, they have truly lived out God's command to "love thy neighbor" by abundantly loving on our WIM team. They invite us out for food, drive us in their cars (imagine 10 people in 1 Ford Focus, yeah that's right, 10 people), and they share their time and hearts with us. The youth service was wonderful, as well as the small group time we spent at a church member's house directly following it. I thank Jesus for providing us with Betel!

Red Cross, Mexican Style

Brad, Alysha, Maya, Erin, Me, Luis, Alana...and My AMAZING Mom and bro.

My dear friend and neighbor, Betsy. 

Sunday  has been a day of extreme rest for me. I slept in, worked on a presentation I have this week on Oaxaca, and I led another Sunday night of Vespers, Mexico Style. Vespers is a Westmont tradition, where on every Sunday evening a student  led team holds a worship service in Page Hall. We have decided to continue it here, as Erin plays violin, I play piano and other students share messages and sing; what a a blessing it has been spending this sacred time with my team.

Anyway, I have had my fair share of trials and triumphs this week. Lots of homework, our first history test and my firsthand experience with culture shock put a damper on the beginning half, but by the end, things definitely turned out to be better. I pray this next week allows more opportunity for growth and for less culture shock; I look forward to seeing what else God puts on my plate:)

Sweet dreams from a tired Emily!

(p.s my reflective essay on Culture shock is included below...no pressure to read it. But, for those who I know would want to, here it is!)

Máscaras 1.0// Masks 1.0

Prepare yourselves, because the following images may appear to be a tad bit strange/unattractive. BUT, in reality, they are and have very good reason to be, because tonight in our Art History class we got a little crazy and got a little strange with Vaseline, plaster and our own God-given faces. Tonight, we made mascaras! I can't explain any better than these photos can just how odd it was to have my face covered and wrapped with smelly strips of wetness, and just how weird we looked as a result of it. But, I can say, that once we turned on some quality worship music, and Laura got to work on mummifying my face, I was able to relax, reflect and enjoy my time as I turned my face into a piece of art.  

Our supplies

Laura, a little to happy to mummify my face

Some others getting their faces masked...Ben, Elizabeth and Brad. 

 Faces of 1/2 our team...[yes, we are the most attractive Westmont students ever...I know ;)]

From Left to Right: Me, Erin, Elizabeth S.

From Left to Right: Blair, Ben, Melissa

The final, finished product, get excited.....

Melissa and Me, models for sure....

And the mask was made...after about 40 minutes later! Since only 1/2 of our group was able to make their masks today, we are doing this whole process in about 2-3 class periods. Once we create the next set of masks, the last phase will include decorating/painting our pre-hispanic inspired creations with natural elements like corn, beans and chili powder. So, stay tuned for more fun to come with Mascaras 2.0. :)

Feliz Dia de Independencia//Happy Independence Day

Viva Mexico!! Happy Mexican Independence Day friends and family and whoever else may be reading this blog! Today, the 16th of September (yes, we are two hours ahead here) marks the celebration of the cry of independence made by Miguel Hidalgo in 1810. Hidalgo, one of the nation's leaders during the War of Independence in Mexico, made his cry, El Grito de la Independencia, in the town of Dolores, which is in a northern part of Guanajuato, another Mexican state. In present day, Mexico celebrates throughout the nation with a "remake" of El Grito in practically every city, which is followed by incredible fire work shows, and of course, parties on every corner. Tonight, I got my own taste of Mexican patriotism. Just imagine with me: red, white and green EVERYWHERE and people EVERYWHERE. Think Disneyland on its worse day, times fifty. But still, I was amazed at the pride that the Mexican people have for their country, and it makes me feel honored to be included in a celebrating of such an important day. Despite the rain and the crowd, this was a night I won't forget. My favorite part? Watching the best fire work show of all time, which of course, included colors of the Mexican flag. Though my pictures didn't turn out to well, I do have a simple video to share. Hope it works!:)

Oh, btw, this is only a small, itsy bitsy snippet of an hour of my weekend...I will try to share more when I can. Thankfully, since it's a government holiday, no classes tomorrow! Keep on the lookout for more posts pronto.

Una Pieza de Paz// A Piece of Peace

We are encouraged by our professor Mary to be purposely reflective during our four months here in Mexico. We have a culture class twice a week which requires us to write essays about our thoughts and our feelings, in order to gauge how we are doing. Well, last night, I experienced a wonderful conversation with my close friend Betsy; we went back to her house after a busy Friday night and let ourselves talk in English, share our hearts and process our lives. This being said, I gained some more clarity and insight about myself last night, and so I went home and immediately wrote about it. No, this was not a required essay or something to be turned in. This journal entry is just me, an imperfect girl, sharing her heart and thoughts. I know I blog so often about my routine and my activities, but this time I wanted to try something different...I wanted to blog about what I have noticed in myself since coming to Mexico...how I've changed and how I've truly gained a piece of peace in my life:) Enjoy!

Sierra Gorda

Have you ever experienced something so incredible, you just do not know how to describe it to people? Well, that's how I feel right now, as I try to put into words how wonderful this past weekend was in the Sierra Gorda. So, bear with me as this is a long one.....because I have just SO much goodness to share with y'all. From Friday to Monday, I spent time talking, eating, sightseeing, ziplining, hiking, swimming and bus-riding with 16 brothers and sisters in Christ. Together, our group experienced the power of God's creation, we felt the unity of His love in our lives, and we created memories which will forever outlast any photos or blog posts I will share.

[A quick clarification before I begin.... Although this was an indescribable trip, throughout our whole time in Sierra Gorda, it rained, and then it rained some more. Because of a  recent hurricane in the Gulf of Mexcio, near Veracruz, the Sierras have been drenched with rain and massive downpours, effecting the terrain, the rivers and our adventures. As a result of this insane amount of water, I was pretty much wet the entire weekend, as well as my shoes and my clothes. Oh, and just to make it even better...because of the tropical/humid climate, nothing ever  completely dried. So, not only were my belongings and I wet the whole four days, but everything always stunk like mildewed washclothes. How's that as a description for ya?:) ]

Day 1: Toluquilla Ruins and Chuvejes.

On Friday we left early in the morning on a large grey-hound sized bus, and began the wild and curvy ride to our first destination, the ruins of Toluquilla.  Now, the one word I would use to describe or to illustrate to you the essence of these ruins is misterioso, or mysterious, because of the heavy overcast layer of clouds that engulfed the place. It felt like a twilight zone, as if a hundred  fog machines had been let off at once. We had the opportunity to walk around the ruins, noting the ancient pyramids, ball courts and temples. It amazes me that something humans made thousands of years ago can still be standing so prominently to this day!

Prehispanic Pyramid

Laura, Brad and I

After Toluquilla, we went to Pinal de Armoles for some street food, which happened to be delicious Gorditas. We huddled under a small tarp in order to avoid the rain while eating. In the afternoon, we traveled to our first waterfall, Chuvejes...and when I mean waterfall, I really mean water-torrent, because there was more than a trickle of water spewing off the rocks. Due to the rain, the power of this cascada spewed hundreds and hundreds of gallons of water down into a pool below. The majority of us waded  in the water closest to shore, and even there I could barely stand straight because of how powerful the water came down. This being said, I loved being reminded of just HOW powerful our God is. If I think a waterfall is powerful, well, how much more powerful is God to have MADE that, and to have made the entire Earth, and the 6.5+ million people it holds ...yes, it blows my mind.

Can you find the guacamole?? My favorite part of the meal

Gorditas in the Rain?! Why not?

Some of the girls

Bridge walkers and poncho wearers

The Mighty Chuvejes

Day 2: Puente de Dios,  Mission Landa and Karaoke
Saturday was spent right back out in the Jungle, but this time, we faced a real Jungle hike, as we trekked out to Puente de Dios and the river Escanela. Usually, one can walk by/in the river to get to the Puente, but God had other plans for our mighty group and because of the heavy rain fall, we were forced us to take to the highlands, or the mountains I should say. So, hiking in heavy mud and throughout lush jungle greenery for over an hour, we reached yet another one of God's watery wonders.

On the way...

Taking time to enjoy the simple things

Waterfall at El Puente de Dios

            

The Mighty River Swell

Saturday night, we visited Landa one of 5 of Fr. Junipero Serra's missions in the Sierra Gorda. As a future teacher, I must agree that the missions were very intriguing to see, and thanks to the expertise of our Art professor, we were given a very thorough explanation of every little detail of the missions. I took more pictures than necessary of each building because one day I hope to share with my own 4th grade students the history of where the original El Camino Real began:)  Finally, after dinner out we ended our evening at our hotel's Cantabar with a night of some good 'ol Karaoke. Belting out the lyrics to HSM's Breaking Free with Melissa while Brad and some others pulled off some interpretative dance moves in the background definitely made my night.

Sunday- Tancama, Jalpan,  and Temazcal
Our Sabbath was truly a day of rest, in comparison to the other crazy hikes and river excitements. We spent our morning in Jalpan, exploring the mission and the Sunday market. The mission of Jalpan was incredible, with detailing both inside and out that reminded me of the reverence of our great God deserves. The Catholic church, and especially the Franciscan heritage, recognize God and represent Christ in such a glorified and potent way- a way that I want to also worship God in my own daily life. In the market of Jalpan, Kara and I made a new 3 year old friend named Oswaldo, who we played chase with for about 30 minutes until he eventually dropped his Popsicle in a pile of ants. I was thankful to have an interaction as simple as this, because of the laughter and joy such a small child can share.

The afternoon of Sunday was spent at some other historic ruins, this time at Tancama, an archaeological zone and burial site of the prehispanic, Classical period. One of my favorite memories of Tancama was  when our team took two minutes of silence to reflect upon the heritage and history of our surroundings. I sat out overlooking a nearby valley and relished in the peace and serenity of la naturaleza, the nature, before me. Reflecting on God's provision, I marveled in the fact that God was present in the past, just as much as He is now, and that He was with the indigenous pagan worshipers, just like He is present in the lives of people today. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end  and even though time has passed, He still stays the same.

Melissa, Erin, Laura and I

Una Rana

My favorite part of Sunday, and probably the whole trip, that brought me the MOST joy was our final night, when we went to a hotel in Concá, which was more like a resort than anything. Spanning over several acres of land, with beautiful stoned architecture, a massive outdoor pool and playground and possibly the most comfortable beds I have ever felt, this hotel was just what we needed. However, the true cherry on top was when we got to experience a pre-hispanic bath, un baño de Temazcal. We entered an igloo shaped rock structure, which was in fact a sauna, with fire-heated stones in the center. For forty five minutes 20 of us endured intense temperature as our bodies were cleansed by naturally provoked steam. Yet not only was this a time of physical cleansing, for as only Westmont students would do, we turned the sauna into a worship sanctuary for Christ, and made it a time of spiritual cleansing as well. Imagine the best acoustics you have ever heard, plus the most heartfelt and sincere voices praising the name of God and you can get a tiny sense of what went down. The Holy Spirit was present and the worship was raw and real creating a special moment and memory that I will never, ever forget.

Day 4: Concá, Swimming Hole and Zipline
The last day sped by, as did the activities which were a part of it. In the morning we visited our last mission, and my favorite, Mission Concá. As the smallest mission, I think it is the prettiest, with its turquoise coloring, and simplistic features. Following the mission, we walked a ways to a beautiful natural swimming hole, where all of us were glad to finally get the chance to swim in water that wouldn't sweep us away and kill us. Right by the swimming hole, we also saw a tree that is over 1,000 years old. Recognizing yet another of God's miraculous creations truly made me grateful. To end our day, we spent a solid few hours in  Las Trancas and everyone had the opportunity to do a...ZIPLINE. Now the Mexican way of zip-lining doesn't include breaks; your hands are the breaks. So, after watching a few people go, I had the chance to try it out myself, and I loved every minute of my fast descent. Our last meal was spent in Las Trancas, and after eating some delicious sopes, (think bean tostadas, yes beans, I know, that's why I was so excited), our group headed back to the bus and back to our homes in Santiago de Queretaro.

Mission Concá

A VERY Old tree

Ben, Brad, Christian  and Laura

Our naturally created swimming pool:)

Shelby, Elizabeth, Cailtin and I

Zip- lining

Elizabeth S. and my favorite picture of the day

In the scheme of things, and as you can probably tell, this was truly an indescribable trip. I could write ten more pages and include 200 more photos to explain just how insightful this excursion was for me. I loved being back in the Jungle, as it reminded me of my own jungle journey to Ecuador three years back. I loved growing closer and more intimate with my team, and especially I loved learning more about the way God displays himself in both nature and throughout history.

Entonces, Happy end of the week, and thanks, once again, for putting up with my profusely long blog entries. Three months, as of two days ago, and I will be home again. Time flies....especially when you're having fun:)

Love from down South,

Emily