La Iglesia Santa Clara

Wednesday and Thursday blurred into one this past week. The weather has been pretty overcast lately. People are telling me that the Midwest is in the 90’s, which is hard for me to fathom. Cuando el cielo es nublado, yo necesito vestirme en pantalones y un suéter. (When the sky is cloudy, I need to dress in pants and a sweater.) Ali bought a travel guide book soon after she got here and she read that in Guatemala you will need to change your outfit more often than a runway model in Milan. I don’t think it’s quite that extreme, but there is some truth to it. It ranges anywhere from the high 50’s to the low 80’s in the span of one day, depending on the cloud cover. It is always humid here.

I noticed that Mercedes uses a lot of hand cream, and I asked why. She told me that she has “delicate hands” and applies cream to them after she washes them. Later one afternoon I nonchalantly pulled out some cream of my own and started applying it to my hands. She immediately knew what I was doing and burst out in a laughing and scolding episode at the same time.  

My exam went much better this week because we spent a lot of time reviewing pretérito. I did also learn imperfecto and futuro, but for me they are a little easier. On Friday I took my exam at 10:30, Mercedes and I went through it and corrected it after lunch, and then we took a walk through the calles of Antigua. Students can request to walk in the streets with their teachers pretty much any time, but I spend most of mine in the “classroom.” The benefit of walking around is that you are forced to practice your Spanish without the crutch of a dictionary or notes.

Mercedes and I walked to El Parque Central, where we encountered a payaso (clown) near the large fountain in the middle. Neither of us were too keen to stick around and watch him…

She took me to a church I hadn’t seen before, which I think is called Santa Clara. The inside is beautiful, and Mercedes tried to explain the significance of some of the figurines and plaques and such, but some of it I just didn’t get. Earlier in the day we had talked a little about religion. I had drawn a picture of a tree with many branches and designated a large one for Católico, several smaller ones in a group for Luterano, and other branches for Baptista and Adventista, etc. I tried explaining that there are many kinds of Lutherans, but most have different doctrinas. Over the branches I wrote the word Cristiano in the canopy. We did talk about a couple differences in our faith, especially the difference in sacraments. I also told her that I believe every Christian is a saint, which left her speechless for a few moments. I think this discussion began because she had asked if I go to church on Sundays. She seemed to understand that I don’t go to church here because there isn’t a WELS mission nearby. I did tell her that there are two in Santiago, so I will be able to go to church when I’m in the DR.

I tried to be respectful as we walked through Santa Clara and Mercedes pointed out noteworthy items, but I also think she understood that for me it was more about the artwork and architecture. It made me a little sad to see how excited Mercedes was to share her Catholic beliefs and traditions with me. We passed by a couple confessional booths, and even though I knew what they were I asked Mercedes about them. She joked around with me that I needed to confess the pranks I had played on her during the week.

We also visited La Merced before returning to the school. It was even more decorated than the last time I went in, and I think it may have been for a graduation.

For the last hour of class, I showed Mercedes facebook pictures of my family. She kept saying, “¡Tu familia es muy bonita y fotogénica!” I was surprised at how much conversation we were able to have over those pictures, explaining background information or what we were doing in a particular picture.

I really enjoyed my week with Mercedes. She told me that I need to keep chatting with her when I can, especially when I have more Spanish. (Once on our walk I correctly used a present participial verb form, which surprised both of us. She asked me how I had learned that and I told her I had no idea.) If I can I may request her again, though I’ve decided I’d like to keep trying different teachers for the first six weeks so that I stay on my dedos de pie.

I will be the first to admit that Ali has been far better at socializing with the other students at the school than I am, though she always invites me to join in if they plan anything. On Wednesday evening a bunch of Americans and she went to a bar to watch the NBA finals, but I had too much tarea, so I stayed home to study. Friday, however, a bunch of students were going to go to a bar to hang out and I was invited to come also. It was a pretty fun evening! I know that a couple Americans are from Texas, but I don’t know too much about anybody yet. Some of them are a little rough around the edges as far as profanity is concerned, but it was still enjoyable to be with a group of people in my age group. I was, por supuesto, responsible. I had a beer called Gallo (Rooster) as it is the beer of Guatemala. Surprisingly, cocktails here cost the same, if not less, than beer. The mojitos are brilliant…

Saturday morning we finally had a little sun and blue sky. Ali and I ended up playing a little football with Brandon and Jasmin, Olga and Juan Carlos’ two kids. We didn’t have an actual soccer ball, so we used a small basketball instead. After a little while, their five-year-old cousin joined in also. His name is Santiago. (Much of their extended family members live in very close proximity to us.) Santiago is very good at football. I couldn’t stop marveling at his coordination. (Here’s my chance to get on my Early Childhood soapbox, but I’ll try to keep it brief.) It really hit home again how important it is for kids to play. Though his family is not impoverished by Guatemalan standards, I’m sure that Santiago really doesn’t have as much as a “typical” child his age does in the States. Yet he has excelled in physical development simply because he is able to play. Not only that, he understands the structure and rules of the game. He was one of the first to cry, “¡Mano!” if ever someone made a hand-ball error.

I had asked Olga earlier in the week if she had recommendation for una Lavandería nearby where I could do my laundry. She offered to do it here at the house for a price that I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else. However, the weather has not cooperated. The family has a washer, but they rely on the sun to dry their clothes. Por supuesto, the sun has not been out the entire week. When it finally reappeared Saturday morning I jumped at the opportunity and Olga started a load. Yet as I write this it is pouring gatos y perros once again. Have I mentioned that the weather changes quickly here?

On Sunday Ali and I and some of our new American acquaintances are hoping to go to a black-sand beach on the Pacific. Juan Carlos has an American friend named Jimmy who has been here for a year, owns a juice shop with another American named Bob, and does back-road tours through the country for a reasonable price. Juan Carlos recommended doing an excursion with him, and I feel better going with someone that he trusts. The only “down” side is that we meet at 6:30AM at the juice shop, which is almost on the other side of town. It will be an early morning, but I’m sure it will be worth it. Yo espero que la clima estará mejor.

This has been a marathon of a post!

Adios!

“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.”

Psalm 117

El Martes Cuando Llovía

The Tuesday When it was Raining. It was raining when I woke up, it was raining when I went to school, it was raining during school, it was raining after school. I know that we’re in invierno (winter), and that it is the rainy season, but Tuesday was definitely the rainiest I’ve experienced so far!

My teacher this week is named Mercedes. Most people from Latin America have several names, and they choose which name they prefer to go by. Mercedes is my teacher’s second name; Ana is her first. We are getting along famously! Monday afternoon she told me that she was nervous to have me as a student because I seemed so solemn whenever she walked by my “classroom” last week. She seems relieved that I have a sense of humor. I blamed my seriousness on the agony of studying groups of irregular verbs in pretérito. This week we are working towards refining my use of pretérito, and I’m simultaneously working on imperfect. I still confuse the tenses a lot, but the fog in my brain is starting to thin out. Before it can dissolve completely, however, I’m sure I’ll be thrown into another bowl of Spanish soup…

As we were studying imperfect, Mercedes had me write out a couple sample sentences on the table to make sure I understood the forms. I’m not sure why I came up with the sentence I wrote: Mientras nosotros comíamos, el gato moría. (While we were eating, the cat was dying). Pobre gato! We must have laughed for a good ten minutes after that!

Tuesday afternoon Mercedes asked me who my favorite actor was. Thinking on the spot, I said Sandra Bullock. Mercedes asked why, and I tried to say, “She is very funny!” Instead I said, “¡Ella es muy cómodo!” which means, “She is very comfortable!” In my defense, cómico and cómodo sound fairly similar. This, por supuesto (of course), got us laughing again.

For lunch on Tuesday Olga served us a delicious sopa con rábanos (soup with radishes) and a side plate of verduras (vegetables). I wish I could tell you the names of the various vegetables, but I haven’t had most of them in the States before. One looked like a gourd of some kind, and I used my cuchara (spoon) to scrape out the insides. I described one of the other vegetables to Mercedes and she guessed it was a güisquil (which is pronounced a lot like “whiskey”), though I don’t really have a way of verifying that. Either way, the meal was brilliant—as Ali would say.

Cada día (every day) during the lunch break there is a fútbol game on TV. Though I didn’t watch it much in Africa, it is really starting to grow on me here. It’s easy to see why it’s so popular with most of the world. It’s actually surprising that fútbol isn’t as big of a deal in the States.

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.”

Psalm 24:1 – 2

¡Feliz Cumpleaños Mamá y Feliz el Día del Padre Papá!

It was great to be able to sleep in a little on Saturday! I learned that Ali has done a bit of world traveling herself. She lived in Thailand for a year as a dive master, she’s been to Australia, and she had come to study Spanish at PLFM two years ago. She has returned to refresh her Spanish so that she can incorporate it into her degree of business management in London.

A little while after breakfast Ali and I walked downtown to a place she remembered that had Wifi and a terrace view of parts of the city. I had hoped to wish Mom a happy birthday and make another blog post, but for whatever reason my computer couldn’t connect to their Wifi network. Thankfully, Ali let me quickly borrow her laptop so I could check my e-mail. Carlos (Olga’s esposo) is considering getting Wifi at the house, which would be very convenient, but for now I make do with access at the school.

¡Feliz (Belated) Cumpleaños Mamá! I love you and hope you had a great day!

After lunch on Saturday, Ali and I walked through the calles (streets) of Antigua. There is a large cross on a hill overlooking the city that I would like to visit sometime, but I want to time it when the weather is better; Saturday afternoon was pretty overcast. (We’ve been cautioned that the steps up to the cross are notorious for pick-pocketers, so when I do go up I will try to look and dress as unassuming as possible.)

The loud bombas continued on Saturday, so I finally asked Olga about them. She told me it’s all part of the Corpus Christi festival being celebrated this weekend. On Sunday there was going to be another procession. There has been a procession every weekend I have been here.

Saturday evening was a lot of fun! Ali’s bag finally arrived from the airport, and Carlos said we had to celebrate. He poured us a little glass of rum and coke, being very generous with the rum. Carlos was the chattiest I’ve ever seen him, and he kept trying to explain Spanish puns and idioms to us, not many of which I understood. Carlos knows English fairly well, but there are some things that just don’t translate. Carlos is a teacher at a language school here in Antigua, though I’m not certain if he teaches Spanish or English. He’s also a salsa instructor, and I’ve seen him at PLFM on Wednesdays giving a lesson in the conference room. I may have to go one of these weeks! He’s done a bit of traveling also, to the US 20+ years ago, the Philippines, Hong Kong and China. In Hong Kong he taught salsa to a lot of people from the Philippines who lived there to work. He showed us a bunch of pictures on his computer.

The best part of the evening was when Carlos whipped out his US American impression. He told us when he first visited the States he went to a mall and a lady asked him, “Can I help you?” He replied, “No thank you. Solo look!” He had us all cracking up because he somehow managed to speak English in a Chinese accent. He finds it hilarious that Americans say “absolutely,” though I have a feeling it may be his favorite English word.

Sunday was a lazy day. It was still overcast, but the Corpus Christi festival was in full-swing by mid-morning. There were white and yellow balloons and streamers everywhere. Ali and I walked to La Merced, where there were a substantial amount of people and vendors, but the procession must not have come through until later. I thought Olga had said mid-morning, but being in “Guatemala Standard Time” I wasn’t surprised that it didn’t go through while we were there.

As we were sitting on a park bench, we saw a truck attempt to parallel-park in an impossibly small space between two other cars. Sure enough, the truck driver rammed both of them, setting off the alarm of one. The solution? Drive away and pretend it didn’t happen of course…

A random tidbit: There is no law restricting the degree of dark window tint here, so the windows of many vehicles are illusively black.

For lunch we went to a pizza place called Quesos y Vinos. The pizza was expensive, but delicious. Once again I splurged on a Sunday meal. Thankfully I had leftovers for supper, so I only had to pay for the one meal.

Though I could have hung around and waited for the procession, I opted to return to the house and take a nap. Sunday continued to be overcast, and as I write this I can hear the gentle rhythm of rain on the rooftop. I get the most homesick on Sundays. I think a big part is not being able to go to church with my family. Though I am enjoying my time here, I do miss everyone. Please let me know what’s going on back home!

¡Feliz el Día del Padre Papá!

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.”

Psalm 139:1 – 4

El Fin de Semana

Nothing atypical happened at school on Thursday: more verbs, more rules, more exceptions to the rules, more confusion, more clarification, repeat.

Thursday evening, however, another student arrived to stay in the second bedroom. I had been wondering if someone was coming, but I kept forgetting to ask. Her name is Ali and she’s from Inglaterra (England).  She flew to Guatemala via Spain and when she landed in Guatemala City they discovered that her luggage was still in the airport in London, so she had absolutely nothing except what she had for her carry-on and an “emergency necessities kit” provided by the airline for such occasions. She’s friendly, though I don’t know too much about her yet because I spent the entire evening studying for my Friday exam. I do know she’s a fan of the queen. She’ll be studying at PLFM for 2 months, which means she’ll be with the family for two more weeks after I leave. It’s neat to hear an authentic English accent again!

Friday morning I discovered how to have consistent hot water in the shower. This may not seem noteworthy, but it was one of the highlights of my day!
Though I’m not sure why, there were extremely loud firework “bombs” that were set off at La Merced (the yellow church that is close to the school) sporadically throughout the day on Friday. Being so close to the source, it made for a challenging day of studying.

Mi examen no fue muy bien. Mi maestro usó mucho vocabulario que yo no comprendí, y yo estuve muy frustrado y enojado. Él necesitó a me ayudar mucho. Yo recibí noventa y uno porciento.

(My exam was not very good. My teacher used a lot of vocabulary that I didn’t understand, and I was very frustrated and upset. He needed to help me a lot. I received 91 %.)

Though I’m able to put together sentences like that, I am by no means competent in conversation yet. Listening to full sentences and simultaneously trying to understand their meaning is very challenging for me. My background in Hebreo, Griego, y Latín hasn’t prepared me well for conversational interaction.

I am so glad it’s the weekend so my brain can recuperate a little! ¡Feliz el Fin de Semana!

Adios!

P.S. Looking back on my blog titles, I realize now the first one should be: “El Día Numero Uno” …

“Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say this – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.”

Psalm 107:1 – 2

Más Verbos Irregulares

El martes yo estudié más verbos irregulares. (On Tuesday I studied more irregular verbs). That pretty much sums it up. Thankfully I didn’t have a headache after Tuesday’s session like I did on Monday. Like I said, Max makes me work hard! Each week I am assigned a different teacher. Last week I had Aura, and this week I have Max. They do this so that I can be exposed to various accents and teaching styles. It’s good for me because it keeps me at the edge of my seat. I am allowed to request a specific teacher for a second week, but no more than that.

There was a lot of excitement Tuesday evening because the US football team came to play against Guatemala in Guatemala City. I didn’t really know about it until the morning of, but during the game I sat in the dining room so I could have a clear view while I “studied.” Friends of the family came over and they had a little grill-out just outside the front door, keeping it wide open so they could see the TV. There was a lot of friendly banter since I was the only American, but since I couldn’t understand most of it I took it in stride pretty well! It was a pretty heated game; it seemed like the announcer kept shouting “falta!” (foul) every minute or so. The US scored the first goal and they held onto it for a long time, but Guatemala scored a beautiful goal to tie it up, and the game ended 1 – 1. It was probably a good thing, because I wouldn’t have the first clue how to gloat in Spanish, and I would never have been able to live it down if the US had lost.

On Wednesday morning I walked out of the house and the volcanos Fuego and Acatenango looked pristine in the morning light. As I walked down the steps my view became blocked by a house, but the next time I looked up I saw that a cloud of ash had erupted from Fuego! I almost always have my camera with me, so I was able to get some pretty spectacular shots!

A couple of interesting transportation options here in Antigua include the “chicken buses” and the “tuk-tuks.” Chicken buses – though I’m not sure how they acquired such a name – are old US school buses that have been repurposed for the Guatemalan transit system. They have been given make-overs, but there is still no denying the fact that once upon a time they were used to take children to school. The tuk-tuks are little three-wheeled vehicles that have been imported from India. They have been dubbed “tuk-tuks” because it is reminiscent of the sound their tiny engines make.

The remainder of this post will be about food, since Rachel has been pestering…

Desayuno (I have breakfast) around 7:15 AM. Olga often makes los huevos con tomate, cebolla, y chile pimento (eggs with tomato, onion, and peppers). However, the other day I had a large pancake with syrup and a little bowl of plantains on the side. The plantains were muy dulce (very sweet), but I think it was because of the way she had prepared them. El pan (bread) is served with every breakfast, and I usually top it with mermelada de las frases (strawberry jam).

Almuerzo (I have lunch) around 1:00 PM. Typically, yo como el carne con los hortalizas o arroz (I eat meat with vegetables or rice). Warm tortillas are served with every lunch.
¡Olga es un cocinero excelente! (Olga is an excellent cook!) She asks me after every meal, “¿Le gusta, Davíd?” On Wednesday I said, “¡Tus comidas son muy deliciosas siempre!” (Your meals are very delicious always!)

Ceno (I have supper) around 6:45 PM. It is usually similar to lunch in that I have some kind of meat and vegetables. However, I have had sopa (soup) before, and beans frequent the dinner menu also. El pan is served at every supper, sin la mermelada de las frases.

If I eat anything really out of the “norm” (from a US diet perspective anyway), I’ll be sure to post about it. Yet so far nothing has seemed too “exotic” for my palate, including the pescado. 

Apparently there is a tropical storm called Carlotta moving toward southern México. Guatemala isn’t being affected by it much, except the days are cloudy and we’re experiencing cooler temperatures.

“On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”

Psalm 63:6 – 8

¡Buenas tardes!

I did end up going to Lava on Sunday. I had slept in/read till nearly 11:00, skipped lunch, and had an early supper. The “gourmet hamburger” lived up to its name! I had a bacon cheeseburger and a coke for $8.50, which is actually pretty steep, but I had decided to splurge before setting out. (At the restaurant a bottle of coke cost 12 Quetzales – $1.50; my family runs a little tienda and sells the same size bottle for 3.50 Quetzales – 45¢). After Lava I tried out an “exotic” ice cream place just down the street, and for a tiny serving of “pistachio rosa” I paid $2.50. Definitely not going there again … though I have to admit it was pretty spectacular. Similar to Nico’s in Blantyre. (I dedicate this paragraph to Rachel.)

For a couple hours after that I just walked around the streets, soaking up Antigua. People are generally friendly here, and many will greet you as you pass by. I walked toward a more affluent part of town, and there was a street lined with Jacarandas, though they aren’t in bloom. As I was walking under the Jacarandas, I was again struck by how much it smelled of Africa. There are other things that remind me of Malawi also: the street vendors on every corner, the speed bumps and crazy drivers in the streets, people standing in the beds of trucks, the children playing football on the dead-end roads, the plethora of little shops that sell everything from shampoo to chips (called “tiendas” here). Just walking around by myself put me in a sentimental mood.

The best part of my day was when I passed by a little girl that couldn’t have been more than three years old. I smiled at her and she said in a little voice, “¡Buenas tardes!” and I responded with the same.

On Monday I met Max. He is a superb teacher; I’m already thinking of requesting him for a second week. He pushes me very hard, but I feel like it will help me to expand my Spanish quicker. He also understands more English than Aura, which makes it easier when I have a grammatical question. We worked on a lot of irregular verbs on Monday. I’m wondering what the rest of the week will be like…

After class I walked around looking to buy some more tarjetas (notecards) on which to write Spanish vocabulary, and I found a Subway! I knew where McDonald’s and Burger King are, but I hadn’t known of the Subway. There is a law that prohibits store signs to be over a certain size, which may explain why I hadn’t seen it earlier.

A long overdue ¡Feliz Cumpleaños! to my youngest sister Ruthie! Love and miss you!

Adios!

“I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.”

Psalm 89:1 – 2

El Pescado y La Araña

My exam went well. I made a couple silly mistakes, but Aura pointed them out to me before she corrected the test, saying that she hadn’t been clear. She gave me full marks. Later in the afternoon she showed me exactly how I am being graded. There’s a system of percentiles in various categories: Vocabulary is worth 10%; Questions during tutoring – 5%; Accent and pronunciation – 5% (I personally think that should be worth more); Tarea (Homework) – 10%. There are a couple other categories, but the exam is definitely worth the most: 50%. For the week I received a 97%. I didn’t realize how intense the grading would be!

After class on Friday, Alyssa and I went to a bar named Ocelot, which is owned by a Welshman. There’s a ridiculously long Welsh word decoratively written on the wall above the bar, and apparently you receive a free drink if you can pronounce it correctly. I didn’t even try. If I go again I’ll try to remember to write it down so you see why I gave up. A lot of ex-pats go to this bar. In fact, while we were there I think all of the patrons were American. Located upstairs from the bar is a restaurant called Lava which serves gourmet hamburgers. I may have to try that out soon! There are so many bars and restaurants in the city that it’s hard to know where to go… On Sundays I’m responsible for my own meals, so I will have the opportunity to try out a few.

After the bar we went to an artisans’ marked called Nim Po’t. There were a lot of neat things to buy that were made in Guatemala. The weirdest thing was a shrine near the back that is dedicated to a Mayan god called Maximon. Apparently he is the god of liquor, tobacco, and love. I took a couple pictures because it was so creepy. In addition to flowers and all kinds of trinkets, someone had left a flask of rum sitting on the figurine’s lap! The whole thing reminded me of the witchdoctors and superstitions still plaguing the Christians in Africa.

Alyssa’s last day here was Friday. She really didn’t want to leave, and I didn’t really want her to go either. It’s been nice having someone to talk to in English and to explain what’s going on when I’m totally lost. We ended up talking on Friday evening way into the night. Juan came to pick her up at 4:00 AM and we said our goodbyes. I got a few hours of sleep before getting up for breakfast, then I went back to bed until noon.

For lunch Olga prepared rice, vegetables, and uno pescado (a dead fish). The fish was cooked whole, head, eyes, tail, fins and all. I am not a huge fish fan, but to my surprise it really didn’t taste like I had expected it to! The hardest part was hearing the crunch of removing the tail and head … and of course having to perform the surgery myself. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of putting yourself out of your comfort zone (especially when it comes to food!), but I’m glad I did it. I had told Olga that I would try anything, and I intend to keep my word.

Saturday was the official kick-off to the Corpus Christi celebration here in Antigua. Olga tried to explain all of it to me, but it kind of got lost in translation and I’m not converting to Catholicism any time soon. All I know is that there was going to be another procession and a lot of people in the Parque Central. I waited until mid-afternoon before taking a walk through the city. I ended up going to another artisans’ market near a ruined church called el Carmen. I really like the paintings here and I was determined to get a couple sometime, though I didn’t expect to buy anything at that moment. I ended up bartering with a very determined guy who tried selling me one painting for 200 Quetzales. I managed to get him down to 130 for 2, which translates to about $8.50 per painting. I should have been able to get him down more, but my haggling skills are a little rusty. Plus, I really like the paintings I got! I had just learned bigger cardinal numbers on Friday, so the timing worked out well.

I slept in late on Sunday, feeling bizarre again that I can’t go to church. It surprises me that there are no WELS missions in Antigua, because there are a large number of tourists walking the streets, and ex-pats who decide to live here. Last week I had mentioned to Aura that I am Lutheran, and we talked about how I attended El Universidad de Martin Lutero. Alyssa had tried to talk to her teacher a little more about being Lutheran, and her teacher was shocked that there was more than one branch of Lutheranism. She had figured it was like Catholicism in that way.

In my free time I do a lot of reading, thanks to Ruth’s kindle. I was reading in la sala (the living room) the other day, and I showed it to Olga, doing my best to explain that there were muchos libros leer (many books to read). She liked it and said it was “pretty.” Sunday evening I will be doing a lot of review studying so that I hopefully don’t have to back-track with mi maestro on Monday. I haven’t met him yet, but his name is Max.

I really do love my host family! Olga is an excellent cook, and she especially makes an effort to talk with me, even though she knows I can’t understand her half the time. She is also a hilarious mime when trying to describe something to me! However, I can already feel that I’m getting a little lonely now that Alyssa is gone. Perhaps another student will be coming to stay in the other bedroom, but I don’t understand enough words yet to know how to ask that.

I miss everyone and send my love! (And Olga says Hi!)

Adios!

P.S. There was a big spider in el baño this morning. ¡A mi no me gusto unas arañas! I managed to get a couple pictures before flushing him.

“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”

Psalm 27: 13 – 14