Thanksgiving

English Club

Around 30 to 40 students come each week to the English Club at the main university campus. We've had to change rooms twice to get a room big enough! Ten to twelve of the students are Americans who come to help facilitate the small conversation groups. Each week we start with a game, then we discuss a topic in small groups and it ends with a discussion about a current event.

Gané yo?!?

We had a game night at my house with friends from Germany, England, Columbia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Spain, and the U.S...we were a pretty international bunch! The last picture is Katrina, an English friend who's studying here for the year, myself, and Loyda, my Columbian roommate. Good friends!

SheGather

We had a women's retreat for all of the m's in western Europe in England. It was refreshing to spend time with these women, to learn, to rest, and to worship in English...I never appreciated my language so much until I started trying to learn a new one! Some other highlights of the week were drinking Dr. Pepper and playing the piano for a British style tea in an actual costume from the movie Pride and Prejudice!

beautiful England

...visiting Celine in England. There's not a lot of grass in Spain to play in, so Celine and I had fun playing in the garden at her house. That's my best attempt at doing a handstand:)

mi amiga Carmen

Carmen and I waiting on a bus after church.

friends

Hanging out with some friends on the weekend.

intercambio

My intercambio and me getting ice-cream. mmm! We meet once a week and speak an hour in Spanish and an hour in English.

Cadiz

My Spanish host-sister from Cadiz and me at a hotel where she performed with a group of flamenco dancers.

snails...yum!

Top: Team picture...The Acton family; Blacksten family; our two summer girls, Beth and Shelby; and me

Bottom: Snails are a popular dish here during the summertime. I could only eat four...

bible study, english club

Top: Bible study at Starbucks, me, Shelby-a summer intern, and Carmen-a Spanish friend
Bottom: In the university after English Club, a team of students from Georgia came to work with us for the week.

Morocco

Spring Break in Spain = Trip to Morocco

The interns, two English friends, and me went to Morocco for a long weekend. It was a good time of hanging out together, eating some Moroccan cuisine, and experiencing a little of the culture.

happenings in sevilla

First picture, making sushi and chinese dumplings with some students at my apartment

Second picture, my first European fútbol (soccer) game, GO BETIS!!
Third picture, we're trying to spell "betis"...but having a little difficulty, S's are hard...

"In the name of the Father..."

Celine and Tim's baptism at the beach. What a beautiful day! We worshipped and prayed together and heard the stories from Tim and Celine about God's work in their lives.

Semana Santa

Oh, the people in Seville this week!! Semana Santa (Holy Week) is a famous festival in Seville that takes place every week before Easter. There are endless processionals throughout the streets of Seville with pasos (floats) of Mary, Jesus, disciples, and saints carried by men who often walk barefoot. In front of the pasos are nazarenos (men from brotherhoods of the Catholic church that are wearing the white outfits) who carry candles or sometimes crosses through the streets. Usually there is also a band that accompanies the pasos with songs or a drumbeat. It has been very interesting to watch, but also sad and frustrating. Many of the people who enjoy these extravagant processionals do so only because it is tradition. In Mark 7:8 Jesus said, "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." Ask that hearts would be drawn to worship the living Messiah who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life!

a day with the animals