Despedidas

Tonight, I actually got a little sad at the thought of leaving the country for two years. A few of us from work had a little "going away" dinner for Amanda, who's moving to Florida for grad school. It was a little bit sad. I came to the conclusion that I had better park in front of the bakery on my last day, so I can make it to my car before I start crying... Yeah, kind of lame to think that way, but this is my only job where I've actually become attached to the people I work with! And, they are really my best friends in Salem. Although I will be sad to leave the Mexican church too, but not so much my church, as I'm sure I go there again everytime I come home.

I am also kind of sad in a nostolgic way because I am not at "El 3ra Campamento de Jovenes Bautistas" - the youth camp (of which I am still a youth) in Honduras. It is the 3rd camp, and the first of which I've not been at. I imagine I may not have the opportunity to go again though... But I'm glad that all my people are going, and that some of my brothers' friends, and some other people who aren't saved that I know are going.

I get to work tomorrow. Yay. Can you feel the excitement? haha. Everyone wants to get up at 4:30 on a saturday morning, no?!

This wednesday begins my visa process. I am prepared with my passport, birth certificate, letter from I.T., vaccinacion record, and if the Salem P.D. can whip out my criminal record by tuesday evening, I'll have that too. I am told that it is a long, hard, expensive process, so I'm basically prepared to not have a visa within the next year or so. But, as long as I'm trying to get it, I can be in Mexico legally. Please pray for this process that it will go quicker than we expect, and not be ghastly expensive!

Mi Segundo Amigo "Mejicano!"

Ok, I still have no clue how I didn't know this until today, but it's really random - in a good way!!

Today at work, I was talking with Lindsay, and she said soemthing about getting ready to leave for Mexico (for her). I asked if she was going on a mission trip; no, she said, she's studying abroad next semester. I asked where....... Yep! She's going to the UAQ in Queretaro!! She's leaving the middle of august, and I'll be in Guanajuato the whole time she's there, but I'll be going to visit my team in Queretaro a few times I'm sure. So that was rather exciting to find that I now am personally acquainted to TWO people in Mexico (the other is Honduran Emil in D.F.) Lindsay is going to live with a family in QRO, she already knows a little bit about them. She really really reminds me of Teagen - super high energy, and very outgoing. I hope Lindsay's family bonds with her as well as Teagen's Catracho family did with her! I think it would be hard for some latina families to have a hyper person living with them, but obviously some LOVE hyper gringas! :-)

I so cannot wait to leave. Should be about 2 months from now, hopefully less!

Dejen Empezar el Proceso de Empacar!

Let the packing begin guys!


So.......... now the big question is:
How does one 5'7, 150lb two-armed, two-legged girl get FIVE articles of luggage through customs single-handedly?!? Yes, that is a rubbermaid box. AND, how do you keep the rubbermaid box to weighing less than 70 pounds? How do you move your whole life to another country? I realise I'm going to be buying all new bedding, towels, toiletries, furniture, and household goods, but I have clothes, shoes (emphasis on the fact that I'll not be able to find size 9 in Mexico), books, special items like pictures, and some things that at this point I'd rather pack than buy again, as long as it fits into my one extra box.

Mi Nuevo Hombre

Is 31 to old for me? 'Cuz I kind of think so.

Today I was officially introduced to the wonderful world of being the single gringa that all the Mexicans want to set up with the only available guy. I guess this in kind of my second go-round with this, but not really, because no one really wanted me and Fernando "Feo" Nuñez to get together - the "pizza hut incedent" was all a big sham. So I'll consider today the begining of the rest of my single life of being set-up.

The younger brother (but he's 31, come on people!) of Neftali at Iglesia came up to visit from California (he's californian not by birth but by choice, and isn't that grounds enough for dismissal?!). I didn't think much of it until we were all getting ready to go to comida (lunch is at 10-11, comida is the 3rd meal of the day at 3pm) and I didn't know where the place was. So, good old Hermana Nora suggested that I ride with someone. Well, that someone was single, 31 year old Abi. Nora said they needed to come back to the church after comida anyways, which they NEVER really have to do. As I get in the truck with Abi, I realize that no one else is going with us, and that we are in Nef's truck, and he is riding with Nora and family. How obvious can they be that this is all a big ploy. So, as circumstances would have it, I was put in a seat between Abi and the window. Hmm, totally random there, right? haha. They talked Abi into paying for my meal (supposedly behind my back, but I heard), and then I ended up telling him the wrong way back to the church, so when we got there, everyone thought that I did it on purpose to be in the truck longer. Ugh.

In the evening, I went to the park to play volleyball with the Iglesia people. Nora, Elio, and Nef were terrible, they were talking really loud about all these good qualities of Abi, and how we'd be perfect together, then proceeded to tell him that he needs to go get cinnamon rolls at my bakery tomorrow before he leaves.

I'm not sure which was more uncomfortable - this situation with people trying to be obviously subtle about hooking up me and Abi; or last summer when Emil, the Montes twins, Fredy, and Douglas were all pestering me and Feo right in front of each other. I think last year was still the worst - any semi-embarassing situation automatically turns 100 times more embarassing if Emil and David are involved.

I suppose I'd better get used to this, and keep laughing it off - from what I hear, it only gets worse when I move to Mexico! hahahahaha!

By the way - United States beat Panama today 3-1 penalty shots to be the Gold Cup champs.

Que Barbaridad - No Hubo Juego Gringo-Catracho

Lame. Let me just say that United States television really dropped the ball today (no pun intended). Or maybe it was Comcast that was responsible. Anyhow, at 3pm today I turned on the tv to watch USA vs. Honduras. Well, it wasn't on Uni, nor Gala, nor Telem. So I thought, "Oh, it must be on an english station since the US is playing." NOPE. The United States was in a SEMIFINAL game of the the Gold Cup soccer, and it WASN'T TELEVISED. What the heck kind of place is this?!?! It's pretty easy to find D.C. United vs. Galaxy and non tournament games on a regular basis, but not a semifinal US NATIONAL game?!?!?! But, thanks to the CONCACAF website, I was able to read the play-by-play. I really thought the Catrachos were going to win, but the Gingos scored 2 in the last like 10 minutes. So it was a victoria Gringa. I'm not sure how I feel about the outcome of this game. In any other sport, I'd be hands down rooting for the US. But... we're just not a soccer country.

Well, I appologize for this blog being mostly Copa Oro stuff for the past several days. But honestly, that's about the most exciting thing in my life right now. Well, give me a couple weeks and moving out of the country will set in. I still feel like it's just a dream and that I'm not REALLY going. But I am! Yay!

I'm outie. Todavia les amo catrachos.

Ya Me Voy!!

I'm leaving! No not really. But it looks like I really will leave in September!! I am almost all the way funded, and I hope to be able to get my visa in August, although there's a little snag with that, so I'm not sure. But I'm very encouraged now, I really am leaving! Soon! My probabe last day at work will is Aug. 30 or 31. As soon as a rather large check that is on it's way enters my account, I'll be able to talk with my advisor about setting a date, which I hope will be September 5! Please continue to pray with me that I will become fully funded in August - I need to have all my supporters giving starting in August so I.T. knows that my supporters really ARE planning to support me! Thanks to all you who by prayer and finances have made this possible!!

More to come as I get more info about finances, visas, and airline tickets!

Noticias de la COPA

Just an update.... Honduras BEAT Costa Rica 3-2 this morning, putting us in the SEMIFINALS! United States beat Jamaica today, so the CATRACHOS and the GRINGOS will be playing the semifinal game on Thursday at 3pm. MEXICO plays Colombia for a spot in the semi's Sunday at noon (PDT). I wonder how many people will be at la iglesia tomorrow......

Mi Cucaracha y Mi Amigo "Mejicano"

I sold the car! Yay! People are coming over tonight to drive off in my bug. I learned how to drive a stick shift on that car... in all the 3 weeks that we had the thing. It was nice, but nicer to be almost 70% funded for MEXICO!!

Also, as of July 3, I now have one friend in the country of Mexico. Emil, a catracho friend from Los Robles, moved to Mexico City. He moved for his job with Unilever. I don't yet really know anyone from my mission team yet, but it is nice to know that even before I move, I at least personally know one person in Mexico! haha!

Here is one of my favorite pictures - Fernando, Chepe, Emil, and Katy. Emil is the guy in the yellow shirt.

Estoy Mejor, Digo He Sido SANADA

I'm better. WAY better. I had to go through crap to get back on my way to being what God wants me to be. I told God that I was ready to do whatever I needed to do to be ready to leave for Mexico. That's a scary thing to tell God. Probably no one would guess, but monday and tuesday were two very hard days for me. I realized why I feel messed up so much lately. There were things that I needed to get out of my life. It's weird, I'm reading THREE books right now. And the combination of those three books is amazingly EXACTLY what I needed to hear these past few days. The books? Boundries (learning how to take control of your life so you still help people, but realize that you can't do everything - written by a Christian perspective - ultimately GOD is in control, but the point is that OTHER people are not), Lady in Waiting (Being single and serving God - this one me and Luisa are going through together more or less, I sent it to Honduras, then I decided to read the spanish version too, and it's been great), and El Abrazo del Padre In the Arms of the Father (Being in a love relationship with God, being in God's loving embrace - Emil gave me this for Christmas, and I put off reading in because I knew it would take a long time to read it in spanish). So basically it's been amazing to learn truths from God that I needed at the EXACT time that I learned them. And learning God's truths isn't always easy! I was sick yesterday and slept most of the morning, and spent the afternoon laying in my bed and reading. Man, God really has a captive audience when you're sick and can't sleep anymore but can't really be up doing things. I have this feeling that I was sick specifically so I'd be lying in bed unable to sleep just so God could finally get into my stubborn head. It was nice to have a prolonged conversation with the Lord, even if not everything was super pleasant. I still felt icky last night, so I called in sick for work for today. I was doing better by 8am when I got up, so I laid outside to read - more of those books. I have it in my head that when I get to Mexico I need to take one day a month and set aside at least half the day, hopefully the whole day to receive from the Lord. So, why didn't the thought cross my mind that I should be doing that NOW?! I refer to the day with God as "Going to Santa Lucia," as Michelle was the first person to let me know just how important a day away is. Santa Lucia is her place (or at least it was in 2003) and I want to find a place like that in Mexico or I should say in Queretaro or by Queretaro. So, starting yesterday, I will "Go to Santa Lucia" one day a month, or more if I feel led. So now, I am not sick, and I feel very refreshed and very healed. Well, in the healing learning process. I also had this euphoric feeling yesterday that I'm going to Mexico. I felt free to start my visa process, and to think about packing (for those who know me well, you know that moving away for 2 years will mean I need about 2 months to start packing or I'll complain about how bad packing sucks. I think of you Jess, and how I hated packing to go home for Christmas, or otherwise. Travelling would be perfect if it weren't for the packing aspect.) I'm just about at 70% for my support, and it's coming in rapidly - did I mention I sold the "Cucaracha?!?!?!" The VW Bug!!! That helped a lot. So, while the past few days have been anything but pleasant, I would go through it again to come out okay like this, to be obedient to the Lord.

Just a side note, because I can't help myself....... HONDURAS beat Panama 1-0 last night, making their THIRD win for the Gold Cup (against Trinidad, Colombia, and Panama). That's big. We'll be playing Costa Rica (Yikes!!) at 10am this saturday in the Quarter finals. Yep, see the picture below? That's Tyson Núñez, one of the best players for the Catracho Seleccion. Too bad he regularly plays for Marathón! Figueroa, Palacios, Tercios, and Velazquez are the REAL catrachos, they play for Olimpia!!

Michelle, Tyson, and I sipping granitas in Toncontin INT'L Airport. Yep, good ol' Ty, we go way back. HAHAHAHA! But I do know he speaks english more or less, and I could guesstimate that he's about 5'5"........ And that is truely all I know! But this is my only celebrity picture, except the one at PDX with Arvydas Sabonis' back after he scoffed at me asking for a picture with him! (Sabonis played for the Blazers late '90's and until like 2003)

Dia de Aprender

Today really sucks. I had a not-fun conversation with a friend today in which I found out that I was lied to about something that I am really upset about now, finding this out. I am mostly mad at myself for believing what was told to me, and for taking it seriously. I am frustrated at the person who this conflict is with, because I don't think I deserved this. No I won't go into details, because I don't want to de-face this individual, although I may be stepping over the line even mentioning this on this blog. But right now I really don't care. I am upset, and the person knows it. But I will be okay.... eventually. I don't want to hold a grudge, I think we will still be friends even after this incident. I think it's harder to forgive myself for getting myself into this whole mess. I can think back now, now that this is all over and done, of what I could have done differently to avoid how I feel now. I am scared for myself that I will pull away from people more now (and many of you, especially my first-floor roomies from 2001) know that I do NOT need to go back into the "pull away from people around me" mode. Especially when I'm so close to leaving for Mexico! Yay! Please pray for me, that I will not avoid building relationships with people now. Right now, I don't want to make any new friends, I don't want to let myself be hurt by them. It sucks. So I hope that I will bounce back quickly and get on with leaving here and going to Mexico. I know that leaving will not solve anything, so I hope that I am leaving the situation with no loose ends so I am not constantly pestered with wondering if everything is okay between me and the other person. I think I come at this with a healthy outlook, but I don't know. So I could use to prayer and encouragement now, honestly.

Palabra Gringa

Desmocarse = quitar mocos, sonar la nariz.

(Un-booger-yourself)

Also, I started a "story blog" where I am posting som random things that I've written, some memories from my childhood. It's weird, but hopefully interesting. And it's a peak inside my head. Click on "My Story Blog" on the right under "Links."

Soccer Poll Results... Plus a Whole Lot More

Ok, time's up on the soccer poll. Of the whopping 6 of you who respondes, 2 were correct. Yes, I will be fanatically rooting for BRASIL in 2006. And I'm not surprised that two people said Mexico. The other 2 votes were for Costa Rica and United States. Heads would have rolled if anyone would have guessed England or France. Haha! Come on, England has a team called "Chelsea." That puts the "Queretaro Gallos Blancos (white roosters!)" to shame. For those of you who care, I am a Chivas fan when it comes to Mexican league, but I can feel good about going to gallos games too, they're in a lower league than Chivas.

Back to the poll. In July of 2002, I found myself in a crowded living room at 5am decked out in my Brasil jersey and bright blue soccer shorts hearing "Copa do Mundo, 'dios-mil-dois,'" and the Brasilian World Cup theme song. I watched with glee as German Khan horribly missed Ronaldo's shots, giving Brasil a 3-1 win over Germany. About five minutes later, after our barrage of fireworks, the we heard the roar of motorcycles. I stood on the brick wall looking out onto the street as an innumerable amount of motorbikes drove by to down town Cruzeiro do Sul. Soon they were followed by cars and trucks with people hanging on to any available space, weilding Brasilian flags and beer cans.

No, I won't get that same joy in 2006, but I hope to be in a crowded living room in a Brasil jersery and my blue shorts waving a Brasilian flag, at 5am. (Is the World Cup in the eastern hemisphere again?? I should know....) I figure Mexico won't make it past the quater finals, so once they're out, I can safely show my "Orgullo brasileiro." If Mexico makes it past the quarter finals, that's when I'll run into problems. It could be dangerous to root for a country other than the one I'm living in!

So, for all you non-soccer (FUTBOL!) folks, just memorize this (the good teams are first, the enemies are in parenthesis):
Mexico - Guadalajara Chivas (America Aguilas D.F.)
Spain - Real Madrid (Barcelona)
Brasil - Flamengo (São Paulo)
Honduras - Olimpia Leones (Montagua Aguilas)
El Salvador - Usulutan Firpo
And Brasil beats all when it comes to international competitions between "Selecciones Nacionales."

Emblems of Flamengo, Olimpia, Chivas, Firpo, and Real Madrid

Una Foto Nueva!

Franklin sent me this, isn't it Great!?!?! (The gringa is Michelle.)

Hey people!! Take my POLL! It's three entries down, still on this page.

El Cumpleañero y La Independecia

I had a good weekend.

Friday, I did nothing after work. It was good. Saturday, I went to see "War of the Worlds," then to Red Lobster. Sunday, I taught Sunday school, went to church, then went to church in Spanish. Then I went to a taqueria with my hispanic friends. On sunday night, I called Franklin for his birthday. Interesting timing, it was during his birthday party, and they brought in the cake like 5 minutes after I started talking with him. So I talked also with Marlia for a few minutes, Iván, Ronald, Omar, and of course Suyapa. It was nice! And I got to hear everyone sing "Feliz feliz cumpleaños" and Hah-pee bearth-day-ee in English.

Here's a picture from Fran's 19th birthday in 2003, the time I was there! (Luisa and Karlita are the girls in the back, then Fran, Vivian, Michelle, and Teagen).

Monday I went to Silver Creek Falls with the hispanic church. We ate breakfast, then ate lunch about an hour and a half later, played a lot of volleyball, talked a lot, and ate "comida." I got to meet some people that I hadn't yet met, and to get to know people better! It was a great 4th of July! Only the second 4th that I can remember when I didn't personally do fireworks. The other time was in Honduras in 2003. Yes, we did do fireworks in Brasil in 2002 - HUGE ones actually, it was freaky because they're the kind that fly in the air, and you hold them in your hand! This was probably the last 4th of July that I'll actually celebrate for a while. But come September 15 at midnight, I'm sure I'll be doing something fun! (well, not this year though).

El Vaso... Hoy Es Llena a la Media

Happy 3-day weekend! I'm proud to say that I too have a 3-day one!

I must say that support-raising for missions is an emotional rollercoaster. Some days I feel like there's nothing more to be done, I give up. Other days it's more like I'm getting really close to being ready to leave. It guess it depends a lot on my attitude. Is it half empty or half full? Today is a half full day. I was encouraged by talking with two wonderful ladies yesterday about more support-raising options. I just needed some fresh ideas. So there IS more that can be done, and I am excited to see what other weird ways God uses to help me out! One of those weird ways is sitting in my driveway right now..... in fact, I am in the process of teaching myself to drive it. My mom was in the car with me when I first tried to drive it, and she FREAKED out. I've driven a stick before, but not for like a year, and I don't drive very well. So today, I took the bug out and drove it down Sunnyside to Delany and back twice. I did that because I could use all 4 gears, not have to battle much traffic, and not have to stop on a hill. hahaha! I'm getting to the point where I'm almost street-worthy, I hope to be able to drive it to work soon. It's the driving home at noon through downtown that makes me nervous.

So then, I got this email from Franklin today saying that their family is waiting for me to come the end of July to stay with them and go to camp. What is that all about? I WANT to go, but I didn't tell them that I'd be ABLE to go. So now, since that's only about the 5th email I've gotten like that, I really want to go. But it seems like a waste of money. I mean, not to me, but to just spend a bunch of money to "hang out for a week?!" I think I'm gonna have to postpone that 'till Christmas........ then maybe I can "hang out" for 2 or 3 weeks! It's nice to know that they love me and haven't forgotten me though!!