Our bags
are nearly packed.
The bedroom
is all cleaned out.
The To-Do in Sevilla checklists are
complete.
We’ve done
the hard part—said most of our goodbyes.
Can’t
believe this is the end of our time in Spain. I have been a little stressed and
headache-y this week just with all the emotions I have about leaving. These
last 16 weeks have been more than a “trip to Spain.” It has been our life. And
while I am SO pee-my-pants excited to go home for Christmas, the fact that we
are leaving is not an easy thing to come to terms with. …But, come to terms I
must, because a new thing is waiting just around the corner. “Look, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do
you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the
desert.” (Isaiah 43:19) Our lives are crazy right
now, but He is working within us all the time, making us new, shaping us and
molding us whether we are home or abroad, in the wilderness or in the desert.
So in this promise we wait for what He will show us in the adventures to come,
meanwhile trying to process what we’ve learned and how we’ve grown in Spain.
I wanted to wrap up my Spain
entries with a special tribute to those who have touched our lives the most
while we were living in their country:
Zach and I
mean it when we say we had the best host family experience ever. Sandra and
Juan Lu have blessed us more than they will ever know. So many conversations,
so many laughs, some tears even, so many mouth-watering meals, so many ‘Buenos
Diases’ when we wake up in the mornings and ‘Buenas Nocheses ‘ before we go to
bed at night. So much of what we’ve learned about Spanish culture has been
learned through them alone. We have been loved and cared for so well, and
sharing their home with them these last 4 months has been thee absolute best
part about living in Spain.
This guy is
something else. John is from Nigeria but moved to Sevilla with his wife and
baby son one year ago. He stands at the end of the bridge on our way to school
every day of the week selling Kleenex packets for 1.50. Every day he does
that—for like 8 hours. And honestly he gets turned down most of the time. With
the crisis in Spain, nobody wants to spend change on Kleenex—especially when
you can buy it for half the price at a store. How discouraging. Yet, John is always smiling. We have had many
conversations on that bridge, and although he admits often that “It is not easy
[life],” he always concludes with something hopeful. “Today is very good. But
tomorrow will be even better.”
Rafa is the
one I’ve shadowed and assisted at the Hospital de La Caridad, a giant old
building that serves as a nursing home-like place for old men. I can’t believe
I got so lucky—Rafa has all the qualities of the ideal doctor (he’s actually
more like a nurse practictioner) that a student would want to shadow and learn
from in school. He was always in a good mood, he didn’t just show me how to do
things but actually let me help, and he always took the time to explain things
more slowly in Spanish when I didn’t understand. There is something inspiring
about watching a person who loves their job, do their job. Rafa knows every
anciano in La Caridad—he knows them by name and the little details about their
lives and how to joke around with them. I want to be that kind of nurse.
The two
families I tutored for this semester were an incredible blessing to my life!
Did not expect to have so much fun in their homes, chatting away with the
children, making a few Euro per week. I would always be excitedly greeted at
the door and offered tea and cookies while I sat and talked with the kids in
English. Am beyond thankful that our paths crossed—will always thank God for
letting that happen to me. Was so touched by their kindness and the way they welcomed
me into their homes. Perhaps my favorite part was talking to the two oldest
girls every week. As we got to know each other better, we become more
comfortable talking about our lives. We were raised in completely different
cultures and upbringings, but they are girls just like me, with the same dreams
and hopes for the future, questions about life and love, stuff like that. We
really connected, so this made it harder to say goodbye.
Marcos
Antonio is a missionary from Cuba and is the youth pastor at the church we
attended this semester. He and his wife are a super genuine couple with a
passion for teaching others about Jesus and the life they can have in Him. Zach
and I took to Marcos right away because he speaks such clear Spanish! Woohoo!
He’d always take the time to talk to us after Sunday school every week, asking
about our lives and how we were enjoying Spain. Thank you, Marcos, for showing
Christ’s love to us foreigners trying to fit in in a new place!
Well, friends, this is the end of our blog posts from Spain. For whoever you are that read my ramblings, I really want to thank you for taking the time to do that, and for your prayers. We are so grateful for friends like you! After Christmas, I'll resume writing when Husband and I arrive at our next destination: Guatemala!! Merry Christmas and Happy 2013! I love you all!!
Kristen & Zachary
Kristen & Zachary
