novedades

Casi estamos a finales del mes. La verdad es que el tiempo se ha pasado volando, y queda aun menos tiempo para que llegue el 20 de octubre. A veces me agobio pensando en todas las cosas que quedan por hacer, pero estos sentimientos duran poco tiempo porque sé que Dios se está encargando de todo, hasta los detalles más mínimos, y sé que todo saldrá a la perfección como siempre sucede cuando nosotros dejamos que Él sea quien acomoda todas las cosas.

Todo por aquí va muy bien. En lo que concierne al trabajo, ya me ha contestado una de las academias aquí en Almería con la que me había puesto en contacto, referente a un puesto vacante que habían publicado en uno de los periodicos de aquí. Han dicho que el puesto será disponible a partir de octubre cuando empiezan los cursos de nuevo, y que cuentan conmigo como primera candidata para ocupar el puesto. Así que gloria a Dios :)
La otra academia en Roquetas, Comunicación, aun no me ha llamado para concretar otra fecha para hacer una prueba que me habían pedido que hiciera. Supongo que se pondrán en contacto conmigo en esta semana para concretar otra fecha, pero si no tampoco voy a perder el sueño.
En esta semana espero poder echar más currículos en otros lugares que hemos visto por aquí que puedan necesitar de profesores o traductores. La verdad es que estoy tranquila porque sé que Dios ha tomado el control de todo, y sé que cuando Él decida, saldrá el trabajo de mis sueños... Lo cierto es que no puedo preocuparme por algo que no pueda controlar- lo único que debo hacer, en esta situación y en todas, es ocuparme de lo que tengo que hacer, y Dios se encargará de lo demás.

En esta semana también hemos empezado a mirar pisos aquí en Almería. Mañana tenemos una cita con una de las inmobiliarias cerca de la casa de la abuela de Chechu para ir a ver un piso en la calle Gran Capitán. La zona en sí no me parece del todo mal, y valdrá la pena ir a verlo porque está a muy buen precio- unos 126,000 euros. Todavía no tenemos claro si vamos a meternos en una hipoteca ya o esperar hasta el año que viene cuando se prevé que probablemente bajen los precios. Creo que lo ideal para los dos sería encontrar un piso aquí en Almería capital, sobre todo por el tema del transporte. Pero Dios dirá y sé que nos va a guiar para que tomemos la decisión correcta. La verdad es que tengo ganas de ver como va a salir todo.

otro email a la Mari

Hey Sis,

As usual, I was really glad to get your email, and on the contray, thanks for the "novel." It's about 9:30am here and I just got up not too long ago. I must say that I miss you and mom very much, and I am looking forward to all of us being together again soon. I would call you guys now, but it's 3:30am there, and after such a hectic and emotionally-charged week that we've all had, rest is hard to come by. Know that both of you are in my prayers as always, and that I love you.

Things here have been starting to look up for the better. Like you, I've been working on the tutorial for the CAHSEE scoring thing. By next week I'd like to email them to say that I'm ready to take the exam. This time around I've been studying a lot more and taking the tutorials a lot more seriously. So hopefully that will turn out in my favor once I go to take the test. That would be such a blessing if I could have that come through, plus work with Ordinate and anything else that I can get. I have received two job offers thus far, which is very exciting news :) Both are language academies-- one is located in Roquetas de Mar, which is about 15-20 minutes outside of Almeria, and the other is located right here in town. The owners of the Roquetas academy contacted me at the beginning of the year (I don't know if you remember me telling you this) and when I told them that I was in CA finishing my master's they said to contact them once I got back to Almeria. So yesteday I sent an email and within five minutes or so I got a phone call from them. I'm supposed to be going in to meet with them next week to discuss further conditions about the job.The owners are British, and they're husband and wife. So the husband (Graeme) said that Sarah (wife) would contact me about when to come in. He said that they're really interested in me because of my qualifications, but that at this point they can only offer me a few hours a week to work, which actually works out great for me since I'll be doing Ordinate and hopefully this CAHSEE scoring thing too.
As regards the other academy, I got an email from them this morning saying that they're interested in me as well. Apparently the job won't start until October, but it's from 4-9pm and they pay 815€ a month, which for part time work isn't all that bad. Especially considering that in the mornings I could obviously be doing other things, like Ordinate, etc. So I'll be emailing them back to find out when I can come in for an interview. Thanks for your prayers-- I really feel confident that God is going to bless us all tremendously in this area, so keep your chin up and keep going.

Yesterday afternoon I went over to visit with Luchi (Luciana), one of the girls from the church. She and I met in March 2006 when I came here for the first time. She and her husband are from Argentina and they've been living in Spain for the past few years. I had a really great time talking with her and catching up. She's such a sweetheart, and I have the feeling that the two of us are going to become very good friends. She's thrilled about the wedding, and equally as excited about meeting you and Mom. Yesterday I told her about what happened at the Comisaría, etc., and we talked about that for a while. Obviously she and Gastón have been through the same experience, and they're still getting their papers in order to be here legally. She said that it took her a while to get used to Spain, and that at first she cried and cried because she missed her family, etc. But now she says that she feels very much at home and she knows that this is God's plan for her. So we talked for a bit about that, about marriage, hehehe. (She and her husband are both our age) I'll have to send pictures of her.

Chechu came to pick me up from Luchi's at around 10:30pm, and from there we went to Leo and Cristina's house to have dinner. They live in Aguadulce, which is just a few minutes outside of Almeria. Their apartment is abosolutely adorable-- it is small, but they have it so beautifully decorated and it looks so comfortable to live in. They also recently got a puppy-- Nina, and she was running around jumping and climbing on everyone. Just adorable :) I had a great time hanging out with them. They were both telling us about how God has blessed them with their house, the furniture that they now have, and how they both had been praying for a car. Leo said that one day he found the top of a gearshift somewhere (you know on the stick shift, the ball that has the numbers on it to show you where 1st, 2nd, etc. gear is) and he picked it up by faith, claiming that his car was going to come. And sure enough, a few days later someone from the church called him to say that he wanted to give his car to them. How amazing is that??? After he told us that testimony, he went to the foyer where they have a chest of drawers and he took out the gearshift top to show us. Then he told me to take it by faith, because God was going to provide us with a car, jobs and everything else that we'll need. So I was excited about that :) And I have it right here with me! I know that God is faithful and that he will make all things work.

Before leaving Leo and Cristina's house, Chechu suggested that we prepare a barbecue one day soon, and to invite Luchi and Gastón. So I guess plans for that are in the making. It's funny because it even feels like we're a married couple now, hanging out with other married couples, hehehe.. So we'll see.

Today there is a meeting in Aguadulce with all the jóvenes. Apparently Dani will be speaking about sex and dress (I supposed that will be geared more towards the women). So I guess we'll see what that will be like. I'll definitely bring the camera to take pictures. We're supposed to be driving down with Luchi and Gastón, so I guess we'll all leave this afternoon. I'll let you know how it goes..

As far as Ecuador is concerned, I will be praying for God to give you clarity and wisdom. Have you thought about speaking with Pastor Lorraine about it? There's nothing like spiritual guidance. Or even see if you can get a hold of Pastor Toni and speak with her. It certainly is interesting that they now upped the course load to four classes though. But you think that will be too much? Quite honestly, Riss I have a feeling that something will work out with DLI and that you'll be back in Californina. Have you thought about looking for other jobs in the SJC-MRY area that will at least bring you back there?

Know that I'm praying hard for you on this end too. Keep me posted on everything and on how things are going.

I love you and I'll talk to you soon. I'll probably try to call if I don't get back too late so keep your phone one.

Love you. Love to Mom too.
Nan

Como le explicaba a Marissa en el correo electrónico, esta semana ha sido bastante más difícil en muchos aspectos para mí, pero gracias a Dios, ahora me da la sensación de que las dificultades ya se van desapareciendo y que las cosas se están cambiando para bien.

La muerte de mi tío ha sido otro palo muy gordo para todos, y sinceramente el hecho de que me encuentre tan lejos de mi familia me ha hecho sentir aun peor. Me entristece que Chechu no vaya a poderlo conocer en persona, y que ya no lo veré más en esta vida. Pero sé que ahora mismo está en la presencia de Dios, libre de enfermedades y dolencias. Y sé que lo volveré a ver cuando parta de esta Tierra.

Hablé con mi hermana esta tarde por teléfono, y me comentaba que debido al hecho de que mi madre está en mora de pagar la hipoteca, el banco le está amenazando con quitarle la casa. Ha de reunir unos $1600 en las próximas semanas porque si no la van a desahuciar. Mi madre no me comentó nada de eso cuando hablé con ella. Quisiera llamarla en algún momento hoy para poder hablar del tema ya que Chechu y yo hemos dicho que le mandaremos dinero si hace falta. Sé que Dios tiene el control de todas las cosas, y sé que Él no nos ha llevado hasta aquí para abandonarnos.

La verdad es que son muchas cosas que han sucedido en estos días, una tras otra. El miércoles cuando estuve en el local con Estér, me comentó que debería tener cuidado a la hora de hablar con la gente (supongo que se referiría a las muchachas de la iglesia) y ser sabia con respecto a la información que comparta con ellas. Me lo dijo porque evidentemente alguien ha estado hablando de mí con los demás, repitiendo algo que yo supuestamente le había comentado. La verdad es que la noticia, cuando me la dio, me chocó muchísimo pero, sinceramente, no me preocupa mucho el tema porque sé que yo no he dicho nada a nadie. Pero ya que me han dicho eso, por supuesto seré más sabia.

un email a Marissa

Lo que sigue es un correo electrónico que envié a Marissa hace unos días. Lo adjunto porque resume todo lo que hemos hecho en estos días...
____________________________________________________________________


Hey,

I was glad to get your email. That’s crazy about the lightning storm and the whole bit about the modem. But thankfully, from what it looks like, the computer is up and running again because Mom emailed me yesterday too. Are you all thinking about switching the Internet service or staying with the dial-up? I'm sure that in the midst of everything else that is going on that is probably among the least of your worries, but I was just curious.

It’s just after 5pm here, and I'm waiting on Ester to meet me here at the house. The church has set up a food and clothing donation center particularly geared towards Moroccan families. Of course the main purpose behind the effort is to evangelize, which from what I’ve been told is beginning to bear fruit. Yesterday Ester and I were working to organize and sort through all the piles and piles of clothes that are at the center and today we’re going to continue with it. Tomorrow morning Pedro (Vera’s dad) is supposed to be coming in with a truckload of food that has to be set up at the center and I agreed to help out with that as well. I think that Arabic would be another language that I would love to learn. There's something about seeing people who look like you but speak a different language that is intriguing.

This past week has gone by really fast so far. Chechu and I have been up and down and up and down again with preparations for the wedding. On Monday we went to Malaga to get the certificado de soltería taken care of for me, and this morning we went to Extranjería to find out more information about what exactly the process for me getting residency here will entail. The man who finally waited on us at the office said that we would have to go to the police station to get an extension of my tourist visa before the three months expire (end of August), and that with that extension I would have another three months under the tourist visa, allowing me to be here until November which of course would be after the wedding. He said that once we get married we'll have to go back to Extranjería to apply for a "tarjeta de familia" which basically is to show that I'm married to a Spanish citizen and I guess that would begin the process for applying for the permiso de residencia. So after speaking with this guy we walked to the police station to find out more about the visa extensions. The man at the front desk who waited on us initially was very adamant about the fact that they did NOT grant extensions for weddings because, and I quote, more than 70% of marriages to foreign women have proven to be false. Bullshit, but anyway. But God willed us to be there at the right time because in the middle of this man's speech about immigration, etc. Chechu's uncle who is a police officer just happened to walk by us and stopped to find out what was going on. And to make a long story short, he brought us upstairs to speak with the Chief of Police, who didn't even blink before saying that all we had to do was stop by during the last week in August to see him directly and that he would grant the extension with no problem. Amazing how God has things fall perfectly into place…

On the 21st of the month we'll go to the Registro Civil with all of our documents and with Javi and Mariel as our witnesses to process the marriage license. Afterwards we made arrangements with the Hotel Vincci Mediterraneo to set up the taste test (like we did with June) for the food for that very afternoon. Practically all of us will be going-- Chechu and I, Javi, Mariel, Charo and Doña Aurelia.

So things on this end are going pretty well. I have to admit that I'm in my culture shock phase again and I’m trying as hard as I can to fight through it. Remember how we felt during our first few weeks in Santo Domingo ? Well, I pretty much feel the same. I remember back then thinking to myself “how will I ever fit in here?” and “When will I no longer feel like I’m on the outside looking in?” But just as real as those feelings were then, I also remember how God brought us through. And before it was all said and done, we left the DR practically kicking and screaming. So in the midst of my irritation, I know that this too shall pass.

The diet is actually going well. I think I may have lost about 5 pounds or so, give or take a couple. We’ve been doing a tremendous amount of walking since we've been here, and I think that in sticking with that plan, everything will turn out well. I have to admit that the dieta mediterránea is much better than the “every man for himself” set-up that we have in the States. Having your meals set up where you eat at the exact same time every day is a huge help, because your body gets accustomed to the schedule and you find that you’re not hungry in between meals. I'm actually quite amazed with how I've adapted to the meal schedule here-- I don't snack at all and I’m positive that it has to do with being on a set schedule. So I recommend that you and Mom try to set that up. As far as exercise is concerned, don’t kill yourself. Get out and walk and be active, and you'll see that the weight will come off. And most of all don't beat yourself up about the weight loss issue. Just stick with it and you'll see how everything will turn out great.

Have you decided about the Memorial Service for Uncle Bill? How is everyone holding up? I had my breakdown yesterday, pretty much all day. Adding that on top of everything else that I’ve been feeling has been very difficult. Everyone here has been praying for the family. I have more peace about it today, and I'm sure that as time progresses it will get easier. I do miss him a lot. How did Gram take the news?

Did you get the email about scoring? Apparently we have to do the test again. This time I'll go through slowly and thoroughly so that I can pass :P That will be a great addition to supplement my income here.

I paid the AT&T bill for 0.57 the other day. And as far as the Quest Diagnostics goes, I'll have to give them a call today. Thanks for passing along the information.

Let me know when I can call you guys. You know, with your laptop you can download the latest version of messenger and we can talk through there as well. I should have left you with my camera because Chechu has one here :P Did you buy one?

Anyway, let me know how things are going.

Love,
Nan

A few thoughts before bed

I'm still getting used to the time change here. Lately it's been really hard for me to get up in the morning, and I'm usually tired until mid-day. Then in the afternoon I'm wide awake up until about now, which is about 2am. Hopefully as the week continues to progress I'll be able to fully get over this jet lag.

Being here in Almería this time around makes me feel like I've never left. Every street, every highway, every building brings back some memory from last summer and it seems as though time kind of came to a standstill when I left and now has started up again. Hombre, there are plenty of things that have changed but the fact that most things that I remember from here are just like how they were when I left gives me the sensation that I'm home again and that I'm not just passing through. I'm very glad to be back here, and I'm even more thrilled to be reunited with all of the people that I came to know and love last summer. I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I've made some life-long friends here.

Chechu and I have pretty much spent this entire week together, and I feel like that is exactly what I have needed to ease my adjustment. Last summer he had to work all day throughout the week so we barely saw each other except during the evenings when we would go to church and afterwards when he would take me out if there was time. You could safely say that I spent the summer with his mom and other members of the church rather than with him. At the time I grew somewhat frustrated with the arrangement, but in retrospect I see the wisdom in God's plan. (Usually the case :P) Then it was important for me to integrate myself into life here, get involved in the church and build an identity outside of my relationship with Chechu. At first it was very hard, but now like I said, I can see the fruit of that sacrifice. Today I went with Charo to the Women's bible study meeting to help watch the children who came with their mothers. I was really amazed by the reception that I received-- hugs and kisses from everyone and just a genuine sense of welcome home, we missed you and we're glad you're back.

I do miss my Mom and my sister a great deal though, and nothing will replace that. I know that it will take some time getting used to the fact that I'll be living here, but with time it will surely come. God has remained faithful to us all and I know that he will continue to strengthen us and cause us to lean more and more on Him. His plans for us are perfect and all we can do is rest on Him, knowing that all things will come in due season.

I still feel very saddened about Marcus' death and I miss him dearly. Every time I see a little dog here I can't help but think of him and remember his little face. I put his picture up in my room here. Looking at it makes me smile, seeing how silly he looked with his snowflake headband on, but it still hurts a lot knowing that he's gone. He is in a much better place though and I do take comfort in resting on that. I'll always miss him though.

Tomorrow there are more errands to run, including dropping off resumes at different places around the city. I know that God has control of everything, so I'm not even going to stress myself out about it.