July 27, 2013

                Eleven days and counting until I leave Spain and head for England. How quickly the time has passed! The week-long camp in El Bailadero was a great experience. El Bailadero is a big piece of property in Telde, close to Las Palmas, owned by the Salesians. It has a pool, gardens, a huge outdoor dining area, and a ton of beauty. During the week I mostly helped in the kitchen, learning so many new recipes and cooking tricks to take home with me. When I wasn’t helping in the kitchen, I was bonding with the kids. This camp was a completely different experience from the last. The kids were older and better-behaved, and it was so cool to sleep in the huge tents and bunk bed cots provided by the Spanish army! Some soldiers came on the last day to take them down while we all just sat and admired how quickly they worked.

                The most meaningful part of the camp for me was one night when I had to share my experience with the older kids. One of the sisters in charge, Sor Remé, approached me and said that the activity for the night was for the kids to listen to four special speakers, one of which was me! I told her I’d love to and that I’d go prepare something immediately. I asked if I should be ready after dinner and she replied, “No, we’ll begin in about 10 minutes”. I was nervous; I’m not going to lie! This was my chance to speak to the kids about having a relationship with God and I didn’t want to mess anything up! But I told Him to please speak for me, because He could do a much better job than I could. That’s for sure.

                We gathered in a big, empty, beautiful house on the property that was pretty much completely empty. Each speaker waited in a different room and the four groups of kids would rotate. I sat on the floor and anxiously waited for the first group to enter. When the door opened, the kids ran in and sat on the floor with me, forming a circle. It felt so friendly and comfortable, like I was about to share my life story with a bunch of my closest friends! They were so patient with my Spanish, helping me when I couldn’t find the right word, and they were so interested in my story. I think this was a new experience for them to talk to a girl somewhat close to their age who had a real relationship with God. They asked so many questions when I had finished speaking (and sometimes when I hadn’t finished speaking, which was funny). They seemed surprised that this girl who they’d been hanging out with for the week had this whole other side to her that they never knew about. It was so beautiful to speak openly with teenagers about God! This is a critical, formative time in their lives when they’re trying to fit in and define themselves. I hope that my words sink in and inspire each of them to seek a closer relationship with God. I wanted them to see that being passionate about the faith is an attractive quality in a person. Judging by their wide eyes and excitement in learning more about this way of life, I think this was a whole new idea for them. This night was an incredible experience for me because I felt that for the first time in Las Palmas—for the first time during my mission—I was actually spreading the word of God WITH WORDS. I do believe that actions speak louder than words. But having even one night of speaking with others about the faith was very special and I will never forget it. I did my best and the rest is in God’s hands.

                I had to leave the camp for two days to travel to another island called Tenerife for the graduation of my friend, Namibia. The night I left, all the kids were busy with an activity, but just as I was getting in the car they seemed to swarm from all directions! They were so upset that I was leaving (even though I told them I was going to return) and they said, in English, “You’re the best English person EVER!” Once they realized I was coming back, they calmed down, but this was so touching to me that as we drove away I actually started tearing up even though I was coming back in just two days! The people here are so incredibly loving. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Anyway, Tenerife was amazing. I didn’t get to see very much of it but what I did see, I loved. It is very similar to Gran Canaria, but greener. And it was so cool to see a Spanish graduation ceremony! Namibia is a psychology major, just like me, and this ceremony was only for psychology majors, which consisted of 78 students. The love and endless generosity that Namibia and her family showed me was very humbling and I feel blessed and honored to have had these people enter my life.

                To top it all off, one day after returning from Tenerife, I turned around and hopped on a boat to Fuerteventura! This was really a vacation. I feel so spoiled! There were seven of us exploring the endless beaches of this island for three days. We were a jolly little group, packed in a big black van and getting darker and darker (or in my case, redder and redder) each day. Fuerteventura is about the same size as Gran Canaria but most of the time it felt like the island was empty except for us! This is the island that all of the “giris” (foreigners) travel to for vacation, so the only people we encountered were from Ireland, England, or Germany. The people who worked in the snack shack next to our pool didn’t even speak Spanish, which was weird. It was interesting to see super white people again!

                That’s it for now! I have less than two weeks left and it’s time to start preparing my goodbyes. I’m excited to go to England, mostly because I can speak naturally with people there, but honestly I don’t want to leave Spain. I’ll just have to come back! That’s all there is to it!

July 13, 2013

                You know the expression, “You won’t miss it ‘til it’s gone”? Gran Canaria is one of those places that I already miss and I haven’t even left yet! I’ve been away from my country, my home, my friends and family, for months at a time in the past and awaited the day of my return with great anticipation. Now, however, I find myself clinging to each day that I have here. Yes, there are brief moments when I miss my family and friends, but I’ve never felt so content with each passing day. The feeling of being exactly where you’re meant to be is unlike any other. I love letting God live through me! Some days are harder than others and I need to constantly remind myself to hand the wheel over to Him, but man, how much smoother life is in His hands!

                When asked what my favorite part about Gran Canaria is, I never hesitate to respond, “La gente” (the people). I thought people in Texas were friendly! This place is overrun by happy people. I don’t know if it’s the amazing weather or something in the paella, but I’ve never met so many loving people in one place. Even the residents from Polvorin, who have so little, are always smiling and ecstatic to say hello. Heck, even the dogs are happier. They play with rocks! No joke! Meanwhile, back in the US, how many toys do our dogs have? It’s funny because the Spanish have a reputation for being passionate and this is still the case here, yet you’ll witness a woman screaming her head off at her son and then turn around and make a joke, seeming completely peaceful. Unlike other places I’ve visited, the happiness here is not an act. The Canarians are truly joyful people.

                Another characteristic that I love about Canarians is their openness about everything. The first couple of weeks I was here, I was a little shocked by some of the things people would say to each other. For example: “You’ve gotten fatter”, or one blatantly confessing their love for a certain someone else. More surprise followed upon seeing the calm reaction of the recipient, which told me that this type of banter is completely normal and accepted here. Everyone is so real and open about their feelings. I love it!

                Now that I’ve rambled on about my love for Gran Canaria, I’ll give a recap about what’s been going on here. I have another camp beginning Monday and this time we actually get to sleep outside! There will be about 90 kids and 15 monitors. I’m so excited! This time the kids will range from 11-16 years of age, so I’m sure it’ll be a completely different experience than the previous camp. They’ll be visiting from different islands as well. Speaking of which, I was invited to visit two other islands during my stay here! Next weekend I’ll be in Tenerife for a friend’s graduation and then Fuerteventura the following weekend for a surprise goodbye gift for one of the sisters. Who would’ve thought I’d get the chance to visit other islands during my time here?! I still feel like I’m living in a dream. I can’t even begin to count my blessings. God’s love will never cease to amaze me!

June 30, 2013

                Today was the last day of a six-day camp we held for the kids from Polvorin (the very poor neighborhood). It was an all-day camp, beginning at 8:45 or 9 and ending anywhere between 10 and 12 at night. It was much more of a success than any of us imagined! It was great not only for the kids, but for the parents and the monitors as well. We had different activities each day: we went to the beach, the science museum, the library, a fire station (THAT WAS SO COOL), a beautiful, secluded pool, a water park, as well as different activities around the neighborhood. We were prepared for disaster basically the whole way through the camp but the kids really surprised us! I’ve never seen them so well behaved as they were during the field trips. They actually sat and listened to the presentations and were engaged and asking questions. The activities and games around the neighborhood were actually geared towards teaching the kids a different lesson each day, little did they know. For example, one day we played games that necessitated fighting, like musical chairs. Then, afterwards, we would get into groups and discuss why violence is so hurtful and should never be used. The kids debated, of course, but you could see the seeds being planted and their minds wrapping around the idea of loving one’s neighbor more and more.

                Each night, we would gather in the neighborhood church, San Francisco de Padua, and eat dinner together at a big table. The mothers of the kids volunteered daily to prepare dinner. They were so grateful to have the whole day free! They actually asked us if we could extend the camp for ten more days. Unfortunately, we were all exhausted after six. The last day of the camp, we began with mass and ended with a huge paella lunch where all members of the family were welcome! The kids were very sad to say goodbye, so I want to see if we can arrange a day each week where we all meet at the park. They’re the most energetic, crazy little rascals I’ve ever met but I love each one very much.

                Back at my apartment, the kids are home all day since school’s out for the summer. Something must be done about the boy I mentioned in my last post. The younger boys are taking after him very quickly and believe me, one is enough. What he needs is someone with him at all times, preferably a man. The educators and I have been discussing what can be done because things cannot keep going on the way they are. I feel so sorry for them because they are up to their eyeballs with stress. They say there is no money to hire another worker but I’m sure we can find another volunteer like me who can stay for a year or so. Yes, it’s just a year, but a year is better than nothing. Please pray that we can find someone!! We need a miracle with this boy.

It’s funny. I’ve been here for almost two months and still feel that this experience is so unreal. I bought my ticket to the UK the other night. I’ll be leaving Las Palmas on August 7^th. I also said my first teary-eyed goodbye to a friend here, Sor Aurora, one of the three Salesian sisters that I work with, who left for Italy and won’t be back until the end of August. One by one as we say goodbye, it is bittersweet because on the one hand I wonder if I’ll ever see these people again, yet on the other I know that each person has taught me so much in their own way. They’ve shown me through their example—their kindness, compassion, and selflessness—such a beautiful way to live. I know that in the months and years to come, I’ll look back on a friend from Las Palmas and not feel sadness from missing them, but joy from the memories of the enriching experience I shared with them.

                Also, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD!!!