un año

I'm a couple weeks late on this post, but I have been contemplating what to write and how best to sum up the past twelve months here in Spain. I've realized that one year is indeed a good time frame to reflect, gage, and set goals for yourself. It also is a good time frame for comparison as well, and for me that is important, being able to compare and better myself from one year to the next. I do this in my job, health, closeness with God, etc. Some years are good, others not so great. But I constantly want to stretch myself and keep myself from getting comfortable.

So...Spain.

12 months ago, we packed up our belongings in 7 suitcases and 1 dog travel bag (for Carson). We had been anticipating this day for over 2 years prior, but in all actuality, I still wasn't prepared for it. As we waited in line to check in for our flight, I was saying constant silent prayers that Carson wouldn't be overweight for our flight (two days before he went on a binge of hotdogs and hamburgers from our going away cook-out...he was a wee bit over the weight limit before this incident...imagine my emotions after...), that we wouldn't have to shell out $500+ for extra bags (because, really, who can put 2 years worth of stuff and clothes in one suitcase), and that I wouldn't have a crying breakdown when the guy asked where we were flying to. By God's great hand, Carson was a wee bit over still, but the guy sent us through. He even walked two of our bags to the gate free of charge for us since we were moving. Even in the hardest moments in moving to Spain, God was there, reassuring me this was where he wanted us for the next two years.

The second week after arriving to Spain we headed off to Family Camp, which is a camp for the families of the churches with our mission in the Madrid area. This camp was entirely.in.Spanish. Most of you might be saying, "well, duh, Emily. You are in Spain." And I knew that fact as well, but my limited vocabulary at the time (Hello, my name is..., house, car, I am a teacher) pretty much got me into 30 seconds of conversation and then it was awkward staring and desperately searching for someone to translate. During those 4 excruciating days, I had the worst headache and was so frustrated that I could not communicate. As we sat in small groups after our devotional sessions, I could not even contribute. I could only barely talk in the present tense, much less try to describe something that happened in the past in my life. So even into our second week into Spain, I was realizing that God was going to stretch me beyond what I had ever imagined, but I knew deep down that it was for His good. I just had to be patient and wait to see what he would do with time.

This past year we have "accomplished" a lot of things. We have....

.....adjusted to bus schedules (a combo of knowledge, guess work, & luckiness)
                                   
......learned how to shop in Spanish grocery stores (where sanitary plastic gloves are required & there are aisles solely dedicated to selling ham legs and canned fish I've never heard of)
                                   
......learned how to properly wait "in line" at the bank (you must ask the person standing in the unorganized cluster if they are the last one and then mentally note who you are after)

......learned how to properly greet a Spaniard (two kisses, one on each side and starting with the person's left cheek - girls only. Men give each other a firm handshake or a "bro hug")

.....braved the crosswalks and rotundas (make eye contact with driver and remember pedestrians rule!)

.....had the greatest joy in serving in our church

.....learned to how teach high school courses for the first time (for Emily especially)

.....filled a great need in our roles at ECA

....enjoyed having your spouse eating a PB&J sandwich with you during your 25 min lunch hour

....been able to communicate slowly but surely (poco a poco - as the Spanish say "little by little)

.....appreciated the little things in life (free refills at the one Burger King in town, cake mixes and ranch packets from family and friends back home, and Chic-fil-a nuggets and LA Murphs Oatmeal cookies smuggled on a plane ride to Spain)

....returned from our family camp once more where we were headache free (!!!) and enjoyed every minute!

We have adjusted to the culture here in Spain like any person that moves to a different area or country. But while people come and visit Europe for a week or two and then go back, we were living this as a life and not a vacation. In the beginning, it felt like a vacation. But after those several weeks go by, and you realize...this is my life, reality sets in and the task becomes hard. If we were here for any other reason than, serving Christ in Spain, I would've packed up my bags after those first two months. As a human, I'm not genetically wired to live 4000 miles away from my family. But as a follower of Christ, I know that there are times where the priorities in our life fade in comparison to the need of following Him and His mission.

As we rounded out our first year in Spain, it was neither easy nor a breeze to serve here. It was difficult. I cried a lot in the beginning. But now, as I reflect back on the past year, I praise the Lord for the work he has done in our lives, for the impact that he is making through us, in our limited Spanish, American ways, and all. I look forward to the second year in front of us. To make it better than the last and to make our second year one where I can say..."Our first year in Spain was good, but by God's grace, our second year was much better."