Revamp & Reflections

It's been a long time since I wrote out thoughts via this blog. To be honest, I forgot I even had one. The past 13 months here in Spain have been so unexpectedly busy and overwhelming that, if Emily 13 months ago knew what this journey would look like, she would have set some major goals in her life, but hindsight is 20-20, right? 

More than anything, what has sparked this new found revelation to type and scribe and put on the internets, is a feeling of knowing that I'm not the only one with these feelings and bearing a true heart of honesty as Adam and I humbly walk this road of sharing the Gospel and living life alongside Spaniards. 

Firstly...wow...doing missions stretches your marriage. Want to put your marriage in a pressure cooker. Move 3000 miles away from your first culture, learn a new language, try to accomplish things in that second language, and work day by day alongside your spouse seeing both their weaknesses and their strengths. I read this blog post last week and was verbally agreeing like that of a passionate Baptist congregation member hearing a convicting sermon.  Bottom line is I am learning and quickly seeing what Satan's true mission is here on Earth. For some reason, in the States I never felt like, "Wow. Satan does not want me to succeed this week." But here, the small spiritual victories we face are often times small. Like, Juan came to Bible Study after not coming for a month. That is huge here. Pray for the missionary couples, please. Their marriages are tested just like y'alls, but sometimes, it's the additional cultural adjustment pieces that can make it feel impossible to take those 2 steps forward. 

Secondly...you learn about disappointments here. All. The. Time. Living in Spain stretches your American organizational, check the box personality to realms in which you nearly break if you don't learn to be flexible. We have experienced them from big to small. From buying our apartment and being delayed in closing because Pablo couldn't do an important inspection because he was sick that day, and no one else does Pablo's job, so 100s of neighbours are waiting for Pablo's inspection, but Pablo doesn't care. He's needed, so he's going to milk it for all it's worth. Or banking...here there's only 1 bank teller. Doesn't matter if it's rush hour or only 1 person in front of you, the little abuela is going to recount her withdrawal 2 times and tell the teller about how she couldn't believe that her son-in-law has been to the physical therapist and he still can't move his shoulder, but they are saying that if he goes 3 more times, maybe he'll be recuperated by August. If you're in a hurry in Spain, you should slow down they say. "Tranquilo". "No pasa nada". Like mantras you should whisper to yourself, to keep you from erupting like a volcano. Reminds me of a classic Seinfeld episode, "Serenity now". 

Despite irritations that eat at you like a pebble in your shoe, patience is like gold here, and can only come through our Heavenly Father. 

So as you read this post, I ask two things: pray for us and for patience and humility the next few weeks. We, like you, seek to honor God in the task he has called us to, and know that only through Him can we do so. 

Transitions and Preparations

   

     This weekend marks the end of summer, and as I look back on the past couple months I marvel at what the Lord is doing in guiding us back to Spain. Almost two months ago, I stepped down from my position at Food Lion and we transitioned to Wilmington, NC to help with a church plant from our college church in Durham, NC (The Summit Church) until we return to Spain, Lord willing, in January.

    God worked miraculously in providing for us here in Wilmington. Housing options were looking very bleak for the budget we had; however, God used a dear family in Spain to connect us to a family here in Wilmington. This Wilmington family happened to have a home available for rent, that was, by God's grace, exactly in our price range. Amazing. 

     I'm not praising God for making everything go ok, but praising him for supporting us as we stepped out in faith. If He would have shut the door to Wilmington and provided no housing options, I would have been sad, but I also would have known that this was not His plan for us. God is teaching me this principle more and more before we go to Spain. He has reminded me of his sovereignty, control of my life, and yet the freedom in Christ and contentment I have in Him.

     Even more amazing is how God has provided for us financially to return to Spain. We are at 69% support right now - I'm just so thankful for the families and churches God has allowed to partner with us who have deeply encouraged us in our ministry. We are praying specifically during the next month and half to reach 85% so we can return in January to the field of Spain. Otherwise, our departure date is pushed back at least 5 months to May 2015. Ultimately, his timing is perfect, and I trust in his plan, but he has called us to be diligent in his work of serving, sharing His Gospel, and laying up a foundation for the time to come (I Timothy 6:19).

Joyful

May 1^st is Thursday…crazy! In just 8 weeks, we’ll have hit the “1 year” mark back in the US, and just like time did in Spain, it feels like it just flew, flew, flew. Our adjustment back to the US was difficult in the beginning (like any other person adjusting to a new culture would say). The lack of sidewalks in our town made me sad and frustrated. Open patios and terrazas with kids playing and enjoying life are fewer here than on previous Spanish soil. But as time passes, you re-adjust to the culture, except this time, Spain had made a more permanent imprint on our hearts. It wasn’t just the culture that we missed – it was the people. I missed being a part of their lives. Our kids at ECA especially, I longed to be there day to day.

Ministering to and serving these kids and the Spaniards that we interacted with provided the most joy that is really hard to capture in words. While the joy we have now is strong and ever present, God developed it in our hearts bit by bit while we were. When you transition from one loved place to another, you will always miss the culture that you leave behind for various reasons. You begin to constantly compare and develop preferences of things of a culture you like and things that you dislike. And honestly you could spend all your time dwelling in that world of compare, likes, dislikes, and “just getting by”, but for us, God pressed us to see past just “surviving” and serving our 2 year term, but to invest in the relationships he desired us to make. And that is when the joy came. God has shown me that it is when I see his sovereignty in my life and in connection with his will, things he asks me to do is not dependent on my success but HIS! He desires for us to be faithful in what he calls us to do. It won’t be easy at all times. It will be uncomfortable, unconventional, and unnatural at times, but it is always the best thing for us.

I had someone tell me the other day that they could just see the joy and passion in our faces and demeanor for returning to Spain. I pray that God continues to fill my heart with even more joy for Spain, his people there, our co-workers sharing Christ with the nations, and their kids that we desire to encourage – not for the recognition of what we did in Spain but what He did through us.

Letters of Joy and Sadness

It has been a while since my last post. We braved the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on the tiniest international airplane I've ever been and arrived back on US soil on June 10th - almost three months and counting today.

We have the last 90 days adjusted back to US life in a sense. It seems so ironic that an adjustment back to your native culture would seem so odd. I have lived my life in the US for the first 26 years, but after just 2 years away in Spain, things are so hard to get back used to. I miss the ability to walk across my town on a sunny afternoon, walk to the grocery with carrito in hand, and catch a bus and train into Madrid at the spur of the moment.

We knew the people aspect of our transition would be the hardest. Just like leaving family and friends two years ago was difficult - the feeling we had in leaving Spain to come back was harder somehow. My heart has this indescribable hole. I dream of our "kids" often - just living our normal activities with them. Facebook is a blessing, yet a curse I find. All the back-to-school activities and photos brought more pain to my heart as I know exactly what's happening and yearn to be a part of it, but know it's not possible now.

We received two cherished letters filled with handwritten notes from students and staff from their first day of school last week. Our dear friend, Stephanie, mailed them to us, and it's been a while since we've received such a treasured piece of mail. Each student that wrote a note I shed a tear for - how was their summer? what classes do they have 1st period? how did opening chapel go? how are they doing today? Simple questions that I wish I could ask them face-to-face and see their expressions but this year I can't.

I feel I'm forever lately asking God the question, "Why?" Why do we have to be away? Why does this have to take so long? Why are we so far away from friends, co-workers, and our students?

And honestly I don't (and won't) know the answers to these questions at this point in time nor, possibly, on this side of eternity, but I do trust God and his plan, and know that someday (and we pray soon) we will be back at ECA, serving the students and staff as long as God desires.

The Other Side

We are now day 10 into our arrival back to the States.

We have an wonderful apartment that seems gigantic compared to our Spanish piso even though here it's only a 1 bedroom. Our town, while pretty in one sense, doesn't even measure close to the beauty of the plateaus that once were gracing the Spanish skyline we viewed daily.

I go outside our apartment and no courtyard awaits me with eager kids greeting me in their second language (my first), rollerblading, and rushing toward Carson with squealing delight.

I can't walk to the nearest grocery store anymore. I must get in my car and drive the ten minutes journey down the road. Grocery stores as well are completely overwhelming. Sometimes I am thrilled at the plentiful options of healthy foods but all the while wondering how fresh and how many preservatives are hidden behind my purchases.

I dream about our Spanish lives each night. My students are vivid in my dreams, and I wake up with a brief smile that they are still so crystal clear in my memories but am quickly saddened as I realize how far away I am from them.

I love our family time. Seeing my sister frequently, texting my family members, spending time with my niece and nephew, brother-in-laws & sister-in-laws, parents & grandparents. If I only I could transplant the people here to our home there...

My heart is not the same now. It has been remolded by our ministry and love for Spain. Being here, I see how truly incomplete I feel and have even more conformation that Spain is God's desire for us for the future.

I must look at this time as a platform of transition, one ordained by God to enable to be better servants to Spaniards in the future. At this moment, I don't understand this hiatus. Why do we have to do this? But I trust our ever-knowing, ever-loving Heavenly Father and know that one day we will understand this season and rejoice in it.

Am I Ready?

Am I ready for what will take place in 18 days?


Am I ready for packing up 2 years worth of things (and a dog!) in 7 suitcases?


Am I ready to say goodbye to my fellow staff at ECA?


Am I ready to tell my Seniors goodbye as they head off to college?


Am I ready to say goodbye to all the students at ECA that we may never see again?


Am I ready to say goodbye to my neighbors and their kids?


Am I ready to go back to the US and try to explain what the Lord has blessed us with the last two years?


Am I ready to leave our home in Alcala?


Am I ready to not be able to shop at Mercadona or Carrefour and do a happy dance when you find American products?


Am I ready to go back to our "old life" in the States?


Am I ready to begin deputation again?


Am I ready to go through another culture shock?


Am I ready to see friends that we haven't seen in 2 years?


Am I ready to see my family in the States?


Am I ready to rejoin my co-workers in the States?


Am I ready?


Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

reflections

**Warning**: this will be a sad post!

I woke up this morning to a dream about my nearby hometown neighborhood. In my dream, my family was taking a Sunday stroll, and Adam and I were gasping at how different everything was since we had to returned back to the States from Spain. (In my dream, it was pretty bazaar...the neighborhood had erected gigantic statutes of jungle animals throughout the cul-de-sac with the HOA fees...where I come up with these things I do not know :)) I usually have silly dreams, but I woke up from this one sad. Subconsciously, I am having a hard time wrapping around my brain about transitioning and moving back to the US. Don't get me wrong - we are excited about returning to the US, once again close to our families. I am thrilled, as well, to be going back to my old job with my former co-workers! But deep down, I am so sad to transition away from here.

6 full-time staff will be transitioning away with us and that, I think, makes it even harder for me, along with all the ECA kids that will be graduating or graduated when we return to Spain. Adam and I and three other full-time staff were chaperones for an honor roll field trip this past Wednesday at a theme park outside of Madrid. As we were driving home, we, staff, were chatting away about the days activities, enjoying each other's company, and singing to the radio, and in those moment I started to tear up. Maybe because I'm a softie, but because, these are the friends and memories that we have had the blessing to have over the past two years, and it just makes me so sad to leave.

Serving on the mission field is very difficult on many fronts. Almost always you have to adjust to a completely different culture, learn a different language, and are far away from blood relatives. But the part that affects many even more is the constant saying goodbye and transition that is endured. In light of eternity, small singing to the radio memories don't really matter, but God did give us a love for people here on earth, so transitions are naturally difficult for us to handle emotionally.

The next 5 weeks that remain here in Spain will be a whirlwind of activity. I am dreading/happy about it because it will fill our days with great memories, but I am afraid that all will whisk by, and I will return back to the US still grasping at the transition that just took place. I pray God will give me strength and peace in all that will come. Because only He can help me with all the change that is to come.

I was talking with a Spanish lady last night at a Mother/Daughter banquet at our church and she asked me quite bluntly, "Why come here from the US and leave all your family behind?"

  "To serve," I replied.

That has been THE greatest joy here. And while it brings tears to my eyes as I skype with my family to see how my nieces and nephews have grown exponentially the last two years while we've been away, God has really blessed us to be here and serve our neighbors, community, and the students at ECA. Being called to serve is difficult but the eternal rewards, truly, are even more worth it.

the call to come

Throughout our lives, God has been orchestrating and preparing us for the path that lies in front of us. As Adam and I are slowly closing in on 30 years old, we can look behind us and see a glimpse of the path. For me, it is a path with many curves and intersections. Since I was 10 years old, I wanted to become an accountant. Numbers and financial data were things that I loved and I wanted to spend my life doing just that. My parents never had to push me to do my best - I knew internally that is what I had to do. I never wanted to disappoint people, and when I did, I vowed to make a mental note and not repeat it again. This desire kept me accountable on one hand, but on the other, debilitated me in a sense. I, like any other "American", desired the husband, family, closeness of other family members, and success in a career - who doesn't? And trust me, I had my career plan mapped out: UNC-Chapel Hill for Business School, UNC-Chapel Hill for my Masters in Accounting, CPA exam, Big 4 firm, husband, kids, etc. etc. But God, who knows me intimately, created me, and gave me the passion for finances had a bigger plan....I didn't get into to UNC's one year Masters in Accounting program, and I slowly began to crumble. My plan!?! What was happening? No problem, Emily...just make a Plan B. I would work at my internship (Food Lion), take a year off, and reconsider if the CPA was truly my objective. And honestly (in hindsight) as much I was disappointed that my plan wasn't following through, I was more terrified that my control of the situation was not what I anticipated it would be. It wasn't entirely there.

However, my loving God was still going to use me to accomplish his will despite my desire for control and not wanting to disappoint others. The biggest impact spiritually for me during college was our involvement with the Summit Church, the church we attended. The pastor, JD Greear, challenged us with the word each Sunday and desired for the church to be an impact spiritually in the community we lived. He had a special heart for college students and we saw the church thrive and reach out to us right where we were. Also, he challenged us to think missionally. Adam and I had participated in short term mission trips and thoroughly enjoyed them. Giving back to those who had significantly less than ourselves was so rewarding and was a reminder of how much God truly sacrificed for us through his Son. However, JD didn't just challenge us to commit our Spring Breaks or summers to short term missions. He encouraged us to think foreign, broader missions. He would phrase it like this, "If you are a college student and aren't sure what you want to do after graduation, consider two years oversees serving." Well, that was fine and great for "those students". I was not in that group though (or so I thought). I had my plan, so obviously, missions was not for me. But internally, truthfully, I felt a twinge in my heart each time he asked that of us. But I kept adding, what I call now, a "invisible brick" to my wall around serving Christ wherever he desired me to go. There was NO way I would serve on the mission field. Talk about disappointing people!

But God didn't give up. He continued to use situations and people to strengthen that twinge I felt about once a month that I quickly silenced. He used, more profoundly, a mission trip to Brazil that we took our youth group on at our church. We served 10 days with two dear couples and we saw internally into their lives. We saw the ministry aspect and the home aspect, and I was truly shocked to see how "normal" (in a sense) it seemed. They did what God led them to do. They met with people and did Bible studies. They loved them where they were and they made coffee every morning like every normal person does. They were just doing it in another location. God moved me greatly in Brazil, and I began to think - what does that mean for me? I certainly didn't feel "qualifed" for being a missionary. I didn't go to Bible College. Adam didn't go to seminary. And then God opened a very clear door to the path he desired for us - Spain. There were needs at the MK school that we currently serve at. They needed a science teacher and (prepare to have goosebumps) a business manager. Clear as day, God was telling me that I need to take a leap of faith and leave my comforts. I needed to leave the job that I loved, the friends that we loved, and the family that we so loved and did not want to see us go. For two years, we were committing to serving and not earning a dime. Nearly a hundred supporters gave and are supporting us to do the task that God has showed to us presently. And honestly, it has been the hardest task I have ever imagined. I have given up about all the control that I was so desperately trying to maintain, but the loss of that control has produced a life that if far more better than the "good plan" I had. God has used many situations here to show me that prayer and a close relationship to him is worth sacrifices, difficulties, and frustrations. It's worth it to trust in him, because honestly he loves us more than earthly individuals do. He can see beyond tomorrow and next year and knows what our lives can ultimately be if we simply give it to him.

One of my favorite verses is in Colossians and it says, "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." That verse has meant much to me because at times I felt like - what can I do? I can't do that. But God was telling me - "No. You can with me." 

time & blessings

12 weeks remain until we come upon another big move. Can it really be that two years has passed so quickly? Today, it's hard for me to fathom that our lives here have to start to wrap up in a little less than 3 months. Our families and friends stateside are eagerly awaiting our return, while our kids at school, Spanish friends, ECA family, and co-workers here are constantly asking how long until we return back to Spain.

Despite the difficulty in processing living this life at times, I marvel at the fact of the blessings that God has allowed us to be a part of. He has challenged, stretched, and molded us beyond what I could have imagined and while we gave up a part of our lives to live here, we have gained more that can be described. And as we start to process leaving this life that we've so grown accustom to, it brings a deep sadness on many fronts. I will miss my students and their excitement in learning about credit cards vs. debit cards. I will miss singing hymns in Spanish and listening to a Spanish sermon. I will miss walking everywhere and greeting others with an "hola" and heading out with a "hasta luego". I will miss my Wednesday morning prayer group. I will miss my Spanish/English class with Carmen. I will miss the Spanish plateaus. I will miss mid-day runs with co-workers. I will miss the joy of serving where we are needed.

(and probably as my mother reads this, she's starting to cry and she's saying, "HEY, we've missed you MORE!") All of our family members and friends are saying that...and to be honest as well, we yearn to see them very much. We feel double blessed - blessed to be here but also blessed to go back to see our family and friends once more.

At ECA, 3 of the 4 Friday mornings we have a small chapel service that we start the day off with. At the beginning of the year, we had one of our staff share about how there are times when you take blind steps of faith and put total trust in God. Many times we cling to things and people don't rely on God fully to handle our situation or carry us through a difficult time. He encouraged us to give things to Christ that we were clinging tightly to.

Within my own heart, there were two things that God was desiring 100% that I was too clingy toward: seeing my family daily and climbing the corporate ladder. Now these two things are not bad things, but I had made them too much of a priority in my life. At that moment, I was thankful for my time here but was itching to get back to America, prosperity, family. I wasn't continuing to be fully open for the will God had for my life. So when I gave those two things to God, they were big. I love accounting and the corporate environment. My job back in the States was the best. It wasn't a perfect job but I worked with great co-workers whom I respected. We worked hard together and got along well together as well. I loved what I did. Seeing my family everyday was the hardest though...to give completely to God. Having nieces and nephews and sisters and brothers and parents that you love and have a good relationship make it so hard to be so far away. But deep down, I knew I needed to give that to God completely. Trust him with the path he had for my life.

As I gave those things to God, I found that God used that to open our hearts and confirm that Spain is the location where we desire to serve for as long as God desires us too. Knowing we have to return and begin support raising again, we laid our plans out to God - where you do want us in the States? And honestly, God surprised us greatly. He wants us right back where we were prior to coming to Spain. He opened the door and orchestrated the perfect timing for me to go back to my old job! He's allowing us to be 15 minutes away from both of our families. And while these may seem like small things to others, these things floor me because I gave these to God but he's giving them back to me for a time. Amazing.

What amazing blessings has God done in your life? Are they things that you gave up to him? Have you considered giving up the things you cling so tightly too and see what God can do in your life and with your trust and surrender? It's worth it.

Pickle Friends for Life

Tonight was one of those magical, "I Love Spain" nights. The ones where you learn of a new store that sells special American products and the excitement you have over finding jars of REAL dill pickles makes you shrill like a little kid. So much so that once you purchase the said pickles, you crack open the jar as fast as you can and pickle toast your friends in the middle of the street without a care in the world. Those rare pickles produce so much joy that you spend the rest of the night talking of lost loves (ones that are a good thing that they are now lost) and belting out 7th grade dance songs (Kissed by a Rose) inside of blindingly bright froyo shops on pink awkwardly small cushions.

I've learned one good lesson tonight: pickle friends are friends for life.

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."

Moving

We are almost a year (wow!) into our serving here in Spain. Days it feels like the time has flown so quickly, and other days it felt like time was just standing still.

Our move to Spain has been one of the most difficult decisions I have ever made. It has truly drawn me out of any comfort zone I ever had. From learning a new language and not being able to communicate to being extremely far away from family and friends, overall it's been a year of many adjustments.

Lately though I'm starting to feel the process of "settling", and I started to reflect on our journey. Since I was 18, I have moved 9 times. Every year at college I lived in a different dorm or apartment. My poor dad dreaded the day it was "move Emily to another location". But he did it with love every time :)

After college, I moved back home for two months before Adam and I got married. I remember moving from Chapel Hill to Lexington was very hard for me. I loved college, the town I lived in, and the friends we had made. At that moment, I was extremely sad that God's plan was taking Adam and I away from there.

After getting married, Adam and I moved to Salisbury for 3 and a half years. We adjusted to not having couples of our own age at first but God brought people in our path (The Stroupes, The Dancys were closer now!, and the Harringtons). I changed jobs to join the auditing team at Food Lion and learned what it meant to truly love your job and your co-workers. We got back involved in our home church and jumped into the youth group there (the one where Adam incessantly irritated me as a girl and later I fell for his tactics realizing that they were love messages in disguise). Life at that point was better than I originally thought when first moving from Chapel Hill.

Then our hearts were moved to serve elsewhere. We left all we had last July and I cried the hardest I ever had as I left my family standing at the airport gate. It's a moment that will always be ingrained in my memory. At that instance, I realized I was back at the day leaving Chapel Hill. I didn't want to leave my job, my co-workers, my hometown...how were things going to be better.

And now almost a year later, I feel a whole different set of emotions. The last two days I have proudly watched the musical theatre class at ECA that I helped choreograph perform two outstanding shows of Pirates of Penzance. The love and admiration I have for those kids right now is one I never imagined I would have when getting on that plane a year ago. My accounting class I teach is wrapping up our semester in 2 weeks. My kids (I'm going to brag now) have the basic accounting tools under their belts. When they tell me they love doing financial statements and T accounts, my heart swells. One parent told me that their child loves my class. He was very disappointed when his grade dropped from a 100 to a 98 when their group project didn't balance and I gave them a 90. Let me tell you - this kid knows every answer that I ask in class. Always does the reading and when he doesn't get a 100 on my test I know something is wrong. Proud - I'm just proud of them.

I realized last night - during our cast party - as I was playing games like Signs (which I'm terrible at), Zoo, and watching the kids interact, I feel like I did in Chapel Hill and Salisbury. I am so much more invested than I ever thought. I have been having dreams lately where we leave to come home to North Carolina, and in them, I feel the same dreaded moving feelings I've felt in the past.

We still have a year here, so I'm going to relish in the fact I have one more year to be here. One more year to see Spain. One more year to see these kids grow and change. One more year until I move again.

Hello, My name is Emily, and I am a.....

I chose my post title because I have been thinking recently about the roles I am currently playing in life. I know when we hear that phrase we automatically think about someone in rehab but I think it is a great phrase that represents who we are and how we view ourselves. If I were to fill in that statement, I would say...


Hello, My name is Emily, and I am a...

....a wife, follower of Christ, aunt, daughter, granddaughter, friend, lover of money (i.e. accountant and shopping - a dangerous combo), teacher.....

Many of these were easy answers and ones that have been a part of me for awhile. However, the last one (teacher) I would have never imagined I would add to my roles. You see I liked school - elementary, high school, college...but I preferred the role of student to teacher. I don't feel I possess the skills to confidently teach students. And yet, alas, I come to Spain and God puts me in a position to stand up in front of a classroom expected to teach something. Fortunately I get to teach things that I like and that He has gifted me with, and that's how I am realizing that being a teacher is truly a passion. Now my husband will not tell you that every day he gets great joy from teaching about genetics, soil, diseases, chemical equations, etc. (he does get extreme joy from teaching about birds). But he is very gifted in teaching students. I, on the other hand, not so much. But, this role of teacher I currently have, I do have a joy for. I don't see myself becoming a professional teacher. I have no desire to get more schooling and I prefer dealing with financial statements, policies and procedures, and conducting audits. However, my accounting class has definitely brought me joy this semester. I get happy butterflies teaching T-accounts, debit/credits, balance sheets, etc. I silently cheer for all my students to make 100s on all their tests and love accounting as much as I do. There is one student who is considering business and I truly get a thrill as she grasps these concepts well and looks forward to taking more business classes in college next year. If I would have known that I was coming to Spain to teach an accounting class, I would have told you no way - I'm not qualified to be a teacher. I don't have a teaching degree. Have never taught in a classroom and my only experience speaking in a group is during meetings at work. But somehow God has placed me out of my comfort zone to let me have joy doing something I thought I would be miserable in.

I'm so glad God is smarter than me.

So where are you? Is God opening a door for you to do something that is "out of your element"? I will tell you that here in Spain I am definitely out of my element. I have to communicate in a different language with my neighbors every day praying that I don't sound like a uneducated 5 year old, but I see God work every day here, and it's pretty awesome to see his workings.

Noche Buena, Feliz Navidad, and Noche Viejo

Well, Adam and I have almost made it through this year's holiday season. There were hard times, but overall, the Lord has provided dear friends here to visit with and enjoy their company. We were able to Skype with our families on Christmas Day, see my niece open her Christmas presents, and received both the packages our families sent in the mail to us! We realized this was the first Christmas where we were not involved in our family traditions. Usually, the Saturday (or two) before Christmas, the Yarbrough side (Adam's mom's side) has heavy appetizers, spends time together, and lastly, the main tradition, sing "Twelve Days of Christmas" with each person singing a different day. No one wants to get Partridge in a Pear Tree. My family has mixed up the traditions lately with spouses coming into the mixture, but lately, we've stayed with my family on Christmas Eve, opened presents together Christmas morning, enjoyed a big brunch, and just chilled the rest of the day. My mom's tradition is always to stay up super late (i.e. 3-4am) wrapping presents; however, we still seem to get things in garbage bags occasionally despite her staying up late :)

So with all those familiar things far away this year, we looked to doing things to be different. Both Adam and I commented that we tried to think of it as a "normal" day. While we were not trying to forget the meaning of this day and why we celebrate on Christmas, it was a way to cope without family. So...our agenda this year consisted of a candlelight Christmas Eve with the pastor's, of our church in Alcala, family (the Brown's) and his 3 daughters. We had tapas (a lot of seafood items - I munched on veggies and Hidden Valley Ranch dip - non-existent here in Spain and in both of the parent boxes!), sang Christmas carols, and just chatted. Adam and I opened our gifts (practical yet good) together on Christmas morning then baked homemade Oreos (Mamaw P's secret recipe) and delivered them to our neighbors. We were able to chat briefly with two of the families we delivered to - Blas & Asun and Eva, Adrian, & Lady. Blas and Asun have a "lively" chihuahua named Toolie (not sure if the spelling is right but that is the way it is pronounced). More seriously, Blas has been in and out of the hospital with hip surgery, an infection, and a dislocation of the same hip. He was in bed that afternoon when we delivered but I was so glad to be able to visit with them, even if I only understood half of what was said and we talked about general things. We ended Christmas day back at the Brown's enjoying a Christmas ham, potatoes, and pumpkin pie, and had our church service in the evening where played Maria and Jose (Mary and Joseph). Adam and I had about 10 minutes to memorize parts in Spanish in which we were going around to various people in the congregation and asking for a place to stay ("teneis un sitio para nosotros?"). We had a great Christmas Day of different, but good things.

While we celebrated in a quasi-American, quasi-Spanish way this Christmas, Spaniards celebrate slightly different than in the US. "El noche buena" (Christmas Eve) is the biggest day for family celebrations for Spaniards (not 12/25). Families usually go to the town of their parent's house, attend a midnight mass, and fix a big meal after mass and usually stay up visiting until early in the morning (i.e. 4-7am). Christmas Day is then spent sleeping in and recuperating from Noche Buena. Even Christmas Day, very few gifts are opened, maybe one or two, while the big gift giving day is El Dia de los Reyes (January 6th), yet to come. The next upcoming "festivo" is "Noche Viejo" (literally translated - Old Night) or New Year's Eve. Here a big race is organized in Madrid (the San Silvestre, which we will be taking part in) and later at midnight Spaniards pop 12 grapes in their mouth, one for every ding of the clock at midnight. This sounds like an easy task but many have mentioned it is quite difficult to do. Grocery stores even sell cans with 12 grapes in them especially for the occasion.

It has been interesting learning other culture's traditions especially their holiday traditions. While I missed my family greatly this year, I am thankful to have been here and experienced a Spanish "navidad". It is memory I will never forget.

Finals and Christmas

Today marked the last full week of class before Christmas break. Being in Spain @ ECA is my first real "school environment" I have actually been in since college. I have always envied Adam and his two weeks of break while I drove to work every day to bring home the bacon :) So, now I have the privilege to experience the academic breaks so longed by all the business world.

This week wraps up my semester long class of Practical Math. We studied salaries, taxes, loans, budgets, credit cards, insurance, investments, resumes, and wrapping it up with interviewing skills. My five students have been patient with my "first year teaching" woes and probably laugh at me constantly behind my back (even though I try to face them most of the time). It's ok though...I'm preparing "revenge"...jk. But no really, I have to make the final exam, and I do feel a little evil. I guess this is how all my teachers felt when writing the final exam. Mwah hah hah...100 multiple choice...take that!

There is something rewarding about writing exams though. Even though many individuals will argue that they are not the best way to measure intelligence, I do feel they do a good job of evaluating my teaching ability and the student's comprehension. I really get sad when a student misses a question that we've gone over many times, and it reminds me of those days when I hated walking into a room and taking a test. One of my greatest college memories happened during my Accounting 101 final. Now you must know some background about this class...it was taught by my favorite professor of all time - CJ Skender. It was a class of 400 at 8 am every M, W, F. And to top it all off, our exams started at 7:00am so we could have 2 full hours to take our exams. It was nerving and crazy, so imagine how a 100 multiple choice final exam made you feel at 7:00am. It was my last exam before going home to Christmas break, my stomach was a wreck...I was so nervous. I really wanted to do well on this exam. I entered the 400 seat auditorium promptly at 6:50am to review a few more things before taking it. Upon opening the doors, the Carpenter's, "Merry Christmas Darling" blasting, and I start laughing. My mom sings this song loudly every time it's on the radio at Christmas time. She's even called and left a voice message of the song. Upon hearing that, my nervousness went away and I silently thanked CJ with all my heart for making me feel less nervous. I ended up with an A- on the exam - thanks to the Carpenters and a great professor.

While I'm no where near the teacher CJ was, maybe next Tuesday will be a good day to pull out some Christmas music before the exam...

Thank You Spanish Constitution Day!

Today and tomorrow we have off school due to Spain's Constitution Day. This day began in the late 1970s after Spain's dictator, Franco, died and more freedom entered into the Spanish culture. Franco was a very oppressive leader and held tightly to the Catholic church, even requiring individuals to join the church to own property, vote, etc. After his death, many Spaniards ran quickly away from religion due to its association with "oppression". Today, you can see the effects of this in Spain, as modesty, morals, and outlooks on life are deeply centered in "do what makes you happy"/ self-satisfaction. While people are seeking to satisfy their desires and what makes them happy, they are still searching to replace a void that can only be filled spiritually by the God that created them.

Adam and I are seeing this so much here in Spain. Individuals do not feel as if they "need" God as they are good people. It's easy to get caught up in this mindset, especially in developed countries. We see so much of what our hands produce that we lose sight of the God behind it all. But we can not forget the hand behind all the blessings. Without God, none of these things would be possible.

Lately, I have been involved with conversations with our neighbor who is Jehovah Witness. He has asked me point blank what I believe. My stomach drops every time he asks me, not because I don't want to give an answer but because all of this conversation is in Spanish. You take for granted the ability to share you faith in your native language. You have phrases and concepts that are known and easy to communicate. This is completely different in another language. So each time, I silently pray for the Lord's words (in Spanish) :)

I am learning that to be prepared you must study. So that's what I must do - not to debate but to clearly provide an answer and share the Gospel in whatever way the Lord provides.

Thanksgiving with a Portugal Twist

Adam and I spent last week (Monday - Friday) at the ABWE Western European conference(well, really, the Iberian Peninsula plus 1 MK from Italy) in Alaferia, Portugal. It was a long 8 hour drive from Madrid to our hotel. I'm just not good with car rides longer than 4 hours. Upon arriving, we checked in to the hotel, which was very nice. Our mission got a fantastic rate and the apartments were recently built and only 2 years old, so the rooms were nice, clean, and modern.

We arrived late Monday, hit up the Portuguese grocery store, Continente, grabbed some Pizza Hut pizza (Stuffed Crust!!!), played some Five Crowns, and then hit the sack. Each morning, beginning Tuesday, we would gather as a group (there was about 50 of us) and worship and then receive a bible study from Pastor Green, a friend of a Portugal missionary, Evandro. Mr. Green brought wonderful messages each day we were there. After our meetings in the mornings, we had the afternoon and evenings free. Adam and I would either go to the beach to read, swim in the indoor pool, or just relax. On Wednesday, we went to an open air market (a ferria for Spaniards) and I got a scarf for 5 euros. We also purchased a fried doughnut for a euro dipped in cinnamon and sugar - mmmmmm. Fattening but mmmmmm. On Thursday, after our meeting, we went to a Portguese restaurant and had an American/Portugues thanksgiving meal. We had a carrot/potatoe soup (Portuguese dish), bread, turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes (unfortunately they were instant. sadness.), and carrots (more sadness - I would have preferred cranberry sauce. My sister and I are the only loves of jellied cranberry sauce in our family. But man we can eat a full can when it's served.). We were hoping for a chocolate dessert of some kind but we had fruit cocktail. Europeans love their fruit for dessert. They have sweets here but not near the intensity of American desserts. But it was a great meal and I got turkey!

Adam and I also got to do some runs of the beach. Well...run to the beach, jog on the short shoreline, and jog back to the room. Beach runs in Portugal are primarily rocky. Beaches are below steep cliffs and not so many shells line the beaches like the East Coast. But still very beautiful. Regardless of what type of beach you are on, an ocean sunrise or sunset is magnificant.

I was glad we are "away" for Thanksgiving. It was a good distraction for spending our first Thanksgiving away from our families. Still, it was very hard. I realized that all my life I have always been around my family for every holiday, and my family loves holidays. We celebrate every birthday (from uncle to cousin to niece/nephew) and Mom always has a present of some sort on the major holidays. So, for me to be away from family on a major holiday, presents an emptiness I'm not used to.

But despite my distance from my family, I was very thankful for all the blessings the Lord has given me this year. First, I was very thankful for our little family - Adam, me, and Carson. Until we have kids, maybe, one day, Carson is my little baby. And even though he pees on our new rug every day and we want to beat him, I still love him. I know kid love will be different but doggy love right now is good.  Second, I'm thankful for this opportunity to serve the Lord in Spain. I have to keep that as my focus. Third, Í'm thankful for all the blessings we have (house, food, clothing, etc.). We are so blessed. Last, but not least, so thankful for all those that pray and support us while we are here in Spain. You are the fuel behind us being here and enable us to minister every day. Thank you So very much!

Chick-fil-a

When living in a different country, you do grow a certain appreciation for "American" things. One in particular is the food. Restaurants like Panera Bread, Jason's Deli, and especially Chick-fil-a are non-existent, so in the midst of your cravings, you search for comparable alternatives. And in steps Pinterest... The wonderful Miss Carlson at ECA introduced me to this unbelievable website. You pin different things to online "bulletin boards" from Pinterest members. And thanks to Pinterest I was able to locate a recipe of how to recreate Chick-fil-a nuggets. And man, they were good :) We had friends over and made the nuggets and homemade fries. It was a great evening!

I'm really liking Pinterest. I found another recipe to make Caramel Apple Cheesecake bars and tried them out on Thursday. They were really good too - but what you can you do wrong when you are mixing sugar, butter, and cream cheese :)

And here's the recipe for the chicken nuggets:

2 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/4 c. Flour
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Oil (peanut is recommended but you can use canola)

Mix milk and egg and whisk together. Chop chicken into bite size pieces. Put in milk/egg mixture. Put in refrigerator and marinate for 2-4 hours. Prepare dry mixture of flour, powdered sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Coat each chicken piece with the mixture completely. Place 6-8 nugget at a time into 2 inches of oil on medium-high heat and cook until golden brown on each side.

Enjoy!

Turkey Bowl & Spanish Ghost Towns

This week had its highs and lows. As it inches closer to Thanksgiving, I get more saddened of the thought that my Mamaw Pressley's macaroni & cheese, mashed potatoes, smoked turkey, and cranberry sauce (without the berries of course) will have a portion less for me and Adam. I know it's just a silly tradition but one that I've known for 26 years.

But this week also had its highs. I had kabobs (a gyro like sandwich), played Dutch Blitz, and got to play two-hand touch football against the High School PE class yesterday as a part of the "Turkey Bowl". Also, it is possible that I may be summoned to teach another class at ECA - Accounting :) :). I will not hide my excitement in potentially teaching this. Although the students made me sad, when signing up for 2nd semester classes, a lot said, "What is accounting? Oh...I'd never take that class" They have no idea....my nerdy little personality blossomed in 10th grade when I took "Computerized Accounting" with Miss Boyer. We learned the basics about accounting (balance sheets, assets, liabilities, etc.) and I knew that was what I wanted to spend my life doing. So somehow the Lord has allowed me to come full circle - back to the classroom - to offer students the ability to decide if accounting is their passion. Maybe not. But just the possibility makes me smile.

Also last night, I realized how risk-adverse a person I really am. Encouraged by another teacher at ECA (Mr. H) we went last night to see a Spanish ghost town. Now, maybe my days of Tweetsie Railroad and the ghost town sets there had alter my view of ghost towns. Or movies I've watched where there is a main street and main town buildings line the sides, but this was something completely more scary.

We drove about 30 minutes away to a place called Villaflores near Guadalajara. I immediately wanted to stay in the car when we drove to the "road" that led to this place and there was chain linked fence blocking people from entering and a sign (in Spanish of course) that read "Watch for Falling Objects - Do Not Enter". I've never crossed a fence with a sign like that before. Obviously they wouldn't have written the sign if that fact wasn't true and they didn't want people up there. So that was time #1 when I was like, "Well, we should turn back". But no - Mr. H and Adam (and the manly adventure spirit) desired to go further. "We have to see it" - they said. "Think of the stories we'll have". None of these statements encouraged me to go further, but I was for sure not sitting in the car beside a spooky house, so onward I went.

Climbing up the hill, we arrive at the beginning of the town and a giant town hall/marketplace. Now keep in mind, this place has been abandoned for over 30-50 years. Everything is boarded up, slightly decayed, and it's at night. Nighttime. I don't go to scary places at nighttime. So we proceed to go inside every one of these abandoned buildings of Villaflores. I had never been so freaked out - knowing we were go to come face to face to a person who chose to sleep here or animals or other things. The only slightly comforting thing was that it was graffitied intensely. This was not comforting however, because what if others were up here continuing their art when we were there...sigh. But I continued partly out of not wanting to wait anywhere by myself and partly because I had no choice.

We toured the whole ghost town - town hall (which had two areas for cattle/livestock, a courtyard, and was humongous), a church (which still had the marble floor in it), houses (one main house and 5 other duplex homes), a giant silo type building that was the weirdest thing I've ever seen (it was stone and brick with a huge dome on the top that looked like a planetarium) - there are no silos that fancy back on farms in NC, a barn that contained tons of 500 lb. clay pots (this was creepy too - It was like a basement that housed these jugs - we had no idea what that was), and finally a barn. All the while wondering what this place was originally built for and why was it now abandoned.

We spent an hour and a half (the longest hour and a half of my life) touring this place in the dark. And thankfully we did not see any other individuals and only one creepy graffiti of a giant head with glow in the dark eyes (I refused to look at it - it was indeed creepy).

The boys probably hated my being there. I was constantly saying "I don't know..." or "Be careful" "Can we go now?" But I am not a risky person. While it was an odd and interesting thing to see, I would have been fine looking at pictures on the internet.

So that was the way I ended my week here in Spain! Freaked out in a ghost town. What other adventures will I experience here?

The Rain in Spain

This week we have had rain every day. There is one thing about the "Rain in Spain" that you should know, however. Rain in Spain is more equal to an NC misty rain or light rain; however, Spaniards react to it about the equivalency of how North Carolinians react to snow/flurries. Driving on the autopistas slows down significantly and everyone is very cautious. 

The rain has caused the temperature to be much cooler and families haven't been as out and about this week as they have in the past. I wasn't able to run but once this week and not with my Monday running partner, Sarah D. :) Adam and I are gearing up for a 10k here in Spain that is very famous. The race is the San Sillvestre in Madrid. This race takes place on New Year's Eve in evening and the course takes you by famous spots in Madrid. Approximately 30,000 - 40,000 people run the race (so good thing I've run the Cooper Bridge Run right?) but there are also several thousands that "tag along" and run among the racers. We are excited about being able to do our first race oversees. 

I often overlook with our busy schedule the beauty of Spain. The route Adam and I normally run near our piso is on an old highway and runs toward Camarma, the next town over where the school is. When we run that, I often try to distract myself with the surroundings. In our "backyard", there are plateau mountains (on top of one plateau there is actually a town - Adam really wants to hike up there one day) that make a beautiful backdrop. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm from the country back in NC and the Appalachian Mountains are gorgeous as well as the Smoky Mountains, but there is something beautiful about Spain's plateau mountains where we are. 

So, even though we have had rain most every day this week, we did have a big bright spot in it. A Spanish family in our building invited us over for dinner. This is very big for Spaniards, as they only invite over guests that they are very familiar with. We will be having dinner with them next Saturday evening. Pray for us as we prepare to, even in our choppy Spanish, try to be a face of the Gospel with them. With Spaniards, it usually takes many conversations about the weather, neighborhood, politics, etc. to get to spiritual topics. We just thank the Lord for this opportunity and pray we can use it to his glory. 

Well - off to fold laundry! Happy Saturday! :)