First Little Storm

As for me, I am poor and needy, 
          but the Lord takes thought for me.
                                   Psalms 40

I think I have the best family in all of Spain. 

My host mom goes by Paqui and my host sister is Yani. They are always concerned that I am cold or hungry or something- it's like I'm ten years old because I don't speak Spanish fluently. 
You know when you meet someone who can't speak English and, though you wish it weren't this way, you immediately feel that they are less intelligent? I think my family treats me like a little kid sometimes but honestly I just take it as honest concern. I really do feel loved by them.

Last night they took me to the restaurant where Joaquin, my host brother, works. He brought out plate after plate and I think in the end we tried 12 different dishes. Good thing we walk a lot.

Also my host father, Juan, has a really adorable sense of humor. He just asked me permission to read what I'm writing, and then laughed because he doesn't know english.

They have included me as one of their own, calling me sister from the beginning. My first weekend, Paqui and Yani brought me to a park to take pictures and show my mom that "you are content here in Spain!"

Last week my host mom told me that they had another daughter who passed away in an accident, and it was remarkable that she shared something so painful with me. The daughter's birthday is coming up  next week and as it will be an especially hard day for my host family, please pray for them!

Even with a welcoming host family, I have finally begun to realize the difficulty of adjusting to a new life. Now I have dreams every night that leave me disturbed and thinking of the past. This, along with the stress of deciding travel plans for the semester, left me at my first "low point" last week. 

To be totally honest with you, I sat at my desk and cried for like 5 minutes. 

But then I texted some friends to ask for prayer and Heather, a friend from Penn State, pointed me to Psalm 40. I also read on in Romans and the section I was on consists mostly of Paul explaining his desire to see those he loved. I was comforted to think that even Paul felt what I feel. 

So over the last several days, the Lord has been reminding me that I have no control over the future and He knows every part of it. 

And now some things are coming together. 

My german Hanna is coming at the end of this month to see me...that's only like two weeks! I won't even try to put into words how excited I am to see her.

The Lord is using even the littlest things to tell me "it's going to be ok". 

Like, I'll be sitting here after lunch thinking 'I could really go for some fruit' and yet I'm so full, and don't feel it is worth asking. And then my mom comes from the kitchen with some bananas and asks me if I want some fruit.

Another example: when I began this post, I was sitting in my room. I thought about coming out to the family room but thought my typing might bother them, so I gave up on the idea while still feeling a little lonely. 
Immediately Paqui yells down the hall 'Megan?'. She went on to say I could come out if I felt like it, and that it's better to be together than working alone in my room.

Also today I found a church! I love the Catholic churches here, but it was wonderful to worship with other believers in the way I have all my life (except in Spanish of course). 

Speaking of Catholic churches, I just got back from a short trip to Sevilla. We visited a palace and cathedral that both date back to the muslim rule in Spain, when they were actually a palace and mosque that have since been built on and added to.

A couple years ago someone told me that Catholic churches are so grand because there is a desire to redeem even space- that we can glorify God by recovering (in a tiny way) the beauty of creation before the fall. 
At the time, I was really against the idea and arguing that it is a waste of money that could be used otherwise-to help the poor, fund some charity, etc. 

But I can't complain now, having seen some of these glorious designs and feeling as though it really is a small taste of paradise. 

And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelations

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Another beautiful experience from the trip to Sevilla was experiencing Flamenco. I had seen a short video of it once, but I did not like it. I thought the music was a little weird and the dance even more so. In person though, I was quite in awe. The dancing and the music were one- each a manifestation of the other. So passionate and full.

Well that's all for now. Classes start tomorrow and I'm so excited for a routine... However, that will probably also mean a little less free time and maybe less writing. So, here's to a new semester!