Living in Abundance

Remember me talking about CRAZY the Cervantino festival was? Well, check out the video that I made, and see if you agree!


Thursday, October 18 (Day 60)
So, those of you who have kept close contact with me know that I have been searching for people my age who love Jesus. Well, we had a "youth conference" for three days. Here, youth means anywhere from age 13 to 25, which is like four different walks of life. Nonetheless, I met some cool young people in their 20s from churches all over Guanajuato. It truly was an answer to prayer. Some of them just really took me under their wing and for the first time I felt like people in Mexico knew my real personality. 

Friday, October 19 (Day 61)
So I was in the bus station waiting for some Fulbrighters to get into town when I saw a very sad scene. 
There was this little girl trying to get her father's attention multiple times. He constantly tells her to hush, or outright ignores her. His son on the other hand, he turns to and asks to come sit right by him. He fondly puts his arm around him and gives him a kiss on the cheek. Then all of a sudden, I see the daughter stand up and go to her father. It looks as if he had invited her over...or so I thought. Much to my dismay, she just had to go to the bathroom. With a flick of the wrist, he dismisses her. 
What message do you think that sends to each child? Praise God, that I was given an earthly father who reflects His character. I never had to ask for approval nor attention. My dad just gave it to me, automatically. Even now, at age 21, he manages to show me that he loves me as much as my little brother. Can't wait to see you in November dad!

Sunday, October 21 (Day 63)
So a couple Fulbrighters wanted to join me at Trigo y Miel for the Sunday service. It was so great worshipping alongside two brothers from the US. They loved it as much as I always do. The only downside is that we had guest speaker from Colombia that talked REALLY fast. The funny part was when we acted out the parable of the Good Samaritan and they selected me to play the role of the Good Samaritan. Oh the irony!
Additionally, Cervantino finally ended! PRAISE GOD!!!

Friday, October 26 (Day 68)
So my church, Trigo y Miel, had a Tabernacle Party (roughly translated). Essentially, this consists of worship all night and camping out. Although someone had to pick me up on the road because I couldn't originally find it...it was a blast! It was so great getting to know more people in the congregation. The only craziness was when Lupita (the pastor's wife) made me sing How He Loves on Karaoke. It was very intense and downright terrifying. 

Sunday, October 28 (Day 70)
I went with some people (from Comunidad Cristiana) that I met from the Youth Conference to play at a local sports center. Here are my discoveries: I am a decent defender in soccer; in Mexico, I am comparable to Michael Jordan in basketball; and I barely got enough time to play volleyball, but the random dudes I joined invited me back next Sunday. On the downside, I broke four finger nails! gah...

Tuesday, October 30 (Day 72)
My biggest highlight was seeing a guy wearing a KC hat and another guy in a Cardinals jacket. I have been waiting to see people wearing sports memorabilia from home and I almost jumped out of the bus when I saw it!!!

TODAY...Wednesday, October 31 (Day 73)
It's Halloween! There are a lot of people here that are anti-Halloween. It is just another example of how the US invades apparently. But on the other hand, I have also seen a ridiculous amount of people dressed up (especially being so far from the border). I myself plan on being an angel.

It is crazy to think that I have officially been out of the country longer than I have ever have before. Can you believe I am already almost 1/3 through my time in México?

What's New?
*New Students: I have been teaching an average of 40-50 students a week now. Why? Because 50% of the students fail their English tests and they must get me to sign off saying that they got extra help. Nominations for English Conversation Club (ECC) are this week and voting for officers is next week! It is fun to see some students get excited to take a leadership role.

*New Friends: Aside from the gang from the conference, I have made a few random friends around Guanajuato. Mayra works at the gym that I go to and we hang out on Mondays and Wednesdays during her break. Iri is my new church buddy at Comunidad Cristiana and I absolutely love her family! We will be dressing up as angels together. 

*New Hobbies: I have learned how to knit, training for a 10k, and trying to learn french. Why? Because I can! 

*New Fervor: As you can see...I have just been really blessed. I have learned to love Guanajuato and the people I have come into contact with. When I first got here, I was bored out of my mind and just downright lonely. But once I realized that God is to be my source, he poured more blessings than I could ever ask for. Ephesians 3:20-21 says, "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." I encourage you all to learn how to live in abundance. Abundant living has nothing to do with how much you have or even how much you know. It can only be achieved through a relationship with Jesus Christ in whom all were redeemed. 
~Check out this random relationship spoken word poem I wrote!

THIS Weekend: I am headed to Leon, Guanajuato and Queretaro for Dia de los Muertos! 

Keep me lifted up in your prayers...he truly is faithful :-D

LionofGod

Faithfulness Revealed

Update!!!

Check out my recent vid from my experience celebrating Mexican Independence Day. 

Saturday, September 22 (Day 34)

So, you remember Karinne from Canada? We met in San Miguel de Allende, GTO when we were both getting our visas. We saw each other a little bit later in the bus station and exchanged information. What a blessing it was when she came to Guanajuato to visit!

Sunday, September 23 (Day 35)

It was announced to the church that I will be offering English classes to those that are interested. 

Karinne and I went to Cristo Rey. It is this huge statue of Jesus on a mountain that you pass to get to Guanajuato. Little did we know, it took an three hours round trip.

Wednesday, September 26 (Day 38)

One student named Julia. I found out she is very interested in working in a juvenile correctional facility. Ironically, she is a Computer Systems major. I took her out for a late lunch at Casa Ofelia and had a delicious chile relleno!

Thursday, September 27 (Day 39)

Went to Dolores Hidalgo in the afternoon. Talk about my ride to the bus station. Learned that tacos al pastor=beef which is why I got sick in Mexico City.

Saturday, September 29 (Day 41)

Got back from Dolores Hidalgo and left for Celaya with Mabel, my neighbor/coworker. Got to meet her awesome family and watch a ton of music videos they had on DVD.

Sunday, September 30 (Day 42)

Spent the morning watching Step up 3 with Mabel’s two brothers. Her 19 year old brother, loves hip hop and break dancing and had the movie memorized! We went out on the town and Mabel showed me the Centro Historico. I got stopped by a woman named Josefina who told me she loved black people. I ended up buying the sunflower seeds she was selling (shoutout to Kansas!).

Wednesday, October 3 through Sunday, October 14 (Days 45-56)

There have been a ton of recent changes and developments as of my last blog post! So  many that I have probably forgotten half of them…

School—So, school ITESG has been great. However, I moved the English Conversation Club to once a week. I have realized that there are practically no student organizations! Having been a student who was vigorously involved in the student life at K-State, I have decided to form the first. We will have elections in two weeks, so hopefully people keep showing up!

Additionally, I have been helping some students practice their English at another school since their teacher is deathly ill with hypothermia.

Lastly, I have finally started my community classes at the church. I never knew it would be so much fun! I have about 10-15 students and although we do not always have a classroom…we ALWAYS do work. One of my students brings me a bag of fruit every week and a couple has decided to adopt me! They want to feed me dinner every Wednesday. Sounds like a good deal, don’t ya think?

Social Life—Lord have mercy, who knew Cervantino would save me from dying of boredom. Every weekend I have had fellow Fulbright ETAs visit me. It is great being able to finally navigate the bus system enough to show them my pueblo. On top of that, the influx of foreigners has increased the confidence of the locals. Now, instead of just staring at me, people have actually been saying hi!

On top of that, I have become the Karoake Queen of Guanajuato. No, I am not saying I am good, I am just saying that I have been so many times that I have befriended ALL of the workers.

Stay tuned for a Cervantino YouTube vid!

Despite the busyness...I still miss KC and the Little Apple. Much love from México!

Sirenita

Look Ma! I’m Working!

Can you believe I have been in México for a month? It is absolute craziness. It has been hard for me to just sit down and blog, but I finally just made myself do it. I did it for you J
Here are the two vids I made in my blogging absence:
Kick Off Video
My Housing Situation

First Day of Class—Day 22

I arrived to work pretty early to make sure that I could print off all my worksheets and have everything ready before my class began. You see, in order to print, all the teachers have to send their files to ONE lady named Alice. Then Alice has to go make copies. So, you can imagine how long it takes to get anything printed. After getting everything together, I headed down to the classroom they gave me for my workshop. It was in U10 aaaaaaall the way in the back, with no windows. Lucky me, I had two girls! But you know, two is better than nothing!

Finding a classroom for the workshop has been the bane of my existence. You see, there are too many students for the space my school has, so I have to fight to get a room. They have been saying this other building is going to be finished for the past three weeks, and it is starting to remind me of the K-State parking garage!

San Miguel Mishap—Day 24

So, remember that visa that I was supposed to pick up. Well, I decided instead of going with Ramón on Thursday and missing my workshop, I should go by myself on Wednesday. So, I walked to the bus stop down the street at Mercado Hidalgo and took the bus from there to the Central de Autobuses. From there, I bought a cheap ticket to San Miguel on the Flecha Amarilla. There is a reason why this bus was so cheap. It stops for pedestrians, so an hour long ride became two! When I finally arrived in San Miguel, I picked up my number and was prepared to wait. It was crowded, but I noticed something interesting. The Latinos there were chillin’ and conversing, but those from the United States were pacing, tapping their feet, and doing everything to signify IMPATIENCE. Come on people! You know there is a such thing as bureaucracy in the United States, so calm down.

So when it was finally my turn, I go up to the window, excited and ready to sign. And all of a sudden, my world was rocked. The poor girl tells me, “My boss that needs to sign this paper is not here. Can you please come back in an hour?” It took everything in my power not to pull the whole attitude for being inconvenienced, haha! But I just considered it an adventure and took a little stroll around the area. Upon getting back to the visa place, I was able to get my “easily replicated” visa card and was on my way.

AND THEN CAME THE CURVE BALL. If I took the bus that I came on, I would have to go back to the central de autobuses and then back home, get on another bus and head by in the direction of San Miguel to get to my school. As I am contemplating a shortcut, I see a bus that says Cereso. I think to myself, that is the same thing that is on the bus that I take in the mornings! So, I get on, pay my 5 pesos. I am so proud of myself for being able to navigate myself in a new city. Until the bus driver stops and says we are in Cereso, but I don’t recognize anything. I tell him that I work at the school. So we get on our way, and he stops again saying we have arrived. I look and it says Universidad de San Miguel de Allende. I nicely smile and say, I work at the tecnológico. We head off again and now I am starting to wonder if I was in the wrong. One last stop tells me that I am when we arrive to the Universidad Tecnológica de San Miguel de Allende. After delaying the route three times, I just get off the bus. I caught the bus to the Central de Autobuses de San Miguel, buy my ticket on Primera Plus (no extra stops) to Guanajuato. I was able to cut my trip a little shorter by walking to catch a bus headed to my school from the Central in Guanajuato, but I was a little tired and frustrated.

I arrived to the school at 3PM; one hour after my workshop was to begin. Although I had called to cancel it, the news did not make it to the students because three were waiting for me! So I had a short class and thanked God that I made it to Guanajuato in one piece.

Cultural Slap in the Face—Day 25

So, I am going to make this shorter than I want to for the sake of my sanity. I learned a cultural lesson in a very annoying way. Here, small talk is a high value. If you want something down, you cannot just walk in and ask even if you have said hello five million times. It is polite to ask about their day and engage in meaningless jabber and then ease in what you need done. Well, this little tidbit was mentioned to me in the culture session during orientation, but I forgot! So, after having asked for something twenty times from a coworker, I walked in and mentioned it. I was quickly confronted by her office partner who said, “You can’t say hi?” (All in Spanish of course). I then noticed my folly, apologized, and asked how her day was going. She glared and me and was clearly not having it. So, I ask again how she was, and she responds with, “Fea.” For those of you who did not take Spanish 101, fea means ugly. However, I was thinking she was saying that her day was bad, so I asked if she was sick. She rolls her eyes and says, “No, tu.” That little bug-a-boo was calling me ugly for not saying hi when I had business with another coworker! Realization dawned and I quickly said, “Gracias” and made my exit before we had WWE smackdown—International edition.

So, I know what you are thinking, oh no she didn’t! That was in my mind too, but on my STOMP back to the bus station, I had a nice little “talk” with God. Out loud (don’t judge). After fussing about how culture and disrespect were two different things, God quickly cleared the fog. I had to look back on past conversations with this coworker. I could pinpoint that she had been hurt in her life and did not hold even the same moral values. My anger quickly diffused and a teacher (in that very moment) drove by and offered me a ride to the bus stop in a taxi. Additionally, being able to forgive that coworker without her asking was empowering and so worth it. That very same person is the one who set me up with a semi-permanent place to give my workshop for the next five weeks. It is so worth it to love the unloveable.

A weekend in DF (Día de Independencia)—Day 26-28

I am going to keep this section short because I would rather explain my independence week in video format. Unfortunately I left my camera in México City and cannot get it until my friend Savi comes to visit me October 5^th, so enjoy the wait!

Long story short, Friday, Montezuma bit me in the butt—literally. Saturday, it poured down rain on us for four hours and I got a sour throat and was overall feeling quite weak from no sleep. But through it all, I can still say...Viva México!

An all-time high—Day 30

My high was realizing that I had 30 students attend two weeks of English Conversation Club (that is the new name because workshop is so drab). Additionally, this day, I had 11 students come! I really hope they come back J

Coming up:

-This weekend: Looks like my social life is picking up…finally. Haha, I was invited to my students’ soccer game today, but unfortunately it was cancelled. So, we just hung out and ate some pizza. Saturday, my new friend Karine from Canada will be coming to visit. She is teaching French in a little town not too far called Dolores Hidalgo. I cannot wait to show her my city; hopefully we will not get lost this time!

-Festival Cervantino: This next month is going to be absolutely insane. Cervantino is a huge festival where people from all over the world poor in to experience Guanajuato. There are loads of bands, dancers, etc. One of the main event venues is the Alhóndiga which is a sneeze away from my house. So there goes my sleep for the next one month. Oh well, no pasa nada. YOLO J

-Videos: Día de Independencia and a Day in the Life of Ariel Anib—ETA 

Feel free to leave a comment :-) I love hearing from y'all!

Sirenita

Thorns and Roses

Day 14

           If any of you that read my blog stalk me on facebook, you already know I found the church of my dreams on Sunday. The church is called Trigo y Miel (Wheat and Honey). I found out about it from Julieta (my landlord’s daughter). Julieta and her husband picked me up and took me. From the outside, the church does not necessarily look like a church, but when you walk in, the floors are beautifully tiled. I must confess…I had heard from a coworker that the church was Baptist and I was a little nervous that it would be Southern Baptist aka no dancing. But when I walked in I looked at the front and there were praise dancers (ribbons, tambourines, and all). Why did I love this church so much? Well in the United States, churches are so segregated. I love contemporary worship and reliance on the Scriptures in Anglo-nondenominational churches, the value of community/transparency in worship and heartfelt preaching in black churches. This church truly was the best of both worlds.

           I spent the afternoon in the café where I am now a regular! It was quite the lazy day, but so worth it. This day also began the tradition of tea and bread with Doña (my landlord). We have nice little conversations and she is a wonderful substitute for a grandmother. Not only that, but she calls me Ari (which I normally don’t like), but from her it is precious and makes me feel accepted. J

Day 15

           So this week at the Tecnológico it was exam week. While, the English teachers were conducting oral exams two students at a time, I was supposed to prepare the remaining students by conducting a review session. Well, I had to be at work at 7AM and a coworker offered to give me a ride because she lived in the Centro. It was still dark when I went down to meet her. And after 40 minutes and two frustrating calls, we realized that we were looking for each other in two very different places.

           Once I arrived to work, I found Regina—the teacher I was to help out. She is from Germany and is somewhat of a polyglot. We quickly learned that rain made the trek to her classroom in the trailer terribly difficult. And after getting our shoes caked with mud, we discovered that there was neither light nor internet in most of the school. It was then that I decided that I was done coming in at 7AM! The students did not arrive until about 8AM. When the oral exams began, I finally got student interaction. And I loved it! The students were so much fun and teaching them made me excited for the weeks to come.

           After finding out that I got lost for a while last week, Julieta took me on a tour of the bus system. We got on and off buses all over Guanajuato and I think I get it…for the most part. Juliata is like my mother in the faith and has definitely taken me under her wing. She also told me that I could go to Colombia in November for a conference with them! WAHOOO!!! I can check that off my bucket list.

Day 16

           Tuesday, was an all-time low. There was no internet at school. I did nothing all day. And on top of that, I got VERY homesick. I think it was the first time that has happened in my life! I didn’t even know what it was at first. It started when I looked at old pictures from the summer in my camera and before you know it I was completely depressed and looking forward to when I could go back home (I know you’re smiling mom). I realized that I am missing my house church and the community of friends that I have had over the last couple of years. You see, I have no one my age here to bond with…No one that just calls me up or comes over to visit. So that is my current prayer request J

           So to remedy this sickness, I prayed and wrote a poem. I realized that even when I am not surrounded by people, I am not alone. For in the silence, I can hear the small movements that the Lord is doing in my heart and in Guanajuato.

Day 17

           So the day that I had dreaded finally arrived. It was time to go to San Miguel de Allende to get my visa. You see, I went through a headache to get a visa at the Mexican Consulate in Kansas City, only to find out that they only last six months. On top of that, you can only enter the country once. Then when I got to customs in Mexico City, they said I had 30 days to get my new visa. So you can imagine my heart toward the visa process. Well, I was blessed enough to be able to go San Miguel’s office (about an hour away) with two coworkers Martha and Ramón who is from Nicaragua. Fígense…it was so easy! I was in and out in a couple hours (Ramón wasn’t so lucky). They said my visa would be ready on Friday, although I cannot go back until next week with Ramón. Martha and I had time to even walk around the city and grab a late breakfast (compliments of the school budget). In San Miguel, I saw a ridiculous amount of people from the States. The most interesting sight was the JoCo-looking mom with Starbucks in her hand. Ah…there really is no place like home!

           I went to visit a church with my coworker, Ramón, but it did not compare with the church I went to on Sunday. So it was double confirmation that Trigo y Miel is where it’s at.

Day 18

           From start to finish this was one of my favorite days in Guanajuato. I went to work at the Tecnológico at about nine. For some reason, the university has a little bit of a high school feel. When I walk in, it feels like I just stepped into the scene of Mean Girls when they are walking down the hallway and everyone stops all conversation and stares. Then all of sudden you hear safari animals because all time practically stops. That is what it is like for me. But it is less animalistic and more amazement at my skin and my hair. However, after getting to know another class of students, I got less stares and more Hhhhellos. One of the highlights was when this precious and EXTREMELY shy girl came up to me in the library and told me that she desperately wants my help in learning English. I don’t know who told her about me, but I passed her my information and let her know the workshops will begin next week. So this is what being famous is like…

           In the afternoon, I got to hang out with Julieta again. She took me to the Pipila which is this statue of a Man holding a torch and it represents liberation. From the high altitude, you can see all of Guanajuato. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera! We then went out on the town and walked through the theater district. On the steps of Teatro Juarez there was an audience watching with awe the antics of a payaso (clown). Julieta asked me if I wanted to stop and I warned her that I was sure to be the brunt of a joke. Not even five minutes in, he easily spotted me and pulled me to the “stage”. There, he mimed a whole scene of us getting married—bridal veil and all. To think that was not enough, he mimed me getting pregnant and asks how many to which I (without thinking) put up the number three. So apparently you were all right. I got married in Mexico and am now pregnant with triplets who will grow up to be street performers like dad. Lucky me!

Day 19 (today)—Friday

           Went to work and finally was able to get a schedule for the rest of the semester. I will be giving weekly workshops to both teachers and students at the school. I am so excited for what is in store and how God is going to teach me through this experience.

           Tonight I will be going to a Messianic Jew workshop at the church and will be spending the night at Julieta’s!

Cultural Lesson Learned:

To get someone to come, Mexicans make a gesture that looks like they are patting a dog. To me, it looks like either go away or bend down. Well if you do the one finger come here motion that we do in the States it is supposedly flirty and should be accompanied with a wink. So I mistakenly hit on a few male students when asking them to come to the front. The ooooooooos and whistles from the class were enough to teach me the error of my ways. My bad!

Alright I’m out.

Sirenita

Bienvenidos de Guanajuato!

Day 8

So after a weekend of relaxation in Mexico City, it was finally time to spread me wings and fly to the “City of the Frogs”—also known as Guanajuato. In the morning, I took a taxi all by myself from a friend’s house to the centro where I was to meet my mentor. I do not know if you caught that. I—Ariel Anib—Kansas girl—took a taxi in Mexico City (one of the largest cities in the world) by myself! Upon arriving, I was easily able to pick out my mentor, Marcos even though we had never met. I do not know if it was the glasses that might have indicated that he worked with engineers all day OR the fact that he kept smiling at me in a knowing way.

I quickly learned that my mentor was originally from Chicago, so I got to rest my brain and thank God for a conversation that I could understand in English. The ETN bus we took to get to Guanajuato was extremely spacious. It had a separate restroom for men and women in the back. On top of that, there was also enough for me stretch my legs all the way out.

Once upon a time…

            One of the ETAs told me that I would love Guanajuato because it is like a painting come to life. She definitely was not even close to exaggerating. After getting picked up by our two coworkerrs (Marta and Mabel), the four of us drove through Guanajuato. And I kid you not, I felt like I got thrown into Miguel Cervantes’ classic, Don Quijote (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCDRUh0jVMw)!

            Before you could say Parangaricutirimicuaro, we were getting dropped up in front of an alley. It took me no time to realize that walking up ~75 stairs would not be easy…especially with a 50 pound suitcase. My room in the house downtown was a lot better than I expected. I actually have an extra bed and a little living area. The only negative things I could say about the place were that there are about four dogs, it is in a creepy callejón (alley) and I killed five giant spiders.

            My new friend and neighbor, Mabel took me to a café called Casa Carcamanes so that I could get free wifi. It was a beautiful place to be, with good food and relaxing music. It was there that I learned that they will not kick you out. So, I accidentally kept the owner there at least 30 minutes after it was supposed to close!

Day 9

In the morning, I ventured out all by myself and found a cool place for breakfast called Tulúm. There, I made friends with a waitress named Sara Luna. She also became my first English student! She invited me back the next day for a free lunch. What a blessing! J

I will be working at a Tecnológico Superior and Mabel (even though she is on vacation) was kind enough to show me how to get there by bus. It is a pretty new school of less than 1,000 students, with four majors (Industrial Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Systems Engineering and Foods Engineering). Walking into the school, I was instantly famous. Although tempted to run the other way, I walked in with my shoulders back, head held high, and a little swag in my step. The faculty there is really nice and it kinda reminded me of the Leadership Studies building at K-State. I had originally marked a preference for secondary school on my Fulbright application and after seeing rowdy boys giving piggy back rides, I quickly realized my request had been granted.

Ask and you shall receive

            Upon returning to the house from my first grocery store trip, I was introduced to Julieta, my landlord’s (Doña) daughter. The first day I found out that Julieta was Christian after a conversation with Doña. Well, immediately Julieta invited me to her church and gave me information about EVERYTHING. Apparently she is the wife of the pastor of the largest congregation (300 people) in Guanajuato! PRAISE GOD!

Day 10

            I finally got to venture out into Guanajuato and made it all the way to the Café and set up my bank account all by myself! On top of that, I went to a women’s bible study with Pastor Ramos and his wife. I had found this church on Google and what a treasure it was indeed. The lesson was over Mary Magdalene and how God forgives us with love. Everyone wrote down sins and then wrote 1 John 1:9 over it. It says “ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. Then we all took turns shredding it. I came here naively thinking I would struggle finding a church and I now realize I am going to have to choose between two!

Today (Day 11)

            Today, I woke up bright and early. Fixed some cereal, a packed lunch, got ready, and headed to the bus stop all by myself. Standing there, I realized that I was not seeing the bus that I needed. Right as I was starting to get nervous, I heard, “blablablablaCERESOblabla.” Without hesitation, I hopped on, praying that it would be the right one. And it was! J

            I spent the day at the Tecnológico learning about teaching methods. I realized quickly that being a teacher is way harder than it looks, especially when you are learning it in a different language. I would say I left overwhelmed in the least.

            Getting off work, I had a voicemail from my friend Yujin (from Korea) saying that she was at the Guanajuato bus station and had been waiting for two hours! Due to the fact that my bus ride back to the centro took 40 minutes and I had no clue how to get the bus station…I was in a pickle! So, I sucked up my pride and asked multiple people what to do. Within 10 minutes of getting off my bus, I found another stop and a bus that said Central de autobuses.

**Ariel-1 Guanajuato- 5. I am definitely catching up.**

            Today I had a run in with a cultural difference with the Doña. I had no idea that when guests came to stay, they have to pay a small fee. Sadly, I found this out when my friend Mabel came and told me that Doña brought it up to her. Now, it makes sense since I am paying only $100 (gas and lights included). But the whole finding out through a third party? Not cool! I cleared it up though and Apologized for not having let her know in advance.

I would say that this week, I have conquered a lot. If you thought the last entry was long, I am sure you did not it make it through this week’s! With more experience will come less speculation, but here are the random things I noticed (WARNING—Not PC at all):

• ·      Saw my first transvestite
• ·      Mexican Catholic priests sound like gringos to me
• ·      There is a black saint from Perú named San Martín de Porres
• ·      When it comes to Bible Study and speaking in a university, my Spanish is that of a first grader!

Thanks for the continuous love and prayers!

Sirenita

It's a New Dawn...It's a New Day

Pre-México 2012

            So, I never thought this day would come. Finally, I could pinpoint a moment where two, seemingly paradoxical, Biblical promises proved to be true. “God will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4) and “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). My freshman year of college, the Fulbright was suggested to me by the Scholarship Advisor, Jim Hohenbary and it became a desire of my heart. As the years went on, I had to truly make that desire secondary and rest in the fact that whatever the Lord’s will was would be more than sufficient for me. Well, let me tell you how ecstatic I was to find out that I had received the Fulbright, an answer to prayer.

            Leading up to my time abroad, I was experiencing an ambivalence of emotions. Joy about being about to go to my México—my second home. Fear about the unknown. Frustration toward those who said more negative than positive toward my leaving. And Relief toward those who promised to cover me in prayer knowing that I was called to leave. Those feelings (and more) sent me off Monday, August 20.

Day 1

After no sleep, I got out of bed at 4:15am to get ready for my 7:30am flight to Mexico City for orientation. I had the privilege of being about to ride with two other Fulbright scholars, Michael and Shea, from Kansas City. With little to no problems with Customs, taxis, or flight delays, we were able to arrive to our hotel in Mexico City around 2:30pm or so. It was crazy to find that our hotel was in the middle of a mall!

In little to no time, my roommate Savi arrived as well. Savi is from New York and has awesomely curly hair (which we were sure to bond over). In less than an hour, we had formed a group of six and were laughing and joshing with one another like old buddies. We went out and visited el Centro Histórico, ate dinner, and snacked on churros y chocolate caliente. What a blessing it was to be surrounded by beautiful (and handsome) people who not only loved Latin American culture, but also had a desire to make moves toward educational equality!

Day 2

            Our morning began with a Mexican breakfast buffet in the lower floor of the hotel. We were able to meet all the English Teaching Assistants, as well as the Business Bi-national scholars.

            After listening to introductions, we spent the day learning about the program and responsibilities that we will have for the next year. We were also able to get our bank cards and first paycheck which was definitely a plus.

From “uninformed optimism” to “informed pessimism”

            So, in the evening, we had a workshop about crossing cultures. In this workshop, I realized that there are many things that my African American culture has in common with Mexican culture:

            -Speaking respectfully to elders

            -Being late

            -Greeting everyone in a room individually upon entering.

            -More personable with greetings than just a handshake (offer hug/kiss)

Although this is my 8^th time in México, I realized that there are also some things that I will struggle with culturally:

-Being able to listen and talk at the same time in Spanish. In Mexican culture, it is not rude to interrupt during discussions/conversation.

-Often Mexicans can overpromise and under-deliver in order to preserve a relationship.

-There is a value of loyalty over honesty.

-One must engage in small talk before jumping straight to business.

In order to keep from offending others, I am trying to open my mind to these new ways of interaction, but it is not going to be easy at all!

Day 3

            This day was the second of orientation and was filled with information about getting a cooperante visa, medical benefits, ETA resources, and the Mexican political system. All in all, it was a long morning AND afternoon.

Blitz, Glitz, and Ritz

            So, in the evening, we were formally invited to go to a reception hosted by Ambassador of the United States of America to México. His house was ridiculously huge and filled with all sorts of people who worked at the embassy. Perhaps I will enter the Foreign Service as a career?

            The night ended with dancing and fun with friends!

Today (Day 4)

            Today was absolutely amazing! I was able to see Teotihuacán. It absolutely amazes me to see that man is capable of build something so complex. The pyramids were impressive .

If you were able to make it all the way through this, well done. Tomorrow, I will be checking out of the hotel, staying with my friend’s boss’s family before heading out to Guanajuato Monday!

Thanks for the continuous love and prayers!

4 Years to Remember

Just finished my last final and I graduate this Saturday! Praise God for the things he has taught me. May you learn from my mistakes and triumphs!

Written: Friday, April 13, 2012-Sunday, April 15, 2012

Marathon Runner

I remember like it was yesterday, when I came to K-State in 2008
It was a brand new place, new experiences, and new freedoms.
I had a new life to live. So I put on a Wildcat identity, always dressed in my purple looking royal.
 “My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for my toil.”
Motivated by being known, the success came in drones.
One organization after another. Do more. Sleep less. I could feel my heart groan.
But I didn’t listen to the cloud of witnesses. That I had heard about.
 Because I was too busy chasin’ after things that could never amount.
Desiring to be Desired. I sought whatever attention I could acquire.
From everyone EXCEPT from the one who was willing to give it without a cost.
Among Christians I was living like the lost.
Night after night I wasted time. When my Spirit jerked, I let Him know I was fine.
 I was with people who were followers of Jesus after all. But together we were in free fall.
 Oh, but at least I don’t drink and have sex was my infamous boast.
Unlike horseshoes and Hand Grenades, with God you don’t get points for almost.
On the outside looking in, I was righteous. I went to church every Sunday without prodding from my mother. Consuming rubbish, my new hobby was to neglect my Lover.

After living in self-induced blindness my God stepped in and gave me a chance to confess.
He used mud from my past so that my eyes could see.
In that darkness he gave me a new testimony.
 I was the woman at the well. Avoiding, caught up in a lie, believing a twisted truth.
But once Christ met me, I was left mute.
The Urbana conference was my burning bush. God opened my eyes to his multicultural mission.
Missions became more than an ambition. I finally had the ammunition that I needed to make the change I had been wishin’.
Come, taste and see that the Lord is good. Could this be the Messiah?
Well, the last time I checked Jesus was not a tease.
So I decided to clothe, feed, and invite the least of these.
 Fighting poverty was no longer just a We are the World movement.
There were people dyin’ while I was figuring out who was to be sent.
 To bring the kingdom of heaven near, God lit a fire in my heart…to see every nation, tribe, and tongue come to Christ.
To say the Body is better segregated is another one of Satan’s lies!

The second half of college was much better than the first.
Not saying that I am no longer a sinner because some days I am the worst.
But now I have accepted God’s grace.
God met me where I was and all I had to do was seek his face.
 I was spurred to live a Purpose-Driven Life and a penny it did not cost.
Glory to God Jesus chose death on a cross and my debt was tossed.
Although it is hard for me not to dwell on the past,
I realized that I must become preoccupied by a new task.
I finally had to say goodbye to all those old things that I chased.
At first it was a culture shock and I did not like the taste. You see, the identity that people created for me was completely displaced.
To be no longer restricted by meetings and people with agendas, is sublime.
What a blessing you receive when you don’t micromanage the author of Time.
The truth is, Christian norms are not normal. My language is characterized by idiomatic expression, and abiding in Christ is my new obsession.
I asked the Lord to send me and he said Go.
So, I am going, for the Lord is my portion and his provision will be pouring…down on my life like rain. And in sickness or in pain, I will not be ashamed to proclaim my Adonai’s name. God is not tame, and my faith is not lame, so call me insane…for going to the Land of the Drug War.
Amidst the fighting, you will still find the poor.
I will throw everything that hinders…me from bringing the good news to sinners.
But before you shoot the messenger, you must know that my weapon could get you with one blow.
No need to push and no need to shove. For the weapon in my arsenal is unconditional love.
So Drug war, you better watch out because I come to you fully armed—Ephesians 6.
In this marathon I am running and my eyes are fixed. Even though yesterday is history and tomorrow’s a mystery, we must remember this life is but a breath in light of eternity.
Therefore, I will walk forward with open hands and no plans, for God has prepared my work in advance.

 Verses: Psalm 27, Hebrews 12, Ecclesiastes 3, Ephesians 6, Ephesians 2:10, Isaiah 6:8, 2 Timothy 1:7, John 15, Romans 12, Psalm 39:5, Revelation 7:9, John 4, and many more! In Christ, Ariel