Every time I have sat down to write a blog this past week, it has been all my emotions that filled the blank pages. So I'm going to attempt to tell it how it is, not how my emotions would tell the story. We'll see how this turns out... ;)

There are so many things to say, so much that is going on that it feels a bit overwhelming to try start.

Each day is about the same. Get up, school, eat, activity with school/going out, sleep. So that's sounds mundane, but it's really not. I went to the Alahambra with school yesterday, and it was very similar to the castle in Seville. Kinda looked the same to me I mean every room is amazing, but seriously...It's like the Grand Canyon. Look at it for 30 minutes a awesomeness...then it looks the same. I went to the beach last week. Salobrena beach. On the way in the bus we drove through the Seirra Nevadas. Let me tell you, I felt like a prisoner. I wanted to break the window and live off 20 euros for the next 3 months. I was praying against my emotions and the constant, "I want this, I want this..." And when we arrived at the beach, a wave of peace swept over me. I played in the water like a 6 year old. Splashing and giggling. It was the most amazing feeling of contentment. Salobrena is an adorable village. Not a lot of people, super quiet compared to the maddness of Granada. You can see the towering snow capped Nevadas on one side, then blue waters and palm trees on the other. It's the perfect location for a city. While we were there, we hiked to the top of the city (it's a city on a hill). I love going down in elevation. Everybody was panting like dogs, and I was fine. Anyways, we walked up to another castle(yes, another one). Although it wasn't a cool castle, the view was... AMAZING. The above pic is from the castle.

I am going to a conference on Saurday with the Jovenes (young adults + high school) in Seville. After there is a concert. So it should be fun. I am praying that I'll begin to form relationships with the Jovenes, language barrier has really stopped things from advancing beyond names.

Culture. Culture here is not really setting in for me. I have gotten comfortable in my house, and around my area. I can adapt more or less to these things. But the culture is another story. Honestly, if I wasn't going to be here for 4 months, I wouldn't have even thought once about the culture. I wouldn't have observed it and payed attention. I have been praying for discernment. Parties are constant, all the time. I have been asked about my religion if I mention that I go to church, and I respond that I'm a Christian. One guy started asking me about customs and baptisms and all sorts of religious routine. I realized then that the Roman Catholic and Christians are the same here. I don't by any means think that being Catholic is bad, but religion here isn't a way of life. It's if you were baptized when you were a baby. I have heard that people either say they are practicing or non practicing Christians. There is not such thing as a non practicing Christian. It cannot be. At first my heart was numb to this...but I asked the Holy Spirit to break my heart for this city. I am so much more aware of my surroundings now. Ecclesiastes 1:18 "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief."

America is materialistic, yes. Spain is too. Maybe it's because about 90% of my time I'm in the hub of the city. Shops shops shops shops shops... so. many. shops. Everybody, and I'm not exaggerating... EVERBODY ALWAYS looks their best. Image is everything here. At home, it's more what you have and how much you have. Here it's what you look like. Hard to explain unless you have spent some time here.

Otherwise the culture is comparable to the Latin culture. Really inviting and warm. Especially at church...love is everywhere. I love it :)

There are really weird things that I miss now that life is absent from them. Family and friends, of course. Peanut butter, milk that doesn't taste like a butt, a baking aisle. Microwave, carpet, a dryer...oh! Dear dryer, I miss you so. I think what I miss the most is a sense of belonging... I know I belong here, God gave me a verse that says, "...Stay in the city until you have been clothed with the power from on high." Can't get more specific than that! I belong, but I don't feel it. I suppose that's why we can't rely on feelings...

Well... there is much more where all that came from, but I'll stop myself before we have a short novel.

I love you all... miss you all dearly...

Irene Grace.

God's AMAZING!

Remember that my words hardly do God justice. His glory is so amazing, I recall the story of when Moses saw the LORD's back in the cleft of a rock. How amazing would it be to see His glory and have simply the sight of Him make your face glow! God whispers sweet words to me saying, "Beloved, hide your soul in the cleft of a rock where I may shower you with my presence."

Time is flying! I feel like I made the last video like 2 days ago!

Lets see if I can recall the past 5 days... On Wednesday I started girls bible study. That was such a blessing...the girls are really amazing and it was nice to have fellowship. I was sitting in the piso (flat) where we had study, and thinking..."Wow God, FIVE days into the trip and I'm sitting in an apartment having fellowship with an amazing group of girls...wow." I am actually leading bible study next week, and I'm pretty excited about it! I was a little scared with my faith when I first arrived, it was being streatched. I know now it's good for my faith, I need to not be comfortable all the time...I'll never grow that way. I am excited to push into God and to experience Him like NEVER before. I already have, and He is absolutly amazing! I'm having a blissful time being romanced by my King!

Okay... Thursday I went to a garden, to get there we walked through a BEAUTIFUL path. Water sounds, lots of trees, smells more so like nature than the city, ahhhhh. The garden was nice, but most of the flowers are still dead. I would like to see it in about a month.

Friday... went out for tapas. Had tinto de verano...my favorite. School...which is kinda a joke. Nobody cars about Spanish there. This coming week we have the director for our teacher . *shudder* He is strange.

Saturday...Went to Seville! 3 hour bus ride to get there. Then I saw the Palace of Seville, the cathedral there (which I think cathedrals are rather creepy), and went to STARBUCKS. I never thought I would be soooo happy to see the ol' Bucks. Tasted like home. It was a good day, but I was so tired by the end. It was hard not to want my family or my girls to experience these amazing things with me. I'm not sure what lesson God is teaching me from these feelings, but I'm just going to roll with it.

Today, Sunday! I went to church today. I know my way around the city pretty well. Last week it took about an hour to walk to chruch, today like 12 minutes. Google maps sucks. jaja! Chruch lasted for about 3 hours, and man was I so tired after trying to understand! I could pick out words, but not an overall meaning in the least. Good think girls study is in English! Normally people stay and chat then go to eat, hang out all day then do night service. I didn't stay. I feel slightly like the 3rd wheel. I can't really get to know people in the chruch yet because I can't speak a lot...in time. Although, it is amazing how people can find a bond without words. Like me and my Spain mama! She is sweet, and even though we only share "hi's" and ((hugs)) and }besos{ I am thankful to have her in my life. I also love the young adults teacher Rachel. She is so sweet and has a passion for the Lord, I can see it in her...I don't ever need to know what she's saying to know that she has a love soo deep for our God. After church I went to "dukin coffee" Yumm. I had to give myself a pep-talk to make myself snap out of "I wish, I wish, I wish" mode. God and I had a coffee date, and I'm all better now. 100 "faith push-ups" stronger :)

Last notes here... I am getting pretty amazing at cooking. I can make gromet grilled cheese. Gormet eggs. Amazing fruit salad. Boy oh boy, I cut fruit like a mad woman! Salad dressing... Like so good. Oh. My. Gosh. jaja! Olive oil and spices. It's real hard (no, I'm not being serious). Yogurt, I can peal the top of yogurt like none other. Peach juice=heaven in a cup.

Thanks for the prayers! I'm not really sick anymore, just slightly stuffy nose. I'm only homesick sometimes, and God is really giving me strength to know how to manage my many emotions. I would love prayer to grow closer with Inez and with the girls in girls bible study. And oppurtunities to speak SPANISH since I only speak in class, when I'm buying something, or when I'm lost. Can I pray for you in any way???? Let me know, PRAYER IS POWERFUL! Love you all lots and lots!

Irene

Me...trying to talk.

Blessings.

Well today was quite the contrast from the past 2 days. It was still difficult to be away from home, but God has brought me to a lovely place here in my adventure.

Today I decided to go to church. God gave me this church, I am sure. I had e-mailed at least a dozen people trying to find a church, and ONE lady responded about 3 months after I sent the e-mails out. She told me of this church. So I looked and found it on facebook. I got ahold of somebody who works there, and I knew it was right...totally had a peace that it was the place for me. So this lovely Easter morning, I got my map, and walked there...which took awhile, but it's good to get to know the city, and practice my Spanish. The walk was beautiful, and the city was almost dead, people partied til probaby 7am...which doesn't help me because I live close to all the hooka cafes and bars. They are below me. :/ But anywho...I got to walk in peace because the city usually has a population of 500,000 during the Easter week- sooo crowded. Lots of French people. I am way off track. Church. So as i finally turned onto the street of Church, I found a couple with kids and asked them where it was. The lady (Anabel) grabbed me and told me to follow her. We went into the church where I was introduced as their friend, I got dos besos (2 kisses) from EVERYBODY in the church. Seriously...like an hour of kissing. Haha Oh and before church we went to a cafe bar. YUM...I had hot chocolate. Which isn't like our hot chocolate...its like warm chocolate suryp. It was sweet...but who doesn't like a cup of hot chocolate goo??? Worship was great at the church. Wednesday night is a girls bible study, so I'm going to begin to go to that, and a youth thing at the chruch on Saturday night. I might do that. Sunday there are 2 services, and next week I think I will go to both.

My walk home was amazing as well. There are TONS of tea and spice markets...and let me tell you...this place beats any tea house in America. It's AMAZING. The court yards smell like sweet herbs and dried fruit and green tea. I got about a pound of tea for only 8 euros. This place is so cheap. I love it. I walked passed the Cathedral...which is WOW. BIG. Nothing like this in the States. After I got home, me and my roommate Inez went for a walk. It was good to talk...especially in English. She is quite lonely too, and we decided that we could be crying buddies. We had a good evening, so I am happy to have spent time with her. I met my 3rd roommate today too. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... He is OLD. GROSS SICK NASTY. yes. Im not going to try to be nice, in my blog anyways. I'll be nice to him. But I don't like it very much. Thomas and Inez don't either. Well...It was an eventful day. SO blessed by God. I am SO happy to have a church body here. I am excited to get more involved! God is teaching me sooo much already, and I am learning both spirital and life lessons. Every second. To think it's only been 3 days!

Prayer Requests: That I would get connected with the chruch. Be able to talk more. Not think about going home every hour. Learn and grow in Christ. Be content and patient in my walk and in my life.

Love from Spain!

Irene (My name sounds sooo pretty here. AND its VERY popular!)

First day

Well...those of you who will be reading this probably know everything, but I´ll write anyway.

I arrived here about 26 hours ago. It has been quite the emotional 10 hours that I have actually been awake for. Yes, I slept 16 hours. And I´m still tired. Anyways, I never thought that missing people would be the hard part for me. But I have wanted my family since I arrived here. Traveling here, I had too much to think about so my emotions didn´t show up. The airport in Madrid was CRAZY. I arrived there, followed people to customs, where they just checked my passport, visa, and a paper I filled out on the plane. Then I got my luggage, and had NO clue where to go. So I really really got to use my Spanish. I suprised myself. I actually know a lot of the language. After about an hour of trying to find my bus, I found it. The terminal in Madrid is huge. It would probably take over 15 minutes to walk the length of it. I found my gate and decided to attempt to use a pay phone to call my parents. That was break down #1. But I made it to Granada fine(as you all know).

Culture shock...for me has been not seeing ANYTHING familiar. No people, no buildings it smells like incense, old stuff, disgusting smoke, and funky food. Once I got into the city, I haven´t been able to find much. I am really lonely, and ready for school to start. I found banks, and I tiny store (which was quite frightening-but I needed food). My favorite place to eat called Chocolate y Pan (chocolate and bread. Who wouldn´t like that place?). I saw some tapas bars, but they are SOOO crowded. Maybe once I find some friends, I´ll go check them out. For now, it has been pretty uneventful. Just hanging at my apartment, and I´m alone a lot because my roommates leave most of the time. But I have one more roommate coming tomrrow.

The city here is really beautiful. Just like you think Europe would be like. I have zero dissapointments about this place. The people are nice too, they all have fantastic style. Lots of deadlocks and long skirts (Lauryn, you would fit in perfectly:), and there are tons of different types of people. Hopefully I´ll be able to find my church. I am DYING for people, and a body right now. I´ll post some pictures on facebook once I find a place to use my laptop.

Love and miss you all soo much!