What's in YOUR Backpack?

Wow, here we are again, officially one month into my Latin American experience! Yesterday, the 12th of February marked that checkpoint, but also the end of Core Seminar! That was the more college-like class that we have had twice a week since we've been here, and yesterday it ended with our final exam....the group that normally walks home from Spanish class stopped and had pizza, and then ice cream to celebrate :)But this doesn't mean that the semester gets easier from here...we're really just beginning (at least that's what they tell us!) Monday morning, all of us are leaving on a bus at 6:30 in the morning for Nicaragua! Yeah, it's pretty exciting...at least, I've realized that there's no reason to NOT be excited about the trip. We'll be spending the first few days together in the city, and then we'll be split up and go to our host homes for about a week. Trevor (kinda the guy in charge of LASP) told us that that we'll probably live in the same village as a couple other students from our group, but that's as much interaction as we'll have with each other....I'm pretty excited to have some time away from the other students....and to be able to just live with my family. We're supposed to keep a journal, and we'll have some assignments about our trip when we get back, but for the most part, the whole point is to just live! And I like that all we are taking with us is whatever we fit in our backpack. It's a bit of a stretch for me, but it's good for me too...I'm learning :) This trip also means I won't be in contact again, probably until March. Right when we get back from there, we have spring break, and there's a group of us who are hoping to do a two-day tourist thing with the whole zip-line, forest tour, hike to a waterfall stuff. That'll take us through the end of February! Man, time is flying! :)

Not only was yesterday the one-month mark, and the end of Core Seminar, it was the opening games of the 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS!!!! I was able to watch the torch be lit at least....which is always cool...and from Costa Rica....that kinda makes it even cooler! :) I didn't get to watch all of the ceremony, but for good reason: Brenda, Michael and I were the only ones home last night, and they planned an American night for me: we all helped make hamburgers (but still Tico-style, of course), and then ate them while we watched "The Prince and Me" :) Michael is such a good sport! To round out the evening, I shared the wonder of S'mores for dessert...at least as well as I could. All the ingredients were there, just a little different! :) They went over pretty well too! :) We're still working on corn dogs...I told them that's really the only food I miss from America, but they hadn't even heard of corn dogs...so I'll probably just have to wait for those, not like I'm not surviving on the food here! :)

Since I'm sure there'll be a TON of pictures to share after Nicaragua, I went ahead and posted my most recent ones: just read the captions for the documentation :) I put those in the second album so far, so just use the link from my last post and keep clicking to see the new ones. I also wanted to share this video from worship at church this Sunday, because it might sound familiar :) It should be there, so just click play:



As always, I'm learning a lot...each new day, I have a new experience that teaches me a little bit more about myself, the world, and my place in it....especially how God is working in all of it too! That's all pretty mind-boggling...which is GREAT! :) For those of you who are praying, please pray for our safety during our little excursion, and all the relationships and experiences that are going to be had and hopefully learned from. Also, the time is soon coming for everything having to do with going back to JBC (I know, it's seems kinda early), but that means I'll be making some decisions (like whether or not to be an RA, and how to pay for THIS semester) and I would appreciate some extra prayer for guidance! :) I ask because I know the prayers are working up 'til now, so I may as well... :)For now, I will leave you to go prepare my backpack after I finish my rice for lunch! Chaio! :)