What an incredible past few weeks it has been! Multiple Thanksgiving celebrations and now prepping for the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! One of the Thanksgiving celebrations included having thirteen college students at my apartment and enjoying some typical Thanksgiving food and American culture. It was an awesome opportunity to talk about the origins of Thanksgiving: how there was a desire to freely worship God and how the Pilgrims gave thanks to Him for His provision through the ups and the downs of their journey. It was a wonderful time of laughter, fun and way too much food! I also celebrated with my friends Tim and Paula, their family and some of their friends. It was a wonderful mix of Spaniards, Americans and Brits celebrating together. It is so cool how holidays can bring together people from all different cultures and backgrounds! It was fun to prepare all the food and decorate to celebrate such a fun day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I was talking to a friend today about how I sometimes feel like I am living in a dream. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to live in Spain and learn a new language and culture. The friendships that surround me are amazing. I am a creature of habit…I go to the same coffee shop, the same copy shop, the same post office, etc. even if it is not the closest to where I may be at the time. It may seem a little crazy at times, but I love the relationships that I  develop with the workers in all of these places. I have become a familiar face; and each place I go, I desire that the love of Christ shines bright through me. When I think about how great His love is and how incredible He is, how can I not share it in some way? This city holds a special place in my heart and I grow to love it and the people here more every day.

Christmas is on its way…Christmas music can be heard in stores, lights are being hung, Christmas productions are being practiced and cookies are being baked. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be preparing my students for the Christmas presentations that each class will give for their parents, rehearsing music for the church’s Christmas play and simply enjoying the season that is focused on the birth of Jesus Christ and what an amazing gift came to us 2000 years ago! I’ll be home in 19 days…not that I’m counting or anything 🙂 …and I can’t wait to spend Christmas with family and friends!

Christmas in the Plaza Mayor