long overdue.

Yes, it has been a long time. That is the thing about blogs. No, that is the thing about any relationship- communication is key. It really feels like a unkept friendship! We have not talked in a while, things have happened here, things have happened there. So much to share. Easier untold. More time passes. More things happen. Now, I want to talk to you but where do I begin. Where do I start?

Well. Those are silly thoughts and I say no to them! They will not keep me from this blog post! And, I hope for any of you, readers, if you have that "long lost friendship"-- go get 'em. You can't always share everything and not many things are even meant to be shared.

But, I'd still like to catch you up: Morocco, Whitney, rest in Ronda, family, grad school application, grad school essays, more grad school essays, passing days, cooking and cooking. Maybe in the future (though I doubt it) I will back track on some of the more worthy topics, like Whitney :-)

Morocco: Dark. I didn't sleep. Weirdest experience of my life. I know God's love better as a result.

Whitney: More of God's love. Freeing. Joyful... and happy. Shared words and eye contact that I treasure. Exchanges that showed me God's smile for his beloved children.

Rest in Ronda: It has felt like home. The people, the streets, the stores, the cobblestone, the ways I take to this or that place. The library (which does not have internet, I might add, but that makes me love it even more).

Family: My church family. Man, they are special. I can say at this point they have walked with me through some ups and downs here. I see glad hearts that worship in spirit and in truth. I am humbled when there are six of us at prayer night and I peak my eyes open to see our pastor, and lead musician, worshiping God with such heart that he is on his knees while playing guitar. And only on his knees for Jesus. It is beautiful and an image I hold dearly. So, yes, this family, they are my friends and my buddies and people I have laughed and cried with.

Grad school applications: More time consuming than I would like. That is all I will say about that for now. The writing process is fun, more or less, though.

Passing days: I am thinking how weird it is that I come home in two weeks. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Cooking and Cooking: Fills my heart!!!!! I have gotten to cook two days in a row for two different families!! YAY! The first was for my family- Fernando and Reyes. (Oh, and last weekend Fernando taught me Paella). Let me just pause and say, I love them. So much. Fernando has a father's heart and treats me with such care and fatherly love. It really is special. I feel protected and cared for. They don't have a daughter, just a son... and sometimes I think it is a gift to all of us that I get to be here right now. :-)

Okay, back to cooking. Dish one: Curried butternut squash soup (roasted carrots, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic, onion, curry, lemon and honey) and quinoa with cranberries, toasted pistaschios, carmealized onions, honey-lemon chicken and lots of butter. Fernando was my right hand man in the kitchen. While eating (oh man we ate so much) these were the words spoken: Oh, Oh, Que Rico!! Haha, it was so fun...and special :-)

Then, today I cooked for Eugenia and Emelio, a woman and her husband from my church. I made, of course, the same curried butternut squash soup minus carrots and a cous cous veggie-chickendish. I made a paste/thick sauce/dip thing with lemon, honey, roasted red pepper, spinach, white beans and butter (and some spices). That was in with the cous cous. It was suppose to have basil but I forgot other countries sell things that are actually in season. So that was great too. :-) After lunch, Emelio showed me his photos and photo editing software for a good hour and a half. It was super funny and one of those things I wish you could have been there to experience. But, man, warm my heart.

So. There is that. Long overdue but, hey, no pasa nada!

joy

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

tuesday night worship

I don't know how to start this one.

I can start here: that a concern for Ronda is increasing somewhere inside of me. I can really say this one isn't mine- because it seems that along with this is correlating longing for home- for you all. I really miss you guys a lot. But it is a peaceful longing and that I am really grateful for. Shortly after I arrived here, I read this in a book that Whitney gave me:

"No friendship or lover, no husband or wife, no community or commune will be able to put to rest our deepest cravings for unity and wholeness." As I write this, the song playing on my computer is, "None But Jesus." Timely.

Sometimes I miss you because I crave that unity, and I am quick to look for it in one of you. But lately I have been missing you from a different place, and like I said, this is something I am really grateful for. But, back to Ronda. It is a bit "exciting-scary-sobering," to be quite honest, when a person or place is laid heavy on the heart (like Ronda on mine). It is because what precedes involves awe, action or a thing unanticipated. I don't know what this means for me but I can't look a person in the eyes here without wanting Jesus to come. I find myself thinking, please send someone to tell them about your love, Jesus. Then I get home and look in the mirror.

Well, I can say too that in the ways God is moving, He is also providing me with everything I need. And abundantly more. Gosh you guys, it is really true. He won't speak without providing. The last two weeks I have gone to prayer/worship night at my church. There are about 6-10 people and we sing a lot of songs and pray for the city/vision/each other. Before we put out our requests, though, we just thank God. I can't understand, but at the same time I can. The unbound spirit inside of me understands and it moved by all of it. This family and I, and you who are in Christ, we are one--- like, I wonder how you might be in this too. But man- back to God just really providing- I get prayed over in Spanish and get to pray for my family in English. And there is a unity in all of it.

A gift that has come from this is a deepening friendship with my Spanish friend Jessica. She is 22 and has a really soft heart that mine seems a bit knit to. I think about how hard it is for her to live here- in Ronda and in Southern Spain- she does not have one local friend her age that knows the Lord. Wow. Among other things, she is asking that I will learn Spanish, rapido. Haha.

So, in other news, school is going well. Struggling through Spanish still but asking for some miracle in my mind to just understand! In the meantime, I am tutoring a 7 year old and helping him with English--- although it usually turns out that I am the student. :-) Also- my friend Pil (from South Korea) and I have gotten to hang out a lot and go on a lot of walks. We literally run into each other almost every day in the evenings and it turns into a half hour of walking and watching the sun set. I think only two times we actually planned it. I love it! Her and my friend Megan and another girl from South Korea- Yuni, and I are going to Morocco this weekend through Wednesday! We have three days off of school, so I am super pumped for this time... for conversation... ah! Really!

Last thing- conversation and time has been really great with my Spanish madre (the new one). Reyes is her name and her husband is Fernando. They make me laugh and smile pretty much every day :-) The other night they were in the living room and I was in my room just laughing because Fernando was singing a "Journey" song at the top of his lungs and Reyes was in there with him just laughing. She also talks to her self a lot and this I love too. For example, before eating she will sing vamos a comer, vamos a comer. Actually, she sings everything she does. Vamos a poner, vamos a poner, vamor a poner (while we set the table), or voy a dormir, voy a dormir (sleep). It is seriously hilirous. I watched Pirates of the Caribbean with them and every single thing that happened: Que Obscuro! Oue Pena! Que Pelo! Que Bonita! hahaha. Anyways, our time has been good as have our convos. She teaches CCD classes at the Catholic church and we have had neat convos about that, too. :-)

Well. Thanks for reading this. I hope it gives you all a bit of an update. Love you guys. I will actually end with this from Psalm 16 and also from a note Jenny sent me right after I got here:

I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

cosas interesantes

1. Although they all have soap dispensers, about 1 in 10 bathrooms actually have the soap. That is a generous estimate.

2. In Spain, if you are over the age of 18, you can have you sex surgically changed for free. Completely free.

3. Also in Spain, a kid of 16 years or older can legally have an abortion without their parents or guardians permission.

4. Suicide rates in South Korea are super high. It is possible this is because every male HAS to serve in the army for 2 years and my friends say it is pretty rough.

5. My friends from Korea are one year older in Korea than they are here. In South Korea, they start age from conception! So when they are born, they are already one year old.

6. I will never understand the Andalusian accent.

my address

Lindsay Elliott
Programa Internacional de Estudios de Espanol
C/ Marques de Salvatierra, 8
Palacio del Jalifa
PO Box 332
29400, Ronda, Malaga, Spain



Longest address in the world, eh?

a bit of barcelona

So there are a few updates I really want to give: more on my new family and home (going on week two makes them not quite so new at this point), my address which is SOON to come I am just waiting on getting that info (it is the schools address), and lastly my trip to Barcelona with my friend Megan.

This is going to be about Barcelona. So I decided to go sort of last minute. The tickets on RyanAir were super cheap and with recent conversations Megan and I had, I was really feeling "go" in my heart. Beyond that, I was simply looking forward to sharing that time with her. In so many ways our time and conversations were more life-giving than I could have asked. She is someone that I am beginning to call a dear friend and it is a gift to share raw conversations that really do leave me feeling full and with vision.

So, I arrived in Barcelona a day after Megan. Off the plane and into the big city by bus I went! Unfortunately, the bus ride lasted 1 hour since we hit a car and my plans to just "call megan when I get there" were a bit hindered by the fact that my phone wouldn't turn back on. Que Pena! Haha. But, as they always do, things worked out well and we greeted one another at our hostel.

First thing I did in Barcelona: visit the famous market. Oh, it was so Beautiful!! I think I took at least 200 photos of the market. I have never seen so much fruit in my life. Wow. Jenny- the popular thing at the market made me wish you were there with me. Fruit bars. Everywhere. Fruit bars, fruit cups, fresh fruit juices. Below are some photos of crabs, fruit, more fruit, and of course, animal tounge (Sarah that ones for you).

I tried not to over-think the masses and masses of food here. But really. I don't have much else to say about that, a lot of it just didn't feel right- ya know?

So, sorry to gross you out. On to the next thing! Haha. Barcelona has some of the coolest art I have ever seen. In the restaruants, on the street, in the museums, in the parks.... it goes on and on. The buildings themselves are works of art, thanks to the famous Gaudi. He is responsible for the photos you will see below. I wish I knew more about him and his work but what I know came from Megan. One interesting thing she told me was that in the process of building and designing the famous Sagrada Familia church, he became a Christian. Oh, also, everything he built he wanted to emulate nature. He accomplished that quite successfully.




As much as I enjoyed seeing these beautiful, well-known places, it was eating at artsy vegan restaurants, frozen yogurt and gelato, reading in cafes with my coffee in hand, convos with megan, and biking around the neighborhoods that really got my heart. The three days I was there felt like fall days, too. Crisp air and changing trees. The 90 degree days in Ronda have not yet convinced me to believe it is actually October. Below are some photos of those activities.




The photo of the fox-- oh ya know, just some street art. So neat! Graffiti like this lined every single street. And about that fro-yo-- theirs is way better.





Continuing on, I also really enjoyed seeing so many people from all over the world. What interested me the most in that was seeing immigration full fledged. I guess I just hadn't ever really realized how much of a melting pot the whole world is.

Well, it is hard to end this post because I feel like everything was left unsaid. But I think that is okay. If you ever want to hear more-- ask me about yoga in the park, the girl in the tree, the street vendors selling the whistle thing, chickens on the street, or conquering the city, showerless and in my chacos. I would love to share more :-)

"a regular" and a new family

I am officially becoming a regular at a local cafe, and, I love it! This is how I know: when I enter the cafe, they give me a smile, an Hola and start making my coffee with a happy Andalusian wink! Greatest thing ever! Yay!

Second, I have a new home. A new family. You guys, I don't even have words. My heart is blown! Ah, seriously!!! SER-I-OUS-LY. What a house of joy and light. Jesus is surely there and oh it is a true delight for my soul!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
2 Corinthians 3:17

a few photos

just wanted to add a few photos

(because this is more fun than homework)


The Market in Ronda
underwears, vegetables and olives. a complete market indeed.



Sevilla, Spain
this dog is just like a little man. haha.



Tapas
clearly I did not know what I was ordering.

just a little this and that

As I said awhile back, I will give you a bit of insight into my iglesia Espanola. Well, I really do love this little church. This morning, actually, (I type this laughing and smiling) the pastor asked if I wanted to sing a song soon at church! Haha. I said okay. WHAT?? Lol. I am going to sing and my friend, Hanbil, who is Korean and from my school, is going to play piano. Ohhh, gosh. I will let you know how it goes. There are about 20 people who attend this church. It is crazy each time I think about how few Christians there are here in a town of 50,000 or more. But it is beautiful because they don’t have hopeless and overwhelmed hearts, instead, I there is so much joy in them and it really does radiate even from their eyes. Even though I know 10% of whatever is going on (although there was a time that was closer to 25%), I love worshipping together with them.

Okay, now I will back track to talk about my friend Hanbil. Friday night I went to have a cervesa with a friend from my class, Pil and her roommate Hanbil. Though activities with the school over the past couple weeks, we’ve shared time and experiences that have let us grow more fond of each other. So the other night when I was with them, I found out Hanbil is a believer and we go to the same church! Haha. We just did not know because the weeks she was there, I was gone. Today we were there together, though J

I have to add this, too. Neither Pil nor Hanbil speak English so our common language is Spanish… haha! Ah, you should hear us talk. It is broken and choppy at best, and my English accent and their Korean accents make whatever it is we speak far from a “romance language.” Oh man, how are we friends?! It works, though.

Well, in other news, it has been a bit since my last blog and much has happened! I have made a few more friends, been on a few more adventures, and grown more familiar with the streets of Ronda. It has been more difficult than I anticipated to make friends with the locals here because this town is neither young nor liberal, for lack of a better word (in the sense of the arts, culture and openness). Traditional is more defining of this culture. No complaints- the tradition here is so beautiful, it just simply makes it harder to connect. But, although conversations are more difficult to start/maintain because that common thread of interest is lacking, I should note that the people here in no way lack friendliness! I am continuously greeted with generosity and sweet smiles so I never hesitate to start a little something with an Hola (followed by a no hablo espanol bien). Haha. But, okay, when I do get beyond that or find someone with shared interests it is so great! For example, yesterday I spend the day walking around and vending artwork with two new artisticos amigos espanoles! They were in town for the day to sell at a market here (a girl and guy)! It was really great because we communicated very well, had so much in common and just were back and forth in talking about this thing or that. I think we shared conversations about everything from music to lives in captivity to traveling to the simple life. It was refreshing for my heart and I was so encouraged in talking and connecting in Espanol! Yay! I think it was a lot easier to chat, too, because they didn’t really have an accent. Here in Andalucia, words are pronounced SO different. It is like, Texas to the max, then that times 25! Haha. So, when a woman said “adios hija” to me the other day, it sounded like this: odd-e-o-eea. (as opposed to odd-e-ous-e-ha) What? Lol. But anyways, back to my friends, I was glad to share that day with them…I kinda just feel like it was really significant for me. And, they were totally hippies (one of which had dreads, lived out of a camper, and had two scruffy little dogs). I loved it.

Okay, one more update- I am moving! I am changing houses on Tuesday and really looking forward to it. I will let you all know how it all goes after. The family I am moving in with is a woman, who teaches culture at my school, and her husband. They live in a completely different part of Ronda, closer to the campos (the country). For any who don’t know, there were just a few little glitches in my other living arrangement. No big though, and there is a lot of peace about moving.

Wellllp. I love you guys. I will post my new address on here when I get it. To all who don’t know--- Alyssa is leaving the country on Tuesday for an 11-month journey around the world. Wow. More on that here: http://alyssarainbolt.theworldrace.org/

what the difference isn't

This past weekend I skyped with my brother, Dustin, and his wife/my sister, Jenny. Ah. That could be enough said, but I will go on to say, from the laughter to the conversation, this really made my heart happy! During our conversation Jenny said something that really struck me, and it has been on my mind since. I shared with them the disconnect I feel with a lot of the people here and the difficulty I have had in my attempts to communicate who I am and why I do what I do. If I could give you a picture it would be this: the nonathletic kid at a camp, facing a flat wall, rope in hands and for the seventh time getting ready to go at it again (wondering why he is trying for literally the seventh time). Yep. I relate.

I thought this difference was the language thing. It makes sense.

Well, I was reminded otherwise. Jenny reminded me that the ultimate difference or disconnect between the world that I live and the world of the people around me is not that I am American and they are Spanish. Yes, that is certainty true, but she reminded me of the shared human experience in that we are all people who have emotions, friends, share stories, laugh, cry, eat, walk and drink. This was a good reminder for me. It was good because, in her even saying that, I felt that disconnect shrink a bit. But, what was even better was when she pointed out that the greatest difference I have experienced here, and one I will have in my time living on this earth, is that the life of Jesus and the life of a soul where He lives will clash against any other. I think this brought me a lot of peace, because the burden I felt from my inability to really connect lifted.

It is easy to forget that I am not an American sojourner in a land belonging to Spanairds, but that I am God's child living in a place that is not home. I am so glad to recall: seeking comfort here will disappoint and expectations don't have a return. And, somehow the best news of all is that Jesus suffered and said we will too (but he also said take heart).

1 Peter 3:13-16 and 1 Corinthians 4:12.

"Above all, keep loving"
1 Peter 4:8

I see you, Africa.

If you read my last post, you may be expecting stories from my Spanish church or conversation class, but I must put that on hold to tell you of this day:

Tarifa, Spain. Morocco, Africa.

My day began with avena, cafe and these words: "Cast your burden on the Lord and he will sustain you, he will never permit the righteous to be moved." I thought about that word, "righteous," for quite some time. My heart rested that labor-free title.

Then to the bus station I went! My madre packed me a sandwich. Actually, three. One with cheese, one with salami and one with tomatoes and lettuce. Again, when in Espana. :-) Oh, I also got two fruits in my sack lunch and some half-milk, half-orange/mango juice drink. Interesting. I dare say tasty.

Now because I live in the mountains, this bus ride was no straight-shot. I wondered if "not being moved" meant the same thing as "not tumbling down a mountain going 90 kilos per hour in a sketchy standard shift bus." Well, it really didn't matter because the beauty of what I saw I won't even attempt to describe. Here is a photo, though:

The ride home was even better. The sun was setting. I didn't even take photos of that, though, because that array of color dressing the mountains would just never translate (more on that later).

Okay, so, we arrived in Tarifa. I will let the photos do the talking. Although most of my time on the beach was spent in solitude, it wasn't spent alone. Then in the actual city, my time was shared with my new Polish friend Dobrochna.

Did I mention earlier that, in that first photo, the peak in the back is Morocco? Just checking. Now, Tarifa is the southern most point in Spain. From some parts of the city I actually saw houses in Morocco. How crazy (my point and shoot couldn't quite capture that). A ferry ride only takes 35 minutes. I honestly think it is very possible for the average joe to swim on over. I wonder if people do that?! Tarifa is very African-y. There is a lot of Morrocan and Islamic influence here along with what seemed to me to be a lot of Hindu or Buddhist influence. Then, as you will see, there was a Catholic cathedral. Here are some of the photos:

The ride home. Oh, the ride home. Man, it was full. I listened to music from Redeemer and the Village Church, which was beyond good. But that didn't even touch the thoughts that flowed from that time. Of all the beautiful things that I saw and the ways they reflected the unbelievable beauty and love of God, I thought, he choose us. The sunset I can't describe, nor can I communicate the beauty in seeing Morocco from Spain, finding little treasures in Tarifa's antiquity, mountains behind mountains behind mountains, trees I have never seen, nature, and on and on. But my heart only cried when I was somehow reminded that over all these things God though it best to reveal his glory by creating man in his own image. Me. And you. And no, I don't see this is me nor do I see it in you. But I see it in that man Jesus. And because of that, more than the mountains and stars and sky and sea and sunsets, God is glorified in all with Jesus in them. And Jesus will live joyfully in all who ask. Now, this is that word I was thinking of earlier: righteousness.

Before I left for Spain, I saw a quote by CS Lewis in a friend's room: "You do not have a soul, you are a soul. You have a body." (Job 10:11).

Week one in Ronda

I guess the thing about blogs is you have to tell people about them. I have yet to do that. It feels like the opening of a new store- you get it all prepared, swept clean, arranged to your own liking...then you tell your close friends... maybe give them a little preview, and then, when you often don't feel ready for it- the grand opening! I need to have that grand opening part (although I wouldn't say I am finished with the prior and necessary steps). Anywho- David Hall- I am sure if no one else you may relate (Baldwins).

Okay, so I have been in Ronda for almost one week now. There are two photos at left. Beautiful, right? The town is considered a "cliff top town" because it sits on and in between gorges. The main part of the city, lined with tapas bars, cafes and little spanish shops, along with the famous "Plaza de Los Torros," is on top of a cliff which in somehow in between mountains. Miles beyond the main happenings, small communities and farms are set along the landscape. They call this area the campos. It is like, for example, in Lawrence, Clinton lake areas are to Lawrence as campos are to Ronda. More or less. Well it is all just beautiful. These mountains surround the city on every side, which is now and has always been the main military defense of this town. Ronda's history of tension between Islam and Christianity, the new town and the old town (which are now connected by a huge Moorish bridge), the water supply, bull fighting, and so on is quite rich. If you are so interested, more info on that is here: http://www.andalucia.com/ronda/history.htm.

Well, I have found that starting my first blog post in Ronda has also been difficult because I just do not know where to begin. So many things are pulling on my mind as I sit here and wonder what to share. Well, I will just have to start. I LOVE that I can walk anywhere and everywhere. Everything is brick. Sidewalks are petite. Spain in general is not lacking much- gelato, fresh fruits, foods with so much taste, history, markets, stories, old people, young people, coffee, tradition- these things are the ornaments on each day here. It is not uncommon for me to see a woman of at least 85 years walking with her daily sack of groceries. I love that. To describe it all I would use this word: flavor. And speaking of flavor, ah, the food. I will be dedicating many posts solely to this subject as time progresses. :-)

Last thing I want to share in this post (I don't want to exhaust my readers already) are things that meet me quite unexpectedly. Now, most unexpected because I wear American glasses: It is not common for married people here to wear wedding rings. If they do, they wear them on the right hand. Everyone (literally almost everyone) smokes. Everything closes down from 2-5 (siesta). Lunch (the big meal of the day... although they all seem quite large) is at 3 and dinner is sometime between 9 and 11:30. Here, gracias is pronounced gra-thi-is, rather than gra-see-is. And, the best surprise of all, I have class from 9-1 and we get a 45 minute break. Haha. That is how a days worth of studying should be. Oh, one last thing-- I have wondered if people here sleep. Now speaking of sleep, my hope is that this did not just cause you to do so.
More
to come soon on my worship experience with about 15 Christians (maybe, honestly, the only ones or rare few in this town of 50,000) to the Spanish version of "God of This City" by Chris Tomlin. I cried. Also, next post will involve an account of my spiritual conversations with my 3 classmates (one man from Ireland, one from Chek Republic and one chica that is Korean) and my Spanish conversations professor. Explaining that I have a new heart from Jesus in Spanish, when I cannot speak Spanish, has been the highlight of it all. Until then, enjoy the photos I posted! Love you all. Linds

Madrid. Gelato. Brick Roads.

Well, here I am, blogging. I never thought I would be a "blogger." In fact, I recall a recent conversation with my dear Whitney and Jami where I said something along the lines of this: "Well, I may make a guest appearance in yours, Whit, but I could never get into the whole blog thing. It's not for me. I like paper and pencil too much." Yep, I said that. But, man, I think for the first time I get it. Experiencing something so beautiful that you feel this sort of obligation (or really deep want) to share it. Not just with anyone, but with the people God has knitted your heart with. The people who you feel are, in a way, here experiencing it with you. There are a lot of you currently coming to mind. Even today, I have see things on the street (pictures to follow) that my heart aches to share with each of you. Jenny, with each gelato shop (which means about every 20 seconds). Sarah and all the raw meat just hanging from the market ceilings. Haha. Jami, seriously-- those baggy pants you have (that you wore to church Sunday), they are ALL OVER the place here!! Who knew you were up on the European trends. :-) Oh, Whitney-- I have never seen such beautiful food! And it's like with each little turn in the road I see one of you (Shoes hanging over a street cable, Stef, how did that remind me of you?) And Haley, all the horse statues, you would love them. Okay. I really need to stop. I am going to refresh, have some tapas, and see what this European froyo is all about.