How does a week pass by so incredibly quickly? I have much to recap on in this blog so I’m guessing it will be a hefty read. Let me start by going back to last Sunday ~~~~~
We visited a different church last Sunday. It was a bit further away, prostate but it was all right. The kids stayed with us through praise and worship (which here goes for at least an hour) and then they went to a new class for about 30 minutes. It’s interesting because then they release the kids to just wander around while the service wraps up. We visited this church again yesterday, advice but we’re not yet completely decided on this becoming our home church. We may visit a different one this coming Sunday and try to find something closer.
We went to a new restaurant after church, La Casa De Dona Lella. It’s all Tican food and incredibly delicious. We loved it so much we went last Sunday and this Sunday. One of the waiters agreed to be one of my interaction partners, so we’ll have to go back every week… for homework purposes, of course!
Sunday night we had English Service at the school. Corey and I were able to work with another missionary couple and do the children’s church for the MKs. It was fun. We taught on the Armor of God. I tried to put pictures on this post, but it’s not letting me, for some reason.
This week was busy. Monday we had a seminar on stress. I was too stressed out to pay attention…lol…just kidding. It really was very informative. Basically the bottom line was that when you’re in a situation you have the choice to make a decision to change your attitude about the problem. It made me think back to conversations with Alyssa about how nobody can “make” you feel a certain way, you decide how it affects you. Empowering words of wisdom.
I developed a cold on Wednesday and I’m still trying to kick a sore throat, so the rest of the week at least on my end was filled with going to school, calling home, trying to keep up with homework and keeping my bed company for a lot of the time.
Friday was a day for fun! I’ve written about the Secret Sisterhood and Friday night we had a slumber party. It was a blast! Nancy Dickerson, one of the directors of Cincel, had the party at her house. She had three girls come in, one to do manicures, one to do pedicures and one to do massages. It’s common here that you can either go to a salon or have them come to you. Anyway, we were pampered for the night! It was wonderful! Just a bit of culture difference, if you’ve ever had a manicure, pedicure or massage you’ll know it’s no small expense. That’s not the case here. It was $4 for the manicure, $6 for the pedicure and $8 for a massage. We also enjoyed watching movies and just bonding with the other missionaries.
Saturday after I returned home we decided to take Alex and Maggie to the Central Market. They haven’t had much of a chance to experience culture outside of school and the local grocery store or mall. The Central Market is an open air experience where there are shops and vendors lining the streets. You kind of get a taste of everything. They had each saved money while we were in the states and they had a great time picking out a few souvenirs to add ambiance to their room. Alex chose a small painting and a tiny terra cotta pig that he could paint. Maggie chose a handmade horse head on a stick that she could gallop around the house and stickers for her cousin.
After shopping we walked through an area where there was a clown putting on a show with a very well trained dog. At one point the dog even stood on his hind legs on top of the clown’s head. It was amazing! We had such a great time at the Market. Alex and Maggie both really seem to enjoy getting out and experiencing the culture.
Well, I think that pretty much catches up what’s been going on here. A quick update on my sister… she is home from the hospital – Praise God! She is still recovering, so please keep her in your prayers. She has more appointments with doctors this week to get more information on what’s been happening in her body.
Thanks for all your prayers. I have so much more to write about cultural differences between here and the states and lots of information, but this blog may very well bypass what I’m allowed to post!
~Tona