France, food, friends, and fellowship

Vale, it´s been a few weeks :( so sorry... I don´t know where time goes! Anyways...

I just got back from FRANCE!!! I was there for 3 days, and was able to meet up with Ben Anderson (most of ya´ll know him one of the many psudo brothers from MN) his roommate Peter, who is from France, Benny´s girlfriend Hannah, and one other friend from Taylor.

The time was INCREDIBLE! And the food was EVEN better! But the BEST was being able to fellowship freely!

A quick overview of our time:
I got in on Wed. night (Ben Hannah and Peter´s dad met me at the airport) and we ate... delish.

Thursday morning we went into Paris. We went to this beautiful church up on a hill and saw some local artists! We also saw the Eiffel from a distance! (Breathtaking!) We left Paris early to get back to Senlis (where Peter´s family lives), because that night we would dine at the Kuehl´s friends house for dinner. (By far my favorite European meal thus far!)

It started with little finger foods, a French trail mix, some cheese, crackers, dip, sausage, crab and a few others. They handed out drinks, toasted and the meal began! After about a half hour of chatting and relaxing we were invited to the dinner table. (Usually there is a main course, cheese course and dessert. But tonight the main and cheese were combined.) Basically it looked like this we all took some potatoes, shredded carrots, meats, lettuce, and some other stuff. Then they put one of those HUGE round disks of cheese (like at Byerlys...) put it near the fire and as it melted scrapped it onto our food! Let me tell you SO good!!!!!!! YUM and then for dessert, fruit! Fresh! In all the dinner lasted from about 8:30 until Midnight!!! (now that´s a real meal!!!) Al... the whole time I was hoping that you could teleport there... you would´ve LOVED it!!!

Friday we got up and went to the local market! So fun... food and clothing and more food and more clothing... Then we went to the Senlis Notre Dame. It was BEAUTIFUL. Seriously the stained glass windows were incredible. Then we went back to Paris for the day. Went to the top of the Eiffel Tour, went to THE Norte Dame in Paris a quick shopping trip, and finally the Louvre!!!! Which was just too much.

My last day I brought the others to the airport in the morning and spent the afternoon wandering around Senlis, and helping the Keuhl´s by watching these two adorable English children whose mom was in the hospital. (we played hide and seek and watched the The Rescuers Down Under... good stuff!!!)

Now I´m back in Madrid for two days of classes and then Wednesday night I´m off to Italy! (then to L´abri/Geneva Switzerland and Brussels, Belgium.) I´ll try to update pictures on facebook and write on here some of the highlights!

Ciao

Friends

These past few weeks God has really blessed me by bringing some friends of mine over to Spain.

First were Brenda and Neil Smith!  What a great blessing it was to spend the afternoon with them, eating some delicious food near Plaza de Espana, and then walking through the many shops of Cuatro Caminos.  It was a beautiful day!  Then I got to see some other friends from home, the Beutows!  Hearing about their travels and experiences in Spain was a highlight of my week.  

I know that may sound kind of weird, but the most difficult part of being in Spain is being lonely.  Yeah I have friends here ;) but it's different, they don't know me, nor do they love as deeply as my friends and family in Minnesota.  

Yesterday I was also able to spend a few hours with my friend Ashley Beck, roommate last year as well.  What a blessing, it was incredible to hear about her semester and the strength that God has provided her.  I learned that she speaks french, I have two french professors staying in our apartment for the week, and Ash just struck up a conversation.  Twice in the conversation she brought up God and following him.  It was such an encouragement to watch her so comfortable with Jesus.

All in all I cannot deny that having these people come has fanned the flame in my heart.  Thank you God for bringing people I love to Spain to help encourage me to live for you openly.

Can You Feel the Ocean?

After 7 hours in the airport, trying to avoid having to take a taxi, nine friends and I boarded an airplane to go to Lisbon Portugal for the weekend.  

What a beautiful city, with friendly people and delicious food!  

By the time we got there, and loaded ourselves onto the bus to get to our hostel, we were starving and exhausted.  Thankfully God provided the most wonderful host that showed us all the "hot spots" of the city and pointed us in the right direction to the delicious food to be enjoyed in the beautiful sunshine!  All day Friday we walked around the city, up more stairs then on the great wall (jajaja) and then back down them, we ended at the pier.

It was peaceful at the pier, something that Madrid should never boast is to be a peaceful city, but here at the ocean, vast and deep, was rest for my soul.  It was the greatest feeling to know that as I sat there, God was there with me, literally holding me in His hands.  A short break from the reality that I'm living physically alone, away from other Christians, away from family, friends, security.  The pier was an oasis for me.

The next day we made our way through the flea market, a crazy fun experience!  And off to Sintra (a neighboring city on the side of a mountain that boasts of "lush greenery and castles to boot!" (literally written in the "Guide to Sintra" handbook we got getting of the train!)) and then down to the coast in Cascais.  Again we couldn't have asked for better weather! 

Our last day there was spent at the Castle located in Lisbon.  It too was a beautiful castle, grown over like in the scene from Ever After. And then back to the airport for the flight home.

All together it was a wonderful time away from the fast paced city that seriously never sleeps!