To Toast or Not to Toast?!

We had quite the adventure here today. My roommate Kelly posted an hilarious blog about it today. I will just show you a couple of pictures to wet your appetite, but I highly reccomend reading what she wrote. Click here to read it.

My Birthday!!!

Well, I am now posting for the third time in the last hour. I just posted the blog about "The Queen of the Nile" and I also typed this whole thing up once and somehow when I hit the back key as I was previewing the post ended up erasing the entire entry, which was really long and well thought out. I will try to redo it, but I am now really tired and really frustrated. Anyway, this is pretty much how it went...

My birthday is now officially over in Spain, however I was thinking of flying back to the states so that I could extend it another 6 hours and have a 30 hour birthday but decided against it becuase, I am not a huge fan of jet lag. I had quite a full day anyway. It began with sleeping in until 10 am. Then my roommates, Kelly and Victoria, and I went out to breakfast. We really wanted to go to Patatin, which is a really good breakfast place just a couple of blocks from our flat but suprisingly it was closed today. We really wanted breakfast so we decided to walk just a bit farther to try to find a place that serves eggs for breakfast. It is actually somewhat of a rarity as we ended up walking about 15 minutes to Plaza de Espana when Kelly and Victoria remembered that VIPS serves English/American breakfast (we had already passed 2 or 3 of these restaurants by this point). Let me just say though that it was well worth the walk. I had pancakes (that rival IHOP), eggs, fries, cafe con leche, and fresh squeezed orange juice. It was so good and it cost less than 5 euros. Yeah!

After the spectacular start to my day, I decided I needed to spend some birthday money at my favorite store, that's right, H & M. Rach, I wish you could have gone with me. I found a few things and then came home in time to get ready for Kelly and I to head out to St. Louis University, where Oasis Madrid holds it's services. We got there at 3:30 to set up for tonight's service, which was awesome by the way. Way to go Troy! Right now we are in a series on Body Parts and how we can offer different body parts to God. Tonight was the left brain and he talked about wisdom, knowledge, obedience, etc. It was really good. You should check out his website as he has some of the previous topics posted there. Anyway, after the service I was surprised with cake from my team. It was really good and fun to share with everyone in the church. When the cake was gone and our room where we meet was cleaned up a group of us went to Casa Mingo to party more.

It was a great time at Casa Mingo with good new friends and good food, except for the cheese that smelled and tasted like B. O. I have definately felt loved today with numerous email cards from people, calls, and gifts from friends. Although last year's birthday was a bit warmer in West Palm Beach, Florida with Kristi, Becky, and Hannah, this was still a good birthday. (By the way, Happy Anniversary Kristi and Mick!) I was a bit worried about being in a new place with new friends of only a month and a half on my birthday, but once again my worries were wasted. God really knows what he is doing. I know that this is where I am supposed to be right now and I felt so loved by my new family here and I feel at home.

I have so appreciated hearing from a lot of you today and over the last month and a half. It has made this transition much easier and I have felt connected to you all even though we are half a world apart. I can feel His loving arms wrapped around me through your encouragement and love. Now let's see what God has in store for my 26th year. It should be an adventure!

By the way, the pictures at the top are from the party tonight at Casa Mingo.

Queen of the Nile

Ok I bet you are thinking, where is she going with that title. Well, let me fill you in a bit about my team and the church plant we have here in Madrid. Our church is called Oasis Madrid. Basically, we want to be an oasis to the people of Madrid. We pray that in the desert of their lives they may find peace, hope, and the love of Christ here at Oasis Madrid. Going along with the theme of oasis, desert, etc. each of our team members have interesting and funny nicknames. Troy is "The Village Idiot" mostly because he is hilarious, Kelly is "The Town Cryer" because she "cries" loudly and actually cries, she has a sensitive spirit, I am "The Resident Belly Dancer," I think that is a play on words (ballet/belly). Rest assured, I do not know how to belly dance, maybe someday though. Anyway, that leaves Heather, "The Queen of the Nile" because she is the queen and also because like the Nile she brings sustenance and refreshment to all who come in contact with her. I told Heather that my next blog would be dedicated to her, because if it wasn't for her, I would not be blogging. I have had quite a few minor but annoying issues with my computer and blog sight. She has helped fix them all. She knows quite a bit more about computers than me. She has been my computer's saving grace on a number of occasions when my solution is to throw my computer off our balcony. So Heather I thank you and so does my computer. I love ya!!! You are the best oh wise Queen! By the way, please check out her blog, the link is on the side, it is great.

Why I love my Parents...

There are many reasons why I love my parents. One main reason is because they love each other so much. Another reason is because they crack me up. Let me assure you that there are many many more, but in this posting I just want to highlight these two. A perfect example is from the email I received today, from my car, Susie the Saturn, that is in the states with my parents. I am a bit possesive as this is the one huge purchase I have made in my life. Anyway, here is the email that I received today:















Dear Amy, as my true owner I feel I should let you know what is happening to me here in Maryland while you are away playing in Europe. Now, when we were together in Michigan you took such good care of me. You kept me dry and warm in Tricia's garage even though I would have to transport you around on cold winter days. Do you realize what is happening to me here?! I'm sitting outside - I said OUTSIDE! Last night I sat in the driveway helplessly while snow - yes snow - covered me completely! And I don't mean just a few flakes - we're talking 6 to 8 inches!!! At least I wasn't alone, Auntie Olds was parked real close to me and Uncle Denali was in front of me. Auntie Olds was very nice, she kept saying everything would be alright and wasn't it beautiful. Uncle Denali kept calling me a wimp, he's rather big and scary. Well Auntie was right, it is beautiful here in the snow. I could hear the waterfall flowing and the wind in the trees, it was very peaceful. She was also right that everything would be OK, she must have a wonderful owner. The old people came out and cleaned me off this morning. The lady was very gentle as she took care of me and Auntie Olds. The guy cleaned off Uncle Denali, I'm glad he stayed away from me. They had a very strange ritual, throwing snow on each other and then they stopped to kiss. GROSS!!!!!!! Why didn't they do that before my windshield was cleared off?! It's going to take a long time to wipe that image from my computer chip! Well anyway, I guess I'll survive. They get sunshine after snow storms, have you ever heard of such a thing? At least there was a little, I'm sure that's what I saw. You have fun in Spain, knowing what I have to endure here. I guess I can take the snow with no garage, but would you please tell those old people not to kiss again - I'm not sure I can handle any more of that! Barely making it, Susie

Alright, now let me analyze this a bit for you. I can totally picture my dad behind the denali laughing to himself like an adolescent as he gathers snow to throw at my mom, thinking he is so funny. I'm sure my mom just rolled her eyes and said in her mom voice, "David!". At this response, I'm pretty sure my dad just laughed harder and did it again. I am laughing right now as I picture the scene. What a couple of kids in love?! Makes me sick! Then the fact that my mom sent me this email is hilarious. I don't know if this is any evidence that she works with emotionally and behaviourly disturbed boys, but it is random and I loved it. My parents are the best and if you don't agree with me, "I will fight you!" Pete, what movie is that from? I love you Mom and Dad!

I Saw Putin!

So, I did some sight seeing on Wednesday with my friend Miriami, from Finland. She is here in Madrid as an Au Pair. Anyway, we went to all the really touristy places that I have posted pictures to before and also earlier today. We saw the symbol of Madrid, the Bear and the Strawberry tree in Puerta del Sol (don't ask me why this is the symbol of Madrid, I don't know), went to Plaza Mayor, went into the cathedral, La Almudena, and wanted to tour the palace, but couldn't. We went to visitor's center and could see from the sign that it was closed for tours because of official ceremonies. As we were leaving we saw a lot of people looking down the street and decide to see what is going on. As we turn the corner we almost run into about 30 to 40 horses with people on them all decked out in uniform and armor. It was one of the most surreal things I have ever seen. We had no idea what was going on but decided to just stand around and wait to see what would happen. It definately looked like they were waiting for something. Anyway, after about 20 minutes all of a sudden all the horses formed rank and started trotting down the street. What more could we do but follow?! We followed them about a block when they all stop again right in front of an entrance ramp up onto the main road. Shortly after they stop about 20 police cars and motorcycles come up the ramp. In the midst of all the police was a limo town car type thing and as soon as it got onto the main road all of the horses completely surrounded the car and escorted it down the street and then around the corner. At the time we wondered if it was the king or who it was, but Miriami noticed that the car liscence number was from Russia. Either way, we knew that whoever the mysterious person was, they are very important. It was so incredible. There is a lot of fanfare for President Bush, but I think Knights in armor carring swords and riding horses is way cooler. Anyway, I just found out today that President Vladimir Putin was in town meeting with the king and who we saw was in fact the one and only President of the Russian Federation. Wow, that was a really long story to tell about one small 30 minute event from my week. Oh well, I hope you enjoyed this, my enounter with the elite.

Retraction to "My First blog ever"

So, if you've read my first blog, you think that I have grown in my knowledge of computers. Well let me tell you that I am sorry, I misled you. I was so close to doing the blog thing on my own but then had problems with posting links on the side. I was unable to fix it on my own (surprise, surprise). Heather was able to help me figure it out and now I finally have a functioning blog that I hope to post my thoughts and observances on as often as possible. I hope you enjoy my ramblings. By the way, the links on the side are to the organization I am with, all the pictures I have taken here so far, all the people on my team and my roommates, and to the organization that my dad is the administrator for and where I grew up. Please check these all out as they are all important to me.

My First Blog Ever!!!

So here I am, my day off and I am trying to figure out this whole blog thing. You'd think that as a college graduate in my mid-twenties, I would understand computers better. Somehow, I've managed to get this far in life knowing as much about computers as most grandparents do. I think I am learning though. This is the first new thing I have done on the computer by myself for a while though. I usually need someones confirmation that I am not about to delete everything and destroy the hard drive. I think that I am definately capable of that.

Anyway, as I am now on a new adventure in my life, I find it appropriate and even convient for all of my family, friends, and supporters to stay updated on my life in this manner. I left the US a month ago for Madrid, Spain where I am now living. This has definately been the biggest risk I have taken in my life, besides disobeying my parents growing up, (I'm just kidding Mom and Dad, I never disobeyed!). So far the transition to a new culture, new job, new home, and new language has gone pretty smooth. God has proven Himself faithful once again. I hope that I can use this forum to continue to recount God's blessings and what I am learning while serving Him here.