ratatouille & french islands.

So this is probably going to be a bit of a long one but really that’s a good thing (for me) because of the fact that I have been so busy having an amazing time in FRANCE that I haven’t had a moment to update this thing. So obviously France has been amazing thus far. I have consumed a sufficient amount of French cuisine including crepes,  ratatouille (YUM)  this delicious ham and cheese grilled cheese thing that is then smothered in more cheese on top..

Friday Amanda and I went out to venture Marseille on our own. With the help of some direction and advice from the team member who live here we went to several French markets, the old port, navigated the metro system, ate amazing food and took a ferry to the Frioul Islands. The Frioul Islands were so gorgeous and just an amazing experience. We were supposed to go to this really old castle, prison thingy on one of the islands (its where the Conte of Monte Cristo was filmed (pretty cool)) but due to our lack of understating anything French and lack of maps were pretty sure we bought a ticket to go to it even though it was closed that day. But we weren’t to upset about that bc we did see it from the boat and the islands were so freaking cool and pretty it didn’t even matter. Castle smastle.

the island.

Later that evening we met up with the Whitleys and the rest of their team to go to an international choir competition, that one of the members of their teams (who lives in Marseille) was judging. What made it really cool was that each choir team was composed of immigrants. There was a team from Madagascar (yes, like the movie!) the Philippines, Romania, and Israel. It was really cool to see these people worship god through music in so many different languages.

The next day we went to part of the team meeting to talk about what we have been doing this summer in roquetas. It was really cool to reflect on the summer. After a delicious lunch of eggplant pizza (yummm) we headed to a small French town a few hours away to see some protestant churches and eat dinner with the church. Along the ride I fell in love with France, no big deal. We drove through the French wine country and quant little French towns it was all just so great and beautiful. The dinner was amazing with all of these cute little French people who had prepared us a feast. Literally. 5 course meal of local French cuisine. It was on of the best meals of my life! (& I found out I love ratatouille & walnut liquor )

\Today after French church (very interesting) we went to the basilica that over looks Marseille and then a few of us went on a hike over some cliffs by the sea. It was a perfect afternoon and I don’t ever want to leave this place, though I do because Im meeting my mom in 2 days in Madrid! 

view from the hike.

tearful Good Byes & New Adventures

Today is my last day in roquetas and I can't believe it. This summer has been amazing and Roquetas really does feel like home now. I am going to miss so much about this place (maybe even my loud prostitute neighbors...maybe). I am really going to miss the Africans, my morning runs along the Mediterranean sea, the members of the Spanish church in Almeria, kids club, Endyes family, 1 euro tinto verano, saying "no pasa nada," walking every where, visiting the african women, talking in spanish (who would believe that?!), of course the Whitleys,( but I am going to see them next summer!) and so much more.

Yesterday Amanda and I went over to Endyes for my last time. We gave her a picture frame with a picture of her with us all in our African clothing that was taken a few days ago at the wrestling festival. She loved it and thanked us over and over again. Joel told me that if I came back to visit 10 years from now that picture will still be sitting on a shelf in her living room. Thats what I am going to miss most about this place and this summer, the Africans genuine generosity and kindness. These people have given me so much, materially and emotionally when they really don't have a lot materially and have no reason to give to me emotionally. I will never forget the time Beatrice and her husband gave amanda and I fancy african clothes when they were barely surviving themselves. Nothing seems to make these people happier than just spending time with them and allowing them to treat you as their guest and give you things. In America we like to believe in the "season of giving" and that there is so much joy in giving to others but that is nothing compared to the generosity of these africans. Every season and every day is of giving and that seems to natural to them. I have never seen even a hesitation when we knock on one of our african friends doors, they are always so friendly and happy to have us in their home.
 If I ever wanted to go to Africa I would have more than enough places to stay for I have been invited to stay with so many peoples families there I couldn't even begin to count. The last student who stayed here ended up going to africa with one of the guys he met here for the african guys wedding. Amanda and I at first thought this was just crazy and that this guy was just a really adventurous type (which he really is). But now that doesn't seem to strange to me. Don't worry,  I'm not going to hop on a plan tomorrow and go to africa but one day I would like to.

I have also learned from these people that although they don't yet know God or have a relationship with him, God has been working in these people's lives for a very long time. While they may not be aware of it, he has helped them through their struggles, trials and tribulations and you can see that in their smiling faces. It really is amazing that you can find Gods love in places that you would never expect.

. I spent a lovely afternoon with Endyes family. Fahtu (the new mother) braided meghan's entire head and it looks adorable. She did hair wraps in my and Amandas hair, and they are legit. It was really hard for me to ay good bye to them. Little Fahtu wouldn't stop hugging and clinging to me, making it all the more difficult to say good bye. I am really going to miss these people.

Tomorrow I leave for new adventure, traveling to France. While I am overtly sad about leaving Roquetas I am quite excited to be going to France. While the Whitleys will be in meetings during the day Amanda and I are going to go out and see what Marseille has to offer ( or best that we can given that we know not a word of french). And then on tuesday I fly back to Spain, this time Madrid, to finally meet up with my mom! I can't wait for the adventures we will have those ten days of traveling all over Spain, it is going to be the trip of a lifetime.

This really has been the summer of a lifetime. I am so blessed and so thankful for that all that has happened to me these past two months. As student.go would say, I have been ruined forever.

Spanish Castles & African wrestling.

So a new team got here on Friday and they are from Gainesville, ga (small world right?). They are really cool and very excited to be here in Spain. Friday night we went with the to the Castillo de Alaczaba, and although I had been there before it was really pretty to see the castle at night and the city skyline of Almeria.

Saturday was quite a busy day, starting with us going grocery shopping for Endye so that she could cook an African meal for the team. At my request, she made pulyahassa (sp?)  so we had to buy  LOT of onions. While Endye was busy cooking for the team and for all the company she had in town we had kids club with the team. This kids club made me really sad because I knew it was to be my last kids club and my last time seeing several of these beautiful African children. This kids club was also very important because several members of the Spanish church came along with the team to help. One of the jobs of the Whitleys working here is to encourage the local church to do out reach to the African immigrants here. This has been a challenge however due to the fact that many of the Spaniards are afraid of Africans (which is just silly and ridiculous) and think dos cientos (the neighborhood that Amanda and I live in) is very dangerous,( there was a riot or 2 a few years back here and so just because of that they are afraid). Having them come to kids club and move around in dos cientos was a perfect way to show the Spanish church that these people are no different than them and this neighborhood, while full of immigrants, is not as dangerous as they may think. (though I wouldn’t  recommend walking by yourself at 1 am here… or really any where for that matter.) Having amanda and I live here has also helped the church be more open to coming here. When we first got here they just couldn’t believe that these two young American girls were living all by themselves out in dos cientos.  A lot of the church is participating in out reach but they still have some fears and others are just beginning to get involved. It has been really cool to see the church progress this summer and hear about the progression that has been made since the Whitleys first began working here.

After kids club and eating more delicious African food made by the beautiful Endye, we went to an African wrestling festival. This was something else. It was really cool to see all the Africans of the area come together for an even that is so close to their hearts because it is something of their African culture. There was music and dancing (which I loved) and lots of wrestling. Endye was there ofcourse, dressed in her best traditional African garb along with her whole family. It was really cool. The next night we went back, this time in our African outfits and it was a blast. The Africans love to see us all dressed up in our African clothes. It was such a cool cultural experience that I will never forget. I wont ever forget any of this summer. I can’t believe Im leaving here this Thursday! It breaks my heart, but I am also excited for the next few weeks and their adventures as well.

Amanda & I with Endye.

All of us in our african clothes!

the African wrestling.

Fahtu, Fahtu, & Fahtu.

Well the team left yesterday and I was truly sad to see them go, although I do get my room back! On Tuesday we went on a tour of green houses, which was really cool and really hot! The work these people do in the green houses is not only back breaking but scorching hot as well! Imagine being in a sauna. Nice, right? Now imagine being in a sauna and having to yard work. For hours and hours. In July. Not so nice, huh? It showed me how hard these immigrants work and also how desperate they are to have work. It made my appreciation for these wonderful and generous African people grow even more. Later we checked out the university in Almeria because a few of the students on the team are interested in studying over here and working with the Whitleys, which I think is pretty freaking cool. I really wish I had taken up more opportunities like this one when I had the chance. After that we hung out at the beach and went to the Wok for dinner. It was really cool to have the team here and I am very excited about the next team arriving tomorrow (especially since they will not be staying with us so I wont have to share my shower with 16 people again).

Today Amanda and I went to the market to buy our weekly supply of peaches and other assortments of fruit. I love going to the market and experiencing all the different cultures coming together as a community. The market also made me sad, because I knew it was the last time I will probably ever go to it again. I can’t believe I will be leaving roquetas a week from today forever (hopefully not forever but for a very very long time)! We leave for france in a week and then I meet my mom in Madrid in a week in a half! (so excited). Its really crazy how fast this summer has gone by, I can’t believe I will be flying home 3 weeks from today!

After the market we went and ate and Endyes. I finally got to see Endyes niece who has been not coincidentally named Endye as well. She was obviously named after her grandmother, which is very typical in African cultures. What is even more typical (and strange) is that African parents will give some of their children the same name as one of their siblings. For instance, Endye has two Fahtus. There is Fahtu the new mother of baby Endye and Daughter of grown-up Endye and the Fahtu the 5 year old daughter of  gorwn-up Endye. You think that’s confusing? Wait to you get those two Fahtus in the same room along with there cousin Fahtu as well. That happened today, so I ate lunch with 3 Fahtus who are all related. Bet you can’t say that, can you? But anyways it was great to see Endye and her family again since it had been almost 3 weeks since my last visit. Endyes family has become sort of my second family here (next to the Whitleys of course) and I am so appreciative of that. (& im in love with her cooking). 

Lorca Lorca Lorca (& miscellaneous).

So the last few days have been a bit crazy with the group being here but it has been a thrill as well. Sunday I met up with the team in Lorca where the earthquake hit this past year. It was crazy to see all the damage that had been done to this old and beautiful Spanish city. Later we went to the church service of the Baptist church in Lorca. Because of the earthquake, the church had been destroyed, so until they are able to complete their new church they have been having in someone’s very large and nice backyard. It was really cool to see that after all that had happened to these people they were still able to come together as a church and worship the lord. You would never know the hardships thee people have endured, they are just so thankful to be alive and in the presence of the lord.

Damage done by the earthquake in Lorca.

More damage, this is the outside of someones apartment!

Today we had kids club and it was so nice to have the whole team there to help because a ton of kids showed up! After Kids Club we all went to Mojonera to eat lunch with a large group of African guys that are friends of the Whitleys and play soccer with them. These guys are all from different parts of Africa (duh) and have come to spain to work in the green houses to make better money. They all live together in this tiny apartment and the whitleys have reached out to them because they really miss their families and Africa. These guys really need some people who will just show them love and kindness. The African guys made us an amazing African meal in thanks to the team making them dinner on their last visit to spain. The meal was amazing for numerous reasons. First of all the guys made the food which is a big deal because African men do not cook. In Africa while the men work all day the woman spend their day cooking, ALL DAY. So for these guys to take their own time to cook a meal for us really means a lot. The other thing was the amount of vegetables and meat they put on the rice. Typically is they are just feeding themselves they have a lot of rice and maybe a small fish and a small piece of meat with a few veggies that is shared with maybe 8 guys. I have never seen so much meat and veggies on an African bed of rice in my life and in the past month and a half I have eaten A LOT of African food. They must have spent so much of their money on us and it was just heartbreaking and so touching. The generosity that Africans have is just incredible.

The African guys cooking for us.

After lunch we watched African wrestling with the guys which was quite entertaining and nothing in any way shape or form similar to American wrestling. After that we headed down towards a soccer field to play soccer with the guys. This was so much fun. If the Spanish kids thought it was a big deal that I could play soccer and was decent at it, these African guys were just blown away. They could not believe that a girl not only knew how to play soccer but could play it well. They called me “the best woman soccer player in the world.” So obviously that’s a bit of an exaggeration. But given the fact that African women only where long skirts and dresses, I believe its safe to say that there are less than 10 woman in all of northern Africa who play soccer. So in their world, maybe I am! ha.  I had such a great time with these guys, they were so nice and upbeat and always smiling. They were also quite funny when they scored a goal, each had their own way of celebrating the achievement of getting the ball in the American teams goal (which happened quite often believe it or not).

Us and the African guys after soccer. (yes, I had to play in pants!)

So far the teams visit has been great and has enabled me to do some really cool things. It is refreshing to see these students excited about what Amanda and I have been doing the last month and a half. It really makes me appreciate the experience I am having this summer even more. 

donkeys, sunsets and one beautiful volcanic island.

After a over 15 hours of traveling I finally got back to roquetas at 5 am this morning from the canary islands to 15 people. There is a church mission team visiting staying with us, which I am very excited about but I haven’t gotten to meet them yet due to my arrival at 5 in the morning. They left this morning to due some work in Lorca where the earthquake hit last year and I’ll meet up with them tomorrow.

I believe it is safe to say that my trip to the canary islands was more than a success. I had such an amazing time. The kids were so great and really seemed to love Janessa and I. When we had to leave yesterday to catch our flight, they wouldn’t let go of us and tried t prevent us from leaving. It was adorable.

Tuesday night we say the most gorgeous sun setting over the beautiful rocky cliff coast of fuerteventura. It was just breathe taking and so surreal. This may sound silly but it was so humbling yet intimidating to be in the presence of such beauty. I also learned that the canaries are also major wine grape growers and will actually grow the grapes in large cratered holes left from the volcanoes hundreds of years ago. Something about the soil down there apparently adds a very sophisticated taste to the grapes. We didn’t go to see them but on my next visit to this incredible place I will most definitely be partaking in their infamous wine tours from vineyard hole to vineyard hole.

Wednesday we went to the most beautiful and isolated beach I have ever seen. It took 30 minutes of traveling on roads that hung on the sides of mountains and cliffs that lacked guardrails, and though the ride was a little intimidating it as so worth it. To see this beautiful beach that human hands had barely disturbed was such an experience.

Another really unique thing about is all the wildlife that just roams the island freely. While I was running Friday morning on a running path along the beach and a the tourist traps of stores and restaurants I ran into 4 wild donkeys. This was quite an experience because here I am in a very industrialized area of the island and here are 4 donkeys just lounging around on the running path. At first I didn't know what to do because I didn't know if these were vicious wild donkeys (if such exist) or nice peaceful ones. Forgive me but I haven't ever really given much thought to the behavior of donkeys before this encounter. But I put on my big girl pants and ran around them and they hardly paid me any attention, I guess they are the nice peaceful type. Not a very exciting story but I felt obligated to share such an experience. 

I had such an amazing time and was so blessed to have had this opportunity and for it to go so well.  The camp went so great and I finally felt like I was able to really connect with what I was doing, to really feel like I was a part of it. The couple I stayed with were more than welcoming and are already encouraging Janessa and I to return next summer and work with them for a month (& they want friends to come with us!). What ever Gods plan for me may be,  this beautiful and unique volcanic island is definitely going down in the books as a place that I will most definitely return to.

living in Spanish Paradise

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So I have been in the Canary Islands for a few days now and I absolutely love this place. It is so beautiful and gorgeous. While where we are staying is a bit touristy, it is so full of its own unique culture, and besides I will always be a tourist at heart, even in GA. Fuerteventura, the island we are staying on is known for their amazingly fresh and delicious goat cheese. I am currently in a goat cheese coma due to the copious  amounts of goat cheese I have put into my body since my arrival. The couple we are staying with are so great. They are quite a unique and darling older couple and have been working in the canaries in the mission field for over 30 years! The husband is originally from texas while his wife is from Spain, they both are just so full of character and so much fun. They have very much made Janessa and I feel at home and fed us quite well. We have been eating like true Spaniards since our arrival, which I of course love.  I've been going on long runs along their paradise of a beach and it has just been the most perfect way to start my days.

The gorgeous beach right down the street from us.

The English camp that we have been working at is going great. It turns out they really did desperately need our help because I am solely in charge of the crafts class, which of course I love. While a language barrier does still exist, I am encouraged to use my english due to the fact that it is an English camp. While there english is not exactly good we are able to communicate pretty well for the most part, which is good since I'm leading the class.  I absolutely love it. Doing crafts with the kids is such a blast and they are always so excited to do them.  The kids are just adorable and I am just so happy and blessed for it to be going this well. It really is a relief because I have been struggling with really feeling connected with what I am doing in Spain. It finally all seems to be falling in place. We finish up around 2 and then we eat a fabulous spanish feast of a lunch and then enjoy the beautiful island that we are on. The beautiful beaches, unique shops, gorgeous art and local culture. Tonight we are going to a beach down the island to watch the infamous sunset here. Tomorrow we are going to the "prettiest beach on the island" according to Chari, the wife, but it is also very dangerous so we "can't go swim there." I'm excited and very grateful that Chari is taking all of her free time while we are here to feed us splendid spanish food and show us all that this beautiful place has to offer. I am so thankful for God placing this spontaneous trip into my summer in Spain, more than words can say. This will most definitly not be the last time I come to this place. Chari is already working on us coming to next summer to work with her, though I don't believe convincing us will take too much work.

I could so live here. 

Camp in the Spanish Mountians

So I just got back from 5 days of Spanish Children’s camp and it was a blast! The camp was in the beautiful Spanish country mountains right outside of Mercia. Every morning I went running as the sun began to rise over these gorgeous Spanish mountains and it was absolutely breathtaking and an amazing way to start each day.

The beautiful Mountians

It was very similar to American camp in the sense that we slept in tents and did similar camp activities such as zip lines, arts and crafts and playing sports. But there were also several differences. I got to experience the laid back style of the Spanish first hand at this camp. There was a schedule of activities for each day but except for meals nothing ever starting even close on time, which can be quite frustrating at first yet again I am learning to be patient and more laid back. Another difference was the meals including the time they were held and what was served during them. Breakfast was at 9 everyday but then we had to wait 5 hours to eat lunch at 2 and then wait another 6 hours to eat dinner at 8. I was a bit difficult to go such extended periods of time with out eating but I learned very quickly to fill up on bread when I had the chance at every meal. Now the food that was served at this camp was quite an experience.

 Here are a few of the meals that were offered during my stay:

-Pizza & an Omelet (this was one meal and these were paired together).

- Tortilla (a potato pancake sort of deliciousness) with hotdog wieners in tomato sauce (NOT GOOD).

-paella (yumm).

-Fish sticks and spaghetti (again served together as part of one meal).

- Rabbit stew (it was yummy until some one found the skull of the rabbit on their plate and then I lost my appetite).

- and a Spanish summer salad (ensalada verano) consisting of a combination of potatoes, olives, tomatoes, eggs and tuna. This looked like the most terrifying salad I had ever seen but it was delicious!

I had a great time at the camp for a million different reasons but it was just really cool to hang out with some Spanish kids and to get to know them. It was cool to talk about God with them and it was even cooler to hear Tiffany give her testimony in Spanish to all these kids. To me there is just something so beautiful about telling children about Jesus in a country half way around the world from my home in a different language. Worship was kinda funny too because almost all the songs were Spanish versions of our American worship songs and it was hard not to sing the English version. I had a great time playing soccer with the boys every day and that made me a hit because one I know how to play and I play “muy bien” according to the guys and also because my name is Chelsey which just happens to remind them all instantly of Chelsea FC the English soccer club. The kids loved to practice their English with us and loved to write use letters in their broken English.

The Campers

Ronnie (a camper) and I, we had to wear swim caps in the pool!

Camp was such an amazing experience and I am so thankful that God has allowed me to have such an encounter in my life. Although I didn’t get much sleep (these kids ran around until midnight and were up at 7am everyday!) I am very excited to leave tomorrow for the Canary Islands to work at yet another camp. Thankfully this one is an English camp so maybe I wont be as exhausted as I have been recently.