The new Sabbath focus

I really enjoy Sundays here, and for all lots of great reasons.  Of course I enjoy being with my family at church and seeing our cute students. Both good things that I look forward to.  But the main reason I love going is because I really have to FOCUS in order to be able to learn and take in whatever the teachers or speakers are saying.  Admittedly, by the time the third hour (Sacrament meeting) rolls around, my head feels like it might explode from concentrating so hard and  it can be very difficult to maintain my focus, particularly since I have no context for the talks or testimonies that are being shared.  Last week I glanced down our row of students to notice that most of them were feeling the same way.  They all had blank stares on their faces, looks of having completely given up on trying to understand anymore Spanish for that day.  Relief Society is definitely my favorite.  Because I am so anxious to be able to understand the fast paced Spanish that native speakers use, I study the lesson before coming to church, a habit I really should use at home more diligently.  Each week I read the lesson in English and then in Spanish, and by the time I go to Church I actually get most of what they are saying and I can feel the Spirit helping me with the rest.  I love that feeling.

This week was particularly enjoyable.  The Madrid mission president, Scott Jackson (yes the orthopedist from Provo) and his wife came to speak in Sacrament meeting in Alcala.  We had a nice visit with them before and after the meeting and loved hearing their insights on the mission (which incidentally will grow from its current 110 missionaries to 233 by the end of the year!)  Best of all, it was actually easy to understand their talks.  I felt like a fluent Spanish listener (which is far different than being a fluent Spanish speaker, but still exciting.)

It has been especially fun to watch Landon, with his non-existent Spanish, take on the church experience each week.  He goes to his classes without complaint, passes the sacrament each week, and genuinely seems to be enjoying his quorum, despite the language barrier.  He said he gave the prayer in class today (in English) and that he suspects he will do that every week since he doesn't contribute much (anything) to the rest of the lesson. :) I had to specify it was in English because of our previous experience here.  Landon was five last time around and barely speaking fluent English, but announced one day after church that he had given the prayer in primary.  We were amazed as he was rather shy about such things at that point in his life, but even more surprised when he told us he gave it in Spanish.  I have no doubt that he thought he did.  I can just imagine how dumbfounded they were by his made up Spanish words which I'm certain sounded as clear to him as their real Spanish did to them.

Don't Give Me the Finger!

So I plan to get writing about our day to day life here, but we can't stop laughing about our little adventure with my finger so I am going to share that first. It's actually not what probably comes to mind. I haven't started flipping people off, nor have any gestures been misinterpreted. I'm talking about my finger TOOL, which I use for massaging tension out of my neck or back. That actually sounds just as weird, I guess, and certainly that has been the reaction of security teams who have come across it.

The actually do look a little creepy in person.

I'm not sure how these little babies made it past US and London security tucked in my backpack, but the Vienna airport security was on top of it. Of course, they also tried to detain Kara for mistakenly entering a store that was past the unmarked do-not-return-without-passing-through- security-again line as well, so they are apparently serious about their security.

The little bit of metal inside must  be what draws attention!

I first noticed there might be a problem when the security personnel kept passing my backpack through the scanner, obviously concerned by something they were seeing.. By the time they handed me my backpack and motioned for me to open it, I had figured out what they were probably confused by.  It must appear like a chopped off finger on the screen.  I pulled it out and motioned with it by pressing it on my neck and moving it back and forth so they would see what it was used for.  The serious looking guard suppressed an obvious desire to laugh and walked back to her coworkers, telling them something in German that probably included a derogatory term about Americans. They all laughed, she gave me back my finger and we were on our way.

We all had a good laugh about it and I forgot about it until we went to the Real Madrid soccer game last week. Feeling a headache coming on, I wisely placed my finger in Cassie's purse to take with us. Getting into the game through our particular gate, where the opposing team also enters, proved to be somewhat of a nightmare, as they pat down every person who comes through. Cassie was already looking a little pale as we neared the top of the stairs and somehow Stan, the only competent Spanish speaker among us, ended up a little way ahead of us. I decided to go through immediately before Cassie, thinking nothing of it until I turned around to see her panic stricken face and a confused guard in front of her holding up my finger and firing rapid Spanish questions at her. By now Stan is long gone and it falls on me to, once again, try to explain to the guard what she looking at. I tried my basic Spanish, "para un masaje," but that made her even more confused so I resorted to the same gestures that won over the German guards. Again, a suppressed smirk, the sharing with other laughing guards, and the free pass was given.
We went to the Royal Palace on Saturday which also has security. I thought about sneaking into Stan's backpack, or even Cassie's purse again, but decided it wouldn't be enough of challenge for Stan and Cassie hasn't quite recovered yet. Maybe I will see how one of the students can handle it on a future visit somewhere. :)

We begin. Again.

I have been trying to get going on a blog ever since we left home on Christmas Eve, but I finally have a moment, or perhaps the nerve, to do so.  In consulting with Cassie on what to title my first blog (my in house consultant on all things connected to social networking, for which the rest of the family should be grateful) the fundamental question arose:  "Mom, WHO is going to read this?"  My initial response was "not a soul," but I revised that after I remembered that I do have a mother and 2 sisters and perhaps a few family members and friends.  So here it goes.

To start at the beginning I would have to back track about 10 years to the time when we first became aware of the opportunity for BYU faculty to direct a study abroad program.  Several years of preparation (mostly linguistic) culminated in a wonderful experience in 2006 with 35 wonderful students that became our life long "kids" and friends. We love these kids, many of whom have kids of their own now. :)

Our 2006 group of 35

The energy created from such a large group (which additionally included our 5 children bring the total to 42 of us) was exciting and we were never without something to do (both in terms of program logistics/issues and fun).  As we began preparations to come again (an opportunity that fell in our laps just a few months before departure date), we were anxious to try to recreate a similar experience.
Fortunately, the Lord is wiser than I am and we only have 15 students with us this time plus Cassie and Landon (19 total).  I think I am realizing both strain and the wisdom those 7 years between programs has given me.  As we make program plans, gather the students, prepare Sunday desserts and do things together I can't imagine that we ever did this with more than twice the number we have now.  And while the previous students would probably appreciate our more relaxed (read 'tired') approach, I am grateful to have had more students while I was younger. :)

Our 2013 group of 15

Needless to say, this is an amazing experience, not the least of which is due to the relationships we develop with the students.  And though we miss the inclusion of Taylor (and his wife, Emily), Kara and Hayley, we are grateful for the opportunities they have had or will have to experience some of this (and more) with us.  More of that in future posts.

Next post:  The funny stuff about day to day living (i.e. the stuff that will make you cry if you don't laugh)