february.

sooo since i last blogged, what's occured. well I went to Southampton to see Dave which was super, and signed for my house for next year which i'm super excited to live with two of my bestest friends (:

Since then i feel like there really isn't much of my time in Spain left which is crazy.

This week I went to two events at Amistad (church) which were super; good times to listen to/speak span in a natural setting as such and enjoy life and meet with God, always a good combination. I won't go into much but I will say that yesterday we prayed for a guy who had pain in his neck and it completely went. Make of it what you will, but God is alive and loves us in my opinion.

Furthermore school is going well, yesterday the 2nd bachillerato had photos done and I also got mine taken so I will forever be on the school wall how jokes and I also will get the photos of my fave students as a memory of part of my YA so that's nice.

My YARP dissertation type thing is also not going too badly; tomorrow's the deadline to send in a draft chapter which I more or less have finished. I just now have two months to complete my research and write about another 5000 words in spanish. easy...

I guess the next two months will be busy central with everything and various visits; Dave's coming for semana santa when i have a week off, can't wait for that. And then my fave sister Lizzie will be coming for a week at the start of april which is super exciting and shortly after that I'm going back to Southampton for Dave's 21st although just for the weekend.

Part of me feels like maybe I could have taken more opportunities thus far to speak Spanish or do random things, but rather than think about that I'm determined to squeeze every opportunity dry so to speak from now until June before I return to Southampton and Wales and then jet over to France for a couple months for YA part two.

hanna and me buzzing for our visit to soton (:

ps. im currently listening to hillsong united's new album Zion, check it out, its pretty epic (:

trabajo, carnaval y té

This week has consisted mainly of trying to get some of my uni proj done, and since all of the people I usually meet for 'intercambios' weren't able to meet this week, and having a day off having been told not to come in since most of my students wouldn't be there on wednesday due to the huelga estudiantil, which I still can't quite get my head around - either how school pupils are allowed to go on strike, or what exactly the purpose of it is. But I'll just put it down to Spain and their idea that going on strike solves everything. Anyway so I had a good deal of time to do the project, motivation is a different matter entirely as ever.
Yesterday was super after a fairly unexciting week, I went to Carnaval (somehow the Spanish equivalent of pancake day) at my housemate's school, for whatever reason my school doesn't think spending school time having a fancy dress party is worthwhile. It was jokes, and Jackie and I even joined in with the 'difraz' un poquito.
Then I took the train over to Alcalá for a tea party, which was lovely. and gave me the opportunity to be in a group of people speaking Spanish, which oddly enough isn't part of my general life despite living in Spain, classic year abroad problems. Anyway it was also quite amusing since none of us are actually Spanish; either German, French, Italian or English, but Spanish is the lingua franca and I guess what we are all here to learn. Then I had a bit of tapas with Hanna and popped back to Madrid in time to skype the parents.

One thing remains

I was just listening to One thing remains by Jesus Culture. I think way back before I knew I was coming to Madrid I was listening to it and like just found a lot a peace being reminded that whatever happens, God is with me. And actually like wherever I go, I'm never alone. I was actually just reading a post I wrote back in November and found it almost funny how much of the same situation I am in, and yet I forget what is really important, and get so caught up in how much of a conversation I couldn't understand, or how much of my YARP I haven't written, to realise that life is pretty cool, God is faithful, and it's all going to be okay. I'm probably going to get an alright mark in my dissertation. I'm almost certainly going to be better at Spanish in June than I am now. It's all good. I just need to work hard, and rest in the fact that God's got it sorted. And if I think about it, there are loads of cool things about my year abroad anyway, such as enjoying my job as a teaching assistant, and having made some good friends, and being part of a church plant, and living in a capital city, and experiencing a different culture, and many more things I am sure.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

January

So it's February already. My first thought was that January went by super fast, but then again it seems like forever since New Year. It's been a pretty good start to the year. I've met two new people who I've started doing intercambios with, I've got my YARP underway, and I'm generally loving life. I can't wait to go to Southampton in two weeks, and I'm already getting excited about summer. Yet I'm trying to make the most of my time, to enjoy the small things, etc.

Recently I've been thinking about how cool it is that I'm actually in Spain/Madrid. This time last year I had no clue where I was going to be spending my year abroad, in fact part of me wondered whether I'd actually pass second year at all. Then at first I didn't get a place with the British council, but after being put on the waiting list I got a random letter from the Ministry in Madrid being like here's your job contract. So that was pretty cool. And after hearing about the church plant in Madrid, it seemed like some kind of distant idea of something that might be cool to get involved in, but I didn't think I'd actually be able to be here. And here I am. In the past year I can see God working in my life and changing me. I'm beginning to believe instead of give up when challenges arise, to take confidence in the gifts God has given me, and to recognise all the good he has done. Generally I'm just enjoying life. Although I still don't feel like Spain is home, and I probably won't before June, that's cool. My Spanish is still pretty bad, but I'm trying. I still have four months of intercambios, chatting with teachers, watching Spanish TV, reading Spanish books, trying to immerse myself into Spanish somehow, and I'm sure I'm learning something. And after a week of freezing weather and even snow, its beginning to feel like spring. I went for a walk for the other day, and here are some pictures I took.