Español todo el día

"Repite: imprimido" "Imprimido" "No, repite: IMprimido" "Imprimido" "No, eschuche: imprimido" .... there is a 30 second glimpse into the Spanish lessons that I've been having for almost 4 weeks now. I'm *pretty* sure that I repeat exactly what my teacher says, but she doesn't always seem to agree... We've made a lot of progress in these weeks and I'm happy to be able to express myself more clearly - in the past I knew that I was saying things incorrectly, but I didn't know how to phrase them. I still have a long way to go, especially with vocabulary, but I am pleased with the progress we're making and thankful for the opportunity to study so intensely - if it makes ministry here at all easier, it will have been well worth it. I have Spanish tutoring at my house from 8-12, then I usually go for a walk or run, eat lunch, then study again. Lately I've been going to a nearby coffee shop, Cafe San Lucas, to study - it has a bright, open space and a great, cheap latte - which clearly makes studying easier, and more productive. And I just like getting out of my little casita after being cooped up all morning.

Speaking of getting out of the house, I've been trying to drive more places than the Glick's house (a few blocks up the main road) and the grocery store down the block. I drove to Oscar's church, which is about 15 minutes away in Mixco, and then to the nearby mall, Eskala, which also connects to Wal-mart. It is kind of an ordeal because you have to park in a parking garage and pay to get your parking pass stamped, but since I had been before, it went smoothly, and I felt a sense of accomplishment when I returned home with my purchases. I had been in the mood to cook but am not a fan of my gas stove, so I was thinking of a recipe that you don't have to bake, and I came up with Oreo Balls! I was glad to find actual Baker's Chocolate at the Walmart. They came out perfectly and I was happy to share them with the Glicks and with my teacher, none of whom had tried them before!

Oscar, Maria, and I at church

Yum!

Tuesday, November 1st, Guatemalans celebrated All Saints Day. The night before, many spend the night in the cemeteries to pay tribute to family that has passed on, then on the holiday they eat a traditional dish called fiambre and fly kites. I got to try some of the fiambre from a friend of Oscar's - it was good, but interesting...it is kind of a big salad full of TONS of vegetables and meats....and too many beets for my taste. Here is a photo from the internet:

I got to experience a little of the kite-flying too when Oscar helped the neighbor kids make some the next day. They are called 'barriletes' here and are so pretty and fun to fly! There is also a huge kite festival nearby that I found out about too late but wish I could have seen - they make giant kites from tissue paper to represent their heritage. Here is a cool video I found of what goes on there: http://youtu.be/yRjep86xmic . 

Neighbor kids on the roof with barriletes

Oscar took this one. I stayed on the ground.

Each day is a new experience and I'm trying to maximize it all. 

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.