12 days

It seems like every song I listen to these days makes me think of home. I tend to cry more often than I should. And even though I’m sure I am counting the days accurately, the number seems to be growing.

I can’t wait for my Mom to get here. This is my world. My own little Gringa, Benemérito experience. And some one else will get to see it. Even though the experience is all my own. It always will be. It will be remembered in Blog posts, photographs, numerous emails home, journal entries, supportive notes from friends, my Spanish scriptures, class notebooks, and a terrible Mexican accent.

I have gained an even greater appreciation recently of how much I love life.

Following Claire's Example

I was asked to sing a solo in Stake Conference (I pretty much get asked to sing for EVERYTHING. It will be a pretty rude awakening when I get home and I remember that my best friends and my younger sisters are one thousand times better than me. Actually, not a rude awakening. An amazing blessing.)

I wanted to sing I Know That My Redeemer Lives, but the arrangement I had picked up, the director ended up robbing to have the choir sing. Not a big deal. It just gave me five days to find a song.

My mother who has been so helpful every step of the way quickly sent me any arrangements she could find that would work in Spanish. As I sang them for the director, she chose the one that my darling and talented little sister had sung just weeks earlier "Mando A Su Hijo."

I was kind of nervous about singing in Spanish, especially because I memorized the words the night before as I was drifting off to sleep, but as we practiced that morning, all my nerves went away, and the choir was amazed by the beautiful arrangement.

The closing prayer was said to end an amazing conference (Let me remind myself one more time how BLESSED I am. Of all the millions of people in this world, I was chosen to have this experience. I love the Lord.) And I was handed the microphone at the top of the bleachers (it was in the gym...that's how big our stake is). As the rest of the choir sat, I remained standing, obviously calling attention to myself, and then proceeded to very, very awkwardly stumble down the bleachers. The mike wasn't on at first, but as soon as it was, the room went quiet and all eyes turned to me. Because I was singing postlude, the people who were getting up to leave, stopped right in front of me and turned.

I don't think I have ever been so nervous.

And then, there is this tendency in Mexican culture to videotape everything. In the middle of Stake Conference, everyone who was listening to me sing, pulled out their cell phone and pointed it right at me. I'll admit it was something I wasn't prepared for. However, God blessed me to bring his Spirit and I was able to follow in my sister's example.

TEMBLOR!!!!!!!!

I am reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Although it's ridiculously long, I refused to read another in the Twilight Series and I wasn't in the mood to try and stomach Shakespeare.

I pulled it out to read in Psychology class today when we were discussing the effects of drugs on learning(plus, it's really catching my attention) and as I turned the page the words began shaking. I tried to get my eyes to focus, but then all of a sudden I started getting lightheaded as well. It felt a little like the motion sickness I get in elevators and the car sickness I get when I am driving with my grandparents.

I looked up at Karina, who was sitting across from me, and she was apparently feeling the same thing. Her eyes got wide and she screamed "TEMBLOR!"

As I looked around I saw the room start swaying back and forth and the ground shook beneath my feet. It took me a while to realized what was happening. Even in the small earthquakes I have been in before, I had never actually felt one.

Once I got regained my senses, I realized that the majority of my class had already run out the door. I followed like a Zombie, afraid I would fall down if I stood up.

As soon as we were all outside, the motion sickness subsided a little bit, but I did put my head between my knees "in jest." It really wasn't that bad, but it's the first I've ever felt and was sure a shocker.

I figured it was worthy of the blog.

Recent Accomplishments.

Sorry I don't have time for a creative title or a well written story, but I am sitting in the library with my fifteen minute time-limit almost up and figured I owed you a blog.

1) I spoke in Church on Sunday. Yes, in my student ward. And YES, in Spanish. Ten Minutes, Baby. I nearly cried when the Bishop told me what my topic would be: "Families can be Together Forever" (Familias pueden ser eternas). As I was preparing, I kept getting the impression, you need to talk about Erin. I distracted myself by preparing a huge amount of doctrinal stuff, that was very deep, and as I practiced, talked for over ten minutes, without even getting to Erin. I figured I would be okay. And then, when I got up to the stand to speak (my wonderful, supportive gramma staring up at me), I felt prompted to NOT go into the doctrine. And then I cried. But I trust that I said what God wanted me to say, even if I still don't know Why. Maybe these people needed to see that I'm human. Maybe this was the best way to give my heart to them.

2) Yesterday, I went to my first Basketball practice. I nearly died. A few weeks ago, the coach came up to me and asked me to be on the team. I told him that I didn't know how to play and would be leaving in a month. He said that he didn't care if I didn't know how to play, or even if I wasn't an athlete, he recognized my enthusiasm and positive attitude: "I can teach you how to play, but it's much harder to teach someone attitude. You've got that. And that's enough for me, even if you can only come for a week, my team could learn from you." Yesterday, when we started out practice, he surprised me by lecturing the team about how good of a person I am, and how he recognized my enthuiasm. No pressure right. That's okay, I'm learning. Maybe by the time I come home I'll be able to shoot a free throw....:)

3) Thinking about coming home.

a) One thing I have been thinking about, is the ridiculous amount of clothes I have in my closet. I have basically been living out of a broom closet the past four months (four months exactly tomorrow), and wearing a uniform to school. I'm not a very decisive person anyway. How I ever learned to choose what I was going to wear everyday....I have no idea. And now I have to somehow reteach myself.

b) I learned how to make Salsa. All the different kinds. I'm making a recipe book. Hopefully, I will still remember what the food words mean in English. And will be able to find them in the Grocery Store.

c) I miss you! [Times up for today. 21 days left (three weeks exactly), but my mom comes even sooner!!!!]

Balance

I really didn't think it would ever happen. I only have five months here, and I have myself pretty well established here as the gringa who doesn't want a novio.

But, it happened. I went on my first Mexican date.

Every Saturday (or is this case Friday when we don't have classes) they show a movie in the Salon de Musica, and it basically becomes the place to go for couples or potential couples. And Arturo invited me to go with him. No, not the pouty, desperate Arturo. The good Arturo (who I just found out is the nephew of my Ecology teacher ...:\).

After the movie he played me romantic serenades on the piano and then we walked around the campus and played on the playground. It was pretty fun. And boring. But it's the dating life of an interno, I guess. Atleast now I can say that I at least went on one date during my five months in Mexico. (Wow, Almost five months with only one date, I don't think that's EVER happened. Haha).

It has surprised me though how God has given such a wide range of experiences here. From mini mission, to directing choirs, to singing solos, to taking Mexican law, to doing excessive chores, to teaching Family Home Evening, to Influenza Scares, Everything has been for my good. Even awkward Mexican dates. :)

Cositas

My brother who is serving his mission in Chile got to call my Mom on Mother’s Day, and I couldn’t.

Coming home for graduation and getting final grades is going to work out.

When I was teaching Family Home Evening, I finally told all the girls in my house about Erin. I cried so hard.

I taught them how to play FruitBasket. They loved it. And also made up their own rules.

I played basketball today.

I told the girls in my room about a boy I have a secret crush on here. Bad Idea. I can’t believe I forgot that Latinos don’t know how to keep secrets. Girls or Boys.

I am not going to read the next Twilight Books.

28 days left.

Crepúsculo

My "English" class this semester has been really random and no one knows what we are supposed to do, so I finally went and talked to the English coordinator yesterday and asked her personally and very specifically what was required. She told me I had to read and take four tests on two books in the next month. Knowing me, slowest reader on the planet, I did not know how that would be possible. Anyways, I practically ran to the library and looked at the minute collection of English books they had in stock...Shakespeare, More Shakespeare, Series of Unfortunate Events (the WHOLE series), some scary huge looking novel, and the Twilight series. I'd already read my share of Shakespeare in the first periodo and though I was tempted by the Series of Unfornunate Events, very tempted, I figured since I read those in fourth grade, I deserved a little bit more of a challenge. And my eyes wandered toward Twilight.

I started yesterday and fell asleep on page 150...Knowing me, that's pretty good. And pretty bad, I am now entwined in the vampire craze. In Mexico.