Don't Blink

my quiet time journal :)
my new gloves :)
missing my loves...
downtown shopping!

I don't know why this writing is blue BUT ^ that is the 8 beds in our one bedroom 

The time is already starting to fly. I know this time is precious and I intend to cherish every moment! I guess I should start with yesterday, Sabado-Saturday.

Weekends we get to sleep in till 8 o'clock instead of 7 so that's a treat :) I'm being mildly sarcastic here.

We have devotions from 830-930 outside in the freezing weather but its amazing then at 930 is breakfast. I've started to get a coffee mug and put the hot milk, the cereal, and the instant coffee all together in it. Strangely good? Yes, yes it is. 

Since during the weekend we have more free time I was able to go to the center with the girls and get a poncho and ear muffs :) seriously fun stuff! I found a coat but they are horribly expensive here as well as the ones at "thrift" stores here are all XXL, which is ironic since no one in chile looks over 200 pounds at most! 

I spent the other half of the afternoon getting to know one of the leaders here who speaks English, her name is Maia. She is originally from Sacramento, California and she is probably one of the most sincere, cute, and funniest girls I've ever met! Later in the day the last girl arrived, Theresa from Hawaii and all of the Spanish girls were like, you have new friend! When I gave them the thumbs up sign, Magdalena chimed in and said, "you forget bot us..." It made me so sad! I was like no no no I love you! 

Alright switching gears here, I am taking an online class at UWF as well as being in this school and my midterm is due today! Talk about nerve-racking! Today I am working on that as well as going to church at 530.

Alright I have been informed we're leaving for the Center now so Ciao!!!!

Pan

Pan=Bread

Bread is the common denomenator for every meal here in Chile and...only my family and maybe brent know how much I do not enjoy bread...I have personally always beleived it tastes like nothing no matter what kind it is and unless slathered in butter, peanut butter, jam, or some flavorful spread I don't want to touch it. Well imagine my dismay this morning when I woke up so hungry and we go to breakfast and all there is is a huge bowl full of round flat bread. I took some even though I didn't want any and had my coffee(which is hot milk and instant coffee). Just as I'm preparing myself to shove down some dry cracker bread out of the corner of my eye I see them bring out two things, marmalade and the weirdest kind of cream cheese ever, BUT it was delicious! Once I stop comparing the food to food in the USA(they told me to stop saying America because South America is America too =>) I can really enjoy their food and appreciate their culture. I think this was a lesson in waiting, as silly as that sounds. It may be different but it's beautiful. It may seem hard, but it's only going to get easier. I don't know if that makes much sense but this morning was encouraging to me :)

I woke up on time!

I learned how to heat water with a hot-plate

I tried something new

I had a decent Spanglish conversation with my roommates :)

Also, last night we had worship in English and Spanish and it was beautiful-hermosa

Right now is a break between breakfast and clase, which starts in 20 minutes.

Strange occurance- the more I speak Spanish the more my brain is confused on what to use of English or Spanish

laughing

Today was exhausting and hilarious. And also not over yet! I woke up at 11 a.m. and it was like, oh my gosh that American girl sleeps so much! First thing I did was ask, Cuando desayunar? and my roommates and myself finally were able to communicate to each other that it was well past breakfast and lunch was at one! 

Next thing I said was, "Yo necesita papel de bano y adaptador! Vamos tienda?" Which was my way of saying, I need toilet paper and an adapter, lets go to the store?

Needless to say...I have been getting laughed at alot!!!! But it's funny so I don't mind. So we started walking... And we walked and walked...and walked and walked...MY FEET HURT SO BAD! 

Although I got to see the most beautiful beach- la playa con la arena negra- the sand was black! It was absolutely gorgeous and on the way back we saw star fish and a baby seal that was dead :( it was sad and my roommate kept touching the dead seal...I was like no tocar!!! which I think means touch if not than I probably told her something offending haha

We walked to so many places: on the beach, to the bank, to like five stores...so much walking but luckily everything is done except for getting a coat, phone, and gloves :)

Tomorrow that can be done! It is currently 4 oclock in the afternoon and the girls are getting ready for la cena-dinner and the inaguration of ouru school! I'm extremely excited about the start of it all :) It's only been half of a day and I have been so blessed! It's weird to sit in our room and listen to them speaking spanish and be totally in my own world of english. It's strangely peaceful when I stop trying to pick out words and just listen.

Oh random fact! Everybody here kisses your cheek! My friend said the only people who don't are guys with guys and if I didn't want to do it I didn't have to but I'd be rude. I have been kissing everyone's cheek.

Also I took a break from my blog writing to take a shower and just to tell you a little about that...there are two showers in the bathroom so me and Madgalena took one at the same time, about one minute into it she screamed and I was yelping, "Fria! Frio?!" which is cold! Our water heater is gas run and the wind must have blown and that little flame to heat it must have gone out because that was the coldest shower I hope to ever take! I smell good now though so :)

Another new edition: adapters change the shape of the plug of your elecronic device that needs power to fit in the plug that is provided. I bought one of these lil buddies and happily plugged my blow dryer in and it worked for a minute then stopped. After I borrowed a girls blow-dryer I proceeded to plug in my straightener, same thing happened. This guy was like, "The boltage is dibberent here you cannot use theese weethout a transbormer. Yeah thees es ober." So I accidentally killed my electronics... I wrote mom and dad to send me a transbormer(transformer) and hopefully they will so I can use things that need to be plugged in, like this here computer!

Tiempo de Cena!

Sigh of Relief

Right now I am sitting in the top bunk of my bunkbed in the YWAM DTS base in Pichilemu, Chile. There are currently four blankets stacked up on my bed because I kid you not it is THAT cold! 

I met some amazing people today, and I'm rooming with 4 of them. My roommates- or should I say bunkmates- are Caterina, Maria, Arabella, and Magdalena! They call me Winny :) I find it endearing that that is the closest they can reach to pronouncing Whitney the right way! Except for my new friend Javier who, upon hearing my "nombre" exclaimed - like Whitney Houston! That got tons of laughs from the other spanish speaking spectators...I can't even escape that association when I leave the country the woman sings in! Thanks mom!

I already feel as if I know more Spanish :) Praise!

Tomorrow is the last day of free time-tiempo libre- I get before the DTS officially starts and from that fateful day on for the next 3 months I will have UNA HORA- ONE HOUR a day of using the internet. So tomorrow is my day to: by an adapter for everything and anything electronic I have, find anywhere to sell me some Diet Coke and chocolate, change my dollars to Pesos, buy a winter coat and gloves, and thats about it :) 

Buenas Noches amigos 

Gloria a Dios

The Big Day!

In almost exactly 12 hours I will be boarding a plane to head off to a country I've never been to before, whose people speak a language I do not yet know, knowing exactly no one there...

and I couldn't be more excited!!! 

There are so many emotions I've been going through packing up my room and saying goodbyes over the past week to people who I love. The one constant has been the thankful feeling I have that I've been blessed with this incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity! Now more than ever I'm having to rely on God to give me comfort and strength of mind. He never fails nor ceases to give me exactly what I need, and I can rest assured in that. From hearing the stories of my sister's experiences with YWAM I can't help but wonder what adventures I'll be having of my own. 

They start today =)

little miss me

I blog. Or I will that is. I'm making this loverly little blog to document my Pichelmu expeiriences! And I'm sure my travels will blow everyones mind. Simultaneously. Jus playin. I'm starting the day before I go so yes.