journal entries from my host family...

Last Monday I left my host family and came back to the base. While half of me was relieved to escape from my Spanish life, the other half of me was really truly sad to leave. They are such an awesome, kind family, and I know that I am part of that family now!

Here are some parts of my journal entries while I was in my host family:

April 9th 2008: ...life in my host family has been going well so far. It's hard to think about living here for two months, so I intend to only take one day at a time! I'm very content here though. Gris, Isa, and Adryanna treat me like their sister and Dani and Jose are like my brothers.....It's weird speaking in Spanish first thing when I get up in the morning and last thing when I go to bed, but it's good. Although at this point I don't feel like I can talk much better, I definitely can understand better, I have so much to learn though. So this will be my life for the next two months....

April 19th 2008: ....so life is going, sometimes it's good and sometimes I can't wait to get back to the base and my English life! So this week my family didn't have electricity, which was a new experience for me for a long period of time....actually it isn't so bad, just a little inconvenient, but I didn't really mind....I think it was a good experience...

April 28th 2008: ....I've still got around another month before I get back to the base. I've still got a long way to go Spanish-wise though! My time so far has been good, I'm having a great time and my host family is wonderful, it's just been hard. Although I have learned some awesome things from this I would definitely say that the best thing it's done for me is helped me put more trust in God. Oh my goodness, everyday is a complete reliance on Him for everything...it has reminded how much I need Him for just the everyday little things....Lord please keep giving me strength!

May 5th 2008: So I really thought my birthday this year was just going to be a "bla" birthday and that I wasn't going to do anything, but it turns out I was very wrong....First I had a little Mexican birthday party with my friend Jackie and her family and some of my friends from the base....then Tasha and I went to Oaxaca..where I got another party ( my first surprise party ever! ) from some of my missionary friends in Oaxaca!....When I got back to Tlaxiaco I opened a few packages and cards that I had gotten from friends and family back home....after that I came back to my host family, and to my complete surprise they had a birthday present for me too! It was a Mexican shirt and skirt...I felt so special and loved!

May 10th 2008: Today is the Mexican mother's day....last night we had a Marachi band sing outside of our house...it had to be like two in morning...I was such an American last night, I couldn't get over how rude it was to sing outside someone's house at that time in the morning...but here that's normal, a nice thing, and definitely not rude! haha I have so much to learn! Well, these last few days have been really tough, not exactly sure why...Today I just want to give up and never speak Spanish again...I want to be happy and content, but I know that I'm not! Just about two more weeks!

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Wow...looking back those two months went very fast...I think that I learned lots of good things from that experience ( including Spanish btw ). One really cool thing is today I went to visit my family, and I realized that I was still part of the family. It was like I never left, they didn't even act too surprised to see me...they were just kinda like, oh hi Ana. It was a really awesome visit, and I will always feel at home in their house!

So...God is amazing ( as always ), and He got me through one of the best, most hard, most frustrating, most awesome time of my life! Thank you for your many prayers!!!! God bless you all!