Saturday, I woke up late, for once. It was truly amazing, I slept in until 8:30. It felt like a miracle. I finished Jesus for President by Shane Claiborne (see below) and ate breakfast. Then, I cleaned my room and hung out while I waited for Gabi. I ate lunch with my host mom, Paola, Andrea and her friend. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was Andrea's birthday. She was having fights all day with her mother because she wanted to go out with her friends, but my host mom wanted to know where she was going, and what she would be doing, and didn't want Andrea going out with her friends by herself. I mean, thats what I think they were fighting about. But I am not totally sure because I only caught bits and pieces. Gabi showed up around 3pm and we went to Quicentro together to run a couple of errands. As we were leaving a bunch of Andrea's friends showed up and I assumed that she was going to go out with them. However, when we returned at 4:30pm Andrea was still here and in a pouty mood, so she probably didn't go out. Gabi and I hung out in my room for a while. Eventually Andrea left. Paola had some friends over and so she introduced us to them. They were both "Arabes" as she calls them. (One was from Palestine and the other from Jordan.) They were very interesting to talk to and they both got a kick out of showing Gabi and I music from their home countries. So then Gabi sang for them and I played the flute. By that time it was getting late and my host mom was anxious about Andrea. Paola knew that Andrea was out drinking and partying and told her mom this but my host mom refused to believe this. My host mom was becoming really stressed out and her heart started to hurt her a little bit. So they called the doctor, who would come in a little while. Paola went out with her father to look for Andrea. The doctor showed up as Gabi and I were getting ready for bed, since Paola wasn't back yet, I sat with my host mom while she had a heart scan or something, and then took her blood pressure. Everything was fine. Andrea is staying at her dad's house for a while. I don't know when she is coming back, but she is in BIG trouble, that is one thing I know. I saw that they took away her computer upstairs, so it looks as if she is grounded.
Today Gabi and I went to church. It was really great. The church I go to here is English Fellowship Church, and it is very different, style wise, from LaSalle. But I love it. Everyone there was so welcoming and as soon as I walk in it feels like home. Gabi and I went to lunch afterward and then hung out at my house until youth group. Paola took Gabi and I to youth group so that we could learn how to take the "metrobus" there so that we wouldn't have to waste money on taxis. It was really easy.
I think that this experience is really formative for me, spiritually. Not only am I reading books like Jesus for President, and going to a new church, but I see people all around me everyday who have faith. My two best friends have very strong faith and it unites them, even though technically they are from different religions. Its easier to see here that faith is a way to unite very different people. My host mom and I disagree on many things politically (although I haven't exactly mentioned this to her...). But she has such a strong faith in God and Jesus that I can't help but admire her. Although she may believe some things that I don't agree with, she never wavers in her beliefs, and that is what I admire.
It's been a very spiritual day for me. I think that today was what God had in mind when God came up with the Sabbath. I went to church, pretty much slept, and then went to youth group. I feel like I have done nothing today but explore my faith, ask questions, and praise God. And it feels good.
Love,
Zoe
P.S. I have added a list of the books i have read while i am here as well as the day I started to read them (most of the time you can assume that the day I ended it is the start date of the next book). I will try to keep this updated while I am here, so you will always know what I am reading. (If you can't tell, the top book is always the one I am currently reading.)
1 comment:
Good books. Isn't it lovely to just relax.
Post a Comment