tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81589215315518027662024-02-20T17:47:02.551+01:00La Vida de Ben y MegganBenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.comBlogger124125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-38920489983490400292013-05-25T18:49:00.002+02:002013-05-25T18:49:33.635+02:00God's Catch 22<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;"><i>Exodus 32.</i> The Israelites are in the desert. While Moses is on the mountain with Yahweh, they fashion a golden calf, calling it "the god who brought them up out of Egypt." Yahweh is understandably incensed, and he is ready to destroy them & get a fresh start with a different group of people (he proposes Moses' descendants).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;">Moses tactfully intervenes: "Oh Yahweh, why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'?" Yahweh sees his point, and he backs down from his threat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;">There are many intriguing questions this story raises. Today I'd like to focus on one angle in particular: God is caught in a pickle. Whatever he chooses to do, he can't win in the court of public opinion. Human sin makes it such that any decision he makes is open to misinterpretation. If he brings down the gavel, the Egyptians are likely to see him as an evil tyrant. If he mercifully does not, he could look soft or impotent. Any middle ground is likely to be seen by some as too harsh and by others as too light.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;">It's easy to see how many conversations about theodicy can quickly devolve into a matter of each person's preference for how they think God should act in given situations. There is an existential, self-defined desire for a certain outcome, and without an appreciation for the fact that the situation might be more complex than any one of us can understand, God is judged to be _______ based on what occurs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%;">I've nothing else to add on the matter at the moment. This is certainly not meant to be a full theodicy, as we haven't touched on many of the deeper philosophical questions of ultimate cause and effect. It's just an observation that we should be slow to jump to grand anti-theistic conclusions based on how we see any sampling of life situations.</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-6391899109380712072012-09-12T16:56:00.000+02:002012-09-12T16:56:32.614+02:00Psalm 18: presumptuous David?<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><i>[David] sang to the <span style=";font-variant:small-caps;">Lord</span> the words of this song when the <span style=";font-variant:small-caps;">Lord</span> delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.<br>
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"The <span style=";font-variant:small-caps;">Lord</span> has rewarded me according to my righteousness,<br>
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight."</i><br>
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Psalm 18 is a celebratory anthem, filled with David's excitement at what God has done in his life. Surrounded by psalms of five to fifteen verses, it's 50 verses of David just really not being able to shut up about how awed he is by what God has done. "I mean, have you seen my enemies??? These are impressive dudes! And I'm still alive! What's more, they're dead! Is it because of my skills of flight and fight? No chance. Luck? Definitely not. Random happenstance? I tell you, NO - God did this."<br>
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"Yahweh protected me and cared for me, because I have kept his decrees blamelessly."<br>
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Huh?<br>
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Forgive me for questioning the Lord's anointed one, but I am, after all, a 21<sup>st</sup>-century Westerner, and we don't exactly believe in the Divine Right of Kings anymore. David sounds really confident that God has caused his unexpected military success. What's more, David knows why: God has done this because David is righteous and his foes are not.<br>
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Here's where I stumble, perhaps along with many of you reading this. I don't think that way. When something good happens to me, I usually don't think it's because I've been a good boy. When I defeat my "enemies," I don't see God favoring me over them. Like the prophet Habakkuk, I've lived through too many occasions where it seems like God is silent "while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves" (Hab 1:13). No, God doesn't merely visit good on the good, visit bad on the bad, and call it a day. The world is more complex than that.<br>
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What's more, I don't take the Bible at face-value anymore. Once upon a time, I might have read this psalm & said to myself, "I need to think more like David. Lord, help me to see Your hand when things go well for me." Now that I'm a few years older, perhaps a few years more cynical, I allow myself the potentially dangerous freedom of questioning the sacred text. Even King David is fair game.<br>
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First, I think to myself, it's a pity David went in this direction with his reasoning. He had an out: he could have said that Yahweh gave him victory because of the special place he held in the divine plan for Israel. The good king David was a type, forerunner, and ancestor of the King of kings, Jesus. If David had said, "God protected me, because he has a plan to bless the world through his people Israel," we wouldn't be having this conversation - I would have accepted that reasoning. It fits my theological system. David does pay brief homage to that reality, in v. 50:<br>
<i>"[Yahweh] gives his king great victories;<br>
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,<br>
to David and to his descendants forever."</i><br>
But, this comes across as an afterthought. The <u><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2018:20-30&version=NIV">heart of the psalm</a></u> is an eleven-verse reflection on that darn idea mentioned earlier: God rewards good girls & boys and punishes bad girls & boys.<br>
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So what do we make of this? Was David's faith really that shallow? Was he stuck in <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Kohlberg's_stages_of_moral_development">an underdeveloped stage of moral reasoning</a></u>? Did he write this as a young man & grow up into a more mature view of how God works in this world, such that we should just ignore this psalm and move on to <u><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+22&version=NIV">Psalm 22</a></u>?<br>
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There's at least one more option. Perhaps this was David's deep personal conviction regarding the reality of his situation in this particular case.<br>
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"I know this is why things went the way they did, and I want to tell you why, so that you can glorify God with me. I fully acknowledge that it doesn't always turn out this way, but it did this time around. No, I can't prove it; I can say that this turn of events is statistically improbable without an underlying cause, and I can affirm that the logic of my conclusion is internally consistent. I can also tell you one more thing: <i>I know in my bones that God did this.</i> I believe this conviction has come from the Spirit of God. I can't control whether you find that convincing or not, and I don't expect it would hold up in a court of law. But that's what I know, and that's how I know it. Nothing more, <i>nothing less</i>."<br>
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What do you think? Would you believe David? Have you ever experienced God in such a way that you cannot prove to another human being that it was God who showed up, but you're still certain it was him with every fiber of your being?<sup>1</sup><br>
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I have. An experience from this April stands out in my memory. I was in Dulles Airport, on my way from Madrid to Chicago for Rick & Anne's wedding. In the midst of a moment of deep doubt and despair, I experienced an irrational level of calm when my suitcase didn't show up on the carousel at customs. I knew it was the Holy Spirit's work. God used that peace to make me a blessing to the people around me - airline employees, fellow passengers, another guy whose bags were lost, the folks working the counter at Potbelly... and it blessed me deeply on a personal level as well. I felt the presence of God in a way I hadn't in some time, perhaps years.<br>
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Could you explain the entire chain of events naturalistically? Yup; it would be a statistical <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017930/">outlier</a></u>, but you could still explain it. Does that dent my confidence that it was truly God who was active in that whole situation? Not particularly.<br>
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So, King David, for what it's worth, I believe you.<br>
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<i>The <span style=";font-variant:small-caps;">Lord</span> lives! Praise be to my Rock!<br>
Exalted be God my Savior!<br>
He is the God who avenges me,<br>
who subdues nations under me,<br>
who saves me from my enemies.<br>
You exalted me above my foes;<br>
from a violent man you rescued me.<br>
Therefore I will praise you, <span style=";font-variant:small-caps;">Lord</span>, among the nations;<br>
I will sing the praises of your name.</i><br>
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<span style=";font-size:80%;">1. Obligatory evangelical caveat: Good, orthodox followers of Christ recognize the limits to this kind of reasoning. We can't use these subjective experiences of God to force others to do anything. In the absence of common reasoning, "God told me you need to..." is religious manipulation, not prophetic clarity. Human interpretation of personal experience also should not be a basis for bending one's theology out of line with orthodoxy. As the <u><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesleyan_Quadrilateral">Wesleyan Quadrilateral</a></u> rightly points out, Scripture is the measure by which experience is tested.)</span></span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-64173491304596772202012-09-03T12:02:00.003+02:002012-09-03T12:03:04.215+02:00Giving Thanks Step By StepIt's been quite a week for the Knox family. Okay, maybe just a few days. <br />
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<b>Andy's EEG</b><br />
At 10am on August 30th, Andy, Ben, and I drove to an international hospital in Madrid for Andy's first test (an EEG) to hopefully shed some light on his speech delay. We walked into our room, met the nurse who'd be taking care of us for the day, and she started marking Andy's head with a sharpie.<br />
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Andy absolutely hates having his hair touched. We've resolved to let his hair grow out since he's been terrorized the last few times we've taken him to get it cut (even and those cute kiddo places where he can sit in a little car and watch cartoons). He was a bit squirmy in my arms during the process of measuring and marking his head, and later gluing 26 electrodes, but all in all, he did great! By 12:30pm, he was all "electroded-up" and connected to the machine that would read his brain waves.<br />
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Ben clearly remembers the neurologist saying we'd be in and out of the hospital in about 5 hours, so that's what we'd planned for. We didn't bring a laptop or work to do as we thought we'd be devoted to keeping Andy in the sight-line of the 2 cameras that were video-taping him the entire time. Well, 8 hours later, we finally got to leave the hospital! Andy was an angel the entire time. He played really calmly on the bed for about an hour, then took a 3 hour nap! Ben and I ate lunch (wow, hospital food is good there), then woke Andy up at about 4pm. By 6:30pm, we were going stir crazy, so we took turns sneaking out for a little air, but again, Andy was great, which is what mattered most.<br />
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<b>Andy's First Day of Preschool</b><br />
I have been dreading today for quite a few months, though the scheduling of Andy's tests has made the first day of school for him sort of pale in comparison. We all woke up at 7:30am, and by 8:45am were walking out the house to Andy's school, named Sweden Garden (pretty cool as my mom's dad was 100% Swedish). Last night, I had terrible dreams of being in school myself, finding overdue library books, trying to find my classes, being late, etc. Nerves I guess. When do these dreams end, right? <br />
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We walked in, handed Andy over to his teacher, Vanessa, and collected his uniform and little backpack while hearing him cry. It was a tough few minutes! Ben and I left to get a coffee and a little breakfast a few blocks away. I tried <i>pan con tomate</i>, a typical Spanish breakfast, for the first time. A baguette is cut length-wise, toasted, and topped with olive oil, tomato puree, and salt. Pretty yummy. We bought Andy a mini sugar doughnut and headed back to his school after an hour. <br />
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The director opened the door, and we saw Andy happily playing with the other kids. Unfortunately, another kid had just thrown up (in another room) - I guess we'll have to get used to Andy catching some bugs there. But, Andy hardly wanted to leave! He was having a great time! He sat outside and licked all the sugar off the doughnut before eating it, then walked around the neighborhood a bit. It was a great morning.<br />
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<b>Giving Thanks</b><br />
Thank you for your prayers. We couldn't have gotten through the last few days without you. Please keep praying! Andy will have blood drawn on Wednesday, Sept. 5, as well as an MRI on Sept. 12. On the 12th, he has to fast from noon until 6pm, which could be tough for him to understand. <br />
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Thank you, Lord, for being faithful to us as we take steps through transitions. Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-23556170390632797032012-07-31T17:46:00.000+02:002012-07-31T17:46:03.269+02:00Loving the French LifeYup, France is awesome. We are in the Dordogne region, staying in a beautifully renovated barn, on the grounds of a lovely private, country area. I am so happy to be here. <br />
I hadn't realized how exhausting living in a big city could be. We like Madrid, certainly. It has a lot of great things:the metro, Retiro park, amazing museums... But, living in such a busy place is very tiring for people from Wisconsin. The simple act of driving through the countryside was the beginning of what I'm calling my rural therapy. Add French cooking, cooler weather, the Olympics, crafting time, more French cooking, and time with friends ...well, the rural therapy continues.<br />
We have had duck twice, an amazing gluten-free dessert at a bed and breakfast along the way driving to our destination, and discovered why creme-fraiche makes anything better. <br />
The best part of our time so far, however, is how happy Andy is here. Sure, he's had some meltdowns, but he is so happy to have a few little friends to play with all the time, and more so to be in a really safe place around which he can wander freely. No metro. No cars. No stop lights. Lots of grass. a big front porch. even a pony, though we haven't taken him for a ride quite yet. All in all, we love France and are glad that we have many days left on vacation here.Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-38149082047138484412012-07-31T17:32:00.003+02:002012-07-31T17:32:41.703+02:00Update on AndyWe have some news on Andy. Last time I wrote, we'd just met with the speech therapist to set up his assessment. We went again the following week for that assessment, then, with Ben away at camp, I went for the follow-up report. Long story short, she had some serious concerns about Andy's lack of receptive language, limited gesturing, and general state of development, putting aside his basically non-existent speaking. <br />
We have followed her advice and already had an appointment with a pediatric neurologist. In late August, early September, Andy will have bloodwork, an EEG, and an MRI. Yikes, right? It's a little scary. But, we're doing what we think is best for him. We are still planning to try preschool for him in the mornings starting in September. If it doesn't go well, we can bail. We have also had a few speech therapy sessions as well, focusing on eye contact with Andy and interactive play.<br />
Please keep Andy in your prayers, and we will keep you updated on how he is doing.Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-88364925019187819292012-07-08T14:26:00.001+02:002012-07-08T14:26:30.299+02:00Ben Away at Camp!At about 11:30 this morning, Ben left for 9 days of camp at a place called Pinos Reales (Royal Pines). It was really tough to say goodbye, even though I know that Andy and I are going to be just fine. We have lots of supportive teammates and friends here. But, it's hard being without an extra set of hands around the house with Andy, not to mention my best friend and source of conversation. <br />
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This morning, I also noticed a stain on one of our walls...right in front of the bathroom. Yikes. We have a very slow leak from the tube that connects the toilet to the plumbing inside the wall. I have a bucket there now, catching the slow drip, but it's just another thing to take care of by myself tomorrow. Our lifeguard's dad is a plumber, so I'll ask him to come over if he can.<br />
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Well, Andy's almost done eating Cheetos and yogurt for lunch, so I'd better go. Prayers for patience for me, a sweet temperament for Andy, and safety and blessing for Ben while he serves at camp are greatly appreciated!Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-70578400996130387842012-06-26T14:17:00.001+02:002012-06-26T14:17:05.402+02:00Speech TherapyBen and I went for an initial session with a British speech therapist today. The center was in a really lovely, upscale area of the city. We walked in to the waiting room and were pleasantly surprised to find English magazines there. After reading Time for a few minutes, we met Cathy.<br />
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We spoke for about 45 minutes, filling her in on Andy (who was at home, hanging out with a few teammates who graciously watched him so we could be at this appointment). She asked about his birth, his early speech habits, etc.<br />
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Near the end, she confirmed that she would like to assess Andy and definitely felt that he could benefit from some treatment sessions with her. It was a bittersweet moment. Bitter because hearing that your child does in fact have a need for help is tough. I didn't cry, but my heart was sad. Had we done something wrong? Did we take too long to come here? However, it was sweet as well. Here is someone that can potentially really help Andy to communicate! And she speaks English as her first language. <br />
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Next Thursday, we'll take Andy in for his evaluation with Cathy. Please join us in prayer that Andy would be calm and comfortable with her (we won't be in the room). A crying Andy would be very hard to evaluate. Step by step, we're still learning how to parent, love, and care for Andy.Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-78653545270098583632012-06-25T11:43:00.000+02:002012-06-25T11:43:14.823+02:00Return of the Gudes - airport photos<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmNn3NDG3MzHh2NZxfr7GevsC0sp4XcOIr9Bmpuf34ST8S6VxN7AnaSn5Lei9mg0wQUrVYxw0XHjQZ8W05TwbYFV6VCGkj-pUeeV-SAsPYamMYjbWHFQ3fpA54K_kstHH6eyXk1ds_Iw/s1600/DSCF7752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmNn3NDG3MzHh2NZxfr7GevsC0sp4XcOIr9Bmpuf34ST8S6VxN7AnaSn5Lei9mg0wQUrVYxw0XHjQZ8W05TwbYFV6VCGkj-pUeeV-SAsPYamMYjbWHFQ3fpA54K_kstHH6eyXk1ds_Iw/s400/DSCF7752.JPG" /></a>
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Andrea, Miriam, and Meggan
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0Cc4_N_qYejW0tZRkYzv7tar8oDGSAA9bkZNRBysqHLUpI9pEQIVoSNYl_u-iz_NrhRaT15oTizFx5hYtImwd3aHHsV-l3WI_izTIfSSlo8pNpyDtmJneW43MmIlh1ICGJhbDFXAYCc/s1600/DSCF7753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0Cc4_N_qYejW0tZRkYzv7tar8oDGSAA9bkZNRBysqHLUpI9pEQIVoSNYl_u-iz_NrhRaT15oTizFx5hYtImwd3aHHsV-l3WI_izTIfSSlo8pNpyDtmJneW43MmIlh1ICGJhbDFXAYCc/s400/DSCF7753.JPG" /></a>
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Manuel, Julie, and Chad
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvvcQP9yef3FHPseSPNBSIaA1h3LBTg_TpYqAHysezMwHCSfgCUJFssSlyAyqbfqTDw7jHcQ7vZKiOvUKnqffia9kwCd8biN1ozCn-MRtCGChNcEt3nE2e0CcZsVTyRmXTFI8kDsGePY/s1600/DSCF7755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvvcQP9yef3FHPseSPNBSIaA1h3LBTg_TpYqAHysezMwHCSfgCUJFssSlyAyqbfqTDw7jHcQ7vZKiOvUKnqffia9kwCd8biN1ozCn-MRtCGChNcEt3nE2e0CcZsVTyRmXTFI8kDsGePY/s400/DSCF7755.JPG" /></a>
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The youngest of the welcoming committee! (Later we entertained ourselves at the escalators.)
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBxm_cRkLjEql9MYvaddzy7zdLm-2S5Nyq9aQ2ImAh1ldj5m4T7wiFMOB6597dPeMgFULIGYjrYSsuav7CceB4-WDfP_RgXF7yvg3PJUjubbF5qfi9ULp_aTMAOejqEI6AuhPuJZFYcQ/s1600/DSCF7757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBxm_cRkLjEql9MYvaddzy7zdLm-2S5Nyq9aQ2ImAh1ldj5m4T7wiFMOB6597dPeMgFULIGYjrYSsuav7CceB4-WDfP_RgXF7yvg3PJUjubbF5qfi9ULp_aTMAOejqEI6AuhPuJZFYcQ/s400/DSCF7757.JPG" /></a>
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Génesis and Aarón hold the sign Meggan made for Niki
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxigQEw80xwsa6cEzNTUhO-h6tEcjcBasKfA-8x0t-k7gzJoySkifzniNzrxIrj2JoLz67ybl9fveOHytO7BoyqKSiizV1NSDvJGat1dKsgWHCvwjPZ29IixZTNSSobyUuO9zNgOShc0g/s1600/DSCF7760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="294" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxigQEw80xwsa6cEzNTUhO-h6tEcjcBasKfA-8x0t-k7gzJoySkifzniNzrxIrj2JoLz67ybl9fveOHytO7BoyqKSiizV1NSDvJGat1dKsgWHCvwjPZ29IixZTNSSobyUuO9zNgOShc0g/s400/DSCF7760.JPG" /></a>
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Here they come!!!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp-TO1Ijgu2OVNWdhYRmdlkgzazCRHPB0S0KWHESqGHnP9TUxc61WTfu3c2XSTPglxswkYhKiH93fLDiYStYSwbenAPKMGZzusHZQNo694BoFHLY-QhxjiVqA435RuKso9IcuQiR9lok/s1600/DSCF7762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEp-TO1Ijgu2OVNWdhYRmdlkgzazCRHPB0S0KWHESqGHnP9TUxc61WTfu3c2XSTPglxswkYhKiH93fLDiYStYSwbenAPKMGZzusHZQNo694BoFHLY-QhxjiVqA435RuKso9IcuQiR9lok/s400/DSCF7762.JPG" /></a>
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These are a few of "our kids." Life in ministry has its perks.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchdEUOAawXDJEqiNQtai6rXjyGrTCeTz3c_xyONGP8Rw8xPRiffSa0dIlAYcA73ezqw_YTFZNKAAz5LmLyDtnaM2Syne-MEAcAxR1zUhErvffNPrOtzzqrkyJiNyqmrW5cn67IGw25tI/s1600/DSCF7763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="372" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchdEUOAawXDJEqiNQtai6rXjyGrTCeTz3c_xyONGP8Rw8xPRiffSa0dIlAYcA73ezqw_YTFZNKAAz5LmLyDtnaM2Syne-MEAcAxR1zUhErvffNPrOtzzqrkyJiNyqmrW5cn67IGw25tI/s400/DSCF7763.JPG" /></a>
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Meggan, Julie, Niki, and Chad
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Ben, Ed, and Manuel
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Angel opens a gift from the youth group (a poster of photos)Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-73168688436057348602012-06-22T15:37:00.000+02:002012-06-22T15:37:15.295+02:00BaptismsTomorrow is a special day for our church - Baptism <strike>Sunday </strike> Saturday! Every year, the congregation heads up to a camp called Aguas Vivas (Living Waters) to have an outdoor baptism celebration. Last year, several members of the youth group were baptized, and this year there are several as well, though they are from our sister church (with which La Elipa just merged), so we don't know them too well yet. <br />
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Aguas Vivas is a special place for Ben and me because during our vision trip to Spain in 2008, we were counselors for the annual week-long kids' camp there. It was by far the best week of that summer. It is incredible to me when I think about Ben not speaking any Spanish, and how much he still engaged with the kids that week. Baptisms are also really special to Ben and me. We usually attended the baptism services at Blackhawk (our church while in college and raising support), even if we didn't know anyone. It's a really moving experience to listen as people publicly devote their lives to Christ. I always get teary, in a good way. <br />
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Ben went up to Aguas Vivas today to help set up the portable pool for the event. I will follow tomorrow with Andy. I'm so happy that our teammates/bosses/friends the Gudemans are back from a year in the US. I get to ride to the camp with Sheryl. It will be great to get out of the city, have a picnic, enjoy the scenery, and be a witness to lives being dedicated to the Lord. The Lord is at work in Spain, completely apart from the small part that we are playing here.Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-31817096442096790322012-06-16T23:05:00.000+02:002012-06-16T23:14:08.441+02:00He's Never Failed Me YetIt's been a rough few weeks in Madrid. <br />
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About two weeks ago, I really hurt my back. Sort of a long story. Short version: I'm on a quest to be a healthier, more active person. After about 2 months of diet and exercise, I decided to kick it up a notch and went too far. I sneezed while changing the sheets on the bed and suddenly fell to my knees in pain. For the next 72 hours, I could barely walk, went to have 2 massages, and made a new best friend (the ice pack). Thankfully, I am about 95% back (ha!) to normal.<br />
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On Monday, it was Ben's day off. We decided to go to a park in the afternoon. On the way there, our car failed (again!) on an off-ramp. Praise the Lord, we were in an okay position to set out the orange triangles and wait a few minutes before starting the car again (Safety precautions in Spain are actually very...well...safe. You even have to wear a reflective vest before setting out the triangles). Called our car dealer (again!) to report the accident. On the way home, our car failed while we were accelerating in the midst of a highway transfer. Very scary, unlike any of the other times our car has done this. Again, praise the Lord we were okay, but this car thing... Yikes. Needless to say, we are having conversations of a different nature with our car dealer. <br />
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We've been taking care of a team member's car in their absence. For their return, we took the car to be washed and vacuumed. When we came back to pick it up, the person working on it had broken off the interior rearview mirror by accident. He assured us that it was fixable. Nope. Went on a wild-goose chase to buy a new one, but we did find one.<br />
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Andy's been tough lately, really testing the boundaries with us, not wanting to nap or sleep at night. He's also moved from slapping me to punching me when he's having a tantrum and can't express what he's feeling (P.S. We have our first appointment with a British speech therapist next week). I'm trying to convince Ben to get some contacts so that his glasses don't get destroyed by Andy during a tantrum. I've been wearing contacts exclusively lately because of this pattern. Last night, Andy started crying really loudly (every parent's nightmare when you live in an apartment). I jumped out of bed and flipped on the light to the bathroom in the hallway...<br />
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And KNOCKED the power out in the entire apartment. Tried the breakers. Nada. So, we called an emergency-after-hours electrician, this really nice Bulgarian guy who spoke rather broken Spanish. A few hours (and many many euros) later, we had power again (meaning all the food I'd bought for our friends returning to Spain TODAY didn't spoil). And it looks like our insurance will cover this.<br />
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So, I'm thinking of all these incidents while washing the dishes. Part of me just wanted to sit down and cry and say "Okay, Spain, you've won! What else do you want from me?" But, immediately, I felt the Lord reminding me that He was there in every circumstance, providing and protecting us. <br />
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So, glory to God, He is here with us! To Him be the glory in EVERY circumstance. Help me, Lord, to fix my eyes on You and praise you in everything. <br />
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<br />Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-39719028468081046432012-05-17T18:31:00.000+02:002012-05-17T18:31:54.306+02:00Meggan's Day OffIf you've been reading our email newsletters, you saw last month that we've realized our stress levels have been too high. We have been overwhelmed by your support through emails - Thank you! <br />
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One of the practical things that we're doing to help us in our quest for lower stress is to each have a day off. Ben had started practicing a day off regularly a few months ago, but we both suddenly realized that even when he was off, I wasn't. My day was basically the same, except that Andy had a playmate when I was cooking when Ben had off. So, Meggan's Day Off began. It's typically every Thursday and means no cooking or cleaning for me. Sure, we still have Andy to take care of, but it is a big improvement. <br />
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Ben, you are awesome! Thank you for making these days possible! <br />
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Something that I really miss about life in the US is paper-crafting. While I LOVE using Shutterfly to make digital scrapbooks (thanks to my sister-in-law, Kim, for inspiring me), I still like to make cards, chip-board books, etc with real, hands-on paper and materials. Too bad that stuff is rather rare (read "ridiculously expensive and hard to get to") in Spain.<br />
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Thanks to my lovely parents, their neighbor, Holly (a Stampin' Up rep), and Kim, I now have a bunch of crafting supplies. Our church in Denver, Bethany Evangelical Free, also sent me some wonderful crafting supplies for Christmas. Thank you all!<br />
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Anyways, on the past two Thursdays, I've been putting my paper-crafting skills to the test in making cards. Here are a few that I've done. The lighting isn't great, but oh well. And as soon as I mail out Rick and Anne Groves' wedding card, I'll post that one up, too. Can't let them see it here before they open it, can I?<br />
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<br />Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-25095290607952835162012-02-11T23:20:00.000+01:002012-02-11T23:21:08.677+01:00The OmeletI have been overcooking scrambled eggs for as long as I can remember. I am always paranoid that they're undercooked, and despite enjoying an egg over-easy every once in a great while, undercooked scrambled eggs really freak me out. <br />
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The last full day of Mima (Ben's mom's) visit, however, I woke up and had the thought <i>Today is a good omelet day</i>. Let me be clear. I have never made a successful omelet before, so I have no idea what prompted this sudden assurance that I would be able to on Thursday. But, it worked! <br />
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Okay - maybe I know.<br />
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A spatula that looks like a scimitar!<br />
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It's made by the brand Orca, but I couldn't find a picture of it online. My mom bought if for me from the Wire Whisk in Appleton, a kitchen-gadgety store. It's made of flexible plastic and is GREAT for flipping Swedish Pancakes and apparently really helpful when making omelets. <br />
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So, make sure there's enough butter or oil so that the eggs won't stick to the pan. <br />
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As the eggs heat, skim around the sides with the scimitar spatula. This helps the omelet get ready to flip.<br />
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When the eggs start to bubble and almost all of the liquidy part of the eggs on the top is gone, remove pan from heat and shake it around a bit. If you've greased the pan enough, the omelet should slide around. <br />
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Then...confidence, Atreyu. Flip it! <br />
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It's scary, I know! Or, you could slide the omelet onto a plate and then flip the plate over onto the skillet. Or try with the spatula. But flipping it is fun (here I am flipping a Swedish pancake on New Year's Day...yes, in pajamas).<br />
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Once flipped, add ham or cheese or whatever to one side, then fold the other side over. Ta-Da! You're an omelet chef.<br />
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<br />Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-37290113426763878782012-02-10T18:30:00.000+01:002012-02-10T18:40:13.487+01:00Blessed to have a VisitorIt's Friday afternoon. The house seems rather quiet after taking Mima (the name our oldest niece, Emily gave Carol, my mother-in-law, several years ago) to the airport this morning.<br />
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Having visitors while living in Spain is so great. We get to share our lives with people: show them around the neighborhood, introduce them to Spanish food (well...the few Spanish foods that we eat), take them to some cool parts of Madrid, and introduce them to our small group of friends here. We do life together. And we usually spend a lot of time playing games together, too. (Unfortunately, we have concluded after this visit that Bohnanza (the Bean Game) requires a minimum of 4 players to be interesting.) Ben and I even got to go on a date for the first time since...oh boy...when did Harry Potter 7 part 2 come to theaters in Madrid? <br />
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The tough thing about visitors is that the visit inevitably ends. It doesn't matter how long or short the time period; at some point, it's over. Life goes back to normal within a few days, but that first day (or days) after they leave, things are in limbo. The airport always does this to me. I'm so close to home when I'm there, waiting for Mima while she checks in near a sign that says New York on it. I could get on plane and within hours could cross an entire ocean and re-enter the country that I know, the culture that I understand through and through, the language that I can articulate freely. I could hug the family members that I love and enjoy the deliciousness of Chipotle (okay, burritos are not really THAT important). <br />
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I have to be careful sometimes when I think about life in the United States. If I lived there, I would still have days when I wanted to pull my hair out because of Andy's tantrums. Well, actually he pulls my hair out, so I'll have to find a new metaphor for frustration. That's been one of the advantages of accidentally getting my hair cut really short several weeks ago - there's less for him to grab onto! I digress. If I lived in the US, I'd still have lonely moments, moments when I couldn't just go hang out with friends and family, moments when I'd be overwhelmed with cooking or laundry. Moments when I'd feel disconnected with the Lord. I'd miss taking ballet for 5 hours a week, because that's just not realistic when you have a toddler. I'd still be stressing about enrolling Andy in pre-school or not in the fall. <br />
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So, living overseas doesn't really change a lot of my day to day wear-me-out factors. But, saying goodbye to someone at the airport without really knowing when you'll see them face to face (not on Skype, but thank you, Lord, for Skype) again is tough. It's the other side of having visitors. It's great to have them, but it's always a short-term thing. Granted, in our little apartment, I might kick out even the best visitor after a certain point.<br />
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Longing for reunion, for no more goodbyes is a sign that we long for eternity with the Lord. I find comfort in knowing that one day that reunion will take place forever. No more airport goodbyes. Or a lot of other much more painful goodbyes where Skype can't reach the person you love. Those goodbyes will come one day, regardless if I live in Spain or the US. The good news...the ONLY news I have to hold onto in those sad moments is that the Lord Jesus will return. He longs to return. Do I dare say that he longs to be united with us as much as he longed to be reunited with the Father while he was on Earth? That's a very powerful thought. <br />
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So, in light of that, I'm trying to look at having visitors as a little taste of that reunion. The goodbye will come, certainly, but the blessing of a visitor will outweigh the bitterness of that goodbye...until all is overshadowed (in a good sense) by the ultimate reunion at the Lord's return. <br />Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-61303270195377130042012-01-31T19:11:00.000+01:002012-01-31T19:11:32.338+01:00Rotary Madrid<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">Thanks to my adventurous mother, I enjoyed a new cultural experience today here in Spain: a Rotary International club meeting. Mom is a fairly new member of Rotary, and there's an open invitation for Rotary members from all around the world to drop in on a club meeting wherever they happen to be. So, she did all the legwork & <a href="http://www.rotarymadrid.org/">found a group</a> that meets for lunch every Tuesday at <a href="http://www.westinpalacemadrid.com/">the Palace Hotel</a> (a rather nice establishment). She took me along as her buddy/translator.<br />
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We were mildly underdressed for the occasion (I without a tie or jacket, Mom in her nicer vacation attire), but no one made us feel the lesser for it. I was probably the youngest person in the room by about fifteen years. I would guess about half of the 30-40 club members present spoke fluent English, including two Americans who had each spent half their lives in Spain (one man half of his 86 years, another woman half of her 50). The elder American gentleman lost his wife just last week; he was present at the meeting particularly because he needed a change of scenery. We sat between a Swiss gentleman who spent a generation as the CEO of a cosmetics company and a Spaniard who works as a headhunter. There were folks from a wide variety of career fields, as is the Rotary way, and generally speaking two generations present (the "white-haired" folks and those in the 45-50 range brought in to reinvigorate the group, as our headhunter friend explained).<br />
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The food and beverage were all delicious. The main presentation of the day focused on building an elite Spanish university. Based on global university rankings, the best university in Spain only ranks as #150 worldwide. Our resident expert (a physicist-turned-educational researcher who himself has spent time at Stanford, Berkeley, and Princeton) focused on two important traits for building such a university: independence from political oversight, and a global faculty and student body (which for him would require abandoning the regional languages). He also talked about the importance of philanthropy and independence between campuses. With a number of professors in the club, a heated conversation ensued in the Q&A time, so Mom and I got to witness the Spanish passion in full swing. It was a lot of fun. We spent part of our metro ride home talking about whether the eliteness of a university was its most important trait, plus the general equality of undergraduate education from one institution to the next, even in the hallowed halls of the upper-tier schools.<br />
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On our way out of the hotel, we decided not to pay <a href="http://www.loewe.com/">1,400 € for a purse</a>. We'd rather take our pocket change elsewhere, thank you.</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-53155491549090092662012-01-22T11:29:00.002+01:002012-01-22T11:29:31.279+01:00Recovery, thankfulness, and reflection.Last week was a doozy! I had a few moments of not feeling well last Sunday, but the real jump-start to our family illness was Andy throwing up in his highchair during lunch on Tuesday. I was really grateful that the "my baby needs me more than this grosses me out" ability kicked in as I gave Andy a bath, started laundry, and cleaned up the highchair. <br />
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The next few days involved only one more vomit incident (poor Andy...poor crib this time), lots of body aches, and lots of toilet flushing. But, here we are, trying to get back into the swing of things, trying to tell the fatigue (and other lingering effects) to hop on the next train out of town, or at least out of our apartment.<br />
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Being sick will forever remind me of that horrible time last year when Ben was really sick, and we felt completely helpless as newcomers and foreigners in Madrid. This year wasn't nearly as serious, and we were able to get ourselves to the doctor (in our own car even!) without involving an ER visit. <br />
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Life in another country is all about celebrating the little things sometimes. This is one of those times. I am trying to be a person of thankfulness and a person of prayer. Sometimes by my own power, sometimes by relying on the Holy Spirit as my true power source. But, today, Father, I pause to say thank you for taking us through a week of illness and ask for a full restoration of health for the sake of your glory.<br />
And now I'd better get Andy some more cereal. Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-8900928035387056382012-01-17T14:29:00.000+01:002012-01-17T14:29:14.884+01:00Saving money - BOOM!<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">With a year under our belts, we're finally at the place where we know how to save money on general expenses. When we first arrived, we went with whatever bank, utility company, or phone provider was easiest/recommended without doing any of our own research. Then, when we bought a car in November, we did the research & saved a small fortune annually (almost 1,000 €) on the best insurance plan for our situation. Today I just moved our banking to a different bank, because the old bank was charging us exorbitant fees, whereas the new account has no fees or commissions on anything. This will probably save another 150 € per year or more. It's a good feeling to be able to navigate the culture well enough to make these decisions now. Also, since car insurance and banking fees officially came from the "work funds" portion of our budget, we've just gained about 100 € per month that we can spend on the youth rather than giving it to "the man."<br />
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Up next, our utilities and cell phone service providers... maybe. :)</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-32328270221647764012012-01-14T23:27:00.001+01:002012-01-14T23:27:43.571+01:002 years of ParenthoodTwo years already? I (Meggan) was showing my friend, Candela, the Shutterfly book of Andy's first year today as we were celebrating Andy's 2nd birthday. I have definitely had my moments of missing baby Andy (though I still call him that), but the joys of Andy growing and learning really are very joyful. He occasionally hugs, he frequently kisses, he spells his name out loud, has his favorite little movies... He also is obsessed with the metro and insists upon going there every time we leave the house, doesn't really like being put in his stroller when I have to go grocery shopping, and can flail like nobody's business when he's upset. Parenthood is quite the roller-coaster. <br />
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As a wise friend told me, having small children simplifies your life. I get Andy dressed, fed, cleaned up, and to bed day after day. We go the grocery store, the park...everywhere together. Sometimes it's monotony, sometimes it's wonderfully peaceful, sometimes it makes me stir-crazy. I'm trying to learn to be content every day, trying to take better care of myself, trying to be more patient, trying to enjoy each moment with Andy without being overly sentimental. I'm also trying to get Andy to stop hitting his head on things (including my face) when he's angry. There's a lot of trying going on, even in the midst of a rather simple life. <br />
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Parenthood is life-changing. There are days when I really miss being a student at UW and at Denver Seminary. Almost every day I miss ballet classes in Littleton. A lot of who I was seems very far away sometimes. I know that living in another country has a lot to do with that, too. What I know for sure, however, is that my life is much richer being a parent. I am very grateful for the gift and challenge of having Andy. <br />
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<br />Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-68383681583607359302011-09-24T23:25:00.007+02:002011-09-24T23:50:31.214+02:00A gift of a weekend<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><i>Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.</i> (James 1:17a, NIV)<br />
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Last night was our first night of Fusión 47, our youth group at La Elipa Church. We had over 20 youth gathered, including friends of our regulars, and it was a good and fulfilling afternoon together. I got the opportunity to share about why we exist as a group, and we talked about our plans for the year to come. We also played a relaxed game of ultimate frisbee in the park with another teen, Jorge, who we met there. Jorge has Downs Syndrome, and as is so often the case with people with Downs, his spirit blessed us, and I hope our acceptance blessed his mom and grandma. (When he showed up with his grandma, she seemed disappointed that we were in the spot that was his routine play spot. Glad for the opportunity to turn the disappointment upside down!)<br />
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In the midst of a busy week, it just made sense to take the day off today... and it's been a great day. We really had a great Meggan and Ben day as a couple; we connected well together throughout the day. It's amazing how clean we can get the house when we're working together! (Translation: it's amazing how clean Meggan can get the house when she has a little help from me.) We had multiple conversations about stuff deeper than just the urgent or current stuff in our lives. We Skyped with Meggan's parents after over a week w/o chatting (they had been on vacation), and we also watched a sermon online that got us talking and processing about our present & future on a healthy level.<br />
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It certainly helps that Andrew has been incredible all day; he was in a good mood all morning, even after getting a big g-DONK on his forehead. (He likes to walk around with his eyes closed sometimes, and that can be dangerous, as you might imagine.) He ate well at lunch and dinner, and he took a 3.5-hour nap, which certainly doesn't hurt in the mood department. We Skyped with Mima, and for twenty minutes during our conversation after his bath, he was just shutting himself in Mommy and Daddy's closet and popping back out. When he was done, he picked up the milk cup Mommy had brought back for him and walked to the rocking chair in his room to tell us he was ready for his bedtime routine. That was a pretty incredible first to witness as a parent. What a boy!<br />
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Our friend Hannah also arrived today. She'll be living in Madrid this year, working at a Spanish public elementary school not too far from us as an English teacher. It's a blessing to serve as a welcoming party, and it certainly doesn't hurt when one's guest is a highly agreeable person.<br />
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Pork stir fry for lunch; spaghetti for dinner; apple crisp for dessert, with a Dutch beer and a fútbol match before bed. Tomorrow morning I'll eat breakfast w/ the youth before church, and it'll be another good day. Giving thanks <i>profundamente</i>.<br />
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(And to think, when I first wrote this post, I didn't even remember that I woke up this morning to find out the Brewers had clinched the division. Seriously, where are my priorities?)</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-78460849891757153452011-09-12T15:06:00.000+02:002011-09-12T15:06:59.439+02:00Hillsong in Madrid<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">On Saturday, September 10, <a href="http://hillsong.com/">Hillsong</a> came to Madrid for a one-night concert. One of the students in our youth group said, "hey, let's go!" - so ten of us went and had a great time. (Note: ANYTIME a student takes the initiative to plan an event that involves spiritual content, you jump on board!!!)<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pIg_R-brKe0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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There were a handful of songs where the crowd - surprisingly large for an evangelical crowd in Spain - sang their guts out, in Spanish, while the singers just backed off from the mics and listened to the people. I was overcome with the sense of the artist's joy they must have experienced, hearing people sing the art they had written and created, in a language they could not understand, in worship of the God they share and together desire to see glorified. Powerful stuff.</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-7096171477668714662011-08-11T18:00:00.002+02:002011-08-11T18:01:12.247+02:00Reflections from Newark<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><i>As detailed in the <a href="http://benymeggan.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-unexpected-wisconsin-visit.html">previous post</a>, we have been in the U.S. for the last two weeks. This was our first visit back since moving to Spain nine months ago. What follows is a stream-of-consciousness journal entry of reverse culture shock from our layover in Newark when we first entered the country.</i>
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<br /><b>Friday, July 29</b>
<br />    Right away in the C concourse there's a tchotchke store called "AMERICA." Big eagle over the store sign, everything red-white-n-blue... wow. <i>Ya no estamos en España</i> (we're not in Spain anymore). Besides the fact that it's American stuff rather than Spanish stuff, it's that Spain is not a very patriotic country. You would be hard-pressed to find a store like that in a Spanish airport.
<br />    It was strange to me to hear people cheer when the captain welcomed everyone to the "good old U.S.A." It was the cheer of folks glad to be home, and it was strange not to feel like one of them - this is our home in one sense, but the home where we put up our feet & relax is an apartment in Madrid. It's not necessarily that I feel more at him in Spain than in the U.S., but the coming-home place for us as a family of three is our <i>piso</i>, our neighbors, our grocery store, our swimming pool, and our regular routine.
<br />    I spent a good chunk of the flight reading a couple chapters of Meggan's driver's ed textbook (I should sign up soon after we get back). Something I noticed in getting off the plane is that I understand every word on any sign - "it is advisable to maintain custody..." etc. Paragraphs like that in the driver's ed manual, I get the gist of it 98% of the time, but I'm not familiar w/ every word. Or take a restaurant name here - "Cheeburger Cheeburger" - I know instinctively that "cheeburger" is not a real word, but rather a shortened version of "cheeseburger" that one might say in a silly voice when one is particularly in the mood for said food item. In Spanish w/ something similar, I would look, think, ponder, maybe eventually figure it out (whether in seconds or in ten months), then feel particularly accomplished/proud for such a feat. (Example: there is a cell phone service provider in Spain called "yoigo," and months after our arrival, Meggan said, "hey, 'yoigo' is short for 'yo oigo' [meaning 'I hear']." Me: "ohhh...")
<br />    Just look at that paragraph! I just rolled that off in English, and it felt so... fluent. Uff. Natural. <u>Nuanced.</u> It's very hard yet for me to do nuance in Spanish.
<br />    Most chatter is in English, and that sounds weird (Sheryl warned us about this). Our language of common courtesy with strangers is English (this is a context that has only existed in Spanish for us for nine months, so that was a genuine adjustment). Airport personnel have been very kind.
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<br /><i>Surprisingly enough, that was about the end of the reverse culture shock for me. Once we got into the A concourse and found out our next flight might be delayed, we entered into mildly-stressed-American-traveler mode. When we got to Wisconsin, even though we were seeing things that were abnormal for our recent experience, they looked like they "belonged" here (big SUVs, orange cones, cornfields, outlet malls, etc.). The remaining big "wow" moment for me the rest of the trip came when we were on our way to a family gathering. Our caravan with John was to converge in Princeton, Wisconsin, and he got there first. He called us with the most convenient meeting spot: "I'll be in the church parking lot with the signs for the gun show." A gun show in a church parking lot. Boy, are we ever back in rural America. :-)</i></span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-19245439495459373562011-08-11T17:11:00.001+02:002011-08-11T17:14:22.794+02:00Our unexpected Wisconsin visit<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">As some of you know, Meggan, Andrew, and I have made an unexpected trip to the U.S. for my grandpa's funeral. Today is our last full day here, and it has been a real blessing to be able to spend quality time with family. Before planning our trip, we wondered how long to come, whether our time here would be able to feel restful, and whether it would be okay for us to be here from the standpoint of continuing our healthy transition to life in Spain. After a good chat with Ed and Sheryl, we decided to make it a two-week trip, cancel our plans for Dublin, and make this our summer vacation. That turned out to be a very good decision. We have had a lovely time with both sides of our family, and I feel particularly refreshed. I also feel a sense of "we can do this" between now and the next time we get to see everyone, whenever that may be. Thanks be to God for a great trip.
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dailyunion.com/SiteImages/Article/9113a.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 535px;" src="http://www.dailyunion.com/SiteImages/Article/9113a.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>Thanks be to God even more for the life of my grandpa, Bill Ward. He was a good man and a wonderful grandpa. A farmer, a family man, a servant, an intellectual, a craftsman, an historian, a lifelong learner. He was the most insatiably curious man I have ever known, and he was always willing to engage in a friendly conversation with a stranger who might be able to teach him something interesting. Grandma and Grandpa came along with our immediate family on numerous family vacations, and he always kept a detailed journal of each day's happenings. He continued learning new things throughout his life, from taking flying lessons at age 50 to picking up stained glass as a hobby in his latter years. I think it's time for me to put a little extra effort into learning something new myself - I've picked up the guitar again, and I'm gonna try to give it what it takes this time. We went through the journey of Alzheimer's as a family with him in his last years, and it is a comfort to know that he has been released from that disease. I look forward to spending time with the curious, loving man I knew when the resurrection comes. Here is the touching <a href="http://www.dailyunion.com/main.asp?ArticleID=9113&SectionID=36&SubSectionID=112&S=1">newspaper article</a> commemorating his life.
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<br />We apologize for not being super open about our travel plans in advance of our trip. I hope you can understand that this needed to be a family-centered trip, and as such, we didn't spend any appreciable time with friends or ministry supporters. We appreciate your prayers for a good month of readjustment and planning back in Madrid before the ministry year shifts into gear.</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-85327584505173192252011-07-17T18:20:00.000+02:002011-07-17T18:24:04.267+02:00Camp Week 2.0 - God at work<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">After a few days' "breather," we took the camp plunge once again. This time we went as a family; it was tough for Andy to work on a rigid schedule, but it was well worth it. This camp, <i>Nuevas Aventuras</i> ("New Adventures"), brought together almost 50 teenagers from all over Spain. The camp ran nine days, July 8-16. We arrived toward the end of their week together, on July 14 (<b>also my brother's birthday</b>; a shout out to Indy) and stayed for their last 48 hours.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDbwKfyzOVzqDo-rEwlZszesgWgLWX4VG-S7bGSKe3SSfv3GVnUyfSsJLBxZ_biHdLyQ5_x6Q3KqAN6YDd-1dVejqnYq_Fp3fd0SK1bpOpVLxx0XnsQlR_Am4popjUbSNs9a_Mb8Hr68/s1600/DSCF5789.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDbwKfyzOVzqDo-rEwlZszesgWgLWX4VG-S7bGSKe3SSfv3GVnUyfSsJLBxZ_biHdLyQ5_x6Q3KqAN6YDd-1dVejqnYq_Fp3fd0SK1bpOpVLxx0XnsQlR_Am4popjUbSNs9a_Mb8Hr68/s400/DSCF5789.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630329920925989794" /></a>We had been invited by our friend David (he of <a href="http://benymeggan.blogspot.com/2011/06/somethings-fishy-authentic-paella-en.html">paella fame</a>), and I had the privilege of teaching for one session, within an hour of our arrival. Later in the evening we also got to share together as a couple about how the Lord worked in our lives to bring us to Spain.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2BcmmKgDsUJZFK1ZFKCl2Oi87XQ0XDQ986Ety5eTx0vfcLUwn5Gh1L10ZsHgbEq6QWPq4JNQmm-VQhgnxz8zSYMTbGUr8k9KXV2WCa79ChP9H4n3SizRaRMmDkPu3qsHZLGmv3DonZE/s1600/DSCF5808.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2BcmmKgDsUJZFK1ZFKCl2Oi87XQ0XDQ986Ety5eTx0vfcLUwn5Gh1L10ZsHgbEq6QWPq4JNQmm-VQhgnxz8zSYMTbGUr8k9KXV2WCa79ChP9H4n3SizRaRMmDkPu3qsHZLGmv3DonZE/s400/DSCF5808.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630331545846293186" /></a>After teaching, Dani wanted to talk. Dani is a youth of Romanian descent (of which there are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanians_in_Spain">many in Spain</a>) who lives in a suburb of Madrid on our side of town. I was humbled by his desire to talk on a deeper level about the theme from my lesson, and it was clear that God had a purpose for our presence at the camp. (He's happier in person than he looks in the picture, I promise!)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3TOoXc-dIKbrpL9UyIkhOKMMhn-4QS8uKMX4wforEEfIbZGlqzOx-gCk-mBrlCsXU_MhIG5AlUgcxkJl4CkdDrAgTubp3Uay93Pw_oKM9o4m6TinUqEuLwkjPoN6UW2AI1bgGN2fS9g/s1600/DSCF5795.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3TOoXc-dIKbrpL9UyIkhOKMMhn-4QS8uKMX4wforEEfIbZGlqzOx-gCk-mBrlCsXU_MhIG5AlUgcxkJl4CkdDrAgTubp3Uay93Pw_oKM9o4m6TinUqEuLwkjPoN6UW2AI1bgGN2fS9g/s400/DSCF5795.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630329930149562418" /></a>Here's Mommy and Andy goofing off in our room. The accommodations at <a href="http://www.evangelismoenaccion.es/esp/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:pinos-reales-571000m2-&catid=25:centros-de-retiros-y-campamentos&Itemid=67"><i>Pinos Reales</i></a> ("Royal Pines") were quite nice for a camp. We basically had a hotel room, with our own bathroom and everything. We did have trouble getting the little man to eat well. We didn't have a highchair, and he seemed to be a bit stressed by the atmosphere of the dining hall...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdM0oXLQQrl7zyahEJ1vJN-3xnYGKVvdIwLbQZWVq9zOOaVsJ944PokAHhulEAoIJXb4RQodnD1kwdSfzV6evS3SHW8NKZFpUoHaqbfMkxpO9fED2nR36iv-Ir-riqdHIzNDI60zUqkk/s1600/DSCF5801.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdM0oXLQQrl7zyahEJ1vJN-3xnYGKVvdIwLbQZWVq9zOOaVsJ944PokAHhulEAoIJXb4RQodnD1kwdSfzV6evS3SHW8NKZFpUoHaqbfMkxpO9fED2nR36iv-Ir-riqdHIzNDI60zUqkk/s400/DSCF5801.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630337650325746546" /></a>... but that didn't stop him from enjoying some chocolate ice cream. (Anyone interested in signing up for the Knox School of Parenting, give us a call anytime. Operators are standing by.)<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30725v-6koEKXhAYRitH4f3lcGeN72OaBceJQyrQoNXGTTIGNCPE0hIBdhvn52_h0OHxaz1JHOQ0xXRam-Bjp8TCtKAnMkDiFHy3kD07q4mB9PuDJWzUConqkQWx16KKRN7CwDR2oGfU/s1600/DSCF5806.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30725v-6koEKXhAYRitH4f3lcGeN72OaBceJQyrQoNXGTTIGNCPE0hIBdhvn52_h0OHxaz1JHOQ0xXRam-Bjp8TCtKAnMkDiFHy3kD07q4mB9PuDJWzUConqkQWx16KKRN7CwDR2oGfU/s400/DSCF5806.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630337657461556306" /></a>We spent an hour or two each day at the pool, mostly playing water polo and watching a handful of guys throw anyone they could into the pool. It was convenient to have Andy in our hands, cuz, you know, even rambunctious young'ns know you don't throw a baby in the pool.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuJGF2PrALtVf73k-Vaejsq4FH8Xaogdyoc3h48TTmqnTZHqrx9VTzPsfn7VujczNbOPpyXBFV9Eec-Pgk5cQIGizv0JN0RRCqwaH6JnmY6DxQXtADWg3nAtOppCywattDzL_wVgPQ9w/s1600/DSCF5805.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 307px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuJGF2PrALtVf73k-Vaejsq4FH8Xaogdyoc3h48TTmqnTZHqrx9VTzPsfn7VujczNbOPpyXBFV9Eec-Pgk5cQIGizv0JN0RRCqwaH6JnmY6DxQXtADWg3nAtOppCywattDzL_wVgPQ9w/s400/DSCF5805.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630337662358202722" /></a>We met all sorts of good people from churches around the Madrid area. Here's Andrew with Monica.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tW-OdoxsNd7NcZZXEZfJVR345vC3v9BY1dyF-0xYCsp95K6rHkHFx-oEoSuLY5YSWsMvF3380l7-euqzRnz1b9r8bew62tn04Aaecg91R3pdj9ucF0GaqurSCQPO24uYA1OvjEyzjmY/s1600/Foto-0050.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 328px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tW-OdoxsNd7NcZZXEZfJVR345vC3v9BY1dyF-0xYCsp95K6rHkHFx-oEoSuLY5YSWsMvF3380l7-euqzRnz1b9r8bew62tn04Aaecg91R3pdj9ucF0GaqurSCQPO24uYA1OvjEyzjmY/s400/Foto-0050.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5630329922816022834" /></a>On the last night they had a variety show. This student, Melissa, sang a song for the whole group. She took a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7x28bKbrV4">song she likes</a> by a German artist, with English lyrics, and rewrote the lyrics - in English! - with a Christian message. She did an artful job, both writing and singing, particularly when you consider she was conveying spiritual themes in her second language. She wanted to conserve bits and pieces of the original lyrics, and it came off... well, like a song. She asked for my English help to work through some writer's block on the second verse, and it was an honor to be invited into the creative process of a bright young woman with a passionate desire to follow Christ.<br /><br />A very full 50 hours. We're very thankful to David for his invitation and to God for all he was doing in the lives of everyone at the camp.</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-45096156484731563282011-07-09T17:53:00.000+02:002011-07-09T17:53:26.538+02:00Snapshots from Nómadas 2011<span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnstlkWAQxlNaX6IL9a_YSoYPDM4hVBGLUigBhITsrsgjellmiBOGYKFZLyHEYfObpEbeFnxXg1fvu_Km2iOm6YBsqAYiv49tTTadPircTkQAdCOC1Z2jMW4-S_aR_5Y5q1wN1VIugDI/s1600/DSCF5684.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilnstlkWAQxlNaX6IL9a_YSoYPDM4hVBGLUigBhITsrsgjellmiBOGYKFZLyHEYfObpEbeFnxXg1fvu_Km2iOm6YBsqAYiv49tTTadPircTkQAdCOC1Z2jMW4-S_aR_5Y5q1wN1VIugDI/s400/DSCF5684.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627375055630802770" /></a>As a lad I went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Grand_Cayman">Hell</a> with my family. Now I've been to purgatory (or, more specifically, Purgatory Falls). It's a proud day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NBTPj9USJYHAcO6oNptjUKcDuVn5K9rccP-QC_1kjJrmw0i0xneYYdxmqKiWZm3gGSc3u3thcqbJhLoOxUzdeRYpXqzS_03PW2bpLXke8qVv_hc8AQsXgxUD7uVkS0bwfE19E1W6Z5k/s1600/DSCF5682.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 377px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NBTPj9USJYHAcO6oNptjUKcDuVn5K9rccP-QC_1kjJrmw0i0xneYYdxmqKiWZm3gGSc3u3thcqbJhLoOxUzdeRYpXqzS_03PW2bpLXke8qVv_hc8AQsXgxUD7uVkS0bwfE19E1W6Z5k/s400/DSCF5682.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627375039716521266" /></a>David plays Gollum with a dead trout we found.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Cysw8cXV4BVSsXJewcByVwpwSLORGY7Xijc-QWsouxvkI0OL4tDMD1HdSYp5GXbLIbZ1F27H3ClabHFO5IEqVSYjMi8-nE2UH7GIw2ATY5f_eUrxife_N2OAArX3K_JLKNA2jYmQlJY/s1600/DSCF5701.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 364px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Cysw8cXV4BVSsXJewcByVwpwSLORGY7Xijc-QWsouxvkI0OL4tDMD1HdSYp5GXbLIbZ1F27H3ClabHFO5IEqVSYjMi8-nE2UH7GIw2ATY5f_eUrxife_N2OAArX3K_JLKNA2jYmQlJY/s400/DSCF5701.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627375034292426706" /></a>Two hippies and a guy who just got out of the shower - must be costume night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNDwlUKhRDpzxdKRaAngGLx5HILjY_R__-qXSqdIVUbznYU6zk0Vx0y8UsO08JqyYDCQ6G8sosdUmEhL6_Yj_9AfbMX0e3vZ7OtSNoDCMO144p92YBj-oCwNZsCt_CCLzCBiX8kVhMjk/s1600/DSCF5626.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNDwlUKhRDpzxdKRaAngGLx5HILjY_R__-qXSqdIVUbznYU6zk0Vx0y8UsO08JqyYDCQ6G8sosdUmEhL6_Yj_9AfbMX0e3vZ7OtSNoDCMO144p92YBj-oCwNZsCt_CCLzCBiX8kVhMjk/s400/DSCF5626.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627375023587055602" /></a>Three guard dogs stopped us in our tracks on this hike.<br /><br />What can't be captured in pictures: an incredible surge in the level of connection I have with these students; an opportunity to teach and a chance to share my life's story of how Christ got a hold of me in my teen years; a youth trusting me confidentially as we processed through his personal stuff; the mix of emotions I feel (excited, nervous, humbled) as I take over as the "point person" for the youth group. Also night games. Don't have the right kind of camera. And the smell of teenage man-sweat in our bunk room; still waiting on the scratch-n-sniff technology to come to digital cameras and computer screens.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GHJ8ZUghZjLXc2b8rhdbEygJ6ORSAWUI8gZGWgFUQhmSlqGW7y93wbmFrH7kZogi188l0xD7AnGGjDxwoiFVIkyv6em47-ijv9NPPm6CNFKBo-BHd48YRm7EoGWGAzim63UbZr-Gtm8/s1600/DSCF5745.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GHJ8ZUghZjLXc2b8rhdbEygJ6ORSAWUI8gZGWgFUQhmSlqGW7y93wbmFrH7kZogi188l0xD7AnGGjDxwoiFVIkyv6em47-ijv9NPPm6CNFKBo-BHd48YRm7EoGWGAzim63UbZr-Gtm8/s400/DSCF5745.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627375045140771666" /></a>My sentiments exactly, Eli - it was a great week, but I'm exhausted. :-)</span>Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-5547129922133260722011-06-21T17:09:00.000+02:002011-06-21T17:09:08.848+02:00Something's Fishy: Authentic Paella en Casa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfo4ltfuB7LidgHiDzerYxQQoDUb5292X0V2rI8lMm-c-SX1TIPBcKJLTwsdbJdq6qdTqKOt7M6M2xIqPF77OESMml3Aibti6iu1ZbgF68VjLHFyQ1g9Rzb1a_hnNcIWiyNlmDydqUi8/s1600/DSCF5507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcfo4ltfuB7LidgHiDzerYxQQoDUb5292X0V2rI8lMm-c-SX1TIPBcKJLTwsdbJdq6qdTqKOt7M6M2xIqPF77OESMml3Aibti6iu1ZbgF68VjLHFyQ1g9Rzb1a_hnNcIWiyNlmDydqUi8/s400/DSCF5507.JPG" /></a></div><br />
If you know me (Meggan) well, you know I'm just not a fish person - never have been. When Ben and I were dating, I chose to ignore the fact that he really liked Culver's fish sandwich. And the time that Ben's parents served me a whole fish for dinner the second time I visited their house is one of my favorite "I felt like a total idiot" stories (picking bones out of my mouth the entire dinner was really embarrassing). What can I say, I just don't really like fish.<br />
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Spaniards, on the other hand, love fish. And they should. Spain has much better access to fresh seafood than Wisconsin. Walk into any grocery store here, and there's a vast array of whole fish and shellfish to choose from...and smell. I've never bought any; frankly, I would hardly know how to prepare most of it. Well, yesterday, I had my first lesson in traditional Spanish cooking: a mixed Paella with (you guessed it) LOTS of seafood. Paella is a rice dish made with a mixture of meat and vegetables, especially seafood. The good news: I actually really liked it.<br />
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Our friend David came over for lunch yesterday. He said he'd like to cook for us, and boy were we in for a surprise. He started opening all these little packets of fish. Get ready:<br />
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1. A fish head for making the paella broth. We placed this in a pot of water.<br />
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2. Raw shrimp (little ones called <i>gambas</i>. Ben shelled these, adding the shells to the fish head broth.<br />
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3. Cooked king prawn (larger shrimp) (<i>langostinos</i>) for snacking. I shelled them...heads, eyes, legs, and all!<br />
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4. Squid (<i>calamar)</i>, snipped and added to the paella.<br />
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5. Baby Clams (<i>chirlas</i>), soaked in water and added to the paella.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Yhc6xqOXICjYap5aUUcqIU7hNOc8JaS2ZDndEdhhgYkW1bLf5TU9XgKuI-f2pJi9BQl1TlcEfg7nGkLrz1XMvzh7_j4OnVk9VBnHXjLRGJo7s6ZBDtKNWM2K6fyh8u4Mm8r-00N6KTo/s1600/DSCF5506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Yhc6xqOXICjYap5aUUcqIU7hNOc8JaS2ZDndEdhhgYkW1bLf5TU9XgKuI-f2pJi9BQl1TlcEfg7nGkLrz1XMvzh7_j4OnVk9VBnHXjLRGJo7s6ZBDtKNWM2K6fyh8u4Mm8r-00N6KTo/s320/DSCF5506.JPG" /></a></div><br />
6. Chicken. Having meat from the land and the sea is what makes this paella mixed (<i>mixta</i>).<br />
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A little garlic, onion, and olive oil, and we began by cooking the chicken, draining the fish broth, and adding the shellfish and rice! David is great at making paella. I was nervous to try it, but to be honest, it is the smell of seafood that has always been more of a problem for me than the taste. And yesterday, I didn't have any problems. I'm not saying I'm ready to go eat scorpions if I ever make it back to China, but I was pretty proud of myself for trying and enjoying an authentic and delicious paella. If you're here for a visit, we'll call David to help us make one for you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjebJluiL2SVjDs-0qSybXfpdu-c9Q7okJ0MVIs_cwKxSAGHYroltNFvGqSjm1Xp87Eov0oecuOdk9Y2M0gR8wwu5ZmmUSWgvLhWlj2DBQOl-kXlVNwgHzEiq9mw9njrMbTPo2vuDhyts/s1600/DSCF5511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjebJluiL2SVjDs-0qSybXfpdu-c9Q7okJ0MVIs_cwKxSAGHYroltNFvGqSjm1Xp87Eov0oecuOdk9Y2M0gR8wwu5ZmmUSWgvLhWlj2DBQOl-kXlVNwgHzEiq9mw9njrMbTPo2vuDhyts/s320/DSCF5511.JPG" /></a></div>Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8158921531551802766.post-4654256160687969962011-06-06T14:07:00.001+02:002011-06-06T15:13:12.310+02:00Personal/emotional update<i>This is another post to go hand-in-hand with our <a href="http://eepurl.com/d-NB9">monthly email update</a>.</i><br />
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Thank you so much for your prayers for us to connect with people here. Days after sending out the email, I met two women with young children at a park nearby. We have also met an older couple from our apartment complex from Ecuador who keep track of their grandkids most of the time. We also got together with a couple our age from our church for the second time, and are building stronger relationships with our teammates.<br />
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As a student at UW-Madison, I often enjoyed the anonymity of a huge lecture. However, day after day, anonymity is lonely and wearing. As I walk with Andy every morning, I find myself wishing that I could just see someone that I know and knows me. I think this often leads to what I call “twin-spotting,” seeing someone here who really looks like someone from home.<br />
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Besides making the effort to really meet people at church, there is an internal effort that I find myself hesitant to make. Maybe it’s the “self-preservation” mode that I feel like I’ve been in for almost a year (preparing to come to Spain, actually moving, then getting settled), but I feel myself often hesitant or simply unable to really be myself here. While I know this is normal, it is still a barrier to forming relationships here. Thank you for your continuing prayers and support.<br />
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In the middle of August, we will head to Dublin for our first vacation! We are staying in a little apartment within walking distance of stores and public transportation. More to follow once we have some things planned.Megganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15816181693440365737noreply@blogger.com5