There are so many things that are changing in my life. There are so many new things that I am experiencing and learning. It is so ridiculous to think that my first year at converse is almost over. When I first started her at converse I was afraid that the years would drag on like they had at my previous school. However to my surprise they are going by really fast. Almost too fast!
I do have the opportunity to go to Mexico in Jan term! That is so amazing. I went to Monterrey, Mexico in February of '09 on a mission trip. It was such a life changing experience for me. Meeting the people there and getting to know the culture was awesome. It is such a lively place with color and spice everywhere that you go in the city. It made me think that one day I might like to do long term missions somewhere in Mexico. I have entertained the idea of opening more orphanages and orphan homes to help combat the vicious cycle of poverty that is there in Mexico. While in Mexico I visited and worked in some orphan homes that are set-up like families. There is a husband and wife couple that takes in as many children as they can. One home I visited had 30 children. The love and care that these "parents" have for the children is overwhelming. It was so surprising to me because there are so many horror stories in the news and other media. They tell about how badly kids can and are treated in foster homes and orphanages. To see these children being loves and cared for so well was a breath of fresh air!
However, before I can do any of that I do need to learn Spanish first. That is one of my goals while here at converse. Though, I do have to put out there that learning a foreign language is HARD work. There are so many little details about a language that you don't think about when you are first setting out to learn the language. I felt like I was going to pick it up quickly but, I am not. You really start to understand why they say that you need two hours of study time for every one hour of class time when it comes to a foreign language.
In addition to learning more about a language I have come to love, it will be very neat to see another part of the country. Dr. King says that southern Mexico does not have the same history of violence and poverty that seems to define the northern part of Mexico. I am anticipating being able to see the difference in the culture and the people. Also being thirty minutes away from the beach is not exactly a deterrent. Plus, we will be taking salsa dancing lessons. How cool is that? When I went to Monterrey the people were very warm and inviting. I felt so at home with the community. Oh my word and the food! I have always loved Mexican food but, when you finally get to taste the real stuff it makes all the difference. And I cannot tell how beautiful the land was there. The mountains were the biggest ones that i have ever seen. I grew up in the mountains of North Carolina and they are a beautiful sight in fall but, the shear majest of these was breathtaking. I only wich I would have had more time to explore the area.
I am super excited about the whole trip. I think it will be another life changing experience. It will be good company for all the other wonderful things that have been happening over the last year. We’ll see how it all goes!
