I am going to Spain for a semester!

And while I am excited to get out of the US and try something new, I have no idea what to expect about almost everything about these four months. 

Here are the things that I do know:

Where am I going? Alicante, Spain. It is a beautiful coastal city in southern Spain.

Where will I be living?  I received my host address just a few days ago! While I don't know much else, I do know that it is an apartment, and it is near the beach. Groovy. 

I exchanged one email with my host mom. Her name is Pepita and she works at a curtain and windows store. From my Facebook creeping (and I'm hoping that it is the right Pepita) I have gathered that she also has a dog.

I signed up for classes. I will be taking language courses and complementary culture courses including Spanish Culture, Movies, Conversation, and ... well I forgot the last one.

The University of Alicante has 33000 students enrolled. Only a little bigger than OBU right?

And that sums up the majority of what I know!

What I am looking forward to is getting answers to other questions. 

Like what will the people be like? 

        

      Basically the only Spanish person I have ever known is this guy.

   But more importantly.... What will my host mom cook for us?

                                   

                                    

                     I dream of sitting around the table enjoying something delicious like this...

                                  

      But after googling "spanish food" I am sure that this baby will 

                       probably make an appearance on my plate sometime during the four months.

Really, I am most excited about the challenge of living abroad and gaining a new perspective on the world. I know that this semester will be one of the most fun and exciting times of my life, but that it will also come with challenges.

I ask that you please pray for me about these things during the time leading up to the trip and while I am gone:

• Pray that the Lord would prepare my heart for this trip and make me open and obedient to the things he will teach me while I am far from home.
• Pray for wisdom for making decisions dealing with gray areas I may encounter while living within the European culture.
• Pray for us as we arrive and navigate the city to find our host homes!
• Pray for a minimal amount of culture shock and a quick adjustment to city life.
• Pray for continued growth and steadfastness of the Word while I am gone.
• Pray that I will have a good relationship with my host mom, Pepita.
• Pray for safety.
• Pray for confidence in speaking Spanish and a quick adjustment to using Castilian Spanish!
• Pray that I would not get caught up in a vacation-type mindset. This is going to be the trip of a lifetime and I definitely plan on having lots of fun! But pray that I would not be blind to the needs of people around me and that I would be open to sharing the gospel when opportunities come!
• Pray for my family back in Rogers. I am going to miss them and for both of us it will be weird for me to be gone so long.
• Pray for the other 8 OBU students who are going as well! Pray that we would all lean on each other as we enter in a new culture and that we would develop good friendships with each other.
• Johanna Casey
• Hayley Hill
• Emily Reeves
• Karissa McCalip
• Ellen Flint
• Brynn Alford
• Josh Montgomery
• Asaf Moreno

Thank you so much for your prayers and for keeping up with my blog!

Can't believe that in nine days I will be HERE