The Things I have Learned This Week!

Alright, so I have been here just over a week and I have learned many things! So I decided for this post to write a list of what I now know.

I love this picture! Emily (Oscar's daughter) is on the right with her cousin Gaby! They are cuties.

• I don't need my cell phone! I realized yesterday that I haven't thought about people texting or calling me in a week! A flood of relief came to me; I don't have to worry about people trying to reach me or getting mad at me when I don't answer for another eleven weeks! How nice is that.
• Everyone here (or everyone that I have come in contact with) showers in the afternoon rather than the morning. It's interesting; it's as if the day doesn't start until the afternoon!
• Family is incredibly important. This weekend we traveled four hours to Karla's parents' house to have a baby shower for Karla's sister, Mary. We went to great lengths to keep it a secret and Karla and I got up at 6:00 AM to decorate! It took us seven and a half hours in total but it was worth it to see the look on Mary's face when she walked in to sixty of her girl friends yelling, "Sorpresa!" I also learned during this process how clumsy I am. I tripped, dropped things, couldn't understand what people were saying, and was plain in the way at times. But I think I helped enough to make it worth it! 
• How to dress in the traditional clothes of Guatemala. I wore a set of Amy's clothes to the baby shower and when Karla came up to ask if I was ready, I said I thought so, but when she came in, all I heard was, "No." I looked good when she was through with me!
• Roosters do not crow only once. You know how in the movies, a rooster crowing symbolizes morning? Well, here they crow over and over. All morning. Forever. Over and over. Why thank you, yes, I know the day has begun.
• How a bakery works. The baby shower took place in a bakery and while we were decorating, I got to watch the man make his bread and bake it in a big stone oven! Let me tell you, it smelled amazing. 
• I can have a cold. I wouldn't have previously thought that I would be able to get a cold in a place where it's 80 degrees and no rain, but it's apparently possible, as I had one this weekend! Good thing I forgot to bring my cold medicine with me to Karla's parents' house. Maybe I'm allergic to something.
• There are always 3 meals a day. I have had to learn this one the hard way several times this week. We got to Karla's parents around 8:00 and then I decided to take a shower. I had a little snack of my own, thinking that we weren't going to eat dinner that night. I come out, and hear it's time for a dinner of steak, beans, and bread. Similarly, the next morning, when Karla and I were decorating early, her sister heated up some pizza for me. I thought it was odd to eat pizza for breakfast but I was hungry, so I ate it. An hour later, omelets and bread were served. I suppose it would be possibly to avoid these kind of things happening if I knew the language better! But people talk darn fast. 
• God will make me well. The way there through the mountains was absolutely breathtaking, but not without its winding up and down and speed bumps everywhere. The first about half of the trip, I couldn't sleep and I was afraid I was going to be sick with all the winding and bumps. I cried out to Jesus and he allowed me to sleep and my sickness to go away! I sat there for a good miserable hour before I realized, Duh! I have a God who can heal me.  And heal me He did. 

So that's what I'm up to this weekend.
I begin another week of teaching tomorrow! I am going to teach my students the alphabet.
 Thank you for your prayers and please don't stop!

Suzanne