¡Hola, desde España!

Hi everyone, this is Mark writing, I just wanted to write a little somin somin to get our little blog started. I'm sitting in the computer lab at Comunidad Cristiano Evangelica in the multi-use Parque Victoria building in La Cala del Moral, Málaga, Spain. We are about half-way through our time here so there is too much to tell you, too much to write down in one sitting. I will try to do it sometime when I have free time at home.

Home... it is very different here. I like to say that I live under a bridge, though the truth is that I live in the shadow of it. Morgan Schlabach and I are living with an Argentinian family in a small five-room house in a dried river basin right on the outskirts of town. It is a very beautiful place, surrounded by green mountains, horses, mules, dogs, and goats. We are a 15 minute walk from the church, where we go to school every morning.

Classes start at 9 AM. First we have a very simple Spanish class, taught by Rosa, who can speak English, but generally talks in Spanish. After 2 hours of Spanish we are supposed to have a 30 minute break, although that has been a rarity. With Spanish enthusiasm for tardiness, Rosa often takes us 15 minutes into our break. At 12, Phil Barr takes over with our Current Issues and Trends in Missions class. It is quite informal and relaxed, sometimes distractingly so. At about 1 PM we are released.

Sometimes we walk straight home for lunch, other times we come check our emails and Facebooks for news from home. After a late lunch at 2 we siesta. This can incude anythign from a walk on the beach, a nap, climbing a mountain, to chatting witht he family, or writing a paper. After siesta we go back to the church and work from 4-6, trimming greenery, picking up rocks, or hauling away trees. After that we generally sit down to a snack from Elizabeth's host dad, and chat with Rachel and Matt, two missionaries that live in the church. Then sometimes we walk across the street to the Carrefour, a mall, or down to the beach to watch the sunset. The beach is mostly rocky, as opposed to sandy. There are a series of caves that lead through the cliff side by the sea to Rincon de la Victoria, where Elizabeth stays. There are also walkways on the cliff side outside the caves, so that during the day or at dusk you can enjoy the beauty of the Mediterranean.

Well, I'm supposed to be writing a paper on Cordoba right now, so I suppose I better sign off. To those at Rosedale, and to our families in other parts of the U.S., we (the Rosedale Study-Abroad Students) send blessings and our love. Luego, Mark Yoder