Pictures from week one!

American helpers left to right (Shelly, Lucy-my roomate, me)

Performance at the 2 year celebration at the school

Lost in the Spanish metro with Shelly (don´t worry mom...I was fine)

Chicos de Broadway

My first week in Spain is finished and there is so much to tell, but the main focus of this week is that the camp has started! They call it an "urban camp" and we have 17 children. They are all so beautiful and expressive. They are also very very loud! Communication has been hard but Im getting by. The children laugh at my accent and my bad Spanish and this serves the purpose of a way to connect to them and make inside jokes. The children are from ages 2 to 14, all wanting just to be hugged and loved. This is exactly what we give them!

The main purpose of the camp is to get the children interested in the arts as such: music, dance, painting and theatre. For most of them it´ll be their first experience with some of these artistic disciplines. Our second objective is to help them develop their aesthetic sensitivity by exposing them to various activities retated with the arts in a relaxed and playful manner. The central activity in the camp is the production of a small musical with all the participants called "Chicos de Broadway." It has been an extremely eciting but long long week chasing after children and spending time at the studio. I take ballet, hip hop and flamenco classes during the night . I am ready for the weekend and I thank God its Friday! I am ready to relax from this wonderfully blessed week and enjoy Spain.

Keep watch for pictures soon! I am still trying to figure out how to upload them to this computer...

Hope all is well back home, thank you all for your sweet prayers and support! :)

España

After a very long plane ride, I drag my swollen feet to the baggage claim. Lost, but confident in the large Madrid airport I make my way to find Hector. Hector´s kind and patient face greets me after a 55 min. delay. He is easy to talk to, gentle and friendly. In the heat of the day we make our way up to their top floor apartment. Danny, 7, has drawn me a picture with hearts and flowers to welcome me. Their family is so warm and welcoming. I also meet Lily, the beautiful and smiling madre (mama).

Up winding steps I make my way up to a small apartment loft, where Lucy, my roomate and I will be staying. We each have our own room sharing a bathroom and we share a BEAUTIFUL TERRACE! Wow, what a blue sky! I have already spent almost every morning out there and it is beoming a favorite spot as it provides both sun and a great view of the active Spanish community we live in. Right now is a good time to relax, Hector says, as the camp starts Wednesday! We have a lot of work ahead of us and will rarely have this much time.

So here I am España! I will now enjoy the sun, eat an apricot and listen to the pumping rap battle going on outside my window...after all, it is only 2am in España!

Packing my heart

I have finished packing all my belongings as of last night and I am set financially to leave for my 9:30 flight out of Logan tomorrow night. Sunscreen, check. Dance wear, check. Clothes, check. But is my heart truly prepared to go on this adventure to Spain? In these past few weeks I have been constantly reminded that is is not my work that is to be done, but of course God's. "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose"(Philippians 2: 13). I have struggled with how bold I wanted this blog to be, but how can I NOT be bold and so very excited about what God is doing in my life and the ministry in Spain through the Aslan Performing Arts Center. This is simply who I am, not always as openly outward about my faith, yet still always straining to live a life of love. Most of all, may my words match my actions. I will blog as much as possible during my 5 weeks, but have no idea how much time my schedule will alow. Still, I will try :)

First of all, I want to thank everyone for supporting me financially, prayerfully and just plain lovingly as I approach my depart to Spain. The pancake breakfast was a success and it was so wonderful to see everyone's stuffed, but friendly faces. Also financially I am now completely provided for and any other funding will go to my trip with my family and Eliot Baptist Church to Guatemala from Aug. 6 to the 17th. It will then go to my trip to Holland (which I will hopefully be leaving by Sept. 24). All these trips, I will elaborate on at a later date, but for now I am preparing for Spain. Carefully wrapped in the love and provisions God provides: My heart is packed away and ready to depart.

Here is the website for the center:

http://www.aslanperformingartscentre.org/