Friday 27 September 2013

Am I living The Blind Side???

Hola! It's finally happening folks...I'm finally able to have a basic conversation without my only response being "Sí" or "Claro"!!!

Much of the credit for this is due to the fact that yesterday I moved in with a family who have a 10 year old girl and a 13 year old boy, and they are awesome! I feel a lot like a lumbering introvert who sure, scores low on tests but has an extremely heightened sense of protective instincts, and with the help of an energetic and compassionate mother figure and a young extroverted counterpart, I'm finding my niche in a world that has all but written me off. Yes. I am Big Mike. Now obviously there are some differences between my life and that of Big Mike (where he's a prodigy of a left tackle, I am only left-handed), but the fact remains, I am finding myself more drawn to that classic storyline of a protagonist leaving behind everything they know and stepping into the unknown with no option but to trust. This leads me to my actual point: I am learning to trust God more than I have ever trusted anything in my life. It took an uprooting of my life and a situation where I couldn't possibly have had success alone, but it's happening and I am super excited for the next step. 

I am also fulfilling all of the year abroad stereotypes of making up traditions from your homeland, finding yourself, and ensuring that word gets around in Spain that Scotland is NOT a region of England. These people are amazing though, and I am starting to really understand the thinkers of history who have insisted that if everyone travelled, there would be more peace, both individually and corporately.

In conclusion, I totes heart Spain, God is still incredible, and here are some awesome things that have happened on my travels:

1. I found Irn Bru in El Corte Ingles, A Coruña. This in itself has ensured that I could go home tomorrow and still see my time as well-used.

2. Almost equally awesome, I was on a bus in an extremely rural part of Galicia, and we drove past a bus stop. I believe it was divine intervention that caused me to glance down at the wall of the bus stop, where I saw etched in English the lyrics to this song. Yes, the grafitti in the back arse of nowhere in Spain said "who wants to live FOREVER?" Twas just incredible.

3. The young girl whose family I'm living with is quickly becoming my best friend, and I don't care that she's 10.

4. For the first time in 20 years, I have my own room. Wow, maybe I am Big Mike...


Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes you are all continuing to send my way.


Dios te bendiga,

Eilidh

Saturday 21 September 2013

And so it begins...

Hola amigos, welcome to my blog! #bloggergalxo

I feel like an outdated hipster, but I have to admit that with the amount of people I want to keep up to date with my adventures, this is the best way of doing it. I'll try to post regularly and concisely...can't make any guarantees though.

So day 1 went really well! I visited a town called Malpica, which is beautiful and it made me super excited for the year ahead when I'll get to visit many more places like it.

However, what I've been blown away by ever since I got in my dad's car on Friday morning at 5am with my mum's laptop in my bag (she gave me it), is how incredibly blessed I am to have such incredible support back home and all over the world. I have to thank everyone who has said a prayer for me, I have felt them more than ever in the past couple days. For someone who doesn't have a place to live or a friend in the city, I am calm in the knowledge that "God works for the good of those who love him." (Rom 8:28). I can't thank you all enough for the prayers, they are continually bearing fruit.

That's all I'll say for now, I'll leave you with a list of things I have learnt so far:

1. The name Eilidh is not an easy name to have in Spain.

2. When you're alone, music can be a refuge of sorts. I've been listening to copious amounts of Casting Crowns and Foy Vance...can't quite face Dougie Maclean in this fragile state though.

3. I'm determined to be witty in 2 languages by this time next year.

4. God always goes beyond what I expect.

Thanks for reading, I promise next time will be more interesting! I'll throw in a witty anecdote or something. lol. (sidenote: I find myself saying lol more frequently these days. I can't tell if it's cool or not. #dilemma.)

Dios te bendiga,

Eilidh

ps. the name of this blog is a play on the title of a Mumford & Sons song. While their wanderer was hopeless, I am hopeful because there is too much love, beauty and joy in this world for anyone to be truly hopeless. I also love this quote.