summer break

i know its hard to believe, but we are in summer right now.  in fact, i am on summer break from school.  we start back up february 9.  the weather has been great, and the tourists are here.  it is "high season."  it's interesting living in a tourist town because you are immediately considered a tourist if you have white skin.  at times, i dont like it because you get treated like a tourist: they expect you dont speak any spanish and have lots of money to spend on everything.  in our case, we do speak spanish (jared speaks more than i do) and don't have lots of money, so there you go.  

when people do hear us speaking spanish, they comment on it and say things like, "where did you learn spanish" or "wow, you speak good spanish."  yesterday, i was at the store buying meat.  i simply ordered my chicken breasts with bones and ground beef in spanish, and the guy commented that i speak really good...when in actuality, i dont speak great spanish.  i guess they just dont expect gringos to speak it, and when they do, its a surprise.  

this summer has also provided more beach time.  we have been able to go to the beach about 3 times a week, mainly for jared to take the guys from the center, or to get involved in a soccer game or play 2 on 2 beach volleyball.  the volleyball games start at 3pm every day, and there is a cult following.  it's pretty funny and fun at the same time.  beach volleyball is a new sport for jared, so for those who know him, know how much we went.  he is getting a lot better and even winning.  i am proud of him.  we have also met some more people though volleyball too, which has been good.  

my bible study group has started the beth moore study, the patriarchs.  i love it.  i think it is my favorite study of hers so far.  it's funny how the studies fall at the perfect times in your life.  God is good.  Our group has 5 members and 3 are ticas, 2 are new christians.  our group time is in spanish, so it is good practice for me.  

jared and i have been listening to mark driscoll's sermon series called "peasant princess" on the book of song of solomon.  it is a great series on marriage and relationships.  if you havent listened to him, i would highly recommend it.  he even has stuff on youtube.  you can subscribe to the podcast for sermons from his church (Mars Hill) in seattle.  

my parents and 2 grandmas are coming to visit us this thursday.  they will be here for about 10 days.  i am looking forward to this time, it will be a last hurrah before school meetings start up.  i am praying for a good attitude about school this year.  i have been in a funk about it, and i need to get out of it.  i think it is also part of just being in a new country, etc.  i remember after my 1st 6 months in ecuador, it was like, "ok, this is real, i am really living here."  before that, its kind of like a fog.