MI primera semana aqui :)

WARNING! WARNING!

Well since it has been a week since I have posted

...its going to be a long one!

Well tuesday was a very good day for me because I really began to be part of the family here. I talked alot with my parents here who started calling me their daughter! I also got to talk alot with my older sister who is EXTREMELY nice. I fit right it with my family! I love them. Then wed. my family and I went out to eat some tacos! Que ricos! And also me and my sister Eva are friends on facebook now :) In school on wed. we played pictionary in spanish of course! haha it was very fun and funny! I love playing games during school! Then I got to talk with my bestest friend Kelsey on skype! I miss here alot. alot.

Thursday was the really first hard day for me. I dont know why but class was just frustrating and I dont know, satan trying to kick in. I really started missing everyone. But it got better. I went to the CITY CLUB, basically Sams Club with my family to buy lots of food and then we went to My dads sister, so my tias store and they gave me a free coke and chips :) They are the sweetest. I also learned that mis padres have been married for 31 anos and were novios 5 anos antes. Que padre :) (Which means like how cool.) Camila and Guierrmos mom asked me more about my religion today. She asked me who baptized me and when I was baptized. I hope this is the start of many more conversations.

Friday NO ESCUELA :) Therefore ray, britton, and I met one of our teachers Abi downtown where we did lots of exploring and everything is decorated for Independence Day! This was my first time throughout the city. Muy Chido! (very cool) I bought a Chivas Jersey with my COURT written on the back and then we all walked for what we thought would be 20 min, for 70 min to eat Gelado, but it was worth it! If you have never tried it...do it now :) I also got to talk and see my wonderful family on skype! How I miss them terribly!

Yesterday I started the day off by cooking with my mom. But it was some serious cooking! We cooked for 40 yes 40 people! We cooked and prepared things for 2 hours. But I loved it! Every minute of it. I really got to spend quality time with my mom. We also took lots of pictures together! Then of course I took a SIESTA! Everyone needs to have one of those per day! Then it was time for youth group. We sang some songs and then the pastor spoke. I actually understood most of it! Then we all went out for ice cream together afterwards. I really love the people in the youth group they are really funny and really help me learn spanish! They make me laugh and I cant wait to get to know them even better than I already do.

Hoy! I went to church this morning with the same amazing people! It was a little harder to understand but I will get there (hopefully). After church I went home and ate with my family. You should all be jealous (not really cause jealousy is bad haha) but really because I know I am eating food that is 500x better than yours :) trust me on that one. Cada comida. Cada Dia. Then I went to the movies with mi hermana. We went to the movie theater in the mall. She paid for everything! What a great sister! I am very blessed. We saw G.I Joe of course in spanish. I liked watching it in spanish. It helps me understand more spanish because I can here the words and see the actions. Fue muy chido :) Then I went again with mi mama y papa to his sisters store where of course more food and more drinks! Then we went to my dads other sisters house where I met more family. So much family! I cant remember them all, and we all know how bad I am with names. I met someone who is 19 who is somehow related to my family here and he was very nice and said that sometime I should go and hangout with him and his friends to get to know more people and practice spanish of course! Great day!

Basically over all, I LOVE IT HERE! Yes I miss people terribly but I wouldnt change anything. God is great and loves us termendously. All the time. NO matter where we are. Who we know. Who we are. We are his beloved. And I couldnt be more thankful for that. God has blessed me with this amazing oppurtunity. Gloria a Dios. Mas escuela! Here we come. Love you guys and miss you! Stay in touch. And remember GOD LOVES YOU and you can always lean on him NO MATTER what!

Con amor.

Mi primero dia de las clases y mi iglesia!

Hola mis amigos mejores!

Let me start with church (iglesia) first. One of my teachers picked me up from my house and we went to church, La Casa de Mi Padre...The worship was amazing! We actually sung a song that I became very familiar with when I went on my mission trip to Batopilas. The song De Tal Manera is a very beautiful song and I really could feel Gods presence and really worshipped, something I wasnt quite sure that I would feel while I was here. But God is faithful and we can worship in so many ways and languages. I met a bunch of the youth there who were all VERY welcoming and actually invited me to come back that same night to look at pictures of a weekend where they went to camp. It was really neat to see that different cultures still participate in the same activities while glorifying God. I really enjoyed meeting the youth and really feels like a part of home that I miss dearly is still here. Gloria a Dios!

Y Hoy fue mi primero dia de mis clases...and to say the least...the best surprise EVER...so Greg had told me a couple months ago that there was a student from California that would be studying here...I didnt think anything of it...as we are sitting there waiting for this "mystery" student...RAY TANG...yes RAY TANG walks in the room...and most of you could probably here how loud I screamed all the way from Texas...then of course the tears start rolling...I honestly couldnt believe my eyes! I still dont know how he kept it from me this whole time we talked about me going here and everything...but it made it so much better to be a surprise! Every time I think about it, I smile. I am so happy for him cause I know he has been talking about this for years, but I am glad he waited till I was able to come here too. Its going to be a great semester...no doubt! It was going to be amazing, but now even more amazing!

As far as the classes go, I am in a class with Gregs sister Julie, and she is so sweet! And my teachers are Edith and Laura. I can already tell I am going to love them. Lots of spanish was crammed in my head today, some things I already knew, but some I didnt. I just cant believe I am finally here. I cant wait to learn more spanish and to really learn the culture because it is a huge part of me. Lots of spanish spanish spanish..it makes me want to type here in spanish but then no one would be able to read it! Well it was a great first day of school! Thanks for the thoughts and prayers! Stay in touch!

Love,

a girl loving God with all her heart and more

p.s. yesterday I read my mommys entry in my journal! I know where I get my heart to serve others from. She is a great role model and my hero. I dont know what I would do without her and of course her idea to do everything she has for me since I have graduated...especially this journal :) it is such an encouragement and i love it! I am not going to write the rest of whose I read but I want to thank all of you in advance. You truly dont know how much this means to me. Thank you!

Mi Familia

I sit here writing from my new bedroom for the next 4 months. I cant believe this day has come and gone. I have been looking forward to this day since my freshman year of high school. And I sit here today in Mexico with my new family.

The plane ride was rough. I had to say goodbye to my family who means more to me than anyone will ever know. Its weird to think I wont be seeing them for a very long time, but I guess we all have to grow up sometime, and my time is now. I got to talk with Greg before I got to my host home just about my family and the upcoming semester...so this entry might be a little long, and if you know me..you know I can write a book sometimes!

My host home is literally right across the street from Interaction! Therefore, I can sleep in extra late and just run over when school starts. I also have the advantage of having wi-fi in my home and can also get the wi-fi from the school. I am not going to be on alot but just to update my blog and such.

Now about mi familia. I am living with a Mama Rosie y Papa Luis. They have two older daughters, one who is off in college in Mexico City, and the other who lives here...but i cant spell her name and I think she is about 20! They are such a sweet family! Mama Rosie also cooks for I think its a government office on the weekends and is an AMAZING cook. I can not wait to see all the yummy food we eat. I have only been here half a day and love the food! Mama Rosies niece lives really close and she has two kids, one girl 4 and on little boy 1. Rosie told me they are over here a lot and that excites me cause we all know how much I love kids. I learned from Greg that this family actually are not Christians. Greg told me that he hopped maybe by just me living here something might happen. They fully know the school is Christian based and are totally cool with me going to church every sunday. I ask for yalls prayer and that I can be an example to my family and that God can use me to impact them. I see this as a huge opportunity and just cant wait to see how God will use me.

Tomorrow I am going to church with one of my teachers :) I also found out that Gregs sister will be in my class with me and we will have the same teachers. I am really excited about this and cant wait to meet here. Classes start monday...I miss yall and love yall very much! Keep in touch.

P.S- Today before I left my mommy told me there was a little surprise for me. I looked at it and it is a book where friends and family wrote a note to me. I cant even tell you how much this means to me. I couldnt decide at the beginning if I was going to read all of them today or what I was going to do. I figured out that what I am going to do is read one entry per day and so that I can be encouraged when times get rough and know that I have people back home that love me and are praying for me. I couldnt have been given anything more special. Todays entry was my daddy. I love him so much and thats an understatement. He means the world to me, and I couldnt be more proud to call him MY daddy!

And the journey begins....

Hey guys! Wow just surreal that I am standing here getting ready to leave...I cant believe it is 4 in the morning on the day I am leaving for Chihuahua. Before I know it I will be saying goodbye to my family, hopping on a plane, and starting a new chapter in my life. Right now I honestly dont know what to feel. I can honestly say that every emotion is running through my head...just to think I will be in a foreign country for 4 months learning a foreign language is crazy on its own! Some may say I am crazy, but I have no doubt that this is part of Gods plan for me and that he is going to use this experience to grow me, shape me, and prepare me for the future! I ask for yall's prayer. Just pray for safety and strength when times get tough and I just want to quit and come home. Please just remember me in your thoughts. I cant wait to begin this journey, but at the same time it is so hard leaving a life I have known for 18 years. My church, friends, and family have been a HUGE part in my life and without the people and the support, I wouldn't be where I am today and who I am today. So, thank you!

I love yall and this blog is just going to be a place where I can share how God is using me and working in my life and the fun adventures I will encounter on my journey! Love you guys!

If you want to send me a letter while I am in Chihuahua...heres the address

Interaction-Courtney Parlin

Republica de Cuba 516

Colonia Panamericana

Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico

CP 31200