The last two weeks I have been in Obligado visiting some missionary friends. I met them back in MI and she invited me to visit them sometime this summer. Since I had no plans and it sounded like fun, I went. It was a nice break from Paraguay. Even though I was still technically in the country, I was living with someone from the US. So I got to enjoy Amerian food, English speaking, and just being in a more American enviornment. It was nice talking to my friend because since she too used to live in the MI we can talk about the differences between MI and Paraguay. Something that I can´t do with many people. It was such a blessing to be there and enjoy a wonderful time of fellowship and relaxation. I helped paint her sons bedroom. It took a really long time though because the walls are textured and it took some extra effort to get the paint in all the cracks. I also got to watch Anne of Green Gable, one of my all time favorite movies! We played this amazing game Bohnanza, I highly recomend buying it. It is a game where you have to plant been fields. It is like a more organized version of pit. I played the violin both sundays I was there. The first Sunday I played with Julie-trumpet, and her husband-Norberto. The second Sunday I played violin with another person on cello. It was really fun to get to play again, even if the violin was sort of broken. Everyone loved and wants us to play again. Too bad we both left. But hopefully I will be able to visit them again sometime, maybe for Semana Santa, holy week. We´ll see. Thank you so much Julie and Norberto!
Christmas is approaching rapidly and I still not really in the Christmas spirit. I think it is because there is no 24/7 Christmas music station, or snow, or family, or...well a bunch of other things that I associate with Christmas. Our family is going to Asuncion on Tuesday and will probablly leave on the 26th. It will be interesting to see how they celebrate Christmas, their traditions, and stuff like that. I have no idea what to get for my host family for Christmas, I think I´ll ask my host mom today. Then we are going to celebrate New Years at our home. That should be.. fun. It seems like New Years is celebrated alot more here than in the US, we´ll see. Merry Christmas ¡Feliz Navidad!
In January there is a Christian youth camp in Argentina that I would love to go to. I am going to get working on making those plans and all asap. I think I will also invite my host brother, I dont think he already has plans or anything. It will probablly be my only opportunity in my life to go to summer camp in January! Other than that, I don´t really have any other plans except maybe to visit some "family" in Asuncion.
The first day of school is February 15. I am going to try to change classes to the class where I have more friends. My classmates this year were nice enough, but the people in the other class are so much more fun and do alot more stuff together. I think it would be better to be in their class even if I do have to be in school for more hours per day. I am going to try to be a "normal" student this comming year. Now that my Spanish is 100x better and I´ll be starting from the begining of the year as opposed to just jumping in in the middle, like I did this year, I think I might be able to do it. All my good friends are not in my class, so I think it is better if I just change classes. One of my best friends here, Melody, is in Tawain now until February, so I won´t be seeing her for the rest of the summer :( But I have alto of other friends as well, so I think I´ll be just fine. But I will miss her!
I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas.
Erin
