Baking for the Weekend

After a short week at work wrapping up the Christmas card project, I had an incredibly busy weekend! Saturday my host mom and I woke up early to go to the feria (Saturday’s market) and buy all our fruits and vegetables for the week. After the feria we started to bake. We made two birthday cakes for Jimmy, one of the guys at our church, because he does all the music for free. Then we made oatmeal raisin cookies for the almuerzo (lunch) after church on Sunday. Our church does a lunch after every Sunday that we have Santa Cena (communion). This is just to come together, share, and spend more time getting to know each other.

                                                 Baking, baking, baking

                            My host mom decorating one of the birthday cakes :)

Saturday night we had our regular youth group service, but after we had the birthday celebration for Jimmy. We played games, ate cake, and completely embarrassed Jimmy with songs and memories. One of the games we played was called Ping, Pong, Pan in which there are three people in a group. One person says ping, one says pong, and the other says a type of pan (bread) to get another group to go. Now somebody thought it would be a good idea to put the gringa (me) in the position of pan, and of course none of the types of pan were easy to say. So I basically made a fool of myself each time my group had to go, what else is new? Our team also lost, due to me of course, so we had to sing a song in front of everyone. So as you can guess the night was full of embarrassing moments, but also a lot of fun and many good laughs. 

The only thing that has been keeping me down is homesickness. There comes a point when you start to think, did I really understand that I was going to be here for a WHOLE year? I’ve always been the kind of person who is ready to go. I was more than ready to leave high school, couldn’t wait to leave college, and was dying to leave the United States. I’ve just always been ready for a new adventure, but now that I am here, I’m starting to wonder, “Did I actually know what I was getting myself into?” I can’t help but long for the comfortable and familiar home that I was so eager to leave. I forget how easy and carefree the days were when I didn’t have to strain to listen and understand every word that was said. The days when I understood the cultural norms and never had to worry about being unknowingly rude, saying the wrong thing, or out later than 10:00 pm. These feelings create doubt. Am I actually helping? Is there a reason for me to be here?

On the rough days I send little prays to have a moment that will let me know that I will be okay. An example of one of these moments was while I was starting this blog, feeling down, and in need of chocolate. My coworker Medali walked in and asked me if I knew the song Hakuna Matata. I told her “Why of course I know Hakuna Matata, it’s practically one of my theme songs!” So we spent the last half an hour of work singing the song we both love, first in English and then in Spanish. For those that don’t know the song, Hakuna Matata means no worries, and can instantly put you in a good mood. It’s amazing how relief, warmth, and happiness can just take over your whole being. It’s the moments like these that keep me going. It’s the kisses on the cheeks, the running around with my host brother, and the baking with my host mom. Some days are hard. Some days a year seems like a lifetime, but poco a poco, day by day. The key is to see beauty in each day and be grateful for the moments that allow me to get out of my ruts.

Now off to work! Loving and missing everyone at home. Abrazos a todos (hugs to all)

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

Charles R. Swindoll