Wednesday, March 23, 2005

!

I haven't time to say much, but I wanted to tell everyone that I am under more stress than I ever have before. I am almost falling apart from stress. These papers and other things are killing me. Please pray for me. I need it.

Monday, March 21, 2005

Busy Life

I cannot believe how fast this semester has gone. I just got back from spring break. I went to Mexico on a mission trip, where we had 6 evangelistic series, with VBS (Vacation Bible School) at each, built churches, painted others, had English classes (which I unfortunately was unable to participate in this year, because I had other priorities), and had a wonderful time. For me, the best part was the fact that my girlfriend came up from southern Mexico to see me. She was able to be a part of the group and worked with us the whole week. We were practically inseparable. What bliss, after almost five months of no closer contact than phone calls, email, MSN Messenger (with webcam for part of the time), and a few letters! To be actually face to face with the woman I love! It was truly a dream come true. I spent a lot of time translating for her, since she speaks almost no English and most of the group spoke only English, plus the worships and stuff were all in English. All our conversations were in Spanish, and I got the chance to meet her uncle and aunt and two cousins who live nearby. That was awesome. And I even got a few minutes on the phone with her mom who lives in Peru. I couldn't hear very well and sort of bumbled along, but I was very nervous, so I must have sounded like I didn't know much Spanish, though after this trip my Spanish (which was fairly good before) is much better. The preacher at the site where we were was very good. Even though my Spanish isn't perfect, I could understand everything he said. It was a very simple message, but very powerful, with lots of illustrations, especially from his own life. I could say a whole lot more about all that, but I'd better move on to other topics.

Now that I'm back here at school, I miss my girlfriend far more than I missed her before the trip, which is mainly because I feel so much closer to her now. We are very much in love. I got back from the trip last night at 7 PM or so, and we have already communicated twice: once by phone last night, and once by Messenger today. But since she will be traveling back to southern Mexico soon, she won't be able to contact me until Wednesday night, which will be our five-month anniversary. And a great five months they have been, despite the distance.

As far as school assignments, I didn't get anything done during the trip except a little bit for like an hour on the way back. So my stress level (which went from very high before the trip to very low during the trip) is creeping back up again, but slowly. If I can get my honors thesis done, that will be a big relief, and everything else will be doable. The Lord is good.

As far as future plans go, I must finish this, my last semester of school, before I can see her again. If I can find a way to get my loans paid off quickly, I'll head straight to Mexico to find a job near her, hopefully teaching. This summer she will be starting her master's program at a school fairly near the US border, so if I must work during the summer here in the US (since money in Mexico is worth so much less, I probably couldn't pay my loans if I tried to find work there first), if I can get a job down near the border, I may be able to visit her a few times. Then when this summer's over, if I must continue to work here, hopefully we can get her a work visa to come to the US, so she can be here. Neither of us believe in premarital cohabitation, which harmonizes with our ideas on the immorality of premarital sex, but to live near each other and see each other every day is the plan. One way or another, we want to be together, and it doesn't matter to either of us whether that is in Mexico or the US.

Even though we are definitely in love, we don't want to rush into anything blindly. For that reason, we want to spend some time (maybe a year) in the same location before making any greater commitment. Sure, you can learn a lot about a person by email, etc., but there are many things that you can only learn by being around that person. We want to know those things beforehand.

Of the several gifts my girlfriend gave me, my favorites are a film canister with a little of her perfume in it (I gave her some of my after shave, too) and a green, star-shaped pillow with Tigger asleep on it and the phrase "Sueña Conmigo". That means "Dream with me." She also sprayed some of her perfume on that too, so when I went to bed last night, I could smell her scent all night long. I know I'm sappy and sentimental, but I'm a hopeless romantic: It's who I am. Besides, that's the way my girlfriend likes me, so that's the way I'll stay.

Hopefully, I'll be able to put more info on here soon. May God bless you.