TRANQUILA!!!

I am not the most patient person in the world. You could say I am rather far from it. I also tend to be pretty detail-oriented (which isn't really a bad thing, but our greatest blessings can sometimes be our greatest curses). I can also tend to be neurotic and perfectionistic. I like to be in control and know exactly what is going on. Are you laughing yet? If you are familiar with Grove City College at all or happen to be a member of the Gates family (my mom's side), you probably have an idea of what I am talking about. Maybe not, and that's totally ok.
Anyway, being like this causes me to stress out sometimes. But actually, it's not NEAR as bad as it used to be. You see, I went to Costa Rica. And there I learned that I do NOT have control over anything. Things will go wrong, or at least not according to the original plan. The bus broke down (multiple times). We didn't always make it to every place that was on the trip itinerary. It can be disappointing but it's far from the end of the world. I learned to go with the flow. Yes, I am basically fluent in Spanish, but I still can't understand everything. Have you any idea how fast news reporters talk? (I know that sounds pretty ridiculous coming from me. I hardly ever realize how fast I talk in English, but I've been told it's pretty darn fast sometimes.)
Living outside the country gave me a whole new perspective on everything. It's pretty hard to describe. But, it just helped me realize that there is so much more to this world than the US and what happens here. Yes, we are one of the most powerful countries in the world and we have mightily influenced everyone else. But, there is a lot to be learned from others. One of my favorite things in Costa Rica was the slower paced life. Hardly anyone is ever is a hurry. They walk so slowly I would be almost a block ahead of the people I was supposedly walking with. It's not the end of the world to be late to something (just as long as you're not too late). I found that most people would not turn a molehill into a mountain, as we often do here. And yes, these are generalizations. Not every since person in Costa Rica is this way. But, this is the way the culture tends to be.
That culture is clearly very different from that of the US. And I learned a lot from it. If I ever started to freak out about something someone would just tell me, "tranquila." And I'd pause and try to stop stressing. I haven't come up with the perfect translation for tranquila yet. It basically means, "be at peace, calm down, take a deep breath, it's ok, chill out, don't worry." So, I have been learning to apply this to my life. I'm definitely still not totally tranquila all the time, but I'm getting better. So, if something isn't working out, I still will try to make it work, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. Maybe there will be another chance. Maybe God has something different and better in mind. I don't know. But I am learning to rest and trust in Him. I don't have any control. But God has it all, and He has a perfect plan for me. So, with that knowledge I can be completely tranquila.

Perfect Timing

I got an e-mail the other morning-totally out of the blue. It was from the head of the missions committee of the church I went to in middle school and high school. We've been in contact, and he'd said the church could support me, but when the committee realized that I am going to be gone for more than 2 years, I fell into a different category. It turns out one missionary couple from the church finished their assignment and so the church can take me on as a new missionary and support me more!! Praise be to God!! What incredible timing! This won't be official until the congregation votes on it later this fall, but wow! This is so exciting!! I still have a long ways to go in this support-raising process, but I know that whether the support is coming in or not, I want to and should be praising God. He is in charge of this whole process. And I know He will prove Himself faithful and provide for my every need.
I must confess though, that is isn't always easy to remember. For example, I am currently trying to make plans to visit New England later this fall. I was thinking pre-Thanksgiving, but now it looks like afterwards might be more plausible. It's always nice when the people you want to see are actually there. I have no idea how I can get from Southern Maine to Cape Cod or vice versa without inconveniencing several people or spending oodles of money on a rental car. So, I know I can't sit back and expect this trip to plan itself, but I also know I can't stress myself about it. I am praying for God to open doors and pave the way. And I am telling myself TRANQUILA!!! (I'll tell you more about that later).

My Family & Our Adventures

I love my family. I am convinced it among the best in the whole world. Of course, I may be somewhat biased, but in this case I think that’s ok. I am the youngest of 3. I have 2 older brothers, which explains a lot. J When we were little we didn’t always get along, but I know that’s rather normal. And now we actually really do enjoy being around each other-when it happens. We are currently very well esparcidos, spread out. I am currently in Wyoming and will be headed soon to Pennsylvania. My parents are in Mexico-or might as well be. They live in southern Arizona. My oldest brother Dan (and his wife and almost 3 kids) lives in Indiana, and my brother Zach and his dog are in Tennessee.
When we are together we like to play Scrabble, Bocce (lawn bowling), and cards. All of us, (except me) are avid readers. I used to be, then in about 7th grade my extraversion took over and I got involved in lots of activities and I have never made it back to reading as much as I would like.
We traveled quite a bit when I was little. We did a lot of repeat vacations to Myrtle Beach, SC, Isleboro, ME, and Stowe, VT. Easter was often spent at Grandma & Grandpa Gates’ in South Carolina and a couple days after Christmas were typically at Grammy & Grandpa Smith’s in Massachusetts. The 4th of July was almost always spent at Grammy & Grandpa’s too because Uncle Mike and Daddy have their birthdays on the 4th and 5th. We always hosted Thanksgiving and I liked that, because my birthday always falls during that week and I often got to have company on my birthday.
Along with vacations and holiday travels, we did some adventuring to see the country. I remember rather vaguely our trip to Disney World when I was 5. I really liked Thunder Mtn, and made us ride it over and over again. And every time we went through the line they measured me again to see if I was tall enough. We also went to San Antonio, TX once and Lousiana. Daddy and the boys really liked the Tabasco sauce factory. Mommy thought it was pretty neat too. I was so overwhelmed by the strong stench of red chili peppers I couldn’t really focus on anything else. Once we lived in Maine we made several trips to Canada. I loved PEI-and Daddy going to the liquor store to try to find me some raspberry cordial (check out the Anne of Green Gables books if you don’t know what I'm talking about). Great Breton and Nova Scotia were beautiful and really neat too. I remember lots of mud flats and people sliding on them and the tidal boar. The river actually changes the direction it is flowing depending on the tide (I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. It is getting to be a while ago). It is a fascinating thing, however it works. We also went to Quebec City and Montreal. There was lots of French there, which was fine for Zach and Daddy. Mommy and I had a harder time though. Once while trying to check in to a hotel the front desk person was speaking English but her accent was so thick Mommy still couldn’t understand her!
The biggest and longest trip we ever did was a tour of the country and several of its national parks. We spent lots of time in the car with books and playing “Ghost” or listening to Daddy’s stories when it was dark. In 17 days we saw the St Louis Arch, Enterprise Square in Oklahoma City, Santa Fe, NM (I think), The Painted Desert, The Petrified Forest, Zion and Bryce National Parks, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone (Somehow we missed the Tetons!!!! And now we of course regret it, but I think I’ve pretty much made up for it), the Badlands, and Mt. Rushmore. Side note-the indoor water slide at the hotel nearby was more impressive to me than the 4 large faces. They look way better on postcards. Anyway, I think that trip we also saw Mitchell’s Corn Palace in Nowhere, Kansas and Walldrugs, or something like that. It is a very famous place that was clearly very memorable for me. But give me a break-I was only in 3rd grade. (This all explains very well why I was so surprised when we moved to Maine and a whole bunch of people-even by 8th grade- had never been past Storyland, which is just over the border into New Hampshire.)
So, there is a glimpse at the Smith family and our adventures. I would have loved to include some more tangents, but I’ll save those. Feel free to e-mail me and ask about them. I've really enjoyed the time I've spent with my family and I’m looking forward to seeing all of us again soon!

The Best Things in Life are Free

Last night we had a girls night out. Jules, my friend Laura's roomie is getting married in December and wanted to celebrate. So, we went to Teton Village for a tasty but overpriced dinner and some fun. After dinner, the plan was to ride up the gondola and have champaign and s'mores at the top-though I think most of us were going to go without the champaign. So we went over to where they sell gondola tickets and it was locked. I was disappointed and feared we would not be able to go. But we kept faith and went to the gondola and ask the attendant about tickets. He told us that we were lucky- it was free!! The computer was down or broken or something and they couldn't charge us. WAHOO!!! So we got to save $12 each and enjoy the beautiful romantic ride in the gondola. And just to clarify if you are thinking the kind of gondola you find in Italy, that's not what I'm talking about. Gondolas in this neck of the woods are like enclosed ski lift boxes. We got to the top and the place that did s'mores was closed. Apparently business was slow and it had closed early. We were a little bummed, but after a fun photo shoot with silly poses we went to the grocery store and got some super Ben n Jerry's S'mores ice cream. Unfortunately that wasn't free, but it was delicious and worth it!!
The trip home was gorgeous. There was some fog down by the Snake River and the almost full moon was shining on the mountains and they looked as if they were glowing. It was so beautiful! I wish you could have seen it!

A few other free things I have enjoyed lately
-Sleeping in my wonderful bed! (housing here is technically free-though I do have to pay $60/week for food and employee activities)
-Church!!!
-Kayaking and hiking
-The mountains looking like a cutout in front of the clear blue sky
-The bike my friend Steve gave me when he left
-Keeping in touch over e-mail with my friends in the US and Costa Rica
-The grace of God
-Skype (computer to computer it is free! E-mail me if you want my username)
-Amazing backrubs and Mexican food from Rosalinda
-Driving to Colter Bay in company cars on the clock (well, I guess that's not really free-I get paid for it!)
-Did I mention sleeping in my sweet bed yet? With clean sheets? And 2 pillows? And Zippy and Cuddles? Mmm, yeah. It's bedtime. G'night!

My Busy Week

I don’t know how I do it, but I always end up SO busy! You know I like it. I love having people to see, places to go, things to do, etc. But, especially since my time in Costa Rica, I have been learning the value of not packing my life so full. I just haven't been succeeding a whole lot. I am learning though.
This week, for example, is packed full.
Sunday I went to church in town (YAAY!! It was great! There were hymns and a real piano and a whole bunch of people!). Then I went shopping and had a picnic with my friends. I spent much of the evening on Skype with a friend from school.
Monday I hiked Death Canyon with Sarah and Luciano. GORGEOUS!!!! My favorite place in the Park! We made it all the way to Fox Creek Pass! (That is the end of the canyon). That took all day. Then we had a yummy dinner at Dornan’s (they have phenomenal pizza!) and then read another chapter of “The Trumpet of the Swan” to Luciano. His English is improving significantly. Tuesday I worked. It was a very slow, quiet day. I was ok with that. I was pretty tired from the previous day’s hike. In the evening I taught English-I only have one class left! And then I went to the 80’s party. I didn’t dress up. But I still had fun. I lost twice at Twister and played “Pin the Glove on Michael Jackson.” It was pretty hilarious. The girl that plans employee activities this year is doing a great job!
Yesterday I got to go to Colter Bay for part of the day. I put fake flowers on the tables in the cafeteria like we did here at Jackson Lake Lodge. Then I helped clean and straighten some other things. Luckily the head housekeeper saved me. The cleaning solution I was using was far from adequate. It was rainy off and on much of the day, but when I drove back it was sunny and I got to drive through the park with the windows down and the sunroof open. It was great!!! (And don’t worry-I wasn’t speeding).
Today was a busy day at work. A lot of people are tired and just want for it to be over. I don't blame them. There are a lot of people who work their tails off here. A lot of people have already had to leave due to school and J-1 visa expiration and it is really hard to hire anyone to work for one month. Tonight we had an HR barbecue. I had a phenomenal steak, but don't plan on eating again until at least next week I am so full.
Are you tired yet just by reading this? Me too!!! I know a lot of busyness is a choice, and I am still working on learning to say no. Tomorrow evening I actually have no plans and hope to keep it that way. Saturday I am going to Teton Village for a girls night. It should be fun.
Ok, well. There's a glimpse at my crazy week. God give me the strength to make it through!G'night!

You're just so far away...

I'm not married, so I really can't understand. I would like to think though, that when I'm married I wouldn't be able to imagine leaving my husband (and children if and when I have them) to go work in another country. But, there are so many people here who have done just that! I only know of one gringa who has done it-but among the foreign employees, it is shockingly common. I can't evening imagine what it would be like to leave my family and go work my tail off in another country, over a thousand miles away. A lot of them talk every day with their family, but I'm not sure that makes it any easier.
The other day I was asking my friend Malta about her family and she started to tell me about her kids. Upon mentioning her 5 year old daughter and she started to tear up and before I knew it she had disappeared to recollect herself. Oh man! I almost wished I hadn't asked.
Another example: Earlier this week there was an employee art sale. A whole bunch of my coworkers put their pictures, needlepoint, jewelry and other pieces of handiwork on displayfor the guests and other employees to admire and purchase. I got there towards the very end when most of it was already cleared away. My friend Jose popped in and asked if I know who had been selling the jewelry. He wanted to buy a necklace and matching earrings for his wife. Thinking I might know her I asked him, "Who's your wife?" But his response was, "Oh, she's in Mexico." Oh. Oops.
So, there is this part of me that says, "No way! I could never leave my family-or let my husband leave us, no matter how bad the economic situation!!!" How could I be separated from my media naranja, my other half? But if we had no money, were starving and our country was still trying to recover from a hurricane that happened 10 years ago, I just might start to consider it.
I don't know. I just can't put myself in their shoes right now. And even once I am married (whenever that happens), I don't think I will be able to really understand. Is it really such an ultimatum? Stay with family and be miserable and possibly die or leave family and be miserable but feel like you're taking care of them? Yes, God is the Ultimate Provider and he takes care of His children. But we can't just expect money, food and shelter to magically appear. It happens. But that's not how God works every time. So, the issue remains. Unfortunately I believe it will be around for a while.
In the meantime, may God continue to meet our needs and may He be with those who are far away--from each other and from Him.

Change and Riches

Wow, it’s September! Fall has definitely arrived in the Tetons. On Monday there was fresh snow at the higher elevations! And some of the leaves are already starting to change! The evenings and mornings are quite chilly and there have actually been a lot of clouds in the sky! It’s easy to let it depress me and have a bad attitude about it. I really feel like I’ve had enough of winter. After living in Maine for so long and then being in Northwestern PA near the snow belt, I am really ok with never seeing snow again. And I can tend to get depressed when I can’t see the sun. But there is much more to life than weather.
The coming of fall is simply another transition I must go through. I was talking with my friend Alex at breakfast the other morning (the younger of the 2 Honduran Alexes that are here) and I decided that life is just a big series of transitions. Example-I was a student for the past 17 years-and now I’m not anymore! A lot of my friends started school again last week and it is just strange to not be there studying with them!
And because I’m not a student anymore, I’m still here in the Tetons. Things are changing here too-I already mentioned the weather above, but all the college kids are gone now and all the foreign students (my Turkish friends, the Ukrainians, Bulgarians etc) are leaving soon too. The dynamics are different this time of the season.
But, I know that in the midst of all the change “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever!” Amen! I knew that was the truth, but forgot it was straight out of the Bible (Hebrews 13:8) until I happened to read it the other week. How comforting it is to have a Rock that never changes!
And He’s not just a Rock. He had been reminding me lately of his abundance and how He lavishes His love on me. I don’t know if it’s because I grew up as a thrifty little New England girl or what, but I often forget how rich and full God is and how He just pours out his love, mercy, grace and forgiveness. Ephesians is one of my favorite books of the Bible because it talks about these exact things.; “every spiritual blessing” “God’s grace that he lavish on us in all wisdom and understanding” “the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” It’s just wonderful! May God's riches abound in all our lives!