Lucy Activities

Above: Lucy with a new DVD that just came in a care package.

One of the difficulties of adjusting to a totally new culture is parenting. In Charlotte we had certain routines and places to go: the park (with swings and a slide), the library, childrens music class, walks with friends, Target, Chick-fil-a, play dates, etc.

Here a lot of those things are not options, so we have had to become much more creative. We still go to the park a lot, which Lucy loves because she has big open spaces to walk in. We have found Lucy loves toy stores and bus rides, so those are some fun activities for her. And of course, DVD’s, of which Elmo is her favorite and thus gets viewed over and over again, and somehow never gets old.

Wires

Above: I saw this out our back porch this morning and had to take a picture. It is a guy on a ladder presumably doing some repair work, while wearing a backpack and a motorcycle helmet.

As you may have noticed from earlier pictures, there are a lot of electrical/cable/phone wires running all over San Jose. As of today, there are no less than 11 wires running into our apartment.

Ironically enough, more wires doesn’t mean better service. In the past week we have lost our internet twice and had our power go out numerous times. The power has always come back on within an hour, so it has never been much of a problem.

We did strike up a conversation a few weeks ago with some guys putting new wires into our house, which they said was for a faster phone line, and what we found out is that they don’t take down the old lines, but rather just leave them there.

So who knows how long motorcycle helmet-guy was working on the wires, and who knows if he was even working on the right wires!

But as all missionaries say when adjusting to a new culture, “It’s not wrong, it’s just different!”

The Life of Lucy

Above: Here is Lucy in downtown San Jose enjoying feeding the pigeons.

In some ways, Lucy’s life has seen dramatic changes since our move, and in other ways, here life is still the same. Here is a glimpse of what’s the same and what is different.

She still rides everywhere we go, but instead of a car seat, it is in a stroller.

She still goes to nursery at school and church, but instead of English, all she hears is Spanish.

She still takes a bath every day, but instead of a tub, she bathes in a Tupperware storage crate.

She still loves and kisses her grandparents, but instead of in person, it is on a computer screen.

She still watches Elmo and Barney, but instead of on TV in English, she watches on the computer or in Spanish.

The changes have been tough, but by the grace of God she is adjusting and enjoying her latest adventure in a new part of the world. For we take comfort in the words of Paul in his letter to the Romans where God writes that nothing “is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Instituto de Lengua Espanola

Above: This is the white board in Lindsey’s grammar class after a particularly mind-boggling day of studying direct and indirect objects.

We’re half way through our intensive language course and we can already see it paying off in our daily interaction. The first day of class we were tested to see how much Spanish we knew. Lindsey was placed in the 3rd class (out of 5), while Sean ended up in the 1st class (that would be the lowest).

We go to school around 1 pm every day, drop Lucy off in nursery, and begin class at 1:30. We each are in a class with 4 other students on the same level, or at least close to our level. From 1:30 to 2:45 we study grammar (ie: verb congregation, pronouns, direct/indirect objects, etc.) Then after a 10-minute break, we go to our conversation class until 4:10, we were learn new vocabulary and put everything that we have learned into action.

In Lindsey’s conversation class she has had to give oral presentations on the city of Charlotte, a summary of a newspaper article, and a retelling of the parable of the sower. Sean has presented in class what he is wearing, his different body parts, and his family tree.

All in all we have enjoyed our learning experience has it has challenged us, but at the same time truly helped us as we interact with the culture.