We had about 24 hours to recover as a family before we started meeting our teammates. It was exciting to meet everyone and hear the stories that brought them to Madrid. The team is Renee (who met Hector and Lilli when they were studying in the states in Mississippi),Anna, Tori, Rachel and Julia (all from Sanford University where they are studying music), Anne (a great pianist that worked at the camp last year), Aimee (an actress, dancer, singer who was working at Holy Land the last year or so), and Stella (a professional dancer that just finished a dance missions trip to China before joining our team a few days late). They are all amazing ladies! Chris and I are certainly the elders of the team but we have been completely impressed with the passion, dedication, and talent of these ladies!
Our team had a week together to prepare and get to know one another before the camp started on Monday June 27th. We also did a bit of exploring and enjoying Madrid. We went to the pool, out to eat (Chris tried squid!!!), learned to travel around in the city on bus and metro, and finally went to a children’s production of Aristocats. Aristocats was all in Spanish but Ainsley really enjoyed it. Since she had seen it enough in English she understood the majority of what was going on. At the end of the show the children were standing around in their costumes greeting people and taking pictures. They started to leave before I had a chance to get there attention and Ainsley was so sad. She tried so hard not to cry. Her bottom lip was quivering and everything. Anyway, after hugs and wiping away the tears we went to find the actors. They were very nice and took a picture with her. She told me later that she was trying hard not cry. Poor baby!! Trying to be such a big girl!
Ainsley and Naphtali have been such a blessing to me here in Spain, just as they are in the states. At separate times they both have played with Spanish children which led me to attempt conversations with their parents. Opportunities to practice my Spanish are needed and the people in Spain love to talk. They are friendly and say hello often. The family of Tilly’s friend was very kind and knew some English. She offered for me to speak in English, but I kept trying to talk to her in Spanish and did manage a minimal conversation. Everyone here makes a big deal about the girls because they have fair skin and hair. They call them gupa and mona! It offers many opportunities for conversations.
The bus has been an experience as well. The first day of the camp Chris and I took the bus with the girls. The bus ride should only take 15 to 20 minutes, with one switch. We had no problems our practice round because we were with Lilli. BUT… when we attempted on our own the first time we took the wrong bus right off the bat and circled around Alcorcon (which is their suburb of Madrid). Finally, when we were the last ones on the bus, and the bus driver was scheduled to take his smoke break he came up to us and tried to ask us what we were doing. Of course he did not speak any English, and our Spanish is atrocious. We managed to communicate enough to tell him which stop we wanted. The expression on his face let us know that we were completely in the wrong place. He said he would be back on in 15 minutes and we would just have to wait. Once his break was over he told us when to get off and what number bus to take. Once we got off and on the right bus we were fine. Of course we were really nervous now and asked some people on the bus to make sure of our stop. Everyone was so friendly and helped us. One lady even said she was getting off on the same stop and we should follow her. So an hour and a half later we made it to the school. Luckily, the children were just arriving because the staff gets there earlier then they do. Since then we haven’t gotten lost again. We have still taken a wrong bus or so but only one or two stops wrong (adding only a few minutes extra). Praise God! That was certainly a horrible experience. And for all of you that know Ainsley she was not happy about being lost and let us know about it!
We are certainly grateful to our team!!
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