Deserving Thanks

As much as I would like to sit here and list off things that I'm thankful for, I can't. I have to be honest with you. This is a struggle living down here. I want a hot shower, the roosters to stop crowing at three in the morning, and a travel thermos full of fresh brewed joe.

I have begun making a list of luxuries that I am going to treat myself to when I return home in under a month. I would never question this thinking. I keep telling myself, "Addison, you deserve this. You have lived in Central America for four months."

Do I, really? 

I have this thought that we (myself undoubtedly included) put a quota on how much a person must "suffer" before receiving "luxuries." It's an entitlement factor. I have endured enough, so now I may go back living the same because for four months I lived an un-Western lifestyle. Why would I ever subject myself to less than what I deserve, what I have worked for, what is my basic right? 

This is where our thinking gets in the way of our actions. We think self-entitlement; we act self-entitled. We think humbly; we act humbly. 

The truth is that I don't deserve anything. God, my provider, has been rejected, scoffed, and ignored countless times because of my selfishness. He had every right to end my physical, emotional, and spiritual possessions because they're rightfully His, correct? He worked for them, he made them, that is what he deserves, right? 

I am thankful God doesn't think like I do. I am thankful he has grace which is infinite. I am thankful God doesn't think that he deserves our love; He longs for it. He's able to function without us, but that sentence cannot be reversed.

When I sit down to our Thanksgiving dinner (on Saturday because Central America wasn't involved with the Pilgrims or Native Americans) I am going to be thankful for lukewarm showers, roosters who don't know better, and the cup of coffee my mama graciously serves me every morning. Yes, that's what I'll be thankful for. 

Not so daily life

As I've been coping with a faint bout of homesickness by online browsing and looking at pictures of corgis, I realize that there are many things in my life here that are not so normal to my description of a day. This is a counter to my last post and these are just a few things that have made the past few days much more… amusing.

James Bond. It is a Smith Thanksgiving tradition to see new James Bond films when they come out. Since they'll be mourning the loss of my presence this year, I saw it before all of them and rubbed it (respectfully) in their faces.
Election night at the Intercontinental. The Ambassador was more than generous to invite our group to the swanky hotel and be in a crowd of other Americans as we watched the results being tallied. Also, to continue the college student stereotype we promptly took advantage of as much free food as we could.
The weather. I got sunburned and dehydrated on November 17. I can still feel heat radiating off of my shoulders. It would surely melt the snow they have back in the States.
The wedding. Last Saturday my family celebrated a wedding. I had little clue as to why my older sister came into town and why people were running around with bobby pins until I saw the bride step out of my sister's room. I quickly finished breakfast and tried to stay out of the way as the embodiment of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" came alive in my home.
Nicaragua. On our last getaway out of the country we took a quick trip to Nicaragua. We made haste by visiting an active volcano, an adorable colonial town, lake Managua, and the largest market in Central America. Then caught our breath after getting across the border. 

Official goodbye-hello countdown: four weeks from tomorrow!

Also, if you're interested in other Calvin off campus programs or want to see other student's experiences don't forget to check out my friend, Erin Smith's blog on her semester in Hungary! She has fantastic pictures and is an English major so her syntax is spectacular. 

Daily Life

To get a feel of what (daily) life is really like down here I'll run down a quick schedule of happenings in Santa Lucia.

7:15 am - Catch the bus from Santa to Tegus. These precious twenty minutes are either filled with catching up on reading or playing helicopter on my Alcatel phone circa 2005. 

8 am - Arrive at the Pedigogica University where we take classes. We generally all grab a cup of coffee (or two) before heading off.

8:15 am - Spanish class. There are only two other students in the class, so it's necessary to pay attention to Profa Litza. She is quite a lady and always has great photos of her dog, Hipster. Yes, her dog is named Hipster. I did spell that correctly. 

9:30 am - Snack break. This generally consists of splitting cheetos puffs or having another cup of coffee. We all stay well caffeinated. 

10 am - Begin development class with either Kurt or Jo Ann. Every day we have readings and then class over the assigned topic for that day. Sample topics include: developmental theories, land rights, drug trafficking, transparency, short-term missions, child sponsorship, agriculture, fair trade, proposal writing, micro-enterprise, just to name a few. It is during these classes where we have some passionate dialogue or little revelations over facts that require a double-take. I feel blessed to study development intensely for a semester while also having visits and speakers from those working in the field. It's truly a unique experience.

12:30 or 1 pm - Lunch. Our building is near the cafeteria and a grocery store. We spilt up and fill up. 

2:30 pm - Catch the bus back up to Santa Lucia or shoot the breeze with some curly fries near the bus stop. We indulge in a little American food now and then. 

3:30 pm - Begin readings for the next day, play with puppies, watch Kardashians with mi mama or pop in an episode of The Wire.  

6 pm - Eat dinner and then resume either productive or unproductive activities depending on how much I got done before dinner. 

9 pm - Asleep. Generally aided by a Grisham or Cussler novel. 

Nothing too exciting. We certainly do work and it is not a slacking semester. It's a lot of reading, bonding, and bus riding. But there are quirky things are not so everyday but I have come to believe they are:

1. The MLB Postseason. This is a little dated, but the playoffs were a major bonding moment for mi mama and me. It was over our mutual dislike for the Yankees and love for the National League. 

2. peanut butter- a lot. My family has this jar on the table of peanut butter. Probably 20 oz. and only I eat out of it. This is a great way for me to track my consumption of that wonderful stuff. 

3. puppies. My dog, Bella, had five little squirts on a few weeks ago. They just started walking and are now loud enough for me to hear from my window at night. Still handfuls of adorable. 

4. a dog barking. This is really nothing new except for the fact that it only barks at gringos. It's on my way to the bus each morning, and it's always a lovely sight.
5. Unburnt toast. I think Jo Ann unknowingly put me with a family that makes toast exactly the way I like it. Sightly golden brown but not crunchy. Not sure how my Mama knows this about me, but it's something that I have been astounded by this whole semester.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone!