GOOD BYE!

This is a short blog... but today i woke up... and hung out with maite for a little then i was ont he computer for while writing her a very long note... then we hit the streets and said Hello and Goodbye to her friends... then we went to the Old part to see the festival... I finally had chistora... It was amazing!! and then we went and watched part of the boat race... then headed back home for lunch.... after that it was all pack pack pack! and then to the Bus station!!! Today maite left for college... for the good ol Barcelona. and right now she is on that Bus... I couldn´t and I can´t believe that 2 and a half months have flown by so quickly... Our relationship has become so close and it will remain that way... but it will be hard to believe that i won´t be seeing her everyday... her wonderful smiling face! We said goodbye... both fighting back tears... ama, me and aita stayed until the bus left... and with many blown kisses... she was out of my sight... until who knows when. And with that Bus, went many memories, A lot of AMAZING moments, And more Love then you could imagine.

I only have monday and tuesday left...Monday i wil be with the portland girls... and tuesday night ane´s family and maybe during the day some of maite´s friends.... and Wednesday early morning I pack up... and head home to my wonderful family and Friends... and my Dog :)! I most likely wont write till then... and i won´t post pictures till then either.... So for now... THank you so much for your prayers... and for joining me in my trip thats changed my life... I am excited to come and see what God has in store for me!! Love you all!! and see you soon!!! GOD BLESS!

FRANCE

After going to bed at about a quarter to 5... i had to wake up at 11... because i was meeting ANE!!! so at about 12 i met Ane and her boyfriend... and then we waited for her mom to show up on the bus... and then we went to this Cider festival there... it was crazy with tons of people... and there is just Cider everywhere... you buy a cup and then you drink and eat!! it was fun!!! we were only there for a little while... But it was soooooooooooooooo crowded it was really hard to move... MUCHA GENTE!!! Then we took the bus back to where her dads sociadad is and we ate there.... and i met Crazy family of ANE... this one guy was a ton of fun... and when i told him i was leaving on wednesday... he freaked out... and was like "no no nono... you can´t go back to America yet... i´ll go back you stay here.. okay... okay... you can´t leave yet.. i just met you" He was quite the crack up!! But then we left... and headed for .......... duh duh duh.... FRANCIA!!!!! .... ohhhh.... so beautiful so much fun.... i can´t believe that i can say that i have been to France!!! it was beautiful... they took me to a bunch of different cities... and we took lots of pics... . and it was just a good ol time!!!! walking and driving... and seeing GOD´s Beauty!!! we had a really good time!!! then they took me to another place that i could see all of San Sebastian... and there was a wedding there.. and it was beautfiul... i mean i didn´t see the wedding but the people and the bride were beautiful and it was a beautiful place!!! it is really funny... because ever since my sister has been engaged i swear i have been surrounded by weddings.... i have watched, 27 dresses, Mamma Mia, another couple TV show´s with weddings in them... I have heard about lots of weddings and then all the sudden i am seeing another one.... interestante eh? then the took me home... and i will see them again on tuesday, for my last dinner will be with them.

Surprise again!

well as the last week has been winding down...i have been becoming more ready to come home! but in many ways in still not ready! Any ways.... another days of surprises... Maite took me to go hang out with "friends" who of course were paula, miren and leire! but i´ll be honost... i kind of knew because the first time maite was good at the secret... but the second time... NOT SO MUCH :)!!!! but we all had fun.. we met the girls... got some ice cream... and just sat and talked out by the harbor... we hung out for a couple of hours... paula and i had a little water fight.. that was fun... but she definatly got a lot more water on her then i did :)!!! then maite and i had to return home for dinner... so our time was short but good...Maite had to say good bye.. but as for me... i will be seeing them on Monday... which is tomorrow!

On Friday was the goodbye dinner for me and maite with her friends.... we met up and went to a restraunt... and i had an amazing bowl of macaroni... which was pasta with melted mazzarella on top and some sausage in there.... MMMMMMMM GOOD!!! Then we went out for our last night of partying!!! It was quite fun... just dancing and acting as Crazy as can be!!! it was also really fun and realy amazing for me... because before we went out to hit the bars... i got to talk with one of maite´s friends about me being a christian... she was really interested because she says she can´t believe that when she dies her mind and body just stop... and that there has to be something because it is impossible to see other wise... but she said it is hard for her to agree with the "Church"... so we had a good conversation!! Then to the bars... DANCE DANCE and DANCE!!! then we departed for home... and that night i had to say Good bye to Chok!! that wasn´t the most fun..!! and finally returned home to sleep at 4 AM!! A wonderful day!!

HIKING!!!!!

Today was hiking day! i woke at about 10:45! and then we left to go for a like at about 11:15/11:30! we headed up... up and up!!! it was so beautiful... i could see all of sansebastian and more!! the and we hiked way to the other side of the hill where we were really far away from san sebastian! it was just me, maite, aita and ama! it was great... and really beautiful... it was always really fun when ama explained every living creature and plant to me ;)! but we first hiked for like 2 hours and then we were somewhere... then we headed back... well... back towards this tower thing where we were going to eat lunch and it was even farther up... but thats okay because i loved it all!! and then we finally got to eating destination... and i was so excited because i was so darn hungry!!!! we had... salad... and tortilla patata.. my fav!!! and bread... my other fav... and i ate a lot!! and it was wonderful!!! then after that we headed back down the hill towards home which was a much shorter distance... and all down hill!! it was beautiful and wonderful!! and i had an excellent time... between watching maite hike ( which she hates) and listening to ama trying to sing Mamma mia... but not knowing the words and saying the same thing for like an hour... and aite beatin up maite (figurtively speaking not literally)!!and then winking at some random little boy when he burped and giving him the the thumbs up sign while his mom looks at me and rolls her eyes!! yup... a good experience!!!

Zurillio beach, concha beach... and the other...

me with all the gear :)!

Aita takin on maite!

beautiful ness!!

She wouldn´t stop singing!

this is the end of ama singing and seeing that i had the camera so she walked away!

Joy and Tears!

Today was a great day! I finally got to see my other basque sister whose name is also maite! After lunch we drove to Bergara... i called maite and figured out a place to meet... and i was standing there looking everywhere over my shoulders... just really anxious to see her... and then... THERE SHE WAS!! I ran to her, as she ran to me, with open arms!! it was soo good to see her... and i got to meet her boyfriend too! so then me, her and her boyfriend went to get some coffee... and on the way... i met her...oldest brother.... and then... later... i met her youngest brother!!... then...we hung out at a barcoffeeshopswimmingpoolgymarea! and talked! then her dad came and met us for a little while... and it was good to meet him! Then we took off and maite and her boyfriend showed me around Bergara and we just laughed, walked... talked about history and took pics... then the drove up to one of the hills where this cross was... and we could see just about all of Bergara... more or less... and it was very beautiful!!! After that we hopped back into the car... her boyfriend had to work soo he dropped us off at the house of Aitziber... another girl who had come the same year that maite did! she had known that i was in san sebastian and she told maite to tell her when i was comming in town but instead maite decided that she wanted to surprise her! so we rang up... she answered... and Aitzi was like "bi" maite said.."its maite... and jackie´s here"... Aitzi"myama myama" and she came running down (oh and we knew she would be home because she was studying for exams that she needed to take!).. then she came down and i gave her a huge hug!! and it was soo good to see her... we just stood there and talked for like 45 mins about life and about good times when the had come to the US and the crazy things that we did! we had a lot of fun just standing there and talking... but it came time that we needed to leave... and something that happened that i didn´t expect... Aitzi began to cry... saying hello and goodbye with 45 minuts was harder then i could have expected! It was soo good to see her! Then maite and i headed to see her house and where she lives!! she showed me her room and her kitchen and ya know all that great stuff :)!!! but time was winding down and we had to leave to go meet other Maite and her parents!! we got to maite and we had to say goodbye really fast... and tears began to come down... and a very long hug... all the emotions from saying goodbye the first time she left the US came back into saying goodbye... only after 4 hours! It was very hard to say goodbye!! and we left... with a simply "I love you".


When we returned home... maite and I went to go get bocadillos for lunch and then we met up with her friends on the beach for dinner! we had fun and hung out... and then one of the girls pulled out her guitar and they had like a little camp singing session... and it was a lot of fun to listen to... they had some spanish songs and some basque songs... and it was pretty darn good!! and that was the finish to my day!
everyday i thank you for your prayers!

Girls being crazy!

singing the songs!

Just having fun!







Me, maite and the boyfriend



Me and amite



Bergara



up at the cross.



Me and Aitziber!!

Time with Ane and then the Portland kids!

My time with Ane was a lot of fun! a lot of it was chilling at home... but we went shopping one day and that was fun... then one day we went and hung out with Igor and Gerald and the Fam as well as Joseba and his wife Joanna! I met her boyfriend... and i am one of the first to do that... and i like him he is quite nice... so after we had coffee together and he dropped us off back at home i told her that i approve ;). But it was really fun... she told me that she wanted her last smoke, so we sat on a bench and she smoked... and i told her how it was really funny because it reminded me of Good ol times when we use to sit out on my pourch when she was in america! and she would smoke and i would talk;).. then we started talking about God and just had a really good conversation... and it was just fun to be with her and Sharing about God again... and listening to what she had to say and her opinions... and it was a really nice time with her. then the next day i left and went back to Geralds... and then that night was the dinner night with the students who came to Portland. So we met infront of MacD's... cuz everyone know's where that is :)! so we hung out got some boccadillo's and and ate at the harbor and just had a lot of fun together... then we went to the water and for a little bit and then we went for some icecream... i told Gerald that i wanted to walk home so.. Paula and leire and Fermine came with too... cuz paula doesn't live far from Geralds.... then maite came too... and we just hung out... Then Fermine took off to go take the bus back to his village... so then we kept on walking us girls.... just talking about good times at camp and other good inside jokes... then we kind of commmited a crime...lol not really but it felt like it because it was late at night and we were trying to go and sit down in this area by the water... so we had to hop this fence... it was fun... we just sat there and talked for a while... then we got up and left... and hopped back over the fence... and well... there was Fermine... owow.... lol... i guess i decided not to get onto the bus cuz he didn't know if it was giong to go pass towards his house... so they walked me back to Geralds and i said good bye!! it was a good time just haning out with them... i really enjoyed it... it was a ton of fun!!! It is always such a delight to see these friends of mine... and just to be around them... it brings a smile to my face everytime that i see them... oh and Paula... since i am sure you will read this... i am suppose to give you a big hug from your american family... but i didn't read there post till after i saw you!! hehe... and for the rest of you... turns out that leire found my blog through the brawlys and then gave it to Paula!! i am being read all over the world;)!! hehehe.... well... thanks again for your prayers... God is awesome and still doing great work in my life everyday!! and i'll pics up like tomorrow or monday... i don't have them downloaded anywhere. (paula i promise soon ;))


Ane and I waite for the bus!

Igor... oh what a kick!

Ane, me and Elle her sister!!

beautiful day!

my feet, Ane´s feet and Elle´s feet!


All of us at the Harbor!

Me, Leire and Paula

Fermine, Leire, Me, Maite and Paula

The girlies

Maite wasn´t quite ready

funness

So yesterday i was at the island with maite and her friends... so it turns out that it was actually like a birthday part for three of the girls who planned it themselves. It was so much fun... we had to do like this scavanger hunt thing and there were 3 different teams!! one team couldn´t see... so they were blindfolded... another team could´nt speak.. and my team couldn´t use our arms! so we started with one card and then we had to go find the clue on this huge island and get the other clue... our first one was on like these huge steps... and it was histericall and actually pretty dangerous... i had to like climb up these wall stairs... with no arms and get this card... i had to like stand on one girls backt o get to the last level... but getting down was really scary... but oh well it was fun.... there were others that we had to find... but in the end my team one!! SO MUCH FUN!! then we went and had lunch together... at the top of the island up like this ginormous hill!!! then we played cards for a really long time, just hung out and had a ton of fun!!!! then we gave the birthday girls their present and we made them find them the way they made us do the scavenger hunt!! it was pretty funny!!! we were there from like 1 to 7 and then i had to leave because i was going to ane´s!! so then i arrived at ane´s and now i am here... its been fun to hang out with her... so far... but its just the beginning of this day!!! thank you all for praying!! i am still learning to grow closer to God everday!!! love you guys...!!
God Bless