The Mexico Chronicles

I feel as though, in order to tell you about the week, this entry is going to come in 2 parts. The part you will read, and the part to look at (yay for photos!)

To tell you everything won't work. To tell you what we did will seem cliche. Something about describing these sorts of trips always seems the same. We worked, we prayed, we played. Our lives were flipped upside down, and no one wanted to go home. It's always the same old story. I don't know if it differed a lot for us. We built stairs, painted a house. We slept in host homes, and we were more blessed by the kindness of the people we worked for and with, then perhaps they could be blessed by us.

I feel like God taught us all about ourselves. The week was filled with interesting surprises. My favourite was devotions. We read through Proverbs, the chapter according to the day. It was interesting to see how those chapters touched on everything we were seeing and dealing with throughout the whole week. Proverbs 13-23 (because that's the week we were gone) talked about greed, fools, wisdom, families, social injustice, drinking, being kind to the poor- everything! I feel humbled by everything.

What defined the week for me was the beauty of Cancun. While most people only know about the hotel zone, and that is all they see when they travel there, we spent the week in the city, with the people. It's an entirely different world. Knowing that most of us North Americans and Europeans are completely ignorant to the real Cancun. We would travel from our host home to the church every morning and walk down the slums of the city and see a bush, full of the most vibrant of flowers. Constant reminders that everything we saw was God's creations. Everyone we talked to belonged to Him.

I feel like people go on these trips with the self-righteous mind frame. We are helping those who are less fortunate so that we can be right with God. But then again, what sort of mind fram should you go in with? Honestly, it isn't your mind that needs changing. It's your heart. I went into this trip with an open heart. I wanted God to break me, and humble me and teach me. That's what He did.

I feel like I learned to be more soft-spoken. Or to just not speak at all. Watching things, listening to conversations, seeing God's creation, those are the experiences you learn from. Or at least, I learned from.

That being said, here are some photos of what we did, what we experienced and the beauty of the Caribbean.

Como Estas?

For the translation, my title says 'How're you?" And I ask that honestly.

I feel that for me, the next few blog entries are going to be a culmination of the past 14 days. 14 days, so much lfe, and no blog. I can't wait to tell you all of what I've experienced the last 2 weeks. I don't have the time to sit down and complile all my thoughts yet. First I have one more class, a book to return, Communal, studying, unpacking and tomorrow a midterm to take care of. After that, I will be able to sit down and think about all that I have learned, and hopefully share as much as I can with you.

Until then, eagerly await the 'Chronicles of Cancun'. And a few Odes to lovely people we met.

Tell me all how you are doing. If I learned anything, it is that relationships and friendships are much more important than time.

Como Estas?

Adios Amigos!

Forgive my spanish. I just wanted to say goodbye. I will be gone for the next 14 days. (14 days! What a ridiculously long time to not be able to blog!) I feel like I would love to take you all with me, and post photos daily. But unfortunately, there is no internet access where I am.

On an entirely different note, some humour from the past few days. Yesterday I was hanging around the school after a midterm. One of my friends, Jay, came around and we were talking about how we were tired and that we wanted naps. My last name is Knapper (K is silent) so he found it very amusing that I wanted to take a nap. Asked me if I took a lot of naps. Gee, because I've NEVER heard that line before.

Relief is in sight. Midterms for me have come to an end (thank Goodness!) So tonight I am focusing on getting my laundry done so that I can pack for Mexico!

See you all in 2 weeks! May God Bless you!

Me vs. Monday

Monday and I are in a constant battle. Sometimes he wins, sometimes I do.
These last two weeks, I have been losing quite miserably. Last week, I had a fever, this week, Monday is thrusting me into a week of Midterms and gross school things. I feel like sleep will not be a part of my life again for a long time.

It's an epic war. I remember one week when Monday came around and I refused to let him wear me down! You see, this semester, he is my ugliest day. In all honesty, I quite prefer Thursdays to all other days of my week. Thursday is nice. Thursday leaves me hours for sleep. Mondays, not so much. Monday makes me get up early, and then forces me to go to lots of class, and have little or no time to do homework, because as soon as I get a chance to sit down and think about something (like I am now,) I have to go back to the school again. Monday's don't end.

Is it wrong that I'm becoming stereotypically grudged against Monday? I can't imagine how he feels, knowing the majority of the western world hates him. The bearer of bad news, the beginning of a work week. It's not his fault he's such a dreary day...or is it?

Either way, Monday is doing a great job of introducing me to the exhaustion I am going to suffer for the next few days. I have midterms tomorrow and Wednesday, as well as loads of studying, catching up from last week's flu fiasco and Fiddler on the Roof production. I have to finish filling out my RA application form for next year. I have laundry which I have been planning to accomplish for 3 days now-that needs to be finished for Wednesday evening, and then I need to pack my life up into a suitcase and truck my butt down to Detroit airport.

Thursday I leave for Mexico with a team of students from this school. We are going down on a mission trip to (don't judge me) Cancun. It's going to be a really great experience- we're living with host families, and working and learning about the culture. I'm really excited. But I have so much to think about and do before Thursday, that this trip is shoved in the back of my brain. I just pray I get through midterms. I pray God will give me the energy to keep studying, and the brain power to actually absorb everything.

And now, I have about an hour before class. I feel a nap coming on. Monday wins out again. Oh well, there's always next week.

Fiddler on the Roof

I apologize for having not posted in a few days. This weekend, running all the way until today was so busy! On top of that, I caught the flu (unusual for me). So my week has consisted entirely of Kleenex, and coughing, and growing Fiddler on the Roof music out of my ears.

The flu was really the most entertaining part of the last few days. On top of being swamped with upcoming midterms, an essay and the looming reality that I leave for Mexico in a WEEK, I really couldn't afford to be sick. But, of course, life has a strange way of laying everything down at you all at once. So, on top of being crazy busy, I still get that flu. I take lots of Advil, I sleep tons.

Fiddler on the Roof is going well. Opening night is officially tomorrow, however, we have already played 2 full shows; the Matenee today, and the 'preview' last night.

I have also been to a total of 2 classes so far this week. Monday I was just really sick, and so managed to scrounge myself together for Religion, but that was it. Yesterday, I suffered through History 105. Which was okay, but I'm pretty sure the Prof could tell I was not feeling up to par. (Vreugdenhil is crazy like that!)

Anyways, that has been my life. I pray that your's, dear reader, does not involve the flu!

1000 books to read

My cousin Jess sent me a link to a website the other day. The link was a UK site which had recompiled some of the best out of the Literary Canon and added a few newer 'classics' forming the grand finale of a list entitled:

'1000 books to Read in a Lifetime'.



So, me, being the diligent (and often egotistical) person that I am, thought to myself. 'Brittany, dear, you've read a lot of books in your life, why not check this list out?'



I did.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jan/23/bestbooks-fiction



I feel suddenly very illiterate.



My literary passions lie within Literature. Fiction, particularly. I have not even dented this list of novels! Not even a dent!



If you feel like taking a peek at the revised Canon, the website is below. But beware, you may be left feeling entirely uncultured, or like myself, wish that you had taken the money spent on University, and forwarded it on to making the most impressive library ever.



Also, a few edits to the list. Add to it the following novels.



'The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka'

'Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man by Joseph Heller'

'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino'

'Snow White by Donald Barthleme'

Wall.E

I finally got around to seeing the movie with the little robot and a lot of trash.

I have to commend this movie, for several reasons.

1) It did its job as far as going over the top with how humans will pollute the earth, and get really fat because their lives are basically run at the expense of robots and mechanical creatures (in 2011...the ship was launched...that's in 2 years our time...).

2) The storyline, although cutesie, was not over the top childish, and bluntly obvious, at least not to the point where every scene would open with a groan, and the echos of 'are you serious' from the movie viewers.

3) The animation in this movie was really well done. It is rightly nominated for an Oscar, and should win.

There were two bits of this movie that really distinguished it, and therefore enlisted itself on my list of movie greats. I really enjoyed the part of the movie where Wall.E and EVE make it into the repair centre for robots. 'Repair centre for Robots' was just a nice way of calling it a mental institution for the sick robotic beings. Clearly, the two best robots in that institution were the ones playing Ping Pong, or, the Painting robot, with the yellow paint all over the place. He was pretty cool. But the idea that there was actually an institution for faulty robots was just hilarious. What a reflection of our society! (nevermind the fat humans on hovering chairs that just....float).

The second bit of greatness came in the credits. I was really impressed with the way the credits were laid out, as if humanity had started all over again from the beginning. We see the world though the eyes of all the criticisms and artistic greatness throughout the ages. We went through all the eras during the credits. From the ancient peoples all the way into the Medieval period and the pioneer and conquest eras. Into Picasso, and the Group of Seven. Very intelligent.

Wall.E is worth the watch. I suggest it as a must. And as it was made as a children's film, there is no problem with it being sketchy. Enjoy!

Things I learned this Weekend.

So, I learned a few very valuable things this weekend.

1) Laying around in PJs for a Saturday, while doing laundry is heavenly.
2) We need more sin.

Let me explain that last one.

Today was Cadet Sunday in the CRC. Two of the Cadet boys did the children's message today. Their short blurb was based on the theme verse for this year, which was 'Let your light shine befor men, so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven. (or something along those lines). So, as a demonstration for how sin affects our lives, they lit a candle, put it inside the jar and told the boys and girls that the light in the jar should be like the light in our hearts, visible for everyone to see. Then, they had a second jar which they filled a bit with baking soda, and then poured some vinegar in it. The bubbly mess was to represent sin in our lives. The idea was that when you poured the baking soda/vinegar into the jar with the candle, the candle would go out. But what ended up happening was that there wasn't enough liquid left in the bubbly mix, so it didn't hit the flame of the candle. One of the boys was like, 'you need more sin!' The congregation laughed, and I don't think the little children understood it.

However, it was a cute story, so I thought I would share that with you.

The Long Awaited Video

Alas, FYF (Facing your Future) makes an appearance!

All, I would like to introduce you to the video of FYF 2007.



Enjoy!