Martes el 29 de Abril

Today was our first day of school at La Universidad Modelo.

 I wanted to take a first day of school picture but this is the best we could do unfortunately. Malena dropped us off at school today so that we wouldn't be late on our first day.  But the others came on a bus with their host moms.  We're so lucky that Malena is so good to us.  But starting tomorrow we'll take the bus to school so that she doesn't have to wake up so early.  Our first class is at 7!!!!  I don't know how I did it this morning! I guess it helps that it's not freezing cold outside when we get up.

The school is absolutely beautiful.  It's an all white building surrounded my palm trees and hibiscus plants.  There aren't many students there.  Just about 20-40 in each program.  But we for sure stick out.  First of all, we're American. Second, we're all taller than everyone else at the school. Third, we are wearing shorts and bright colored shirts.  Everyone here wears jeans and I just don't understand it! How do they do it!?!? I'm melting in my shorts and they have long, heavy pants on.

Anyways, my classes will be interesting.  Today they were a little boring.  My first class is a Mayan and Yucatan culture class; it is taught by Professor Ruben Reyes.  He's blind.  He's very smart. And he's also a poet which you can tell when he speaks.  He says things in a very round about way.  But I'm sure that I'm going to learn a lot from him.

My second class is  Mayan and Yucatan literature class.  The teacher is Virginia Carrillo Rodriguez.  It will be awesome to take these 2 classes at the same time and see how they go together.

After school we came home and had lunch.  We ate Puchero. I was SO good.  So we had a bowl and we put shredded chicken, steamed vegetables, lime, raddish and cilantro and then topped it off with chicken broth with spearmint leaves in it.  It was surprisingly good! 

After lunch, it's time for a siesta but Rachel and I weren't too tired.  So we got in the pool for a little while then headed over to City Center-the outdoor mall just around the corner from our house.  It was super hot so of course we had to get a dipped cone!

That evening we went with Malena to the hospital in Mérida.  Actually, it was a recovery facility right next to the hospital.  She goes every Tuesday night to help make dinner.  This is a place where patients and their families can stay for free while they are undergoing and treatments or recovering from surgery.  The only thing that they have to do is volunteer to wash their dishes and then wash their own sheets.  It's very pretty place.  The people were SO nice! While Malena and the other volunteers made dinner we sat down and talked with the patients and their families.  I felt like a missionary again.  One great thing that I learned is that people live to talk about their families.  So I asked a few ladies and then I couldn't get them to stop talking! It was awesome!! One lady was Mayan and she taught us a few words: Bo'hanal means Let's eat, Ha means water, ek means star.  That's all I can remember!

As we were talking and enjoying our time together Malena came out and out and was like "can't you guys sing or something!?" So then they made us sing song after song after song.  They were all hymns is English but they loved it. People were recording us! At one point I looked up from the words on my phone and there was about 3 times more people that had come out of their rooms than were there when we started.  People were saying that we gave them goosebumps!  It's pretty amazing that the spirit can testify of truth even when people don't understand the actual words. After every song they would ask me what that song was about so I pretty much taught a gospel principle after every hymn.  It was awesome!  We told Malena that we want to go with her every week and next time we'll bring a Spanish hymn book so that they'll understand.

oh ya, I can't forget about dinner!!  We had empanadas for dinner! They were so good.  Samira made them.  And it was so nice outside that we ate out on the patio.  Needless to say, we are very much enjoying our "study" abroad!!