"Life is...a war against your Heart"

"You won't understand your life, you won't see clearly what has
happened to you or how to live forward from here, unless you see it as battle. A war against your heart."

{John Eldredge, Waking the Dead}


Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 (Day 2.8)

The end of day two was very peaceful. I practiced my solo for about 45 minutes in the Upper Room ; it is the perfect space for that. At about 6-ish, I started making my tacos. They were very yummy! The Chens were eating dinner at about the same time, so I got the opportunity to visit with them and learn more about their background. It was really cool to hear the story of how they migrated here from China.

While we were visiting, I suggested to the  girls (Fannie & Evie) that maybe we could play music together if they didn't have homework to finish up. So we practiced a couple of different songs for their service that is coming up soon. Then, right before they had to head to bed, I played "The Searching Song" for them. It was funny, because I could not remember the chorus or my bridge. But, I think it actually sounds better without those!

They told me that it was really inspiring to hear my song, which in turn encouraged me. I remember watching Nate Fancher play his songs at War Cry a few years back, and thinking how I could never write songs that were any good. Yet, God has given me songs to sing and I am so thankful for all the encouragement from friends and family to keep writing! It kind of makes me want to ask Nate Fancher to listen to my songs, and that I used to be in his Music/ worship workshop at War Cry a few years ago...

I went down to my apartment at about 9:30, then I caught up with family for about half an hour. Annalisa has been missing me, so I chatted with her. She recently was awarded a solo in her choral group. I'll tell you- that child was made to be onstage! She just loves it. And everyone that watches her simply experiences God's joy flowing through her; her middle name isn't Jubilee by accident, not by any means! ;) I promised Annalisa that we will paint our nails and re-paint them as many times as she wants when we are at the beach in about a month...oh yeah, and we'll make "cupkakes" too, & eat them.

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 (Day 3)

I woke up super early-6:30am. I prepared to head to the doctor (urgent care). My throat has been hurting really badly at night, and I thought it might be something left over from a sinus infection...I got ready for the day and left for the Dr's at 10:30; it only took about 15 min to get there (yay!). It was a cutting edge technology urgent care, with electronic sign in clip boards, and pagers to let you know when to go back to the exam room.

Turns out, I have a virus (most likely). So I will have to tough it out. But the Doctor was Israeli, and also a specialist in Sports Medicine. He directs a Sports Medicine practice nearby, but works at the urgent care as well. His residency was at Harvard, and he worked with the Boston Ballet dancers. It was so cool to find out that he specializes in working with dancers specifically, having that experience. I have been having issues with my leg since I injured it while doing a jump a couple of weeks ago. He quickly examined it, and said it's on the mend, but may be vulnerable for 4-6 wks after the injury.

After the appointment, I headed to Barnes & Noble across the street. It was two stories, with escalators to the second floor. I was in heaven, quite literally. I worked on some items that needed attention for a couple hours while I was sitting in the Starbucks area, sipping on a cup o' joe. Then I went upstairs to the second floor and drafted a service contract; it was kind of fun.

I ran by the bank after I left B&N, then I headed to Best Buy to purchase Office 2008 for my mac. It was the same price as wal-mart, in-stock too! Great deal. The only downside was that the Best buy proved to be about half an hour away...so a bit of a drive. I grabbed some Wendy's on the way to the mechanic (my car was smelling like gasoline, or so I thought). They said it wasn't a gas leak (thankfully), but might be exhaust fumes or something else, but it would cost too much to fix (more than worth of car). So I will be getting a second opinion on that one... :/

At about 6, I finally made it back to the B&N shopping center. I ran by Target to pick up some essentials, then to B&N right next door. I sat at the little laptop bar at the shoppe. Then, I attempted to install Office (3 times) to no avail. Quite frustrating...and sad. But did get the chance to call a few people while I was waiting, so that was nice.

On the way back to the Chen's (finally) I stopped to buy gas, but my wallet clasp got stuck (the pin that held it together lodged in a crevice), and it wouldn't open. It had all of my money in it: credit card, debit card, cash...! I tried to fiddle with it for a few minutes, then asked the attendant for assistance. We were both laughing at how ridiculous and bizarre the whole scenario was! After trying unsuccessfully to open it with a paper clip, I asked for scissors. My poor wallet.

It was rather late when I finally returned. I made myself a snack (delicious toast with peanut butter- yes, I do love PB!), and watched a couple minutes of So You Think You Can Dance? with the girls. I went back down to my apartment, then I caught up with Casiphia for about an hour. She prayed that my wallet would open, and the next time I tried, I was able to disassemble the clasp. Thank you Jesus! Finally headed to bed kind of late, but it was with peace that I laid my head on my pillow, as I thanked God for taking care of me once more.

Adios,

Lysandra

Summer Dance Internship

 For the next month, I am going to chronicle my dance internship on here! It is such an exciting time for me. I applied for this internship in March of this year, and found out that I had been accepted in May. By the end of May, it was almost time to leave for the big city!

While my hometown isn't huge, it does not in any way compare to the real big city. From the traffic jams to the cultural events, to the stores (shopping! yay!), it is so diverse. This might sound weird, but I actually like driving on the crowded, busy highways, even with the traffic jams. As long as I'm not sitting there for hours on end!

I decided to break the 6-7 hour trip into segments. I drove half way on Sunday night to my grandparents and spent the night there (6/6/10). On Monday morning, I woke up super early (even though I'd gone to bed rather late) because I was so excited to get on the road. When I said good morning to my grandma, told me that they were worried about me driving in such a busy area without a GPS, so they wanted to buy me one!  What a blessing. They completely blessed my socks off with this amazing Garmin-it is so cool- I type in the address, and the GPS tells me what to do-*bam* I'm there! It's awesome.

So I left my grandparent's at about 10am on Monday morning. It took about 2 1/2 hours. I strategically left at a time that would allow me to avoid the morning rush hour- since I did not want to be driving in that traffic right off the bat! Too much stress for me. Had a great drive-didn't stop, so I drove it straight through. When I arrived at my destination (Mrs. Pauline's house, director of the dance ministry), I was early. So I ran to the store, then came back right at 1pm for our meeting.

We got acquainted for a little while, then she gave me some biographies to edit/proofread for the dance program they are sending to print this week.  At about 2pm, we drove downtown to meet up with the graphic designer who is putting the program together. We dropped a packet of info off to her, then headed back to Mrs. Pauline's house. On the way, we stopped in at Wendy's and I had a frosty. It was nice, since it was so toasty outside. :)

We got back to Mrs. Pauline's at around 4pm. I continued working on the biographies, and discussing the audition announcement flyer I would be working on the next day (today). At 5:15pm, I headed to the Chen's home (my host family). They are so cool!  Mrs. Chen is actually Doctor Chen- she is a practicing Dentist. They have a home which serves several different functions: their family home, Dr. Chen's practice, a large room for worship dance/ instrumental worship services or practices (they call it "The Upper Room"), and a small apartment downstairs, which includes a foyer, bedroom, and bathroom (as well as a private entry).

Funny story: As it turned out, I did not know that Mrs. Chen was a dentist until right when arrived on Monday. My appt. was supposed to be June 10th back home, but obviously, I'm gone, so they can't clean my teeth! I don't like that dentist at all anyways...lol. So I asked Mr. Chen if they take my insurance, and they do! So, not only are they hosting me, Dr. Chen will also be my dentist! God sure does have a sense of humor. I remember wondering when I would be able to get my dentist check-up in between summer vacation and leaving for school in August, but having peace that God would provide--And He has! Whoo hoo! :D

Today, I woke up at 6:30am. I had to leave by 9am, so I got up & ready for the day! I had cereal in my mini-kitehen and made a delicious PB sandwich with this amazing all natural peanut butter and whole grain bread. My favorite!

I got on the road by 9:15am, then arrived to Mrs. Pauline's at about 9:45. Traffic is so unpredictable! But I managed to avoid it this time :)

I worked on finishing up the bio editing, e-mailed it off, then began working on trying to copy a dvd...for some reason it wouldn't work for me. Anyways, then I worked on the program insert for the audition announcement (edited a picture, found a cool font, etc).

I had my lunch at around 1, then helped Mrs. Pauline with organizing a deposit she was taking to the bank. I made a detailed spreadsheet for monies collected, and verified the amounts received. I left her home at about 2:35, and made it to the Chen's house by 3:10. So, a 35 minute commute. Not too bad this time. I took a nap when I got to my little apartment. Now it's a little bit of chill time. I'm planning to make myself delicious soft tacos tonight for dinner, and I need to practice my solo for the recital this Saturday (I'll get to use the Upper Room space! It's perfect for that). So that's my agenda for the rest of today!

Until next time,
Lysandra <3

Timeless strength.

As I visited with my Abuelita this past Saturday night, I was just so content to sit with her. You know how you can just sit with someone who loves you, and it just feels so...right. I just sat there thinking
how precious it is, this time that I have with her. I have friends who never really knew their grandparents, maybe they passed away when they were young. This time that I have with my grandparents, it is a gift. Every moment that I can hear about their childhood, early adulthood,
and their lives is simply another opportunity to thank God that they are still with us.

I am amazed at my Abuelita & Papi's strength. They came here as foreigners, my grandfather as a Doctor, my grandmother as a homemaker, having already learned the language, but still having much to learn about the customs here in America. They have come to have many friends who love them as much as they love others. Just an example of how deliberate my Papi is; even today, my he always has a dictionary at hand, so that he can make sure to utilize the word with the most precise meaning in order to clearly articulate his thoughts. My grandmother raised 6 children, away from her family in a new foreign country, owned a gourmet catering business when they were older, and continues to make gourmet homemade bread and Bolivian delicacies for her children and grandchildren.

What a legacy. The close-knit family, culture, the rich language, the land, the stories, the history. On top of that, both of my grandparents love the Lord. My grandmother has the greatest faith to pray for things I have ever seen. She is such an intercessor, for all of her children, "grand babies", and friends. Papi is a fountain of wisdom, but he also keeps it light by joking around a lot. He likes to tell me stories, both humorous and moral, such as Aesop's fables. I remember walking along the Huckleberry Trail, as he told me tales from that famed Aesop, the wise story teller.

All of this is to say that I admire the strength of character that I have grown up observing in my grandparents. They inspire me to work hard to accomplish my dreams, yet also to enjoy the time that we have been given, to savor times with family while we have it. Here's to you, Papi and Abuelita. May you both have many more years, to see the grandchildren marry godly men and women, and then have some good looking offspring- your great grandchildren! I love you both so much.