Merry Christmas!
December 22, 2020
It has been a life-changing four months. From the last time I wrote, I have moved countries and lived so many experiences that it would be hard to recount them all. Nevertheless, I remembered that the point of this blog is to be consistent about telling people about what is going on in my life and how the Lord is working. So although this will be a quick rundown of the past four months, I hope that what you see through all of this is the Lord's hand in my life. He is worthy of all praise!
I apologize because I know I have not been the best at keeping in contact, but I hope that through this I will be able to catch you up on my life because I care about you! There's lots of pictures and I'll tell you the stories behind all of them if you want to follow along, but feel free to just look through.
Here in the United States, it is important to send out Christmas cards. More than simply sending out a couple pictures and a good wish, my friends here explained that it is a way to express that you remember the people who are close to your heart and you love them and wish them the best. The best, of course, is what the Lord desires for your life. Therefore, this is my Christmas card to you. May the Lord bless you ever so much more abundantly than you have blessed me.
September began in Colombia, but ended in Arkadelphia. I stopped at Fort Lauderdale, Dallas, and Tyler along the way. As I got on the plane and looked out at the wing, I saw that it said "howdy," a very appropraite greeting to this new stage of my life, which is on scene on the stage of the American south.
I tasted my first Chick-fil-a on the road from Dallas to Tyler. What stands out the most to me from that experience was how the Lord used so many beautiful people along my journey to bless me in many ways I can never pay back, from my plane trip to Dallas to the drive to Tyler and later Arkadelphia. The Lord has been is still continuing to take care of every need!
Video calls were more frequent at the beginning, and one of the nicest was with my mom, grandma, and great-grandma. Though it might not be super often, I cherish these moments and think about these amazing women who have invested into who I am today.
On my fist full weekend in Arkadelphia, we went to the Little Rock Skatium and ice skated. Later, we went out for breakfast for dinner at iHOP. I met many new friends from the international club, and got to hang out with Carla, who would later become my roommate! The sweet pancakes are definitely not sweeter than the company, but I didn't get any pictures of them!
Near the end of September, we went out to explore a tower with a beautiful view and ended the day at the lake. On the picture on the far left are my friends Olivia and Hamza. Olivia actually lived in Colombia for awhile and our moms met, but we met at Ouachita! We weren't super close friends at the beginning but now she is one of my best friends there. She is funny, a great listener, and so intelligent. Hamza is also one of my best friends. He is very compassionate and loyal, and he is a transfer student from Morocco.
That beautiful sunset is not uncommon in Arkadelphia, but that doesn't make it ordinary at all. The Lord's beautiful creation is everywhere in Arkansas, which is known as "the natural state." We enjoyed the great late-summer weather during the rest of September, but then came the cooler days of October.
October brought TWIRP month with it! TWIRP events were every Friday, and each social club had a different theme I went to 80s night and masquerade night with my friends, but there was also a 50s night, a carnival day, and a baseball day.
Morris, who is on the left, was my Bible Survey partner and one of the most fun yet responsible people I have met. He is from Texas, but lived a lot of his life in Kenya. As you can see, many of my friends are international! This is interesting because before coming, I wanted to make more American friends because I thought it would give me a more immersive experience. Nevertheless, I have made great friends from all over the world who have already taught me so much.
In the center picture, from left to right, are Breanna, Olivia, and Taylor. I'll tell you more about Breanna later, and you've already heard about Olivia. Taylor is my suitemate, along with Kendall. They are both great girls, although I don't hang out with them a lot.
Finally, there's Hamza and Breanna at the 80s TWIRP event with our 80s outfits!
For my birthday, we made arepas! It was my first birthday far from home and all my friends made it so special. From enjoying a food from my home to precious surprise gifts, all of these people made my birthday an amazing time.
In the picture, from left to right, are Breanna, Vanessa, Carla, Jacob, Hamza, and Keren, and not pictured, Morris. Of course, I can't forget Jenny Johnson, who let us use her apartment for my birthday celebration. I met Vanessa at my school in Colombia and it's been so fun to have her on campus. Carla is my fun roommate from Valencia, Spain. She is an incredible tennis player! Jacob is a latino enthusiast from Houston who we call the dad of the group because he is always concerned for everyone's wellbeing. Finally, Keren, a junior from Honduras, has deep wisdom and insight but we get to have so much fun as well.
My birthday didn't end at Ouachita though! Barney and Dave picked me up at school and took me to Tyler. I went with Breanna, who is pictured on the left. That picture was taken at Javi's, a mexican restaurant we went to for my birthday.
Breanna is compassionate, hard-working, driven, and a lover of Jesus. We share a calling for missions, but she is going to Latin America. That is why she started learning Spanish this year, and now, we can have full-length conversations in only Spanish. Definitely incredibly impressive! This girl has such a humble heart and I am so thankful that the Lord placed her in my life.
In the middle are Barney and Carolyn, and Dave and Cindy. I have no words for the immense gratitude I have for these incredible people. They have clearly displayed the love of Christ by inviting me into their lives and their homes without expecting anything in return. Their kindness has moved me to tears several times, and it has profoundly impacted to give generously. They have treated me as their own family and made me feel right at home. I am beyond lucky to have them in my life.
Finally, I got to wear a real Texas cowboy hat and shoot a real gun 😉, although that is not pictured.
Nearing the end of October, we came up with doing Aladdin for the international halloween party. It all started because we thought that Hamza would be the perfect Aladdin, and I had been Jasmine in a high school play. Soon, Breanna became Abu and we found more people to join.
Morris became the genie, a Kenyan-inspired magical and charismatic character. Josiah became Jafar, although in real life he is too kind and friendly to be a villain. He is an intentional and encouraging guy. A fun fact about his costume is that we made it all ourselves! Gwyneth, who is Rajah, is a good friend who is a nutrition and dietetics major. She is so funny, but many times it's because she has the funniest laugh that makes you laugh with her.
We were all competing individually for the best costume, and every winner was a mmber of the Aladdin group costume! Josiah won first place in the competition, I won second place, and Gwyneth won third place. We won Sonic gift cards which we later used to buy drinks for all the members of the costume! The whole experience, from making the costume to pictures and hanging out at the party, was definitely one of the best memories in the semester.
In November, the school took pictures of all the International students. At Ouachita, my nationality became a bigger part of me than if ever was before. It has made me appreciate my own culture and other cultures so much more. On the right is a picture of all the Latin American girls! Vanessa and I represent Colombia, Keren and Maria represent Honduras, Pietra represents Brazil, and Vale represents Costa Rica. They are all such fun friends, and I can definitely say that we bring some of the most lively music and delicious foods to the international table 😉.
Some other miscellaneous memories include hiking at Pinnacle State Mountain with some friends, including Allie and Gracee. Allie has become such a great friend, we always encourage each other in the word of God and she always displays such a servant-heart and a desire to follow the Lord. Gracee is funny, has a great music taste, and loves the outdoors! I feel like I always learn something new from her. This was such a great day to experience the Lord's creation, which is so stunning and abundant in Arkansas.
Nearing the end of the semester, after the Caf (cafeteria) served an incredible Thanksgiving meal, the school decorated for Christmas. In the Stu (Evans Student Center), they set up a festive photo booth and some international students came to take a picture. There were many more, but Breanna, Olivia and I wanted to take a picture of the three of us and then Gwyneth and Josiah photobombed it. I wanted to share this picture because I think it's so fun and shows some of the Christmas decorations in the Stu.
Another great memory is Friday nights on campus. On Fridays, we have less classes, and so many people would drive home or go somewhere. The campus seemed pretty empty, and there wasn't enough pressure to start homework. There wasn't much to do, and so we started finding fun things to do on-campus or close to it. We made fires at the bluff, played games in the Stu until midnight, went to Sonic, or watched a movie in Jacob's building because he would make us food. Afterwards, Olivia, Breanna and I would walk back to our dorms wrapped up in blankets because it was so cold! All of these fun weekends helped build some of the sweetest friendships.
If you made it this far, thank you so much for caring enough about my life to read (or even skim) about some of my favorite experiences at Ouachita, and some of the friends I have made. I am currently in Tyler, Texas, where I am spending Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. I have gotten to hang out with Barney, Carolyn, Dave, Cindy, and their sweet families. I even got to meet up with Saba and Emma, some of my friends from school to have brunch! Saba is a talented artist and so fun, and Emma and I worked on a project together. She is so smart and dedicated! In January, I will visit Breanna in Memphis.
I didn't want to end this blog post without thanking you, the reader. Your prayers, your support, and your encouragement are what made me the woman I am today and brought me here. It took a village to raise me, and you are all my village whom I love dearly and remember often. No matter where I am in the world, I feel that I am covered by your prayers and I am immensely thankful for that. I love you all and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
My prayer for this Christmas season is that you may remember the ways in which Christ has been present in your life this year. Even in the hardest moments, when it has been easy to doubt, He has been there. I pray you may rediscover the wonder of knowing Him as you move onto a new year holding on more tightly to His hand. Finally, I pray that the Lord will bless you and keep you well.
I encourage you to continue to trust in the Lord and delight in how miraculous He is. The more you look for Him, the more you will find Him working in every area of your life. I hope that my life will be a testimony of how faithful the Lord is. Thank you for your love, prayers, and blessings! They have made a greater impact than you can ever imagine.
Yours truly,
Isa