It's hard to believe that the students have now been here for over a month! As the weather is finally showing signs of Fall, the students find the time quickly passing.
Even though the heat is just starting end, the students had the opportunity to paint their very own Spanish abanicos. The fans are very popular in the summertime and can prove themselves a very useful accessory in hot weather.
The money they bought the fans with will go to buy Christmas presents for the kids from a local convent. Some fans looked so good they could have been resold in the market!
To take advantage of the weather before it becomes too cold, we had our weekly Encuentro meeting in the Parque de María Luisa. After a game of Ultimate Frisbee and a funny game of Cats and Mice, we settled down for a time of sharing and worship.
A couple days later we were back in the park for the Fiesta de Intercambios. This was an opportunity for the students to meet Spaniards who wanted to practice their English. The idea is to get together with one of them throughout the semester and talk one language the first half, then the other the second. Intercambios have proven to be one of the best ways to become comfortable with a language.
On Saturday we went on excursion to the nearby town of Huelva. The first stop was the Monastery La Rabida, where Columbus spent much of his time with the Franciscan monks waiting for the funding for his excursions.
This is the conference room where many of the plans where made. Our guide told us much about the history and about how Columbus spent his time in the Monastery. It was very surreal to be walking on the same floor that Columbus walked on.
Then we headed down the hill to the water where Columbus' three ships can be found. They are not original unfortunately, but they these ships were built to be the same exact size and have been made out of the same exact materials as the original. Many students where surprised how small the ships are and how difficult it is to maneuver around them up and down the ladders. I can't imagine spending 5 weeks on one without being able to set foot on land!
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