The past few days have been filled to the brim with many firsts. My first time taking the metro. My first time meeting the other team members. My first cup of Cafe con Leche... I could go home this week and have enough stories to last for quite a while, and the camp hasn't even begun!

 From above Spain's many farms look very much like a patchwork quilt with spiderweb cities spiraling out and connecting the whole piece together. Olives are a very important part of the culture and industry. Also, it's very strange to see a real smoked pig leg hanging from the walls of a bar. They just cut off pieces of it as they need it. Also, the coke here tastes different from the coke we drink in the U.S. It's sweeter, and when I looked at the ingredients it just said sugar.

On Sundays you can go to the Spanish market, where you can buy everything! There are clothes, bags, and whole shelves devoted to nothing but the multiple varieties of olives. In the U.S., we basically have two kinds of olives: black and green. Sometimes, if you go to a Greek restaurant, you'll get something a little more fancy, but otherwise that's pretty much it. Here is Spain, there are so many different kinds of Olives! Spiced ones, weird looking ones with extra long stems, dark green, light green, and all sorts of shades from brownish red to black.

Thus far, I have met most of the team coming from the States: Joshua, Gina, Stephanie, and I'll soon be meeting Kelsey. Joshua is originally from California, but he currently lives in New York where he works producing promotional videos. Gina is originally from New York, but she lives in Hawaii where she teaches special education. Stephanie is originally from Chicago, but she lives in New York where she arranges window displays for fashion companies. It has been such a pleasure to get to know them this past week, and I'm very excited to work with them to minister to these kids!

Gina and Stephanie both arrived on Wednesday of last week. Gina greeted us with shell leis she had brought from Hawaii, and Stephanie brought stories about her 11 day pilgrimage walking over 100 miles of El Camino de Santiago. According to Catholic tradition, the bones of Saint Jame are buried in a cathedral in northern Spain. Pilgrims seeking a blessing from God promise to travel this road, believing that if they fulfill their promise, God will give them what they ask. Many different people from different walks of life travel the road, some for spiritual reasons and others just for the experience.

I'm so excited to learn even more about Spanish culture! =)