Casco - helmet

I find it interesting that the word for “helmet” comes from the verb cascar - “to crack.” I guess it would be better to crack your helmet than your head…

• Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this week we will be shooting the video for the “Ahora Que?” Spanish ministry project. Today we took a group of teenagers out to the countryside about a half hour away and took video of them doing a bike ride through the hills. The scenery was beautiful, and once I get my hands on some of the photos that the JBU group was taking of us, I’ll post them. I got to ride on the back of a motorbike all the way out to where we were shooting, then I set up a handheld video camera onto a steady-rig and we took the motorcycle past the bikers and got some nice moving shots of them. At least, I hope they were nice…I haven’t seen the footage yet! Tomorrow there will be games at MMC, youth-group style, and some video taken of that… and Saturday will be rappelling off a cliff out at Torcal. So it seems my work is cut out for me.
• I’m almost done with a short (yes SHORT) video about MMC. One of the churches I’ll be visiting this summer has asked for a one minute clip, and although I first thought it would be impossible, I think I found a way. I’ll also try a few less-condensed versions, for when I do have the time to show something longer.

• The team from John Brown University has arrived! They got in early this afternoon, with ALL of their bags, and their multiple digital SLR’s. Since this is a team of photography and graphic design students, they will be working closely with Rolly during the next five weeks on preparing some materials for the Ahora Qué project — specifically a booklet and DVD cover — as well as building up a library of stock footage to leave with MMC. I went downtown with them this afternoon (8 pm feels like 4.. so that counts as afternoon) and they all fought valiantly to stay awake after such long flights. We ate at Lo Gueno, a hole-in-the-wall Spanish restaurant down a little street branching off of Calle Larios, the main walking street. They had the opportunity to try some of my gazpacho (cold vegetable puree soup — this one had a little more garlic than usual) and some berengena con miel (deep-fried eggplant with a sugar cane molasses to dribble on top). I’ll be helping them get settled the next few days — we’ve planned a trip to the grocery store tomorrow, so we’ll see if I can give good enough driving directions to get us there.
• My residence card is rumored to be ready now — I’ll be going down to the police office tomorrow morning to pick it up. We’re leaving at 8:30 sharp, hopefully getting there in time to beat the crowds and heat. Please pray that all goes well and that I am indeed awarded the long-sought-after residence card.
• I’ve been working on preparing some materials and gathering information that I will need to take back with me to the States in a few weeks — all the great stuff I can share with everyone in person, hopefully to be in the form of a presentation by then. We would also like to do some fundraising events while I’m back — If anyone would like to help with planning or organizing something with me, or for me, please let me know! I’m open to suggestions. My one month for support raising and preparing for a wedding is beginning to look very short! Pray that God will take care of the details and that I will be open and willing to follow his leading.

I have officially paid for the wedding dress! Friday was the “final fitting” — everything seems ok with it, as far as I can tell, but I’m not a good judge of things like that, which is why I had 3 other people there to help (they didn’t see anything wrong with it either). My Spanish tutor is very excited to let me borrow the jewelry she wore on her wedding day — and we brought that with us so I could try it on.

After paying for the dress I received a bag of “gifts” that are customarily given by the bridal shops — this must be a very Spanish custom, since I don’t know any bridal shops in the US that give things with your purchase or include all fittings in the price. It was very surreal to be walking around downtown Málaga with a large “fancy bag” sporting the name of the bridal shop boldly on either side, carrying my two free garters, underskirt, and give-away wooden fan. I think that was when it really hit me that “I’m getting married in TWO MONTHS! And EVERYONE who looks at the bag I’m holding can see that!”

Congratulate me also that I actually made a decision and bought a very nice handmade Spanish fan to carry on my wedding day. It was the first I’d seen, and the one I liked best. I will be a very culturally diverse bride: Spanish fan, dress ordered in Spain and made in Italy, Moroccan-style shoes, etc. OH, and American husband.