I'll start with the pictures that I said I was going to post.
This first picture is of me and my angel, Cristina. (see previous post for explanation). Praise God for answered prayers.
This is a picture of my room at Chichimecas 698, Guadalajara, JAL (forget the zipcode), Mexico.
This is my new friend Micha in one of her favorite spots; lazily soaking up the sun at my window.
Now it's been a week since my last post so I'll do a bit of the highlights.Friday: Set off to find the Santander Serfin ATM with only a vague idea of where I was going. I found it only because God turned my feet. Deciding to look in between the stores at Plaza Mexico was not any idea of mine. God has truly been directing my path one step at a time. I tell you, blindly jumping off a cliff trusting only in the fact that it's what God has asked of you brings the fact that God is alive and willing to catch you new meaning. You understand even better what Noah went through to build an ark or for Peter to get up and run. May I forever run like the apostles did.
Saturday and Sunday: Went to Ixtlan for the weekend. I am so excited about my brothers and sisters here in Mexico. The weekend was such a blessing that it makes the cost so worth it. I was a bit surprised but since I live in the exact opposite corner of Guadalajara than the bus station the taxi fare is double that of the bus fare. Since Marshall and Jan's eldest daughter and son-in-law was visiting I spent the night with a local family of members, the Gonzalez's (Berta and daughters Claudia y Mage (the only two living at home)). Am definitely looking forward to going back.
Monday: First day of orientation. Welcome to medical school which starts today and lasts for the rest of your life. Today was actually rather boring with speaker after speaker after speaker. Finally got to actually meet some people at lunch. They even had a live mariachi band for us. Got a ride home with one of my classmates.
Tuesday: Today was registration and a spanish proficiency exam. I had a bit of trouble with my tuition, so when I finally got it figured out it was too late to finish. Let me explain. There were 11 stations that I needed to go to (11 parts for a complete registration). Got everything done but the station titled scholar and cashier. I had to have the receipts from the cashier to give to the scholar people so was sent across the campus to take care of it. By the time I got back the scholar people had left. Argh. They told me could take care of it the following day, but you know what that means....I had to take care of it the following day.
Wednesday: Orientation today was at the medical school campus (ICB) close to me. Glad that I no longer had to go over to the CU. After the personality exam they gave us I set off to figure out what the scholar people had wanted. Got sent three different places but finally ended up where I needed to be with someone who knew what I was about and took care of whatever it was that I had missed the day before. This day was also my White Coat Ceremony. It was odd. I had always thought my family was going to be with me for stuff like this. It was bitterly reaffirmed to me that yes I am alone here. They presented coats to us 7 at a time. During my time I was a bit uncomfortable to stand and smile knowing that it was for the benefit of the other six standing with me who were having pictures taken. After the ceremony I was walking by outside and a lady (who saw I was walking by myself without a camera) offered to take my picture. I gave her my email so if the picture gets sent to me then I'll have a picture of the first time I wore my bata blanca complete with patch and all.
Thursday: Today was long. My class and I are going through an intense power reading course. By the end of the 4 hours today I was up to 1,124 words a minute (I had started at 200). Granted my comprehension was down to about 20% but we are going to work on that part tomorrow. Also had my send exam of medical school today. It was on computers! If I did well enough I'll be exempted from the class. If not....well, I guess I'll be taking a computer class. We also had our clinical placings today. Due to the fact that my last name begins with an S I am in the last group meaning my clinic will be on Fridays. (Side note about names. In Illinois lots of names begin with S and R and such letters later on in the alphabet and not so many at the begining with A and the like. It is the exact opposite here. As a rough estimate A-C =1/4 of the class, D-G = 1/4 of the class, H-M=1/4 of the class and then N-Z constitutes the last 1/4. i think there's 109 in my class. I'm like 102. something like that. I wasn't expecting to be such and oddity. I'm tall, white, and my name is Stoller....can anyone say extranjera?) Another girl in my class named Trrifinie (she has moved here with 6 of her 7 kids) is also on Fridays. She drove down here so she has a vehicle. We made sure that we signed up for the same clinical spot so that I've got a ride. She wanted to go to the hospital since it was the only location that provided protection for your car. Since I was the one along for the ride I agreed even though I'd rather go to one of the local clinics, but I've got four semesters of this; I'll go to the hospital this time and next time when I've got my own mode of transport I'll go to another location. Once I got back home Rosa's nephew, Raul, came over to help set up the internet. so now I can finally feel connected again. Get this, I ate 'lunch' today at about 6:30 - 7:00. it consisted of food that Rosa had left out for me. I don't want to know when she had actually made it.
Well, I'm slowly making some friends. I haven't completely hit it off with anyone yet, but then I haven't even met everyone yet either. I haven't meet another Christian yet either. I have a feeling I'm going to be labeled the Jesus praisin', bible thumpin', hallelujah raisin' freak of the class. Not going to make friends too easily with a stereotype like that. Satan isn't going to let this be easy for me. Oh well, if I must I must. But like I said I haven't even met everyone yet.
Well, Jane Austen could have done a much better job at writing this post, but I've done my best in her place.
Loving you all, and missing you all,
Hasta,
Christy
