week 3 in Badajoz

This weekend I had a friends birthday party in my flat which was a great success. It was grand to be able to use the lovely space i have and to have it filled with people. I've missed that!

A couple of us also made a birthday cake which turned out really well... and so begins my resolution to bake more! I made another one today so doing OK so far! Another resolution is to start running. So far i have been on an "investigative fast walk" - you know just surveying the territory - seeing if it would be possible to run around where i live without bumping into too many people! The next time, i tried going with a friend but after about 5 minutes Brenda was worried her heart was going to stop, so we walked instead and then did some exercise of sorts back in the flat. I have never been able to do sit-ups and i don't think i ever will. Shame. So the next attempt may be tonight, if it's not raining too much!

This weekend I also went to Caceres, to accompany Holly in selling books at one of the churches there. The early start and one hour drive and all new people turned out to be worth it and we had a really good day. It's great when you feel really welcomed in a church. We shared lunch together afterwards which was cool, and increased that sense of being family. And this is what attracts people. Like Paqui, an older spanish lady who sat on my right who's a Catholic but comes to this evangelical church when they have events like this because she doesn't think anyone should have to eat alone on a Sunday. She told me she doesn't like Caceres much because people will look at you funny even for wearing a hat, and we talked about how God shows himself in the small things that come just at the right time; just when we needed them. Like a smile or a phonecall or a sunset. On the other side sat a Portuguese grandmother, who piled her plate so full of pudding that everyone noticed and laughed! At one point her and Paqui got out their mobile phones which were both newer than mine and Holly's. It was a funny moment.


Afterwards me and Holly drove round the city (a couple of times - looking for the centre!) and then finally parked and explored the historic old part. It reminded me a bit of Salamanca. Pretty, yet felt a little unreal, like stage set especially for tourists and people dressed in their sunday afternoon best.

Extremadura is beautiful though. It's always nice driving through it.


Yesterday we celebrated Brenda's actual birthday. With malibu and pineapple in the morning and evening and in between lunch at her house with her family, who are from Peru. Amongst other things her father told stories of accidentally eating human flesh and sucking a rat out of a pipe. Fun times!