SALAMANCA, SPAIN

I am excited to announce that when I return to Spain, I will be attending language school in Salamanca, Spain.  I have visited this city a few times and absolutely love it.

Some fun facts:

• Salamanca was founded in 4th century BC (!!!)
• Salamanca's university (where I may be studying) is known as Spain's answer to Oxford.
• Salamanca's university was founded in 1218 and is the third oldest western university.
• Salamanca is featured in the movie Vantage Point with Dennis Quaid.
• Salamanca was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988 and the European Capital of Culture in 2002.

Some awesome pictures:

Plaza Mayor

Cathedral pictures

University Building

House of the Shells, famous building that houses the current public library

Roman bridge dating back to 1st century AD

COLOR Fun Run!

God is so good to me!  Last month, I was able to participate in The Color Run in Richmond with some friends and then go down to FL to help my Aunt move there as well as see some of my family and old friends, which was a wonderful time.  This past weekend, I went to my university for homecoming, which was another great opportunity to see friends before I head off to Spain.  I am LOVING these times that God is giving me to see people since it may be a long time before I see them again.

But enough of that...I know what you really wondering is: Why would you travel three hours to run in a 5k race?  Do you even like to run? (Quick answer, not so much)  WHAT IS THIS COLOR RUN YOU SPEAK OF?  Instead of writing any more, I give you The Color Run pictures!

 

And that was the race.  Super fun, getting blasted with color at each kilometer.  But that wasn't even the most fun part.  Cause their was a super colorful wonderful music filled after party! :)

                                     

It was pretty much the most fun I have had running (and after partying!) ever.  To finish, here is the result of the color fun!

The Color Run - The Happiest 5K on the planet! :D

HONESTLY

On vacation, I read an amazing book called Honestly [Really Living What We Say We Believe] by Johnnie Moore, who is 28 and a campus pastor at Liberty University.  It encouraged me in my faith, in what I believe, in motivating me to act on it, and in so many other ways.  His passion throughout the book is inspiring and contagious and genuine.  (In other words, I STRONGLY recommend this book, no matter where you are in your faith!)  One thing that really encouraged/motivated me was what he said about our mission:

  

“In a culture of self-preservation, the gospel calls us to be willing to do anything in order to make the world a better place.  But even more than making the world a better place, the gospel calls us to put our personal effort, time, money, and every other kind of sacrifice into making the world a healed, redeemed place through the work of Jesus in and through us. The gospel calls us to self-sacrifice for his sake.  We will have the moral fortitude to do this only when we begin to value the gospel as we should.”

I love that!  Once we really start to value the incredible truth of the gospel, of God’s love for us IN SPITE OF OURSELVES, there can be such passion and motivation to make His mission a priority.  No matter where we are and what we do in life (office job, stay at home mom, working with kids, manual labor, going to school, going to another country, etc), it is time to honestly live what we believe!   

As Johnnie says, “Now is the time for Christians to go public with our faith and overtly declare our allegiance to Jesus and our belief in his power to change the world… Otherwise, we are lifeguards with our life vests and our life rafts and our life preservers who are content to mind our own business while the world is drowning.  But Jesus is asking us for one favor,

‘Would you please just go help these people.’”