What a week...

It has been a week to remember.

Both incredibly historical occurences and small day-to-day life happenings have made the week very interesting to say the least...

-The South, including my old town, was devestated by one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in the last 50 years.
-Osama bin Laden, one of the most infamous terrorist leaders in history, was killed by US forces.
-A monumental royal wedding took place in England (although I didn't care too much for it I still found it worth noting..)

On the brighter daily-life side:

-I played in the street for money for the first time and we were threatened by a homeless man with a knife (sorry mom if you are reading this for the first time, but we are ok..)
-I played electric guitar for the first time in almost 8 months at church with friends.
-Another famous week-long festival has started here in Sevilla:  Feria de Abril (lots of photos will be taken)
-We went to our first baby shower as a married couple!
-We celebrated our 4 year "dating" anniversary!!!

God has used many of these, if not all, to strengthen our faith in him.  Whether it be through heartbreak over losses, joy through the beauty of new life, or the exciting growth of our own relationship and community with other believers, God has and will always provide as well as receive the glory.  Last night at church, we sang "How He Loves Us" by John Mark McMillan.  The beginning of the song says, "He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy."  It hit Emma and I pretty close to home.  We were reminded that the extreme power of a storm can destroy an entire community but at the same time God's love is an all-consuming, overwhelming love that pursues us without end.  It will change you completely.  It will wreck you, but bring ultimate peace.  There is hope in the aftermath of it all.

Tomorrow starts our work week and we will continue on as usual.  We look forward to our first maternity photo shoot with our friends Andy and Jamie who are expecting a baby boy any day now.  We hope to learn how to dance "Sevillanas" with our friends Jordan and Sarah to prepare for Feria.  We look forward to talking with more friends and hearing updates from back home.  Finally, we look forward to spending quality time with Emma's dad as he comes to visit this weekend! 

A picture from a recent trip to Matalascañas. It's nice only living 1 hour away from the beach!