A world away

I just returned from eleven days in Europe. I'm still overcome by how God put it all together and made the way for us to go. He moved in so many ways just to satisfy this most simple of the desires of my heart. I've wanted to go to the America's Cup ever since I saw the Francis Ford Coppola movie "Wind" in 1992. But since it was in New Zealand at the time and remained there for the next decade, I never made it. That changed in 2003 when the Swiss team Alinghi won the cup and moved the race to Europe. I vowed then that I would go anywhere in Europe to see it. Since Switzerland is landlocked they had the option to hold the next match anywhere. They chose Valencia, Spain.

So on May 16th, my brother and I packed up and flew all night to Europe with my 60 year old mom and her friend in tow. Valencia is a beautiful city and, as far as cities go, it's one of my absolute favorites. We stayed in an apartment on Calle Salas de Quiroga, that I rented through http://www.homelidays.com/ and made friends with the owners of the cafe on the corner, del Sol. They helped us find our way around the city and even made reservations for us at a great little restaurant, Tapelia, just east of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. We went out on the spectator boat to watch the 4th race of the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals. Even though the American team, BMW Oracle, lost that race and the semi-finals, it was an amazing experience just being out there on the water watching these $80 million + boats sail along the Mediterranean Coast.

After our boat returned to the dock at Port America's Cup we walked around taking pictures of all the beautiful sailboats and the bases for each team that had come to challenge the Swiss for the America's Cup. It was awe-inspiring just to be able to look at the actual America's Cup ewer that has been all around the world during the past 30 years of the 155 year history of the race. As a sailor I can think of few thrills that would match the simple experience of standing next to that "Auld mug" as they call it. And this, only our second day in Spain!

The day after our Port America's Cup excursion we walked nearly the entire length and breadth of the city's center. I had taken nearly 300 photos since we landed and was just thanking God for my digital camera when I realized that it had frozen in some strange mode. Despite all my efforts to change the mode or even turn it off and reset it, nothing worked (and those of you that know me know that I'm a pretty technically adept individual). Even my brother, James couldn't figure it out. I quickly jumped to the conclusion that it was broken and that I would have to just find a camera store and buy a new one. I was trying to make sense of what had happened as we climbed 200 stairs to the top of the bell tower in the ancient cathedral that houses the chalice thought to be the Holy Grail . I was able to take some photos but I couldn't change any of the settings. Though I tried to be thankful that the camera still worked partially, I was in tears by the time we reached the top of the tower. As I looked out over the terra cotta rooftops and vivid blue cupolas toward the Mediterranean I began to release the frustration and remind myself that God had brought us here for more than just taking photos.

I thanked God for the camera and for bringing us to Valencia and showering so many blessings upon me over the past year, especially restoring my health so that I could even make such a trip in the first place. We descended the stairs and entered the chapel that houses the Holy Grail where I was able to get a few more photos in the low light. Back outside, we began our journey around the massive cathedral to see each of its three different facades, Rococo, Gothic, and Romanesque. I wanted to take photos of each. Walking across the Plaza de la Virgen I looked again at my camera and realized that it was fine. You could say it was a coincidence, but I know that it was my Father proving to me, once again, that He can do anything.

That's a theme that He has been speaking to me a lot lately. He brought me through a difficult illness to the point that I can even work a full-time job now - something I never believed I'd be able to do. It's not that I didn't have faith that He could heal me, I just didn't want to be holding on to something so tightly that I missed something else. I let go of the desire to work and be a "normal" 20-something working American woman several years ago. But He opened up all the doors for this job last August and here I am nearly a year later and I'm still doing fine. Every time I begin thinking about how impossible it would be for Him to break through a friend's hardened heart or how difficult it seems that another person could fit with me enough to want to marry me, He reminds me that He is the God of impossibles. Even my doctor wasn't sure I would be able to handle a full-time job. We were all prepared for a crash. Someone with postural orthostatic tachycardia, myalgic encephalomyelitis, diastolic heart failure and Addison's disease shouldn't be able to work a full-time job. But here I am, 10 months later, just returned from a whirlwind trip to Spain and Italy and I still wake up every morning and go to a job that I love - I'm still standing. I still take handfuls of medication and dietary supplements and I have to live within my boundaries and make sure I get enough rest. But I'm doing the impossible.

As for Valencia, if you get a chance, go there. It's a truly beautiful city. The river Turia was diverted in the 1960s and the riverbed that runs through the city center has been converted into a long, sunken park with lush gardens, fountains, walking trails and play areas. Many of the old bridges are still standing, their architecture a testament to the city's rich history. There are museums and monuments all along and the largest aquarium in Europe lies at its Eastern end. But now I sound like a tour guide, so I'll stop for now. I'll try to post some photos here soon as well.

More to come on the rest of the trip including Rome and Florence...