Packing.

Well, the hour is almost near. In less than 6 hours I'll be on a plane headed towards my new home for four months. Couple interesting facts:

It would take 4 times the amount of ALL the oil produced worldwide since 1850 to fill Spain 1 meter high with oil.

However, a lake of oil of that magnitude (and for that matter, any lake of oil) isn't a very comforting image so how about we turn all of that hypothetical oil into 2% milk. Such a magnitude of promised-land-victuals (minus the honey...and I'm pretty sure whole milk is biblical, and not 2%) would contain quite a lot of calories, which would be energetically equivalent to 1/9th of the total energy from the sun that hits the earth in 1 minute.

A minute has 60 seconds.

An hour has 60 minutes.

A day has 23.9345 hours.

If sidereal (don't worry, I just learned this word too) hours occupied a 24 hour day, their slogan would be "We are the 99.727%."

Here is the luggage that I am going to try to not lose (hopefully the airline will have the same aspirations) before I get to my host family. Unfortunately, British Airways doesn't let you take an avalanche rescue pack into the cabin*...they're definitely not living up to their initials.



In regards to my host family, I'll be staying with a young couple, Victor and María, and their daughter, Alba, who is in kindergarten. The other night the Bancrofts prayed for my travels and time abroad when I was bidding my farewell to them, and part of Seth's prayer for me was "Thank you God that Mark will have a family." Jajaja. Oh Seffers.

Speaking of prayers, I would really appreciate all your support through prayer in the coming months. Mainly: that travels would be safe and without any complications, that I would develop lifelong friendships between my host family, students on the SIS program, and the friends I will make in Sevilla, that communication between Spain, the states, and Ecuador :) would work out well (I really hope I can find free WiFi...), that I would be quickly plugged in to a vibrant church community, and that I would be able to learn Spain's Spanish quickly!

*really, it's on their website...