Un Dia Especial

I mentioned in my last blog that a certain event during Alan's visit deserved its own post and here it is.

On Monday, October 29, Alan's 3rd full day in Bogota, we set out to see some other parts of the city that I had heard were "chevere" (cool). We decided to go to a place on top of the mountains called Monseratte.

First we took the Transmilenio bus to Candelaria, which is a neat historical area with cafes and artesenias. We stopped for a small bite which turned into a large meal because the waiter thought we had ordered two of the same plates when we actually wanted to share. (I wasn't too happy about this because I wasn't very hungry and didn't want to pay for two large meals. In the U.S. you wouldn't be charged for something like this. Alan calmed me down and we decided to find a homeless person to give the extra food.)

Then we left and began walking towards the bottom of the mountain where Monseratte is located. (We found a homeless guy on the way). From the bottom of the mountain, we took a cable car lift thing called the Teleferico to the top of the mountan. As the car ascended up the mountain we were able see a great view of Bogota. Once on the mountain we had an even more amazing view of the city and were eye level with the clouds. On top of the mountain there is a gorgeous famous Catholic Church, some artesenias, 2 restaraunts, and a walkpath with statues of the sequence of Jesus' death. It didn't take long to do everything up there but it is very peaceful (especially on a Monday when everyone is at work) and we spent a good amount of time looking at the view and watching the clouds. When we first arrived the sky was clear, then the storm clouds surrounded us and we were inside of them, seeing nothing but white all around, then later the sky cleared again.

Around 5pm we went to an early dinner at the nicer of the two restaraunts. It was a super cozy French restaraunt with amazing food and we sat in the glassed in sun room with a view of all of Bogota. There were only one or two couples in the whole restaraunt. We ate and talked for a few hours. Alan started asking me serious questions like "where do you see yourself next year", "how many kids do you want", "when did you first start falling in love with me", etc. I felt a bit strange answering those questions because I usually avoid talking about "married people stuff". Then he started telling me about what he wanted out of life and how he felt about me. (I don't remember exactly what he said because the whole time I was wondering what was going on and denying what I thought might have been happening.) Then he started messing with his pocket and leaned over the table to kiss me (or distract me) and then went back to talking about the future. Next thing I know he was telling me that he wants to be with me forever and will never leave me and then he asked me to be his wife. I think my response was "OF COURSE", but said with shock and a gasp of air and a kiss before I even looked at the ring that he had hidden under his hands while talking to me. (He pointed out that I didn't look at it yet as he was giving it to me and then told me about how he designed it himself, how he decided to not do a diamond from a past conversation we had about the movie "Blood Diamond", how he asked/told my dad that he wanted to marry me, and how he didn't want to wait until I came home for Christmas to propose even though he had no way of planning it out in Bogota, Colombia.)

I later told him that I had pointed him out to my friends at church sometime in February/March of 2006, before ever officially meeting him, as the guy I thought I was going to marry, even though I didn't believe it myself and new I was crazy for saying it outloud (but my friends new I was crazy so they didn't think anything of it). I think I am finally getting over the shock that this actually happened and that I am not dreaming (even though it is a dream).

So I am engaged and maybe by July or October of 2008 I will be Mrs. Alan Wilser or as the students at my school say, he will be Mr. Mclambcito.

So my request is that you be praying for us both as we are apart from each other while I finish up my year in Bogota and while he is who-knows-where, as we plan for marriage, as best possible without being together, and that God will bless this time apart to help bring us together as one.

Special Visitor

Reason 2 for my lack of blogging...

Oct 26- Nov 8

ALAN came to visit! I imagine the anticipation was beginning to drive myself and everyone else around me crazy since I had started counting down a month before the arrival. On Friday I left early from school with Rafa and Rodrigo, the principal's husband and son to retrieve my wonderfully goodlooking boyfriend from the El Dorado Bogota Airport. Of course we were running behind schedule since I was depending on Colombians to get me there but that was ok becuase Alan was flying from Nicaragua which meant he was also on Latin American time and running late. Rafa stood at the exit with me and tried to calm down my jitters and remind me that it is better to go to the restroom than to pee on myself from excitement. We waited and watched the exit for 30 minutes hoping that Alan would be the next to walk around the corner and then finally he appeared, as goodlooking if not better than I had remembered, but he was walking to the other exit. So I shot across to the other exit as quickly as possible, dogging everyone else who was waiting for their (not quite as special as mine) visitors, and grabbed him from over the railing; An incredible memory that I will never forget. It felt unreal that he was finally here with me. That night we went to dinner, I showed him around the neighborhood a bit, and introduced him to my "family" here in Colombia.

Saturday the roomates had people over for a costume party to celebrate my birthday. Sunday, we went to church and explored a small porcion of the city (in the rain) and had a nice dinner. Monday (a special day that deserves its own special blog after this one is finished) I took the day off and we saw other parts of the city and went to Monserrate. Tues-Friday I worked and showed him what my life in Colombia is like as best I could. Friday- Monday we went out of town with some other teachers. Then on Thursday he left to go back to Nicaragua.

A great nearly 2 weeks that allowed me no time to update a blog because I spent every available moment with the guy I love!

Hacker

So if you are wondering why I haven't posted a blog in a while, here is one explanation...

Oct 20- Oct 25: HACKER

On Saturday, October 20th I was talking online to Alan, my boyfriend, and getting ready for an all day concert "Raza de Campeones" of 5 Spanish Christian artists that I was super excited about. Alan mentioned to me that he had just received an email from me saying that I am was Africa. I told him that Bethany, a friend of mine here, had used my computer the day before and was probably playing a joke on him since he was going to be flying here next week. Then he copied and pasted the email into our chat and immediately it was no longer a joke. Someone had stolen my password and sent an email to everyone on my contact list. Alan noticed that I was signed in on my email chat so he sent a message and the "kcmacHacker" responded. He continued to email people on my contact list for a few days and ask for money from anyone who responded to the initial email. A few of my friends here created a fake email and went along with kcmachacker's scam for a few days. It was quite entertaining at times and lightened up the situation a bit, especially when "Dave Gonzalez" reminded "kcmachacker" of their love affair and the poetry and love songs and memories they had shared. To make it even more hilarious, Kcmachacker went along with it and said things like "I am crying", "I'm so sorry I did that to you", "Don't leave your wife for me, I don't deserve you", etc. However, the laughter did not completely dissolve how violated I felt and the feelings of losing part of my identity since so much of my life depends on internet and email while I am in Colombia. I had no way of contacting everyone that received the email because I did not have a list of my contacts. Fortunately kcmachacker does not speak very good English so it wasn't a very believable email. I also had stored many important things inside my email over the past year such as bank info, credit card numbers, passwords, plane tickets, and very special emails from very special people that I had saved as memories. AND since my Blog is through Google and connected with my Gmail account, I was unable to access it as well which explains me not updating everyone on the situation.

But good news! By the end of the week Gmail had responded and I was able to reclaim my email identity. I guess the positives are that I learned not to trust and depend on the internet so much and to not store important private info out in www land. I also saw how many people stand up for me and help out in tough situations. When my email was returned to me I read many emails that were sent to the hacker defending me. Many of the responses were witnessing to him and sharing our faith with him and it was such a blessing to read the message that those people were trying to share with him even if he blew them off. So, thanks to everyone who helped contact people and who helped me through that tough week!