tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24894486351333247562024-03-13T23:15:16.517-07:00The World Is My Home: IcelandMy rookie season as a professional soccer player for IA Akranes FCRachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-38498867686070474242016-08-17T16:30:00.000-07:002016-11-09T11:24:16.539-08:00Surroundings <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
These mountains are breathtaking,<br />
but they don't take my breath away anymore.<br />
<br />
I'm surrounded by landscape that shouts Your name,<br />
but I don't hear Your name anymore.<br />
<br />
I'm surrounded by blessings that point to You,<br />
but I can't see past my own hand.<br />
<br />
I'm living in a world that You created,<br />
but all I notice is me.<br />
<br />
Lord, take these blinders off of my head<br />
and take these lenses off of my eyes.<br />
<br />
Help me see You in Your creation again,<br />
and help me recognize Your glory in it.<br />
<br />
These mountains are taller than I can climb.<br />
These hills roll farther than I can see.<br />
These rivers run cleaner than anywhere else.<br />
These water falls outnumber words I can speak.<br />
<br />
Lord, why do I live here and only see me?</div>
Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-34207202722734358512016-06-25T11:00:00.003-07:002016-06-25T11:47:42.990-07:00Cinque Terre, Italy (Pt. 3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>DAY ONE</b></h3>
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Our time in Cinque Terre began with less than favorable
circumstances. Upon our arrival at our air bnb in Monterosso, we discovered
something crucial went missing during the trip. We left Florence with three
passports, and made it to Monterosso with just two. Now, I wasn’t a math major,
but TWO PASSPORTS FOR THREE PEOPLE IS NOT ENOUGH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After lots of tears and lots of Googling
“what to do if you lose your passport abroad,” we calmed down enough to have a
game plan: we would first file a local police report (in case someone found it
and turned it in), then start searching for train tickets to Milan (because
that’s where the U.S. embassy is in Italy).<o:p></o:p></div>
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For those of you wondering who this misfortune fell upon,
somehow the one person who was constantly reminding us about pickpockets and
being careful with our things managed to undeservingly discover her purse
missing from her backpack, including her passport, newly purchased Ray Bans
sunglasses, and some cash. Jaclyn had been so careful with her stuff the entire
trip, and we spent hours trying to figure out when her purse could have separated
from her backpack. We all made sure to watch each other’s things constantly,
and be very aware of our surroundings, but to no one’s fault we were suddenly
short one purse and one very important document.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even though we were all very excited and looking forward to
spending the next three days in the sun and the sand in Cinque Terre, Megan and
I were more than willing to go to any lengths to get Jaclyn’s passport back, or
help her in any way so she wouldn’t be stuck in Italy, unable to return to
Iceland or the U.S. (So scary.) In the 20 minutes of Googling, tears, and phone
calls to home, I was honestly warming up to the idea of the spontaneous road
trip north to Milan. Jaclyn is our good friend, so we were going to be right by
her side until we figured this whole situation out, even though that meant the
possibility of cutting our “vacation” short.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Just as we were gathering our things to walk to the local
police station to file the report, we heard a “ding” from Jaclyn’s phone. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pause. Opens phone. Reading. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh my gosh!!!!!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Y’all, what I’m about to tell you is not good luck. It’s not
coincidence. It’s not karma. What I’m about to tell you is a God thing. A lady
and her husband rode the same train that we were on to Cinque Terre back to the
La Spezia station (20 minutes away). Her husband forgot his shoes on the train
(kinda weird), so she went back to look for them and noticed a purse on the luggage
rack. Jaclyn has a very unique first and last name combination, so the lady
found her on Instagram, messaged her, and told her she turned her purse in
(WITH her passport AND Ray Bans still in it) to the police at the La Spezia
train station. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Like, what? How incredible is that!!!!! We immediately
bought a train ticket to La Spezia, talked to the police there, and rode the
train back to Monterosso with Jaclyn’s purse, passport, Ray Bans, and three
VERY thankful hearts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We celebrated our crazy day with a delicious dinner by the
beach and three bottles of wine (it was a long dinner). That day we bonded as
friends like we haven’t bonded before. Although I would have rather skipped the
whole “losing a passport” thing, I am so thankful and grateful that situation
brought us closer as friends, teammates, and girls who genuinely care about
each other. It was an eventful first day in Cinque Terre to say the least!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>DAY TWO </b></h3>
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Day two was eventful as well, but in a very different way.
One of Megan’s high school friends was coincidentally staying in Cinque Terre
with two of his college friends in the town just north of Monterosso, Levanto. We
met up with them in Monterosso to hike the hour-long scenic trail to the next
town south of us, Vernazza! They all three went to Texas A&M, one being an exchange student from Italy. The hike allowed lots of great conversations, including the discovery of a ton of mutual friends between the two Americans and I - which was super cool!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jared, me, Jaclyn, Megan, Marco, Allen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italy</td></tr>
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After the hike we took the train to Levanto to watch the Italy v Sweden game in a bar full of Italian men. I have to say, this was probably the most fun atmosphere - to watch an Italian game in Italy surrounded by Italians! Apparently Italian girls aren't overt fans of soccer / don't normally accompany men in bars to watch games. Our presence warranted a few funny looks at first, but ultimately we were accepted as soccer (and Italy) fans for the day, and that was very cool.</div>
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That night the guys and us girls went to a nice dinner in Monterosso. We all ordered a huge pot of seafood risotto, and OH MY GOODNESS BEST MEAL I'VE EVER TASTED. Like seriously. It was so stinkin delicious. </div>
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Accompanied with our incredible dinner, we drank two bottles of the local white wine. And when I say local, I mean we walked past the vineyard on our way past the train station in Monterosso earlier that day. It was incredible as well! I have yet to taste a glass of red or white wine here in Italy that I haven't absolutely enjoyed. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After dinner and gelato :)<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>DAY THREE</b></h3>
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Our final day in Cinque Terre we spent relaxing, absorbing as much Italian sun into our skin as possible. At one point during the day, while walking on slippery rocks (bad idea), my feet slipped out from under me and I completely ate it in front of a couple who at first looked concerned, then broke into unashamed laughter at my expense. It's okay, I was laughing too. And so was Megan. And so were some other people nearby.<br />
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We ended the night with a three-course dinner and bottle of local red wine, and of course some delicious gelato. Our train was scheduled to leave at 5:30 the next morning to head back to Rome, so our night ended after gelato. The next day was just a full day of travel, so our last day in Monterosso spent relaxing was just how we wanted to end our Italian vacation. :)<br />
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Ciao Italia!</div>
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Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-36740171111973325252016-06-20T10:00:00.001-07:002016-06-25T11:47:33.594-07:00Florence, Italy (Pt. 2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I’m finally back in the city that stole my 17-year-old
heart. When I took the trip with National Geographic five years ago we stayed
the majority of our time in Italy in Florence. I completely fell in love. I
love the streets, food, people, buildings, culture, history, atmosphere, air, e
v e r y t h i n g about this city. I promised myself I would find my way back
at some point in my life, preferably to live for a short time, but at least to
visit. Five years and a few countries later, I’ve managed to make my way back
to the City of Lilies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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All afternoon we walked around town near the Il Duomo, ate
gelato (of course), saw some statues, perused around some shops, and even found
my favorite scarves I originally found five years ago! I had purchased two of
the most beautiful scarves last time I visited Florence, but managed to lose
both of them during my time back in the states. I looked around more shops than
I can count looking for that specific kind of scarf, and finally managed to stumble
upon the ONE shop that sells them! Megan and Jaclyn loved them so much they
decided to get some as well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That first night we walked to a restaurant right next to the
Il Duomo (talk about dinner with a view!) and ate incredible pasta while
watching the Iceland v Portugal soccer match on a huge projector in the
restaurant. Every other patron was overtly pulling for Portugal to beat
Iceland, except for us three. Then, when Iceland scored (their first goal in
history at the Euros !!!!!) our table cheered so loudly that heads turned in
confusion. The craziest part is one other table with a very Icelandic-looking
couple cheered just as loudly. After the match I walked over to them and asked
if they were from Iceland (they were), and we all had an interesting
conversation explaining the reason why three American girls in Italy were
cheering for the Icelandic National team. It never ceases to amaze me how small
this world actually is.<br />
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(BTW – SO SO proud of Iceland for qualifying for the Euros
for the first time in the history of the country, and then opening their
tournament campaign TYING PORTUGAL & not allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to
score! HOW FREAKING AWESOME IS THAT! I’ve only been living in Iceland for less
than three months, but I feel a sense of pride for the beautiful country and
the incredible Icelandic people I know.)</div>
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For our second day in Florence we had scheduled to go to a winery
in Tuscany that had a castle tour and wine tasting on the property. I was a 17-year-old on a school trip the first time I went to Tuscany, so wine tasting wasn’t really
in the cards for us. We spent a day touring an olive oil vineyard at a winery but were only able to taste different olive oils on bread. That was a
great experience, but being able to go back and do an actual winery tour and
drink wine at the age of 22 was an amazing experience. The winery tour was
probably one of the things I was most excited about when booking this trip to
Italy, because written down on my bucket list of 100+ things is #57: Go Wine
Tasting In Italy. I love when I get to cross something off of my bucket list!!<o:p></o:p></div>
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We went to Castello di Verrazzano in Greve in Chianti,
Tuscany, Italy. The winery’s castle sat on the top of a very large hill that took us 30 minutes to walk up, exacerbated by the time we reached the top.
But the walk was well worth the view!! We passed by the vineyards, and
witnessed incredible views of the countryside we wouldn’t have enjoyed quite as
much passing by in a car. We toured the castle with a small group, learned a
lot about how wine is made, why different wines are made in different ways, and
all those interesting tidbits you never thought you wanted to know, but are so
glad you were listening to as you guzzled your fair share of quality Italian wine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Accompanied with tasting the wine, we also devoured a meat
and cheese plate. And I entirely mean it when I say devoured. Italians make
incredible meat and cheese, as well as wine! No wonder people fall in love with
this country – you can’t go wrong at mealtime! At our table sat a family of
Brazilian vegetarians. An older man, an older,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but not quite as old woman (his daughter), and her son and daughter who
were in their twenties. During small talk the son found out two of us were from Texas, me being from Houston. He then asked us about how we felt about the Rodeo. He told us he was an animal rights activist in Brazil who protested against how they treated the animals in the Brazilian rodeos, and he wanted to know the point of view on rodeos from someone who grew up around them. I told him what I thought about them and also how our culture as a whole views them, which is in a positive light for the most part, them being so popular all across the country. It was an interesting conversation to say the least, and definitely one I did not expect to have with a vegan Brazilian at a wine tasting in Tuscany!<o:p></o:p></div>
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After our stomachs were full from food and our souls were satisfied with wine, we made our way back down the hill and barely caught the next bus back to the city. The next stop on our agenda: my absolute favorite gelato shop where I ate during my first stay in Florence - GROM. GROM is just <i>way </i>too good to miss out on, so I made sure to take Megan and Jaclyn there on our last day (and as an excuse to eat in again myself). GROM is kind of hidden on a small side street close to the Il Duomo, and luckily it wasn't super packed at the time we went. It was just as delicious as I remember!!! And the perfect way to end an already perfect day. </div>
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Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-47760332696396188642016-06-16T16:46:00.003-07:002016-06-25T11:47:24.927-07:00Italian Vacation (Pt. 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let me start this off by saying how weird it was for me to
title this post “vacation”. It feels like I’ve been on a vacation since I left
the states, even though I’ve technically been “working” playing soccer. I guess
I’m treating this trip to Italy as a vacation from my soccer obligations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When Jaclyn, Megan, and I first found out we would have a
break in the middle of our season, we immediately started brainstorming other
countries we could visit. I originally wanted to go to Scotland/Ireland because it's a short trip from Iceland (meaning less travel time and more exploring
time), and I haven’t been to those countries yet. Jaclyn and Megan were pretty
set on Italy because they both have Italian in their family lineage, and who doesn’t
want to vacation in the warm Mediterranean during the summer?? (Especially as a
break from the cooler Icelandic weather haha.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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I took a trip with National Geographic Student Expeditions
to Italy the summer after my junior year in high school. A part of me didn’t
want to go back to places I’ve already been (I really want to see the entire
world before I die, which doesn’t give me much time to go back for seconds, so to speak). But
when I was 17 I fell in love with Florence, and promised myself that at some
point in my life I want to go back and live there. Although I’m still not
living in Florence (bummer), Italy was beautiful and fun the first time I visited while
on a school trip, so I knew Italy would be beautiful and fun the second time while on
a girl’s trip with my friends!<br />
<br />
So it was decided. One week spent in Rome, Florence, and
Cinque Terre was officially written on our three calendars.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>ROME</b></h3>
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We touched down in Rome after around fifteen hours of traveling. We had a dumb five-hour layover in Germany, so by the time we landed we were excited to finally be in ITALY! </div>
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I have to say I am really impressed and proud of ourselves for figuring out public transportation in this country with it being our first time. Sure, it took us walking around a few (or more) blocks to find a place to get cash to get our bus tickets. And okay, so we might have ridden a bus through the entire city like, twice, but we basically got a free tour and ended up where we were supposed to be - so I'd call that a success! </div>
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Once we made it to our Air bnb that first afternoon and met our super nice hostess, we freshened up (which means we put on outfits that would look good in pictures, duh) and headed out to see the famous sights! We only planned one night in Rome because I knew we would want more time in Florence and Cinque Terre, so we just hit the main tourist attractions: the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. I had seen all of Rome the first time I went five years ago, but it was still fun to see all of them again with new people!</div>
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MAN HAVE I MISSED ITALIAN GELATO !!!!!!!</div>
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I am taking full advantage of being back in this country and having easy and frequent access to authentic Italian gelato (THE best). And by taking full advantage I mean eating gelato every day, sometimes twice a day. No shame. If you've had it you know what I'm obsessing over.</div>
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Since the Euros are going on (and we're soccer players in Europe), we found a cute restaurant to eat dinner, drink some wine and watch the Italy v Belgium soccer match. We were rooting for Italy, of course. After dinner we managed to find our way back to a bus stop and catch a bus that took us close to our apartment. </div>
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Our first day was long and exhausting, but so much fun and full of adventures. I'm so thankful we are able to take some time off to enjoy other parts of the world (and get some awesome Instagram pictures while we're at it) *wink*</div>
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Next stop: Florence :) </div>
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Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-49417654265709522602016-06-01T10:41:00.003-07:002016-06-01T10:42:48.351-07:00Ég er að læra íslensku<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It is no secret that I love words. Talk to me for 10 minutes and somehow that will come up in our conversation. I am constantly
reading, writing, and trying to expand my vernacular. I love finding new
and better ways to communicate my thoughts. Words are fun to me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In high school I took Latin for three years. Latin isn’t a
spoken language, but from it come all the romance languages, and many others
take from Latin as well. I think studying such an ancient language that has
managed to stay relevant through its rebirth in other languages inspired my
love of words and languages. It’s like adding chocolate to an already awesome
cake. The cake is going to taste good by itself, but chocolate makes it even
better. (Chocolate makes <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything</i>
better.) Words can just be simple, or they can make sentences and thoughts come
to life in a magical way. Words are fun!<o:p></o:p></div>
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After I travelled halfway across the globe to Tanzania as a
sophomore in high school, and to Italy and Greece as a junior, I told myself
that I wanted to spend some significant time in my life living in another
country, not just travelling. As soon as I decided to pursue a professional
soccer career overseas, I told myself that I wanted to learn the language of
whichever country I ended up in. Half the fun of living in another country is learning their language!<o:p></o:p></div>
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With that being said, and given the title of this blog,
I have been learning to speak, read, and write Icelandic over the past two
months I’ve lived here. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Icelandic doesn’t have the friendliest letters for native
English-speakers. A few pronunciations were at once impossible for my mouth to
create. Like, my mouth has never made those sounds before. (Icelandic words with 'll') Learning those
letters took me back to my ‘Hooked on Phonics’ days in elementary school,
learning how to pronounce the ‘th’ and ‘ck’ sounds. (Ya, looks easy now, but at
one time those were a struggle!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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That was the first step for me, to learn the Icelandic
alphabet and to learn the phonetics. Most of their letters are the same as in
the English alphabet or make similar sounds as some English letter
combinations. I started teaching myself Icelandic phonetics after I signed my
contract before I even moved here. That helped me a lot.</div>
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People in Iceland grow up learning and speaking Icelandic,
then at some point in school they learn Danish and English (they were a Danish
colony for a long time). So every person here knows English to some degree.
Most are fluent, with varying degrees of an accent, and the rest know enough to
communicate effectively. The younger people who watch a lot of American movies
and shows pick up more and have less of an accent, and some of the older
generations who haven’t had to do business with English-speakers or who haven’t
travelled a lot know less and have stronger accents. Basically, I don’t have to
learn Icelandic to get along just fine living here, but it definitely helps. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>Since living here, my vernacular is proving to be a product of my environment. I live in a house with two parents and two little girls, ages 4 and 6, and I spend a significant amount of time around my soccer teammates and coaches. Wanna guess the types of words and phrases I know??</o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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On the field I’ve made it a point to learn common words and
soccer phrases that we use in every practice and every game. For example, I
know numbers up to 100 (to tell players who to mark), and the words for common commands and instructions for my teammates. It’s been cool to notice how many
words and phrases I can understand my coach saying during practices or pre-game
speeches. I can definitely understand more things and understand them quicker
than I can think of then speak them to others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Soccer-related words and phrases I use all the time:</u></h3>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">J</b><span lang="IS"><b>á </b></span>– Yes </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Herna</b> – Here<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Skjóta</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Shoot<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Vinstri</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Left<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Hægri</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Right<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Skipta</b> – Switch<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Tilbaka</b> – Back <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Aftur</b> – Again <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mark</b> – Goal<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vel gert</b> – Well
done<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gott</b> – Good <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Klobbi </b>– Nutmeg (when the ball goes through your legs)</div>
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<b>Bolti</b> – Ball</div>
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Living with a host family has made a huge difference in my
Icelandic learning, especially living with the young girls. They
haven’t started learning English in school yet, so if I want to communicate
with them I have to use Icelandic. My strategy for learning is by asking,
looking up the spelling (seeing the word helps), and then trying to use it as
much as I can to practice it. My host parents have been so helpful and patient
teaching me useful things. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I can tell my host mom ‘thank you for dinner’ (I use that
one every night), ask what time something is (a game or tv show or practice),
and ask where or who or what something is. (Those are the most common subjects
of my speaking.) <o:p></o:p>Some words and phrases I find myself wanting to say a lot, so I’ll ask specifically how to say something. Other words and phrases I hear other people say a lot, so I’ll ask what they mean.</div>
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Then with the girls, my go-to phrase is ‘what is that?’ and
‘flott’ (cool) when they show me something. I can understand them when they ask
me to play, and can ask them what they’re doing or where they’re going. I don’t
always know what they answer me (haha) but I can at least ask and see how they
respond.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u>Some words I hear (and use) every single day at home:</u></h3>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Hætta</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> - Stop</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ekki svona</b> - Not
like that<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nei</b> - No<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pissa</b> - Pee<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">ís</span></b> - Ice cream<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Nuna</b> - Now<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sitja</b> - Sit<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Svona</b> - Like this<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Tilbúin</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Ready <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Hvað er þetta</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">? – What is that? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Flott</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Cool<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Góða nótt</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Good night <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Mjög gott </span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">– Very good</span></div>
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<span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"><b>Leika </b></span>– Play </div>
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<u><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Some words and
phrases I hear (and use) every day in general:</span></u></h3>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Góðan daginn</span><span lang="IS"> </span></b>–
Good day<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Bara</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Just<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Ensku</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – English<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Takk fyrir</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Thank you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Sjáumst á morgun</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – See you tomorrow </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">í kvöld</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Tonight <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Leikur </span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">– Game <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Hæ</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Hi <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Ekkert mál</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – No problem </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Ekki ég</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Not I <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sama</b> – Same <span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">ég veit ekki</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – I don’t know<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Takk fyrir matinn</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Thanks for the food<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Nei takk</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – No thanks <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Vatn</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Water<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Kaffi</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Coffee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Súkkulaði</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> – Chocolate </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Komdu</b> - Come<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Frábært</span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"> - Great</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hvar</b> – Where<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">Hvað er klukkan? </span></b><span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;">– What time is it?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="IS" style="mso-ansi-language: IS;"><b>Gaman</b> </span>– Fun</div>
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I tried to remember and write down all the words
and phrases I have learned so far, but there are so many and some are so random
that I can’t think of them all to write down. Plus, who wants to read a blog post of just a
list of words they can’t pronounce? ;) I’ve included the most common Icelandic that pertains to my life in this post (for you, Mom) and for those who are curious about what the
Icelandic language looks like. My goal is to be semi-fluent in Icelandic by the
time I leave here. It’s been a good start! Two months down, four more to go. :) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fun activity for all
my English readers:</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If you get bored
today, look up the word ‘fjall’ (mountain) and try to pronounce that double L! It’s
so hard!!</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-23154870834619090502016-04-26T16:00:00.000-07:002016-04-26T16:46:52.512-07:00When You Don't Need Jesus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
I haven’t been doing my quiet times every day like I used to
back home. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I haven’t gone to church once since I’ve been here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve only halfway listened to a podcast from my church in
Houston.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve only read two chapters in a devotional book.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve listened to worship music once.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God and conversations about religion have only been spoken a
few times.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can count on one hand the times I’ve prayed here.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been here for 27 days and just today I realized
something has been missing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in the states when I was in school I always stressed
about my classes, my grades, and what GPA I would graduate with. I was always
“talking” to some guy, trying to get over an ex-boyfriend, and daydreaming
about the guy I thought would be perfect for me. I was trying to get over my
past while dreaming about my future. I wasn’t living in the present. But I had
people around me who perpetually pointed me to Christ, and having that kept me
grounded. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in the states, after I graduated and while I was living
in Houston, I prayed every single day for an opportunity to continue my
soccer career. I had family and a community who lifted me up in Jesus’ name
constantly surrounding me. I went to church every Sunday with my parents, and
went to a community group every Wednesday with my friends. I had people to talk
about faith with, and problems to turn to God with, and faith to hold onto when
I was scared about how my life would look the next 365 days. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed Jesus to ease my worries about school. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed Jesus to fix my broken heart after breakups.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed Jesus to calm my anxiety about the unknowns in my
future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed Jesus for an opportunity to continue my soccer
career.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed Jesus as my rock to turn to in my fear.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed Jesus to heal my injuries.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed Jesus to tell me what my identity was in Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I needed Jesus to assure me I would be taken care of. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My days here in Iceland are simple and my life is
stress-free. During the week I wake up whenever I want to. I choose to workout
in the mornings for an hour or two. I eat lunch with the other Americans at the
same restaurant every day, and I order the same chicken salad. The afternoons
are spent watching TV, hanging out, exploring or relaxing. I eat a snack and
head to practice later in the day. When I get home, dinner is waiting for me, and
nights consist of reading, or talking with my family, or FaceTiming with people
back home. I go to bed later in the night, and wake up to another stress-free
day.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t need Jesus to wake me up in the mornings. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t need Jesus to help me as I’m trying to learn
Icelandic. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t need Jesus now that I have a paying job.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t need Jesus to calm my fears about my future anymore.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t need Jesus to heal my now-healthy body.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t need Jesus in my new life here in Iceland.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I listened to a podcast today from the church I went to in
Houston. The topic was patience in affliction, and the text was pulled
primarily from James 5. I’m not currently going through any major affliction,
yet the symptoms the pastor talked about that arise from not trusting God and
lacking in patience fit me surprisingly perfectly. While I’m not struggling
with patience in affliction, I am struggling with patience in a dry season in my
life, and still trusting God every day. I think I’ve been so content the past
few weeks just living my life for me, I haven’t “needed” Him in my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though I haven’t been struggling with major life issues
lately, I’ve been feeling empty and joyless. I’m happy on the outside, and on the
inside most of the time, but there is no lasting joy in my life. My life is
simple. My life is stress-free. I’m surrounded by friends and I’m meeting new
people and life has been good. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started reflecting today on the past few weeks of my life here
in Iceland, and I noticed a trend start to emerge. The things that come out of
our mouths reflect the state of our hearts. The things that have been coming
out of my mouth have been an obvious red flag that my heart is not completely
satisfied, and it took one podcast to show me that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Majority of my days are spent with the other two Americans
on our team, Megan and Jaclyn, because the Icelandic girls either work or are
in school during the day. The topics of every single one of our conversations
the past few weeks have been either about boys, pointing out the things we
don’t like about our bodies, commenting on how we need to eat better and
workout more, commenting on soccer plays and tactics, and talking about
shopping and spending money. Each of us have brought up and commented on each
of these topics, and most of the time the conversations have a negative twist.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If my heart were satisfied with my singleness, I wouldn’t
feel the need to constantly talk about past relationships and complain about
the lack of a new one. If my heart were satisfied with the way God made me, I
wouldn’t feel the need to look in the mirror every day and point out all of my
flaws, then talk about them with my friends. If my heart were satisfied with my
job, I wouldn’t feel the need to complain about petty things and get frustrated
when I don’t perform how I think I should. If my heart were satisfied with my
life right now, I wouldn’t feel the need to buy new clothes to fit in or look a
certain way. If my heart was truly satisfied in Christ, the words that come out
of my mouth would be life-giving, and positive, and full of joy, instead of
negative and joy-robbing. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even in stressing about school and graduating, I had joy
because I knew whatever happened was in God’s plan for me. Even in Houston, in
being anxious and fearful about the unknowns in my future, I had joy because I
knew God would take care of me wherever He wanted to lead me. In my broken
hearts, my worries, my mistakes, God was the center of my life and He gave me SO
much joy. I may not have serious problems here in Iceland, but that doesn’t
mean I don’t still need Jesus.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will always need Jesus to turn to when I’m feeling sad.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will always need Jesus to remind me I was made in His
image, and that I am beautiful because of that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will always need Jesus to pour love and life into me, so
that I can pour love and life into others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will always need Jesus to be an example of how I should
live my life, and how I should treat others.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will always need Jesus to talk to about my worries, no
matter how big or small.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will always need Jesus to praise for how He has delivered
me from my dark past.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will always need Jesus to give me the fruits of the
spirit, because those can’t come from myself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I will always need Jesus to remind me I am not worthy of
forever with God, but because of His sacrifice I get to spend eternity with
Him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I will always need Jesus to completely satisfy my heart and
soul.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It makes me sad that I’ve thought I haven’t needed Jesus
since moving here to Iceland. For every trial He has brought me through, every
sadness He has lifted me out of, every blessing He has poured over me, and
every incredible opportunity He has provided for me, I should be praising Him
in every word that I speak.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Looking around this beautiful country should be a reminder
every day of just how magnificent our God is.<br />
<br />
When I don’t need Jesus, I am trying to satisfy my heart
with other things. When I think I don't need Jesus, that’s when I need Him the
most.<br />
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<b>"I am with you and will keep you wherever you go" Genesis 28:15</b></div>
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Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-20473678521615473982016-04-12T07:59:00.005-07:002016-04-13T09:18:08.031-07:00Sweden Trip || Stockholm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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First off, let me just say how thankful I am that I speak
English. I’ve traveled to Africa, Mexico, and Europe before, but I guess I
didn’t realize how useful it is to know English until this trip. When in doubt,
speak English, and 90% of the time the other person will understand you. Hooray for that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday, April 6<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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We began our trip by loading up our bus in Akranes at 3:30
in the morning. Let me repeat that, 3:30. IN THE MORNING. I managed to only get
about three hours of sleep that night, but thankfully I slept the three-hour
duration of the flight to Stockholm to make a whopping total of six hours. I
guess six is better than none, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jaclyn, me, and Megan at the Keflavik airport</td></tr>
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Just a couple of hours after we landed in Sweden, we walked
to a soccer field by a school close to our hotel (when I say close, it was about a 15
minute walk) and had our first practice there. The walk was very cold and very wet. My legs made sure I knew that they
were tired from traveling so much. Three flights in seven days. That’s a lot of
air-time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our practice field </td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thursday, April 7<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Practice number two came quicker than my body expected. A
rough night of bad-quality sleep, interrupted by far too frequent trips to the
bathroom to blow my nose, left me craving some serious shut-eye. For whatever
reason (probably so much traveling and the poor weather), I came down with the symptoms of a cold.
Lots of coughing. Lots of nose-blowing. Lots of trying not to be a
mouth-breather (yuck).<br />
<br />
We had a practice in the morning, ate lunch at the hotel, had a few hours of free time, then another practice in the middle of the afternoon. Luckily for the
girls, and unluckily for our bank accounts, a mall was located about a 10-15 minute walk away from our hotel. </div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hotel where we stayed (so tall!)<br />
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During our free time in between and after practices, a lot of the girls (yes, including me) went shopping at that mall. Iceland doesn't have an abundance of good stores to shop at, and the few good ones are extremely expensive. Whenever Icelandic girls go to other places in Europe or the states, they make sure they leave a ton of empty space in their suitcases to fit all the clothes they'll be buying while traveling. It's a <i>lot</i> cheaper, and there is such a larger selection. (Everyone here is obsessed with H&M... after this trip, I am too.)<br />
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<br />
<b>Friday, April 8</b><br />
GAME DAY!!! Our day began with a light practice after breakfast, then free time until we had to leave for the field around 5 p.m. Megan and I spent that free time napping, which made the day go by a whole lot quicker. Warm-up was cold and rainy, but once the game started and the rain subsided it wasn't too terribly cold.<br />
<br />
Y'ALL. I SCORED MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL / FIRST INTERNATIONAL GOAL! I cannot begin to describe how high my heart jumped and how excited my soul was. Scoring is always fun, but after a lot of shots taken and missed, to see my goal hit the back of the net when we were 0-0 in the first half was seriously the best. The ball soared to the back post off a cross, Megan volleyed it back across the face of the goal close to me, and I shot it straight into the goal. Just like that. Magical.<br />
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<br />
We ended up winning the game 2-0 against a Swedish team in the top Swedish division, so that was definitely a good win for our team. The first game I played in Iceland was kind of me running around like a chicken with my head cut off, hoping I remembered names and how to kick a ball (haha), but after getting to know the girls for a week and spending lots of time with them, I felt a lot more comfortable playing in this second game. All my teammates played really well and we all played really well together. I love games like these!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My team after our win </td></tr>
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<b>Saturday, April 9</b><br />
A team-jog and stretching session in the morning loosened up our legs from the game, and also prepared us for a long day of exploring downtown Stockholm!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the team at the train station</td></tr>
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I researched Stockholm a little bit before we left, reading several times about the uniquely-painted subways. The internet didn't lie!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of the many painted subway stations</td></tr>
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Megan, Jaclyn, and I walked around downtown, making our way through a section of the city called Old Town. The buildings are huge! And beautiful! I didn't take a lot of pictures of the buildings, but here are two of me with buildings in the background ;)<br />
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After exploring and a little shopping, we took the train back to the hotel, got ready for dinner, then took the train back to downtown to eat dinner at an Italian restaurant. After dinner the older girls were allowed to go out in the city if we wanted to, so Megan, Jaclyn, and I decided to see what the Old Town Stockholm nightlife had to offer.<br />
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I was tired and my feet hurt from walking around all day, so I didn't really feel up to going out that night. As much as I love being boring, I had major FOMO (fear of missing out), and who knows the next time I'll be in Stockholm?? I'm learning to say "yes" more to experience all that life has to offer. I already said yes to moving to Iceland to play soccer for six months, so I might as well say yes to a few drinks and the possibility of an adventure with fun memories with my friends in Stockholm, Sweden. Great logic, right? RIGHT.<br />
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Incredible logic, actually. The night was definitely an adventure with lots of fun memories. We started out and ended up staying at an Irish pub for the majority of the night. We met a cute Irish bartender, and managed to find a group of people who spoke English! The group was a bunch of older, hockey-playing, Canadian pilots who seemed to be perpetually double-fisting beers (they're Canadian though, so who is surprised by that?). Interesting conversations, along with honorary Air Canada hat-wearing and singing lots of classic songs with the live guitar player, capped off the already adventurous day with good vibes.<br />
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Trying to find our way back to the train station in the middle of the night and trying to find a restroom for an hour (thanks, Meg), was another adventure in itself. What matters - we found our way home :)<br />
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<b>Sunday, April 10</b><br />
Breakfast, packing, and then a full day of shopping - Sunday turned out to be more relaxing. We shopped at the Mall of Scandinavia, which is apparently one of the biggest malls in Europe. One thing I've learned on this trip: Megan and I shopping together is dangerous, and the last thing we want to do afterward is check our bank account. But hey, we'll be looking stylish for our trip to Italy!! :) Also, thank goodness for tax refunds at the airport, am I right??<br />
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After five hours at the mall and a few hours at the airport, our flight departure time moved up an hour because the air control workers at the Keflavik airport in Iceland were going on strike. We needed to land by 11 p.m. or we would have to either turn around and fly to Denmark, or land in Greenland until the strike was over. We landed at 10:45! Thank goodness for that too!!<br />
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Overall, this trip was such a fun adventure to experience with my team and our coaches. I'm becoming better friends with the Icelandic girls on the team (which I love), and I feel our team bond becoming stronger and stronger each day. It's been easy to get to know Jaclyn so far because she's American and it's easy to communicate with her, and Megan, well, we've been really close for the past four years. The best teams are the closest teams, so I have confidence that the closer we get the better we will play together. Icelandic or American, we're all football players on the field!<br />
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Bye Sweden, we will meet again.</div>
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Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-21642270658128250542016-04-08T05:32:00.000-07:002016-04-08T05:42:23.823-07:00Different Place, Same Game<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Soccer gives me so much joy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve known that fact growing up playing in the states. Every time
I step on the field I feel at home. I’m now halfway across the world, in a
country with people who primarily speak a different language, surrounded by
tons of new faces, and soccer still brings me so much joy. Playing here gave me this realization: the place may change, but the game never does. I’m still at home on the field.</div>
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And y’all, Iceland is incredible. I had high expectations
for the landscape from stalking five too many Icelandic Instagram accounts
after I signed my contract (OK, more like fifteen, but who's counting?), and seriously, my expectations are definitely met.
This place is SO COOL. I'm still thrilled I get to play my favorite sport in a cool environment like this one. I'm really digging this change of scenery (and boy, is it a big change).</div>
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During the winter we train in our indoor facility. I was really cold at first, but the weather isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It's no Texas, and I used to always tell myself I couldn't live in a place that was perpetually cold, but as the phrase goes, "there's no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing." I found myself some warm clothes and now I'm doing just fine!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Twelve hours after my first steps in Iceland, I took my first steps on the field for my first practice here. I had just met my coaches that morning and my new family, and then met my teammates in the locker room just minutes before practice. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan and I after my first practice with ÍA</td></tr>
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Everyone is so nice here!!!</div>
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All the girls know English, some better than others. They speak in Icelandic to each other 99% of the time, but they'll speak English to us Americans and do well at making sure we're included in conversations. Slowly I am trying to learn common soccer words and phrases in Icelandic that they use often so I can have a better idea of what's going on. On the field, if we say soccer terms in English the girls know what we're saying (thank goodness). That made my first game so much better! But I still want to know how to say everything in Icelandic too. I'm getting better every day! </div>
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We had one practice the night I arrived in Iceland, and one practice the night following. The third day I was there, we had a game at 11:00 in the morning. I had only practiced with the team twice prior, and had no idea who we were playing, so I really had no clue what to expect. I was just kind of thrown into it, but being confident enough in myself and also loving challenges, I knew I would be fine. </div>
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We play in a 4-5-1 (for those who don't know soccer - that means 4 defenders, 5 midfielders, and 1 forward). It's a pretty standard formation that I'm used to. I started as one of the two defensive center midfielders (I stay in the middle of the field and defend as well as attack up the middle when we have the ball), and I played 70 minutes. I was so tired! Still jet-lagged and heavy from traveling, my legs were not feeling the greatest, so my coach took me out after 70 minutes to "not kill me our first game" (his words). As much as my heart wanted to finish the game, my legs welcomed the needed break. (At this level, once you are subbed out you can't go back in the rest of the game.)</div>
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Y'ALL, SOCCER GIVES ME SO MUCH JOY.</div>
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Sleep-deprived, heavy legs, language barrier, new people, freezing cold, different country... none of those things stayed relevant as soon as my cleats hit the turf. I had so much fun playing on that field with those girls. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm thanking the Lord every day for giving me the game of soccer to enjoy, and for giving me the talent and skills to enjoy it at this high level. Without His gifts and the passion He's given me for this game, I would have never been given this opportunity to see the world through soccer. All the glory goes to God!</div>
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<b>"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." </b></div>
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<b>1 Corinthians 10:31</b></div>
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Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-36036356028645281292016-04-04T16:36:00.000-07:002016-04-04T17:04:53.128-07:00Fjölskyldan mín // My Family<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>My Icelandic Family:</b></div>
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Ingthor – host dad<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anna Maria – host mom<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thora (almost 6) – host sister<o:p></o:p></div>
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Frida Maren (almost 4) – host sister<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anna Maria is my head coach’s younger sister, and I get the
privilege of living with her and her family while I’m playing here in Iceland
for the next six months! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>LOVE.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>THEM.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Seriously, y'all. I feel SO at home here already. I have my own room in their
house with a comfy bed, a nightstand with drawers, shelves with a television
that plays dvd’s, and an armoire that hangs clothes and has shelves, and a huge window with a beautiful view out of the front of the house! Anna
Maria even decorated my room for me with picture frames and cute decorations.
This room is way better than I imagined, and I am so thankful for Anna Maria
and Ingthor’s hospitality! And their house is just a few blocks from our soccer
stadium and training facility, which is super convenient!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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They already call me their oldest daughter :)<o:p></o:p><br />
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"My daughters" </div>
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Anna Maria is so sweet. She has gone above and beyond to
make sure I feel at home. She makes dinner every night for the family
(DELICIOUS dinners, I might add), does my laundry for me (I haven’t had my
laundry done for me since middle school), buys food for the house and for me
(she makes sure I have the foods that I like – which I’m not picky so that’s
easy!), lets me use her bike whenever I need it (so convenient), and is so
patient with me as I’m trying to learn Icelandic (I practice pronouncing words
and Icelandic letters with her - which are so hard!). But I’m getting better every day! She knows
English well so we can talk to each other and she can translate for me, but there
are some words and phrases she doesn’t know so I get to teach her some English
too. I’m so thankful for her and everything she does for me – I can’t think of
a better person to have as a host mom!<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chicken, rice, bread, vegetables</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy1ee_utzZo/VwL_F5GGCeI/AAAAAAAAAeo/cu-5ZmVoNBo8R75wv1gAV6fiQTo0kNVVA/s1600/icelandic%2Blamb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yy1ee_utzZo/VwL_F5GGCeI/AAAAAAAAAeo/cu-5ZmVoNBo8R75wv1gAV6fiQTo0kNVVA/s640/icelandic%2Blamb.JPG" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icelandic lamb, potatoes, corn, peas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ingthor is awesome too. His English is more fluent than
Anna’s so I can also talk to him easily. I’m trying to get him to teach me a
lot of Icelandic, but he wants to talk to me in English so he and Anna can
practice getting better at English (we’re trying to compromise haha). He also
has a very sarcastic sense of humor, which I find hilarious, so he’s really fun
to be around. He has also been so nice and welcoming to me, and he has made
sure I feel like their home is my home too. Which I do! I love it here already. I love watching him play with his girls; it's so obvious they adore him. And it's obvious they adore Anna too, and love playing with her. It's been cool to see their family interact and see the love they have for each other!<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thora and Frida Maren are both precious. They don’t speak
any English (except for a few words and numbers), so the first few days here, since it
was hard to communicate with them, they were very shy towards me. I’ve been
here five days now and they are finally warmed up to me! A couple of days ago Thora
asked her mom to ask me if I wanted to color with her – so of course I said
yes! Then today Anna told me that Frida cried earlier because she said she
hadn’t seen me all day and she was sad about that. How cute!! I’m not the
greatest when it comes to playing with little kids because I haven’t been
around them much (I’m the youngest in my family), but living with these girls
I’m hoping to get better at playing with them. I'm also getting a taste of what parenthood is like with small children! One thing I’ve learned: making
funny faces and being a “tickle monster” has no language barrier ;) And neither
does laughter :) </div>
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<br /></div>
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It's been so hard to blog when I've been busy getting settled, exploring and learning all the places in Akranes, training with the team, and catching up on sleep (jet-lag is KILLER). Hopefully I'll get accustomed to this time zone soon and have some more free time to write down my adventures! I still have to tell y'all all about my team and playing in my first professional soccer game! That post will come soon, I promise!! </div>
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<br /></div>
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<3 Rach</div>
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Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2489448635133324756.post-47145047276289910232016-03-23T09:54:00.000-07:002016-03-24T21:12:02.849-07:00Unexpected Blessings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My original departure date for Iceland was March 10. It is
now March 23 and I’m still in the states. This delay has unexpectedly turned
out to become such a sweet blessing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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At the end of January I started feeling a dull pain in the
top of my left foot. It was a pesky pain, but it wasn’t the kind of pain that
prevented me from doing my workouts and running, so I continued to train
despite the discomfort.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Two weeks of running on that dull pain turned into a couple
days of slightly limping on a sharper pain. The day I drove home after running
3 miles, opened my car door, and stepped onto my foot with a stinging pain
accompanied by a whimper, I knew it had become more serious. Despite my obvious denial, I knew I needed to get my foot checked out. I called the
doctor, made an appointment, and found myself in very loud room early the next
morning receiving my first MRI.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When the results came back I wept. The euphoria of signing
my first professional soccer contract immediately transformed to a deep sadness
and fear. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I was supposed to be preparing to play professional soccer
in Iceland in four weeks. I was supposed to be working toward being in my peak physical
condition. I was supposed to be training three times a week improving my ball
skills and game fitness. I was supposed to be so many other things than stuck in
a boot with a stress fracture in my foot. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My worst nightmare didn’t haunt me when my eyes were closed;
it haunted me when they were open. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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March 10 was the date I was scheduled to fly out to
Reykjavik. March 10 was four weeks away. The doctor advised six weeks to
completely heal; possibly five if I had a bone growth stimulator to speed up my
bone’s healing process. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Time was not on my side, but God is.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the day I found out I had a stress fracture in my
foot, I have been asking my friend group in Houston to pray for me. I asked
them to pray for healing in my foot, for God to find a way to get me to Iceland
if I am supposed to be there, or for God to open another door for me if He’s
closing the one that leads to Iceland.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Problem #1:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My foot needs to heal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Blessing #1:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bone growth stimulator machine costs thousands of
dollars. It was essential I have it because of the time crunch I was in. We
were prepared to do whatever we could to heal my foot as quickly as possible,
but God had his hand in the situation and provided for me unexpectedly. Because
I’m independent from my parents and my yearly income is so little, I qualified
to receive it for free. FOR FREE. And the company brought it to my house the
very next day. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Problem #2:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My foot needs to be healed by the time I go to Iceland.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Blessing #2:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The process of playing professional soccer in Iceland has
many parts. After I signed my contract and scanned it to the club, the stacks
of paperwork began. I had to fill out documents for Iceland to apply for a
temporary work visa and a temporary residency visa, I had to apply for the
international football association, apply through the U.S. to transfer to play
internationally, and fill out countless other documents. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The original copies of the documents specifically for
Iceland had to be physically mailed to the club so my work and residency visas
could be applied for. Mail takes quite a long time to travel halfway across the
world, and then the actual visa process takes at least four weeks to complete. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I mailed my papers about five weeks out from March 10 so
they had plenty of time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two weeks later I came home from work to find the papers in
which I thought I had sent two weeks prior sitting on my table with a ‘Return
to Sender’ stamp across it. My stomach dropped. My head felt lighter than air.
This package was supposed to be in ICELAND right now, not in my house. I
thought I was going to be sick. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because of an error in the way I addressed the envelope the
package could not be sent, so I emailed my coach to apologize for the mistake,
fixed it, took it back to the post office and resent it with my fingers
crossed. Needless to say, the delay in the papers arriving caused a delay in my
departure date. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The club received my papers, started the process, and then
informed me that my new departure date would probably be March 30, a whole
three weeks later than my original departure date. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I prayed for my foot to heal by the time I got to Iceland
thinking God would speed up the healing process, but God did one better and
gave me three more weeks of time to heal. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Problem #3:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In my contract I could still be released because of injury
through April.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Blessing #3:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My college soccer coach made sure I was aware that it
wouldn’t be unreasonable for a professional club to release a player because of
an injury. In the grand scheme of injuries a stress fracture isn’t the worst,
but they expect me to arrive fit and ready to compete, and there was still a
possibility my fitness and skill level would not be up to par right away. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was terrified to tell my coach.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And when I say terrified, I mean scared for my career.
Literally, my job was on the line. The next seven months of my life was on the
line. My plans and expectations and the countless “congratulations” were on the
line. I was terrified. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I asked my friends so many times to pray for me. I prayed
every single day for God to make sure I ended up in Iceland if He wanted to use
me there. Humbled, I also prayed that if I wasn’t supposed to be there that He
would use me somewhere else. That took all the courage and faith in the world
to pray that. I wanted so badly to be in Iceland.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I emailed my Iceland head coach telling him the status of my
injury and the fact that I had one. My anxiety has never been greater waiting
for his reply.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was at work at my dad’s law firm that day. Sitting at my
desk I refreshed my emails on my computer. My coach’s name popped up. I felt
sick again. As I read his words tears started welling up in my eyes. I was
sitting in the office I shared with two other men, and the last thing I wanted
to do at work was cry, especially in front of them. When I realized I couldn’t
keep the tears in, I quickly walked down the hall to my dad’s office. I
interrupted him and finally let all the tears in my eyes fall down my face.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The confused look on my dad’s face prompted me to pull up
the email and inform him the news I just received. Through sniffling and
fragmented breaths I read him my coach’s words.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My coach said it was not a problem. He said we could go over
my injury together with their physiotherapist when I got there. And to make
things even better he also told me he found a family for me to live with; his
sister, her husband and their two little girls. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So many happy tears. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My dad got out of his chair, came around his desk and gave
me the biggest hug. I have never been more relieved and happier than I was that
day. All of my fears were diminished in one single email. All of my prayers
were being answered in ways I never even imagined. My heart was and is SO full.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>God is so good</b>, and even in the scariest situations in life
He orchestrates His plan to perfection. I am learning to be patient, to trust
in His plan, and have unwavering faith in every situation I find myself in.
Thank you to everyone who sent up prayers on my behalf and thank you to
everyone who has been supporting me the past few months.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I fly to Iceland in one week. I ran on my foot and practiced
soccer for the first time in two months yesterday with ZERO pain in my foot. I’m
not completely out of shape because of the workouts I’ve been doing despite my
injury. I get to start my career healthy, and I get to because of God’s
faithfulness. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>James 1:2-4<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you
face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be
mature and complete, not lacking anything.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Romans 8:28<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Romans 5:3-5</b><br />
<b>Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we
know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and
character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has
poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Rachel Owenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17497639187744053903noreply@blogger.com0