Starting a new adventure with an oil company, so just wanted a place where I can tell people what's going on with my life and how God has been present. "Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me" Ps. 63:7-8
So my name has transformed even more lately. I have been called Sarah Conner so many times now since most of the guys have watched the Terminator movies. Sarah Conner is what they think of when they first hear Sarah. Also, so many people have asked what my second last name is and then I have to explained that it is different in the US. I always say my name is Sarah Pope Worden and try to explain that Pope is a middle name and can be a normal name or family name like mine is. In the end it just becomes my second first name which everyone has here. Then they ask what my name would be if I was Mexican so I say Sarah Pope Worden Coble and then I have to explain that my last name would then become my middle name when I get married . . . It is so complicated! But can you imagine how long your name becomes here in Mexico?! An example would be my sister's name, Nadia Elizabeth Worden Coble de Merritt!! You do not loss any of your names!
So far I have enjoyed my time here so much!! The people here are a lot of fun to be around and there is more of a life here. The people enjoy each others company and look after each other (Below is a picture of some of the interns during their last night . . . the girl I mentored is the one sitting next to me, Lucero). And the location is better!! I mean I actually got to go somewhere for my days off instead of being stuck in my house all 4 days!
This past days off I went to Costa Esmeralda which is about 2 hours away from Poza Rica by bus. Going to the bus station and finding the right bus was pretty interesting. Since Costa Esmeralda is a smaller location you have to get on the Veracruz bus which I did not know at the time. Plus, when they stop at a station they don't really say where you are, so every stop I asked the guy sitting next to me "is this Costa Esmeralda"! In the end I made it and found the hotel I booked online. I just booked a random hotel that I found online . . . it had to be a place on the beach with a pool and most importantly a hammock! Well, this hotel ended up being perfect! I wanted a quite place and not that many people which was the case. It was just me and 2 other families there, and you got to know the staff as well. Below are some pictures of the place and the hammock I lived in reading one of the other engineers only English book she had!
Please keep praying for my Spanish and not getting to frustrated. It is hard when you want to help and do more but you can not communicate. Also that I keep my mind on the right track!
God knows what He is doing . . . again I was feeling a little lonely because I am so different than most everyone else.I know that God prepared me for this situation during college and all but it is still hard. Thankfully, one day God showed me that he is still here with me though it may not seem like it sometimes. One of the lead supervisors, Mauricio from Columbia, who is in charge of maintenance and tools asked me to help him with inventory of all the tools and spare parts to make sure one of the units had everything before it went out on a job. It was a Sunday so there was not much going on around the base including in the yard and I did not want to be in the office anymore, so I quickly said yes. While counting everything and cleaning he asked me what type of church my family went to. He was the first person I have met so far here in Mexico that asked me that type of question. Most of the time it is just “eres catholica? (Are you catholic?)” and that’s it. Normally I say no a Christian but most don’t understand the meaning behind that. Hopefully people will start asking more.
Anyways, I told Mauricio that I grew up in a non-denominational church (this all in broken Spanish/English!). He said that he understood and asked because he could tell that I was different. He said my demeanor and the words I use “gave me away”! We ended up talking about religion and how for many people here in Mexico think of God just as that a “religion” or tradition. He said for him it was a “relationship”. When I heard that I almost started to cry . . . it was sooo nice hearing those words come out from someone else. It is so hard trying to fit into this culture and company but still be the person I truly am. God knew what I needed and again showed me that He is still embracing me. I know that God has a plan for me here (though I do not know for how long) and I hope that I will truly listen to what he wants not what I or the world wants. I told Mauricio this and he agreed with me! We ended up talking for a lot longer, still in broke Spanish/English but God allowed us to understand each other! In the end he invited me to meet his family and have dinner some time . . . I told him tell me when and where and I will be there!!
Another God send is a message from one of my friends recently. The message was very encouraging . . . she said that she admired me for following God’s will. I do not think I deserve that at all, my mind has not been right all the time and sometimes I don’t listen to what God really wants. I have been very afraid sometimes to tell others what I know and been very lazy in talking to Him. I am being very honest because I still need prayer and accountability from everyone to help me stay the right course and listen to my heart.
I think this blog has been really good for me. I never thought I would enjoy it or like writing but I do! It is nice to tell people that know me before this adventure what is going on in my life. It has been needed to help keep my sanity in this crazy world I have entered. Spanish all the time is not healthy for my mind either!! Maybe one day it will be fine but right now it is not!! I am confused enough that once in a while sitting down and writing in English and not about work gives me a clearer mind if that makes any sense!
Anyways, thanks for listening to my rant but soon there will be another post about my life here in Poza Rica . . . it is sooo much better than Reynosa right now!
So I have been here a month now which is crazy . . . time sure does fly with this job (hence there has not been any new posts for a while which I am sorry about). Yes, you still have your very slow days at work like everyone else but it is still so different than a desk job. I have been in the office a little more that before school due to jobs just starting to pick up again. Plus, there are 3 interns and 3 trainees (including myself) vying for the position to go to well with 1 of the 5 units here. I have been working a lot of instructions and manuals for the software we use and troubleshooting. I do it first in English so I can get my thoughts straight and then translate it to Spanish. I use a combination of the internet and what I know, and I thought I was doing a pretty good job. Well, I got my mentee, Lucero, and another trainee from Reynosa, Luisa, to check over and correct it . . . well they pretty much changed the whole thing!! Oh well, maybe next time!
I live in a hotel that is not glamorous but works for what I need. I have a clean bathroom with hot and cold water, a TV, and sometimes internet!! For the first 2 weeks I could not connect to it with my computer for some reason but I prayed every night that it would work and it finally did!! It was great because I finally got to talk to my family on Skype! The hotel is near the center of the city so there are actually shops and restaurants and people! The city is actually alive unlike Reynosa. Below is a picture of my room and bathroom . . . small but comfortable!
Of course I have been going to wells also. They have been interesting because the landscape here in Poza Rica is so much different than Reynosa. It is soooo much greener and full of life. Every house has a mango, banana, or lime tree. Plus there are more hills and mountains. The people are very similar to those in Reynosa, however . . . I still work with a bunch of guys, enough said! The people here do however seem to enjoy each other's company more. One of the engineers had her "breakout" (which is what I am working on right now) so she had a little get together. A lot of the operators and other engineers came which would not have happened like it did if it was in Reynosa. Below is a picture of one of the views I had at a well and a place we ate at on the gulf coast!
Coming back to Mexico in the summer has been really hard to adjust to. You just walk outside and you are soaked . . . it is miserable if you are in the sun. The first time I went to a well I thought I was going to die . . . I had not sweat that much since summer soccer practices during my club years. I drank so much water tI thought I was going to float away!! However, I never had to use the bathroom which is always a good thing when you have to use a port-a-potty or worse!!
This past days off I went to Costa Esmeralda which is about 2 hours away from Poza Rica by bus. Going to the bus station and finding the right bus was pretty interesting. Since Costa Esmeralda is a smaller location you have to get on the Veracruz bus which I did not know at the time. Plus, when they stop at a station they don't really say where you are, so every stop I asked the guy sitting next to me "is this Costa Esmeralda"! In the end I made it and found the hotel I booked online. I just booked a random hotel that I found online . . . it had to be a place on the beach with a pool and most importantly a hammock! Well, this hotel ended up being perfect! I wanted a quite place and not that many people which was the case. It was just me and 2 other families there, and you got to know the staff as well. Below are some pictures of the place and the hammock I lived in reading one of the other engineers only English book she had!
Please keep praying for my Spanish and not getting to frustrated. It is hard when you want to help and do more but you can not communicate. Also that I keep my mind on the right track!
