Inside My Mary Poppins Bag
If I had a magic carpetbag, and an Alliterative List for Año 2023 (see what I did there?)
It’s time for my annual Year-In-Review. In the past I’ve recapped our various activities and travels, but this year, that has no appeal. 2023 in a few words: we cried on the plane home from furlough, we began serving in a new church, we moved, our sending church merged with another church, we made a bittersweet trip to the States, we discipled, evangelized, and ministered a lot, and we continue to make a home in Cabanillas del Campo, where visitors are welcome.
It was good & it was so hard, like so many expat things.
One event overshadowed the year, however, so if I had bought this year on Amazon, I’d return it. I give it 0 out of 5 stars just because my father-in-law went to be with Jesus. My rating is not to say that 2023 served no purpose, or held no good (there were in fact many good things; some even came out of the trip back to the states for Dick’s memorial service). But zero out of five, would not do again, do not recommend, I want my money back. Perhaps some of you feel this way as well. I think we can acknowledge that sometimes life is like that, and time marches on, redeemed by our sovereign God.
After this year, I feel as run down and hopeless as George Banks in Mary Poppins. I want a stern, practical lady with a side of magic to come and whip me into shape, motivate me to work hard, behave myself, clean the playroom, and believe in miracles. And have a little fun, too.
Perhaps what I need is to tap into my inner Mary Poppins and become a stern, practical lady with a side of magic and fun.
If I were Mary Poppins, and I carried a magic carpet bag, I would keep all the treasures I've gained from living in Spain inside. It's magic, after all, so not everything can be held in my hands.
Viejo ahumado: hard, Spanish sheep’s cheese with a smoky flavor.
Friends from every province in Spain, plus Venezuela, Colombia, Scotland, France, Peru, Romania and more.
A deep appreciation for the simple story of God’s redemptive plan for all people. I rarely hear a sermon without the entire Gospel presented within it and I wouldn’t have it any other way, even for a thousand intellectual spiritual ruminations.
A second language, for me and my children.
Jamón Ibérico from Extremadura.
The best olive oil in the world for just a few euros (though in 2023 the prices are soaring).
Sparkling water.
Gazpacho.
Grated tomato on toast.
Understanding of the metric system (specifically kilometers per hour), Celsius, kilos and exchange rates.
The ability to drive a manual transmission, park in small spaces, drive confidently down narrow passages and ease navigating roundabouts.
Waxing and waning, but always growing, trust in God’s provision and belief that we have everything we need.
The spiritual muscle to go straight to the Lord with my concerns and needs, because many times I have had no one else.
A lot of the lessons mentioned in this poem, If I Weren’t a Missionary, from A Life Overseas.
350 sunny days a year (thank you, central Spain).
A cloud of witnesses in coworkers and other missionaries I’ve met.
A team from La Liga to cheer for, and a second favorite flag to cheer on in the Olympic Games, World Cup, and other global sporting events.
A very unique job.
Third culture kids with almost perfect Spanish accents.
Unique holiday season things: celebrating Thanksgiving with folks unfamiliar with it, waiting until after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas, celebrating the holiday through January 7.
Small town life. Cabanillas is home to about 10,000 people. Although we’re close to a bigger city and nearby towns, at the end of the day, we live in the country. I never would have imagined that.
A note from the author: Memoirish Prose is not my ministry newsletter. These are not ministry recaps or essays about ministry life, they are words from my heart for my grandmas, my mom friends, my high school buddies, my Greek cousins, my writing community, and strangers on the internet. This December edition is a letter I write to carry on the family tradition of writing annual Christmas letter, sharing the year’s highs and lows and sending a greeting from just Rosie, not Rosalie the global worker. If you’re reading to support my writing, thanks for reading. I am always in awe when others like my words. If you’re looking for my ministry newsletter, thank you for that as well! Please reply in email and I will send you a link to sign up to receive the very consistent, monthly recap of what God is doing through church planting in Cabanillas del Campo.
Over the years I’ve put various twists (2021) and touches (2015) on this December edition, or shared a list of things I learned (2018), or presented it in a unique format (2020). Recently, I’ve really enjoyed curated lists, so I’ve started sharing things I’ve enjoyed through the year. Last year I gave blue ribbons. This year, I’ve curated an alliterative list for año 2023. Please reply and tell me some of your favorites from this year as well!
Rosalie Reads
:: Bri McKoy’s The Cook’s Book reignited my confidence and joy in the kitchen.
:: I couldn’t get enough of the interviews in Show Me a Story!: Why Picture Books Matter: Conversations with 21 of the World's Most Celebrated Illustrators. I learned so much about my favorite children’s book authors, like Kevin Henkes and Eric Carle. This is a great book for fans of Sarah MacKenzie and books like The Read-Aloud Family.
:: I read Wintering by Katherine May, and my English book club book is Where the Crawdads Sing. I’ve got a mile-long TBR list right now. You too? Thank goodness it’s cozy season!
:: Even though I am not normally a fan of liturgies and written prayers, a very trendy thing to publish currently, I absolutely love the prayers written by Kate Bowler and Jessica Ritchie. They are the authors of my favorite book of prayers, The Lives we Actually Have, and the devotional book I finished just before advent, Good Enough: 40ish Devotions for a Life of Imperfection. I like the idea of written prayers and liturgies for when you don’t know what to pray. My problem is when I read a liturgical prayer, it doesn’t feel like something I would say to God. Not so with Bowler and Ritchie; it’s like they speak my spiritual language, the mother tongue I use with God.
:: I read over 100 books in 2023! Librarian level, or no? Next year I want to read fewer books, but better ones. And at least one in Spanish.
:: Other five-star book mentions: The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn (moving historical fiction), Know My Name by Chanel Miller (gripping memoir), Deeper by Dane Ortland (profound Christian living and theology), The Summer of Broken Rules (cute little YA romance), and How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Every Told by Harrison Scott Key (fitting title).
:: Not surprisingly, Chris named a book called China Clipper his favorite book of the year. It’s about the history of Pan-Am’s flying boats. I dunno, Chris does his own reading thing and it’s definitely non-fiction. He’s also reading and verbally recapping for me Masters of the Air.
Rosalie Writes
:: Rosalie writes this newsletter, a monthly prayer letter (email me for more info), and a lot of bad first drafts no one can ever see. That’s it, really. Thank you for being here. I couldn’t do it without Exhale Community.
:: ABWE published an updated and better researched version of my Christmas devotional, “No Room in the Inn.” I hope to write more for their blog in 2024.
:: I recently joined a weekly writing group to have consistent time to practice my craft with the accountability of others in my time zone. That has been a game changer!
:: In & Out for 2024, first posted on Instagram.
Rosalie Watches and Listens
:: I’m all caught up on Velvet Ashes Legacy podcast about missionary women of the past, and I always tune in when they interview present day global workers too. A recent fave: Maria Gerber, a Swiss missionary who served during the Armenian genocide.
:: ABWE also has a new series interviewing missionaries called Cloud of Witnesses. I particularly enjoyed the interview with Rosie Stoner, the first ABWE missionary to come to Spain, and another couple who served in England. It’s obvious why the Europe field would be most interesting to me.
:: Chris and I have enjoyed America’s Government Teacher Sharon McMahon’s podcast series on the 1970s, Mayhem. What a fascinating time in history. The podcast is called Here’s Where it Gets Interesting, and it is VERY interesting!
:: The Crown (boring but it must be finished), Squid Game: Challenge (addictive. Spaniards love the original drama but I just can’t do it), old episodes of Seinfeld, and on my watchlist is All the Light We Cannot See but the episodes are so long.
:: Although I’ve always been a casual listener of Taylor Swift, this year Susanna discovered a love for the catchy tunes and I have thoroughly enjoyed being reintroduced to my music by my own daughter (we listen with explicit songs blocked). I have my own eras that line up with certain albums (I was a stay-at-home-mama with two kids under three when 1989 was released, for example), so it’s been fun to listen to which songs speak to Susanna as a tween.
:: Our most listened to music was by I Am They, CityAlight, Caroline Cobb, and lots of Spanish worship. At Christmas we enjoyed Sovereign Grace, Phil Wickham, Rend Collective, and the newest Straight No Chaser album.
Rosalie Wants
:: I preordered Aarti Sequiera’s new devotional cookbook, Unwind, but on publication day, it became unavailable on Amazon.es and I’ve since canceled the order because it’s obviously not available in Europe. This is a common occurrence and I’ll get over it. But you should check out this book because it looks amazing.
:: To turn 40 with peace and joy and a regular workout routine. Can I do it?
:: To celebrate 20 years of marriage to Chris with a special trip.
:: The release of every Israeli hostage and peace in the Middle East.
Rosalie Wonders
:: Do you have thoughts about giving up social media for good?
:: How can you know the news you’re reading is not AI-generated and/or produced by Russian bots? Beware out there, friends.
:: What did 2023 give you that you never want to give up?