Culebra! Aka Paradise

My most recent explorations involved

traveling to a World War II Bombing Practice Island,

more recently known as the home of the #3 beach in the world "Flamenco Beach"!

My classmates and I had the week off

for Thanksgiving Break so we decided

to explore Puerto Rico's smaller islands.

Culebra is a 45 minute ferry ride

from the East side of the main island.

We rented an awesome house and stayed 5 days!

We had an amazing view from our porch,

and you can even see St. Thomas in the background!

The first two days we went to Flamenco Beach

which is the #3 rated beach in the world.

The first day was a very stormy day, but we made the best of it!

The second day was absolutely perfect!

We went snorkeling, sun bathed, swam, 

and walked to a cute little area with souvenirs and tasty treats!

Later, we walked down the beach to see the abandoned tanks

left from being a World War II gunnery and bombing practice site.

The tanks have graffiti and it was a really unique thing to see

sitting on the beach!

So keeping in mind this was a practice bombing site,

there are unexploded missiles in the area..

However, according to different websites,

there is a beautiful, private beach just beyond this area

so the third day, we took the hike to check it out.

The secluded beach, with just my classmates and myself, was awesome.

This was such an awesome trip

and I can't wait to come back!

I definitely recommend y'all coming too,

so I have an excuse to go with ya! =]

 Oh and don't forget to try the tasty Helado! Yum!

And btw, I'll be home in 20 days! <3

Why do you believe that?

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.

Always be prepared to give an answer

to everyone who asks you to give reason

for the hope that you have.

But do this with gentleness and respect."

1 Peter 3:15

Answering the question "Why do you believe that?"

Is one of the hardest questions that you can answer to someone,

or to answer to yourself.

I honestly never thought about it to the extent that I should have,

and should someone have asked me 

"Why do you believe that?"

"Why do you believe in Jesus Christ?"

"Why do you believe that your Truth is The Truth?"

I would have given the answer that I have always been told,

"...because that is what the Bible says..."
which doesn't always fly when people don't believe the Bible to be the Word of God.

What would you say??

Now I know there are a ton of people

who have way better answers than that,

and I know there are a ton of people

who would say just that.

So it is our turn, as Christians, to really learn "Why do you believe that?"

and this isn't really something that can be taught,

it is something you have to figure out yourself.

Because your answer will most definitely be different than mine,

and no two people will have the same answer.

But that's OK. 

There is no wrong answer.

Now y'all are wondering,

"Uh... this isn't about life in Puerto Rico or Optometry School... what gives?"

Well, my wonderful new church family Christian Community Church
 hosted Mary Jo Sharp - a Christian Apologist - this past weekend

for an amazing conference where I learned so much about how to 

talk to others about their faith, my faith, and how to be understanding and gentle.

She is the author of many books, including "Why do you believe that?"

which is a study on Apologetics and learning to defend your faith.

How do you do that?

You have to be able to know what you believe and where it stemmed from,

something I am trying to get a firm grasp on right now.

But it is also more than that,

it is being respectful to others who have different beliefs,

and knowing how to ask them questions, listen to them, and be able to respond

so that we can engage others about God,
and help others to understand both our beliefs, and their own.

This is deep, I know..

Sorry No, I'm not, because this is so important,

And something I have never been exposed to in my twenty-one years in church!

What are we doing, y'all?

We are not teaching our new generations to seek why they believe what they believe!
And honestly, we are most often not giving them
 very good resources or experiences in the church.

And it is time to do that.

There are apologetics books for

children,

adolescents,

young adults,

men,

women,

The list goes on for every walk of life.

To get started on learning more about Apologetics, 

start out reading Mary Jo Sharp's blog at

www.confidentchristianity.blogspot.com

In Sunday School, we just finished her study

"Why do you believe that?"

And right now, I'm reading her book

"Defending Your Faith"
...My copy may or may not be autographed... :P

I encourage you to look into this 

so we can all show the world God's love and mercy,

in a gentle and respectful manner.

Other good resources:
Children:
The What is God like? series by William Lane Craig
Purchase complete series here
Young Adults/Students:
www.ratiochristi.org
Everyone:
Ravi Zacharias @ www.rzim.org/blog/
J.P. Moreland @ www.jpmoreland.com/jps-blog-2/
www.bethinking.org

By the way, y'all, Mary Jo Sharp lives in Texas,

so maybe you can do her study,

and bring her to have an Apologetics Conference at YOUR church.

MSG* version:
"Through thick and thin,
keep your hearts at attention,
in adoration before Christ, your Master.
Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks
why you're living the way you are,
and always with the utmost courtesy."
1 Peter 3:15

*no chinese food included

There is no place like home.

It's been too long!

Sorry, y'all!

School has picked up and we have had 4 tests

and we will have at least 1 test every week from here on out!

So I haven't been up to much "fun"

but I have definitely been learning a lot

and we have still had a lot of good times!

A couple weeks ago, it was my roommate and friend's birthdays

just a couple days apart,

so we went to Old San Juan for dinner!

There was a group about half of us were first years

and half were second years!

I also got to go to the beach this past weekend

and get a little bit of a tan! 

The beaches are so beautiful and the water is so blue

I never want to leave!! Haha jk, I'll be back =P

We go to the beach in front of the Marriot Resort & Stellaris Casino,

and they also have a beautiful pool area!!

I have also been decorating quite a bit!

I got a new book shelf

and some new wall decor

which y'all will probably love!

Now I just need some pictures to put in my picture frames!

Other than OSJ and the beach, we have mainly been focusing on 

tests and school work.

Besides having solid tests, we have had a few "fun" assignments

y'all may or may not enjoy seeing a preview of.. 

The first one was labeling everything, yes, everything

in our apartments in SPANISH!

So I had little sticky notes all over everything in my room

with their Spanish name written on them! 

It was very funny and I am supposed to keep them all semester

until I know all of it!

Here's an example: 

Now the next part is not for the squeamish or weak of stomach..

We dissected a COW EYEBALL!

Yes!! A cow...

It was really cool!

We got to see just how thick the outer part of the eye is

and how much protection is all around it.

We also got to see the insides which was really cool!

You can see it below, with labels on all of the different parts

Now, human eyes aren't quite as cool as cow eyes...

Because the blue/green pretty part of the cows eye below,

is what they use for night vision, 

which we, unfortunately, do not have.

Well, that's all for now.

Gotta get back to studying for my test tomorrow!

Send some prayers for my classmates and me! 

<3 Jayna

School started...

Hi Everyone!

So this past week of school has gotten a bit busier..

Last week we didn't have any of our labs, but they started this week

so I have a full schedule now!

This is my roommates and our friend at the SOFO culinary fest!

Last Thursday we had a information night about all the organizations on campus.

After the info meeting, they hosted a trivia night,

which my team won, which was very awesome

considering we were all first year students

up against a mix of other first year, second year, and third year student teams!

Our prize was $27, which we put towards a car rental for the weekend! =]

Last weekend on Friday, 

my roommates and I were ready for some real Puerto Rican food..

We got directions from the Enterprise Car Rental guy which went like this 

"So go up the windy road, at the fork stay straight, go past the church 

and the scenic route, and you will see a yellow building on the left and you're there"

And yes, we actually found it!

When we got there, they had a whole pig roasting,

and no one spoke english, 

so we just decided to go with the "Almuerzo"or "Lunch Special."

IT WAS AMAZING.

The pork had so much flavor to it, and it was obviously super fresh!

We also got some amazing rice and beans and a "green banana" (plantain).

It was definitely a fun experience and I can officially say

I have had authentic Puerto Rican food.

That Friday evening, The Fab Five

went down to the Old San Juan SOFO Culinary Fest

where all the restaurants in the area have tents set up with tables

along with different samples of their foods! 

The party-lights that lined the top of every street

and local musicians of all types

made for a movie-like atmosphere!

Everything was beautiful and the smells of all the different

foods drew us all in to want to try it all,

however we settled for Greengos Caribbean Cantina

for some really great mexican food!

Sunday I found a new church!
It is Christian Community Church
and a 4th year optometry student and her husband
who is the church's youth leader pick me up
and a family from the church drops me back off!
Everyone was very excited to have me there
and I could tell God is definitely working in their church!

I also got to be in the clinic,
for the first time this week!
I did case history on some of my "patients"
who were my classmates
and it was a really exciting time for all of us!

Make sure to follow the blog so you receive my posts through e-mail if you want!
Miss y'all back in Texas!!
<3 Jayna

Getting Oriented

Hey y'all!

Since I last posted, I have finished orientation

and my first two days of classes!

The evening after the second day of orientation we had a Welcome BBQ

hosted by the organizations here on campus

where we learned a bit about each one and what they do for the school and community.

We also had a DJ and they played some fun music

to which everyone, including one of our Deans, all danced along to!

It was a lot of fun, Puerto Ricans are not shy and are always up for a party!

We also received a goodie bag with some fun school spirit items!

Here are my roommates and I at the BBQ and my new stuff!

The third day of orientation we went to Dorado Beach!

The ocean was a lot more calm than at Condado Beach, where I went on Monday!

The water was beautiful and blue, and we got to spend the afternoon with 

our fellow first year classmates, as well as some faculty and second and third year students!

I, personally, bombarded about 5 different second and third years

with all of the questions I had, and they answered everything I needed to know,

and continued to give me some very helpful advice for the next few years.

Everyone here is so friendly and helpful!

This weekend we went to Plaza Las Americas (the biggest mall in the Caribbean!!!) 

and did some shopping for things we still needed or maybe just wanted =]

We also went out on Friday night for Rachel's (my roommate) boyfriend's birthday!

It was a lot of fun, we spent the evening at El San Juan Resort and Casino,

also Daniel had been upgraded to a penthouse suite, and there was an awesome view!

Overall it was a great relaxing weekend before classes started at 8 AM Monday morning!

Monday morning classes came way too early,

but we truly just had syllabus day and it wasn't too bad.

We introduced ourselves in every class

and had a small introduction to the courses!

Tuesday, we went and got our student IDs made,

I am now "estudiante oficial!"

Our first tests are 3 weeks from today,

so it is definitely time to get to studying already, 

which will help me get back on a normal schedule.

My sleep and eating schedules have been way off from

both the time change and just being so busy in general! 

If you want to Skype me, my Skype name is jaynalea10

Thanks everyone, for keeping up with me!
PS: to the right (--->>>)
there is a "Follow By E-mail" section! =]
Do this and you will receive my posts via e-mail if you are interested!

<3 Jayna

Move in!

Hey y'all! 

"Y'all" is getting me in trouble..

Everyone knows I'm from Texas

within the first 5 minutes of meeting me!

Not a bad thing ;)

So my mom, dad, brother and I 

landed in San Juan on Thursday

and then started move in first thing Friday morning!\

I have a 4 bedroom/2 bath apartment 

just a short sidewalk away from where my classes are!

I have 3 roommates who are amazing, Jenna, Rachel, and Sandy.

Jenna is from Cali, Rachel is from Oklahoma, and Sandy is from Philly,

so we are a very diverse group and it is great getting to know each other!

This is my bedroom!

The walls are concrete so decorating has been a challenge,

but I will get used to it and find the tricks soon.

This is our living room,

we also have a dining table across from the couch.

So far everything here is great!

We had planned to go snorkeling 

on the west side of the island in Rincon on Sunday,

but being Tropical Storm Bertha was coming through,

we decided to head out Friday before the storm hit.

We went to Steps Beach for some shore snorkeling and 

it was absolutely amazing!

There was a lot of elkhorn coral which is most plentiful here in Rincon

out of all of the Caribbean!

Steps Beach is named after, well... the concrete steps on the beach!

We also stopped by Crash Boat Beach in Aguadilla,
also famous for diving and snorkeling.

On Saturday, Tropical Storm Bertha came in,

but we just got some rain showers.

This is when we did the majority of our shopping!

On Sunday, we decided to drive out to El Yunque National Rainforest again

to hike to a waterfall and show my brother and my roommate Jenna,

however once we drove out there,

we found out that it was closed because of major wind damage from

Tropical Storm Bertha, 

the wind hit the area so hard that there were 

trees, limbs, and debris covering the roads, 

preventing us from being able to drive to the head of the hiking trail.

We were able to go to one little area though!

Since we couldn't spend the day at the rainforest,

we went to explore Old San Juan!

Jenna and Matt hadn't been,

so we started from the top! 

We also met up with my roommate Sandy and her parents!

Sunday night, mom, dad, and Matt dropped me off and we said goodbye!

They left early Monday morning. 

That afternoon, Jenna and I rented a car to run a few more errands

and go to the beach to keep our minds off things!

We went to Condado beach at the San Juan Marriot Resort & Stellaris Casino,

Typical Tourists. 

We went with our other two roommates, Rachel and Sandy,

along with two classmates, Caleb and Rod, as well as Rachel's boyfriend!

We had such a great time getting destroyed by the waves

in the very powerful crystal blue waters!

The clean sandy beach was a lot of fun,

and we followed the afternoon at the beach

with an evening in Old San Juan

and ate at a famous restaurant, Aguaviva,

known for their seafood, ceviche,

and watermelon sangria.

As picky as we all know I am,

I was brave enough to try the ceviche,

and turns out, it is pretty dang good!

Today, we all kind of just chilled around the apartment,

relaxing before we start orientation tomorrow morning!

Jenna and I did walk over and see the Manatee Conservation

that we have ON CAMPUS.

Like for real, its a 5 minute walk from my apartment door...

We have 3 manatees, all being rehabilitated.

They plan to release 2 of them,

but one is so severely injured with a collapsed lung,

he is unable to be released,

 so they will continue to give him a nice home.

This is him, he is 9 years old and 800 lbs.

They can live up to around 65 years and grow to 1200+ lbs at 11 feet long!

So head to PR soon to visit me,

I will show you the manatees and take you to the beach! =]

Plus it will get a bit lonely here at times I'm sure!

<3, Jayna