This week...

has been one of the best weeks of my life!!!

First I have to give a little background. In September, when my mom was here, we were talking about me possibly being able to come home for Christmas. I was obviously excited to be able to see friends and family but as the time got closer, the ticket prices went up. I had resolved to being okay with the fact that I would spend Christmas here in Guatemala. I had even begun to make plans with Mario and get kind of excited to have new traditions. Then on Tuesday my mom and I were talking and she asked if I could call later that night because everyone would be together at family dinner. I was tired, feeling emotional, and frankly the idea of being passed around from person to person while straining to hear what they were saying through the bad internet connection just wasn't my idea of a fun night. I told my mom that I would have to see if I was still awake at that time (2 hour time difference so 7 CA time is 9 Guate time) and if indeed I was I MIGHT call. Well Mario and a few other friends and I decided to watch a movie here at the base. We had about 10 min. left when my skype went off and sure enough it was my mom. Ugggh I thought to myself, I guess I better go call her so that she will stop bugging me. I went up to my room and made the call. She asked me if I wanted to come home for Christmas (like she had done many conversations before) and I replied with my frustrated, "yes, mom, you know I do but not this year" and then she told me that my family, my wonderful amazing family, had all chipped in and bought me a plane ticket!!! I was so overwhelmed with excitement that I just began to cry and cry and cry. At that point I was so happy that we were talking on the phone and not through skype because the cry became uglier and uglier the more I processed this new surprise. After talking for a little bit longer and getting the details- I would be flying out in two sleeps on the 16th and returning to Guatemala on the 30th- I said goodbye and went to celebrate with Mario.

Now all along Mario knew. In fact I had caught him a few times on Facebook messaging with my mom but he would mysteriously close the screen before I came too close so in my nosy nature I knew something was up. When I went to tell him that I knew that I was going home I started to joke around with him saying, "and all this time I thought you were going to propose!" I was so overwhelmed by the idea of packing and getting things here together that I didn't give anything else any more thought because I thought that was all there was to the secret conversations and surprises.

Then last night we went to the movies with 2 other girls from YWAM. It was Sara's, one of our friends here, last night so we were excited to be able to all hang out. They all wanted to see the newest Chronicles of Narnia so I begrudgingly agreed, even though I hadn't seen the second one and my mind really wasn't on what was happening but on the packing and planning that I needed to finish instead. So we buy our tickets (2 for 1 price making our entrance to the movies a little over $1) and headed into the theater. I had a bad attitude and was struggling to enjoy the movie when all of a sudden the lights turned on and the movie stopped. I turned to my friends there with me and said "we should ask for our money back, this is ridiculous". As soon as I finished saying that, a guy that worked in the back booth of the theater came on the microphone and said "we are going to have a short intermission because someone has an announcement for Susan" then the next thing I know, Mario is standing up next to me! I turn to face him and he says to everyone "Hi, I am Mario and it is my fault that the movie stopped. I want you all to meet Susan, my girlfriend. (I stand and awkwardly wave hola to the crowd) I have a question for you, Susan. (as he pulls the ring out of his pocket and gets down on one knee) Will you marry me?" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH... I couldn't believe it! Of course I said yes, but apparently not loud enough for everyone in the theater to hear because someone yelled, "So, what did you say?!?" So I turned and shouted "SIIIIIIII!!!!" so that everyone knew that this amazing man would be my husband!!! It was perfect. The only bad part was that the movie started back up and they expected me to sit there through it while I had all these new thoughts and emotions racing through my mind. I somehow made it through, with only a few questions here and there, and then we all four went to eat dinner at a place called Tacontento to celebrate. It was a great night and the perfect way to spend my last night before going home!!!