The Azusa Pacific Blog » Study Abroad

The South African Experience

Jon Wallace — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 02:56:39 +0000

It's early morning here at the APU South African campus in Pietermaritzburg. I'm sitting in the main lodge that serves as the dinner hall. The lodge sits high on the property overlooking a lush green valley.

one. more. month.

Megan — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:38:27 +0000

One more month of my freshmen year. The last time I will ever be a freshmen… in my life. Crazy. This year has seriously flown by faster then I ever thought it would. I feel like I just got here, move-in day seems like it was just yesterday. By far, it has been the best year of my life. I have met people that I can’t imagine living life without. I have met people that have inspired me, encouraged me, and shown me what it means to pursue Christ with all of your being. There are people that I can never repay for the way that they have poured into my life. I have grown as a person, and even more so I have grown in my relationship with God. The way I have experienced God while being here is extraordinary.

A Very Big Adventure!

Renna Nightingale — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:24:24 +0000

South Africa. The land of brokenness, the land of miracles. The land of natural beauty beyond compare, the land with the people who are hurting. The land where time slows down, the land where “love your neighbor” reigns. The land where God’s voice becomes louder than a whisper.

As the locals say, “This is Africa.”

This is where I currently am! I am blessed to be the only freshman among a team of 55 students studying abroad in South Africa. Even though I am a freshman, I have been completely welcomed into the group, as is often the way with Azusa Pacific University community.

Journey On

Lindsay Cooper — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 18:08:44 +0000

I don’t know if you have ever felt this way, but lately a feeling of restlessness has been creeping into me. This last semester, for me, felt like four incredible months of rejoicing–I could not get enough of Jesus and what He was doing in my life. Still, I could not help but feel as though this rejoicing was partnered with an inescapable sensation of preparation for something bigger and for something new that was to come in my life.

Often, I got impatient in my restlessness because I wanted all my desires to be fulfilled and I wanted to begin running down the path God has for me. In Romans 8, though, Paul talks about the patience that is involved in the Christian walk, in seeking God’s guidance, and in the journey of redemption.

Why Am I Even Here in Spain?!

McKenzie — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 16:33:24 +0000

“The Lord has become my fortress, and my God is the rock in whom I take refuge.” Psalm 94:22

So I’ve finished my first week of school in Spain and I can’t believe how different it is. All my classes are taught in Spanish and we don’t speak English at all, which can be quite overwhelming. I’ve reached the point that I knew would come. The initial awe and wonder of this amazing city is beginning to wear off now that we have started school. Those feelings have now been replaced with shock, stress and usually a big headache after only using Spanish for hours straight. The other day I started questioning, “Why am I even here?” When people tell you studying abroad is the best experience you’ll ever have, they forget to tell you that you’ll also face some of the hardest times. They don’t tell you how you’ll get homesick and want to fly back despite the dreadfully long flight. They forget to tell you how scary or stressful it can be, especially when you realize things about yourself you never knew. For those that don’t go abroad to learn a foreign language, you typically don’t have the shock factor of realizing despite the years in the classroom, nothing could have prepared you for this experience.

Semester in Spain: The Beginning

McKenzie — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:37:36 +0000

As you are all arriving to APU, either for the firs time or back for another great year, I am just now settling into my new home in Seville, Spain. I’m so excited to begin this journey with all of you! Hola, my name is McKenzie and I just flew 6,000 miles from LAX to Seville, Spain to study abroad for the semester. I’m taking this first blogging opportunity so that you can all get to know a little about me, where I am going, and what I am doing.

Currently I am about to start my senior year at APU, but instead of spending my last year on APU campus, I decided to study abroad for the fall. I’m a Business Administration major, with a minor in Spanish and dreams of going to law school. Instead of just passing my Spanish classes, I wanted to really learn the language so I decided I had to fully immerse myself in a Spanish-speaking country for an entire semester. I have come to learn and believe that this is the only way to really learn a language, but I’ll go into that more another day. I chose to go to Seville, Spain through Trinity Christian College (located in Chicago, IL). With the Semester in Spain program, I live with a host family, get to travel around Spain, take ONLY Spanish classes, have “siesta” time, and become completely and fully immersed in Spanish culture.