29September2010 Banner

"When you're under the flag no one can mess with you.  You are protected and if anyone tries anything it will be very bad for them."  My attention span is short enough but put me in a meeting about office decor and I'm like a 2 year-old.  This statement by a local coworker grabbed my attention.  We were discussing putting the country's flag in the lobby of the English center and he thought it was a good idea since, as he stated about, it symbolized our business being under national security.  Instantly I remembered Solomon's words, "He has taken me to the banquet hall, and His banner over me is love." I also thought of one of my favorite songs:

He brought me to His banqueting table
He brought me to His banqueting table
And His banner over me is love
I am my Beloved's and He is mine
I am my Beloved's and He is mine
And His banner over me is love
Yes, His banner over me is love
And we can feel the love of God in this place
We believe Your goodness, we receive Your grace
We delight ourselves at Your table, O God
You do all things well, just look at our lives
Lyrics by Kevin Prosch

27September2010 Quickshot: Just another pretty face!

Spotted a group of about 50 of these guys in the desert today.  Apparently we showed up during lunch.

24September2010 Quickshot: Duststorm

A thin layer of dust covered everything...

Storm clouds loomed on the horizon as we drove toward the airport to pick up D's parents.  It looked like it was going to rain again.  We'd just had surprise showers this morning.  After stopping to gas up the van, the winds picked up, the skies turned an eerie hue and you could literally taste the air.  Just another storm?

When we arrived at the terminal their flight was delayed so we bought the kids some candy and sat in the waiting area.   After a little while a high pitched noise sounded and emergency lighting flashed on and off throughout the airport.  Something had set off the fire alarms, we suspected someone was smoking in the restroom.  After a minute or two the commotion ended and we resumed our wait.  But that wasn't the end of it.  Ten minutes later the alarms began again but we figured out it wasn't a fire.  A sand storm was blowing through and dust was setting off the smoke detectors.  Even inside people were holding hankerchiefs or tissues over their mouths and noses.  Would the plane be able to land?  Finally "Arrived" appeared next to the flight number and we breathed a sigh of relief.

D's parents' collected their baggage and after making their way through customs we walked out to the van.  The scenery, what you could see through watery eyes, was shocking.  A thin layer of dust covered everything, cars, trees, people....everything and the sky was tinted pink and yellow.  We rushed to get everything and everyone loaded into our vehicle and began the precarious journey back to the house.  

22September2010 Quickshot: Arggggggh

Spirit week at school somehow equates to Dress Like a Pirate day.  Argggggh!

20September2010 Journey: P's Perspective

Over the course of our time here I've learned a lot about myself.  It's funny in hindsight to think about this because prior to moving, and maybe this was naivety, my primary desire was to help our new friends and neighbors, leading them to a new or better relationship with their Father.  It seems Dad, in His wisdom, had other plans.  Don't get me wrong.  I've learned a lot about culture and language and faith and life in general but what's really surprised me thus far has been the revelations about myself.  My personality, my gifts, my tendencies, my abilities, my attitudes, my, my, my.  The surprising part is that so much of what I've learned I don't like.  Could it be because when we are pressed or trodden what's on the inside comes out?  Maybe you're like me in that you thought when someone assumes this "profession" they have reached a certain amount of maturity or possibly attained some lofty level.  The truth is and I don't want to shock anyone here, the truth is that we are still just people.  Raw emotions, heartbreaks, stupid mistakes, errors in judgement....people!  

But, now that we're all depressed, let me get to the good part.  Here it is.  Are you ready?  Dad uses folks just like us!  Isn't it funny how when we read the accounts of the Book over and over again the common and even the illogical choice is His preferred tool.  My encouragement to me and quite possibly to you is, don't wallow in those mistakes.  Don't let an argument with your spouse ruin what He has for you today.  Humble yourself, admit you screwed up and get on with it.  Life is in fact a journey and it's not one we take in reverse.  Keep moving forward.  We're right there with you and so is our Father!

12bf

19September2010 M's 1st Day of School

D delivered M to her very first day of KG1 (they do 2 years of Kindergarten here).  She walked her to the classroom where there were little ones clutching their mommies' legs, screaming and begging not to be left.  M walked looked around, said "Bye Mom! I love you."  bounded to her desk and started coloring.  When asked if she cried when she got to the van D responded, "How can you cry?  She's happy!"

17September2010 Quickshot: Gettin' figgy with it.

Yesterday a neighbor brought us these from their garden.  Beforehand our knowledge of the delicious fruit was limited to Fig Newtons.

15September2010 Quickshot: One Happy Camper

We took the family out to Chili's the other night.  D is still smiling!

12September2010 Ramadan/Eid Notes

It's like the whole city has taken a collective sigh of relief.  Restaurants are all open, during the day, and they are really busy.   Clothing and shoes stores in our community are bustling with activity.

The kids in our neighborhood are all running around playing with new toys.  The hot item is apparently air soft guns.  There are little, yellow bullets laying everywhere. 

10September2010 Ramadan Notes

Ramadan ended today.  Last night we had a friend say "Tomorrow we eat ALL DAY."  During the Eid, the 3-4 day holiday following Ramadan, families and friends visit with one another, eating lavish meals, giving children toys and clothes and giving female family members gifts and money.  People go into tremendous debt to pay for these presents.  Does this sound familiar?

9September2010 "Trial"

"Be at the police station at 9 o'clock in the morning and then you go to court."  It was 11:30 at night yet two police officers and a couple neighbors were standing on our front steps.  Was I dreaming?  Just minutes before I had been dead asleep but the doorbell ringing over and over and over again roused me from my slumber.  They needed D and I to come down to testify about her recent incident.  I agreed and they left taking with them any chance of me falling back asleep.
The next morning, after D dropped the boys off at school and the two little ones off at Aunt R's, we headed to the police station where we sat waiting for two hours, not exactly sure why.  Waiting and confusion as it turned out would be the themes for the day.
Around 11 an officer informed us we were heading to another station.   He wanted to know, one, if we had a car ("Yes.") and, two, if we did could the prisoner ride in it with us ("No!"). We went to the other station where we sat waiting for a couple hours, still not exactly sure why.  
1 o'clock rolled around and our friendly policeman told us rather apologetically that we needed to relocate again.  We drove downtown to the courthouse and sat in the lobby for a while.  A little after 2 we were ushered back to an office, I believe it was a magistrate, and asked to wait in the hallway.  A couple minutes later the magistrate came out and told the officer she was done for the day.  We would have to come back tomorrow.....to a different office. 
As we were walked back to the car I did my best to convince  D that this experience counted as a "date night."  She didn't buy it! 

Note:  One surprising thing that happened was on the way from one station to the other we stopped at a supermarket, the driver ran it and returned with a bag of food.  We couldn't figure this out since it was Ramadan and the city was fasting.  Come to find out the man had been in jail for 6 days and 5 nights and had only been given water to drink.  The driver in kindness stopped and bought him something to eat. 

7September2010 Quickshot: Sky

While visiting with friends, drinking tea on their roof, we looked up in time to see this beauty.  Aren't cell phone cameras great!

6September2010 Ramadan Notes (Insomnia or Insanity)

It is nothing to look out our windows at 1 o'clock in the morning and see children playing out in the street. This seems to be even more prevalent during Ramadan. For example, yesterday we were talking with a neighbor as he lamented an issue that has been occurring with his family over the past month. It seems his children, a 4th grade girl and a 6th grade son, were staying up all night, not just until late but literally ALL night, and then sleeping until 5 or 6 in the evening every day. Although he'd tried to bribe them with trips to the local, public pool - it didn't work and they continued this behavior. P wanted to recommend a trip to the wood shed but apparently this behavior is normal here.

4September2010 Breakdown

How to you outdo yesterday's events?  Luckily we didn't find out today but it wasn't for lack of trying.  

P took Ed & Cynthia to the airport tonight....well he tried anyway.   About a mile from the terminal there is a police/security checkpoint and that's exactly where the van broke down, one mile from the terminal.  Everything was proceeding wonderfully.  The air was cool, traffic was at a minimum and we were ahead of schedule.  We pulled off the highway onto the road leading to the airport.  We went around a curve and the van started hesitating. P checked the fuel gauge, downshifted and tried to give her more gas.  The hesitation became sputtering and he tapped on the fuel gauge (not sure what that accomplishes but it seemed like the right thing to do).  We coasted to the police roadblock and the engine died right in front of the officer.  

The van loaded on the back of a tow truck.

After pushing our disabled vehicle to the side of the road, a taxi was procured, transporting Ed and Cynthia to the airport.  It was difficult being angry because the van croaked in a safe location, a taxi was there 2 minutes after it died and our policeman friend had the number of a tow truck taped to wall of his booth. 30 minutes later P and Z were sitting in the cab of a tow truck, headed back toward the house.  

We're grateful for Zayed, our uniformed buddy, Jamel, our tow truck driver, for an unknown taxi driver that just happened to be driving by at the right time and for a Father that turns bad into good.  

12bf

3September2010 Harami

She screamed "Harami!" over and over while running frantically down the road.  Cars stopped, neighbors peered out of windows, shop owners rushed into the street wondering what in the world was going on.  She looked back to make sure her children were staying on the sidewalk but continued running until she reached the corner.  "HARAMI!" one last time but it was too late.  He was gone with her purse and house keys.  A lady, completely unknown to her, stopped.  "Get in!" she said, "We will go catch him together."  But she couldn't leave her children.  Her children!  She looked back and an elderly neighbor was holding their hands, comforting them, giving them candy.

A shop owner, the man she had just purchased vegetables from, flew past her, taking up the chase.  She was tired, scared, angry, yes, very angry but there was something else....what was it....gratitude.  Kindness in the midst of chaos.  She walked back to the store and collected her children.  A stranger had picked up the bag of vegetables that fallen to the ground when her purse was ripped from her hand.  Her little girl was crying.  Scared of being along, scared of mommy yelling and running after the man, just scared.  The little boy was oblivious, someone had given him a water balloon to play with.

She went to a friends house and used their cell phone to call her husband.  Through gasps of breath and gut wrenching sobs she recanted the events but instantly she felt better.  His voice helped and he was coming.

"Harami" is the arabic word for thief and today D used it fluently when a robber grabbed her purse and ran.  In a flash she experienced a flood of emotions but the one thing that overshadowed them all was Providence.  Yes, she lost the equivalent of $8 and a set of keys to a lock that cost $4 to replace but she gained so much more.  A new appreciation for our community.  For strangers that without hesitation come to the rescue of someone in need.  For neighbors whose first priority was protecting her and her children.  For chilvalrous men indignant at the thought of someone mistreating THEIR guests.  For street cleaners that thought nothing of tackling a thief and calling authorities.  For police that were there in a flash and had the guy handcuffed and in the back of the car.  For a husband who made everything better with just a hug.  For a Father that, through love and supreme wisdom, allowed this all to take place.  The Harami didn't get her money and certainly did not steal her joy.  We are thanking God for that tonight!

2September2010 Ramadan Notes (McIftar)

This sign needs no translation

You don't count calories during Ramadan

A couple days ago we blogged about going out to a nice, local restaurant to break fast, the meal called "Iftar." 

Business is good!

Tonight we decided to switch things up and check out the western version, affectionately deemed "McIftar." 

We arrived at McDonalds at 6:45 and the parking lot was full.  Fortunately there was a spot near the door so we didn't have to use the valet, yes valet.  We got the kids seated and jumped into line.  Maybe there have been more crowded fast food restaurants in the history of the world but its not likely. 

Copious amounts of deep fried goodness were purchased and we joined the kids and began the waiting game.  It's hard to articulate what its like to be in a fast food restaurant where every table is taken and customers have trays loaded with food but no one is eating.  There's really nothing in American culture to compare it to.  Well maybe in NASCAR right before the announcer says "Gentlemen start your engines!"  (Can you tell we're from the south?)

The call to prayer sounded over the intercom and french fries and burgers met their demise at the hands of ravenous patrons.  The once noisy restaurant became deathly quiet as everyone began their meal simultaneously.  The fast was over. McIftar had begun. 

1September2010 Quickshot: Photobooth

From a photo booth at the mall.  Unfortunately there was only room for 3.