A perfect day!

After a week of much-needed rain, we were very happy to see the temperatures rising again and bright sunshine covering our land. Friday we had 3 visitors here from the US and they joined us on a picnic to the Kurdish countryside. It was an absolutely picture-perfect day; mid-70's and warm sunshine. With young men along to do the barbecue and make the tea, I mostly sat and watched and relaxed. After setting up "camp", we noticed that we had front row seats to a Kurdish wedding that was about to begin. After climbing the high mountains behind us, our group decided to go down and check out the wedding. Before long, I noticed from afar that Elise was in the group dancing, then I saw Sarah also & DJ leading the dance procession! The people were overjoyed that these Americans had crashed their wedding party and joined them in their celebration. It was such a fun, relaxing day in every way. It may have been the last of this season but you never know; last year we were picnicking into December.

busy days

I really thought I'd be a great blogger but I'm finding out that I stink at it! Almost every day I find a blog from my sister-in-law Katie or my colleague Rachel and I'm lucky if I get out one a month. I'm pretty sure all those that have followed me in the past have now given up and quit checking. I would say that I'll promise to do better but I don't dare say that! Anyway, it's not that I'm sitting around with nothing to do these days. Adding to my already-busy schedule has been a non-stop stream of short-term teams from America. While we love having these visitors with us, all the help they give & the goodies they bring, it does add a whole new dimension to our busyness. We also have 3 one-year interns living with us and a 13 year-old boy and our Napali house helper so always 7 people to feed. The empty nest didn't last long for us! I like living life in the fast lane but once in awhile one must take time out to reflect in solitude. That is what I plan to do on Monday! I'm heading for the mountains all alone and spending a quiet day with God. I am SO looking forward to this day. I've been planning it for a awhile. It's been too long in coming. This is the only window of opportunity I have before the next visitors arrive. I have blocked this day off on my calendar and am determined that nothing will interfere with it. The coming months will be just as busy as the past have been; I don't want to go through them in my own strength - I need His strength and help. I want to "run and not grow weary". I want my youth to be renewed (now there's asking for a miracle!)so that I can serve my King for many years to come. I pray that the spirit of Mary will come upon this Martha and give me a heart to worship and to sit at my savior's feet for awhile. There I will find rest for my soul and be renewed to run the race.
Always a heart-felt thank you to those of you who have run with us all these years. We couldn't do it if we didn't have you by our side! What a winning team.

entertaining Kurdish style

We've been told that it's rude to turn off your TV when a guest comes for a visit. Something about it makes him feel unwelcome?? Tonight we went for dinner to a Kurdish home in the mountains. When we arrived, there was some kind of music video station on and the women were wearing little to nothing. Everyone in the room was watching! It was kind of strange but it definitely kept there from being any silent moments since the music was so loud we could hardly hear one another talk. This was one of those homes where we sat on the floor, ate on the floor, etc. It was just a big empty room with 2 mats and a huge flat screen TV with naked women on it! When the meal was set before us on a plastic tablecloth we continued to watch MTV while we ate our rice & chicken. Then of course we had the tea with 1 inch of sugar in the bottom. I didn't stir mine one bit and it was still like syrup! This guy was an English student of Darrell's and speaks pretty good English but his wife doesn't speak a word, thus making things a little awkward. We really needed MTV to fill in the silent places:)
Funny how different cultures think about things; we'd think it pretty rude to keep the TV going at top volume with X-rated pictures on it while our guests have come to visit us. Here, guests would think it rude if we turned off our TV when they walked in. Just a different perspective!

Put to shame

Last week we held a 5-day training course here for leaders in the Iraqi Church. The 14 men and women came from 3 different cities in Iraq. Two teachers came from the US to give 2 courses. The students were full of excitement and anticipation as they began the course. I noticed one man with his arm in a sling and seemingly in a lot of pain. I asked about his story and this is what I was told: This guy has been a believer in Jesus for 2 years and has suffered terribly for his faith. Two days prior to coming for the course, he was beaten and his arm crushed by an AK-47. The doctors were unable to do anything with his arm because it was so badly injured. He lived on strong pain killers. He ran away from the village and arranged to meet the pastor on the highway to come to the course. I also found out that his group of 6/7 believers meets in a van because it would be extremely dangerous for them if they were known to be worshiping Jesus. In the nice weather they meet up on the mountain. It was moving to watch this man during worship time as he sang and praised Jesus with his one good arm uplifted. He was told that if he returned to his village he would be killed! While at the conference he received a phone call from his older brother who's in the gov't and he promised to come and settle things and warn the villagers not to bother him. I thought over and over about the price some people pay to follow Jesus. My faith doesn't really cost me anything; this man's faith costs him everything. I'm sure when he wakes up in the morning he often wonders if this will be his last day on earth. I can't say I've had that thought very often!!

Sacrificial love

Yesterday I went to the children's hospital to visit a friend whose baby is in the neonatal ward. This young girl just had a C-section 4 days ago but insists on sitting by her baby's bed all day long so that she can feed her when she awakens. The nurses are nowhere to be found; the mothers do all the care of their tiny premature babies. My friend's baby looked very good & I have high hopes that she will come home soon. The father was an English student and has become a good friend. In the incubator next to my friend's baby, there was a baby born at 7 months. His arms and legs were maybe 3/4" in diameter. He gasped for every breath as his mother sat by his side. I watched her as she expressed her own milk by hand into a little cup, then poured it into a syringe and gave it to her baby through a tiny tube running from his nose down into his stomach. She does this every 2 hours all day long. I have not been able to get this picture out of my mind; the unbelievable sacrifice that a mother is willing to give for her child. There are few things in life so powerful. I recently heard of God's love referred to as a mother's love and that took on a new meaning today as I was reminded of what lengths a mother is willing to go to in order to save her child.

Silly in Suli

The younger members of our team finally convinced these oldies to go to the amusement park with them after our Sat. night meeting. Usually we're just too tired and would rather go home and crash than go on silly rides & play cheesy games:) Last night we decided to join in the "fun" and a group of us headed for the park. I have to admit I was skeptical that I would enjoy it at all since I was so tired & had a sore back. But it turned out to be a crazy, fun, silly night of acting like kids; riding bumper cars, playing air hockey, basketball, boxing game, riding the Ferris wheel, etc. The best part was discovering a delicious black cherry popsicle that tasted so good on a very warm evening. Kirsten reminded me that it didn't take much to make me happy; just a cherry popsicle. I guess it is nice to revert to children once in awhile and enjoy the simple things of life. It was also very nice hanging out with 3 guys that we've come to love, one of them having already joined the family and another definitely on the road. As I've said before, there's just nothing to do in this city for fun so we have to make our own and we definitely did last night!

This and That

An overview of the last few weeks:
- 7 short term workers joined us & kept a very busy schedule of teaching both
children & adult classes, morning and evening
- occupation of the new LIFE center
- renovation of this center, with the help of 3 men from Salem, OR
- vacated our old, rented facility
- left for Jordan and our annual field retreat - great refreshment & relaxation
after a grueling summer
- visited our old stomping ground in Aqaba; good to see old friends
- a few days in Amman & then back home!
- this year we'll have 4 young people living with us and helping with teaching &
other aspects of ministry; 2 guys & 2 girls.
*I hope to post pictures soon of our new center all set up and ready to go