The Room Project--Finished!!!

We made the headboard, cream colored pillow shams, and the bedskirt.
I am still planning on making covers for the serger and sewing machine... we'll see if I ever get around to it now that Laurel is home.
This is the BOX! Finally complete and beautiful.
And these are the armoires that my parent's bought to help hide all their clutter. No more shelves!

It all looks so much better now.

The Window Box and Room Progress (2 weeks ago)

BEFORE.... and DURING... (AFTER comes later!)

Charles Williams

The Place of the Lion

Perhaps I'm not really familiar with enough philosophy to get this book. I am confused and... well, confused. I understand the basic plot, mostly. But I don't know what is really going on. I am only half way through. Perhaps it will all become clear in the end. I remember studying Plato and his ultimate forms. But how is that intruding on this seemingly country lifestyle of people in England? It is all so very odd.

The Yearly Planner

I really needed a planner. So, I went to Walmart (yikes!) and bought one. There is something wierd about looking at a year from now. I have a really hard time thinking about next June. What will I be doing next June? I haven't the foggiest idea. I used to be able to plan for years in advance... high school-4 years, then college-4 years, then what? Life is no longer sectioned out in large chunks. It is in smaller pieces of months, semesters, a year. Beyond that, I have no vision. I can think of what I will do for one year, but I have no solid idea of where God could take me after that. I could be in the same place. I could be somewhere else. Why does this seem so strange to me?

Knots

There are lots of kinds of knots out there. I wish sometimes that little girls had interests in things like knots like little boys have. Being a little girl myself, I never was interested in them myself. I untied plenty, growing up. Necklaces would get wound up in a jewelry box or the yarn would become a snarl in the sewing box. I remember trying to get loose some fishing line once. I don't think I ever managed to get it. In history class in 9th grade I learned about how Alexander the Great "untied" the famous knot at Gordium. I wonder if part of our modern society has come out of that tradition: that of cutting through something and doing it the quick way instead of the slow and tedious way. Have we lost the ability to sort out a problem so that everyone comes out whole and intact? Or must we take the way that gets us to the end most quickly but leaves some people torn to pieces?

My stomach is creating it's own knots today which have left me quite miserable. Neither cutting nor untying will do any good. It must merely run its own course.

Moscow!!! (not Russia)

I am finally back in my American home town with my family. It has been two weeks of living out of a suitcases and the skin is peeling on the palms of my hands.

I went for a walk with my mom and smelled the trees and grass and the clean warm air of my small town. The weather is full of heat and perfect.

I am reminded of how easy life can feel in the United States, of how simple it can feel to stroll down a street, how smooth the rhythms of life can be in a comfortable world like this.

Old Rock Climbing Adventures

Qlash

This is a miniature pair of qlash, the traditional Kurdish shoe. But this pair is just big enough for your keychain. Just thought I'd let you see what the terrorists in prison here do.

However, the real life sized shoes are made by men and women who are trained and skilled craftsmen. Some of the qlash makers are now part of a program that is reaching out to kids in Iraq. Check them out and get your own pair of shoes from Buy Shoes, Save Lives. I think this program is really neat and these people are doing a great work.

Water

I was sitting in the parking lot waiting for my car (it was coming back from being fixed) and I saw a small stream of water flowing from the guard building. Here, more than ever, I have learned some of the beauty of water. It is clear and yet shines and shimmers. It flows over and around things. It cleanses, taking the dirt into itself. It is so beautiful, but also can be so ugly when turned to slime. It gives life to plants, animals, and people too. My ind darts out to the water David poured out because he would not drink the blood of his men. The water and the blood... the Living Water, the Word washes, the blood washes... Here my mind leaps from place to place and soon has too many paths like a fractal patter that continues to split off and divide. I cannot trace it because it just keeps going like something out of control and it reties itself into knots of prayer for my students... my teachers... my friends...

The Cliffs of Insanity!

I climbed down into a 20 meter bat cave/crevice today. Then I climbed out. I think I have never done anything harder in my whole life. Even Mr. Harken's weird workouts didn't push my like this. My knees are a tribute to all purple fruits and I even managed to bruise my shoulder blades. But I had so much fun. After that I rappelled off of a 60 meter cliff. It was awesome fun! Clare climbed up about 55 meters but couldn't make the last 5 because of the lichens on the rocks and the overhang. But she made it a long way. I was already knackered by then so I didn't even try any of it. That bat cave was enough for me!

Politics in the Middle East

I met with a man today who is originally from Fallujah, a place that has been a center for violence and terrorism. He told me about how all the problems there were created by a couple of translators who were antagonistic to the American military and began the whole problem. In addition, rumors were begun that the American military had glasses through which you could see people nude. This, of course, deeply offended the honor and dignity of the very modest Muslim people. It was interesting to also note that as this man explained these miscommunications and "cheatings" he had high hopes for the future of Iraq and the American military. He expected everything to be settled within two years. I have not heard such an optimistic number from anyone else, American or Iraqi. His reasoning was that now that the Americans has been deceived, they were wiser, making wiser decisions, and understood the psychology of the people. They now know whom to listen to and whom not to trust. So, things will be better soon... I hope.

Living the Dream

My wacky week with music and magic tricks traipsing around rushing rapidly playing and praying going going talking truth and teaching jumprope and Jesus but then Bangladeshi bongo drums on the roof in the moonlight and much watermelon and wishing on stars that this stellar weather would never vanish into vast desertness but would stay forever free from dust and dreadful dirt that rains mud but keeps all cool for our continuous cooking marathon for fifty guys who are grateful for real food and movies in their language and in movies I can see caves and snottites and slimy glow worms with wet silk and hundreds of feet of feces in caverns large enough to fly a jet plane through in Borneo bringing bugs and bats and beautiful cave crystals created to be beauty and me one more night out laughing and Living the Dream.

Notification.... vote for me.

Hey! I'm in a contest for blogs of little readership and small renown. Kind of fun!

YOU ARE A BEST OF BLOG FINALIST!!! Congrats on making it to the final round and remember to tell everyone you know to head on over to www.thebestofblogs.com to vote for your site. Oh and don't forget to enter our Exclusive Lijit Contest for another chance to win some fantastic prizes. Winners will be announced June 2nd so gather up your faithful followers and tell them you want to be one of this year's Best Of Blogs!

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Project Mgr.
www.thebestofblogs.com

What!!!!???

So I'm sitting here and there are 150 Bangladeshi men on the roof. I don't live in Bangladesh or anywhere near Bangladesh. Yet, there they are. They are having a magic show and some singing I think. I'm not going up there... too many men... aiba.

I'm so tired.

Zzzzz.....

গণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাংলাদেশ

I've been learning a bit about people from Bangladesh lately. There are many men here from that country involved in some sort of worker trafficking that often ends up more like slavery than a working abroad project. It has brought many groups of people together and God is working among us and them for better conditions physically and spiritually. What an amazing thing! Who is this God of ours that takes people who have been sent miles away from their homes and have suffered terrible things and uses it so that they find truth and can become truly whole? This is a redeeming God, who turns trials into gold.

A Little Piece of My Local News

Soma Newspaper---at the Chaikhana (tea-house)

On the back page of every paper, these two men have a chat about...well, everything. Their conversation rambles and jumps and rabbit-trails, never to return. But sometimes they really nail a concept or the cause behind something that everyone complains about. Here's part of one...
read the whole bit here.

JWAMER
Come on Bayiz who am I to give advice to those professional people!

BAYIZ
But I have seen school children giving advice to the government.

JWAMER
School children are advising the government?

BAYIZ
Yes and so many times.

JWAMER
Oh my God, why?

BAYIZ
Don’t ask me, ask democracy. Sorry, sorry, I think its real name is chaos.

JWAMER
Bayiz do you have a handkerchief?

BAYIZ
Yes, but it is dirty. Why?

JWAMER
I want to cry, we must all cry, cry for converting the ideal of democracy into a chaotic situation.

BAYIZ
I have no objection. I will cry with you, but it is not only us that should take responsibility. Others are responsible, too.

JWAMER
Do you mean our kind neighbors?

BAYIZ
Definitely not. I mean those who liberated Iraq. They brought us the food but they didn’t teach us how to eat it.

JWAMER
Don’t simplify the matter Bayiz, it is a multi-faceted one. But the bulk of the responsibility falls upon us. We failed in all the exams, let us cry.

BAYIZ
I hate exaggeration but since you insist on crying take the handkerchief. Here it is.

The Wierd Things I Do

So I turned off the lights last night as I brushed my hair. I know, I know... you all think I'm crazy. Maybe I am, but not for this... The dryness of the air created a lot of static electricity. I first noticed as my hairbrush shocked my head... ouch. But then I remembered that the static electricity does more than just make my head hurt and my hair stand out from my head. So I turned off the lights and had my own fireworks show. Pretty cool.

Rather Wordless...

A dilemma and a request

I have recently been a part of a conversation (or actually, I just listened) concerning the passage in 1Timothy 2:11-15. I know that I have distinct views on this. I also know that I approach Scripture in a certain way that only allows for a limited interpretation of most things. My first request is that you send me your thoughts on this passage.

My second request is caused by the situation behind the first request. In that conversation many other topics came up that I saw as far more important than the issue of women and yet I still disagreed with many who were there. I am a young woman... in a general conversation on a Biblical issue with older Christians how should I be? Part of me hesitates to contradict those who are older and have more experience than myself--after all, what if I am wrong? But I don't think I am wrong. I don't see how I could be wrong in light of Scripture. What then should I do? Should I approach these people? Should I ask them to clarify? Should I rebuke them (I don't feel that I could!)?

Thanks for your prayers.

My Life as a Medieval Fairy Tale

Once upon a time there was an ordinary girl. She was an ordinary school teacher drudge, but was sent on a quest across the seas to a far land where the people spoke different, looked different, and acted different. She encountered many adventures among those people but one day she went on a special mission.

After navigating a maze of roads with two trusty companions she found herself behind security lines having slipped (well, walked) through some guard posts with hardly a notice. (Yes, the companions were patted down--being men and all.) Covertly standing in line (just trying to blend in, you see) the girl and her friends made it a bit further before a violent struggle (okay, so no struggle at all) and some blood was drawn.

Escaping from there, the girl and one of her companions held cotton to the inside of their elbows and went off to scavange for some nourishment which was purchased from some kindly people nearby who had some extra food for the travelers (they ran a restaurant). During the consumption of the meal the group was notified of a princess who was locked in a porcelain room.

They rushed to her rescue and one of the most experienced companions opened the door with the secret and magical key (screwdriver) to release the princess who was quite shaken at her captivity. The young lady gave gracious thanks and the heroes returned back to the place of their origin in the educational facility which was their cover for all surreptitious activities like rescuing small princesses from rooms where the door handle has fallen off.

What an amazing day!

Random Event...

So... on an ordinary day...things like this happen. We were driving down the road and stopped at an intersection. A man on the street yelled out... "Hi! Bye! I love you!"

I think he must have been learning his English from the soap operas. Ugh...the things I suffer.

Play Practice

So, I've been working on this play with my sixth graders. My sister and I wrote a 35 minute version of "The Hobbit" over Christmas break and now I am twisting my students into performing in the next couple of days. Costuming is a foreign concept and so is set building. Directing a play is stressful. But, they seem to be having a great time and are really well behaved about it all. Below you see my three trolls (the hat will not be included!) and Bilbo sneaking up on them. This is just a rehearsal.

From Back in the States...

So, because we eat no pork here in the ME, we take extra special pleasure in the sausage and stuff we get back in the States. And we also enjoy laughing about the wierd things we like to eat.

The Bazaar...bizarre...

On Death...

A kiss...

One of my friends here recently wrote on kissing in the Middle East. It is full of social norms, expectations, and confusing meanings. But suffice to say, I have weathered it decently since it is gender restricted.

Last night, we had several men from Bangladesh come to an movie event put on by a small group of internationals here. They made me nervous at first--all men make me nervous when I am in the ME. Even when I go home to the States, men make me nervous. It is all the staring and leering. But me and my other single female friend did our best to make them feel welcome without being forward. I usually go by my intuition and they didn't scare me. But after the movie, as they were leaving, they each went out of their way to shake my hand. And one of them (I can neither remember nor pronounce their names), took my hand in both of his and kissed it. It was full of thanks and appreciation. I was touched; I felt like a princess; I had been a part of blessing someone and they appreciated it.

There have been many kisses in the world. I am reminded of the lines in the Princess Bride about kisses that left all others behind. This wasn't that kind of kiss, but the contrast between this kiss and another historical kiss hit me hard. Nearly 2000 years ago, another man was kissed, but it was a kiss of betrayal. Even though that man had done and would do more for his betrayer than could comprehended or deserved. And here I was, being appreciated for so little.

Why Me?

Sometimes I marvel at us women. At least I like to think that I am like most women. I can go out and have a lovely day, nary a trouble, nothing new springs up to torment me, and yet as it gets later, I am weepy! Why? you might ask. To tell the truth, I haven't the foggiest idea. I am happy doing what I do. I love my teammates; they are so wonderful and so much fun. I am happy. Why do I feel like crying! This is so irrational! I had a wonderful day today. But half an hour ago, I was almost in tears. For NO REASON! At least not a reason that I can think of. Maybe there is something going on in my subconcious? Feelings come upon me that I don't understand? Ha.

I laugh at myself. I suppose God made me this way for a reason. I must be patient through it.

From the mouth of a 10 year old boy...

"Guess what! Mom said I could start staying up later when I got hair in my armpits!"

Those Coloradans!

So my new teammate is from Colorado. She puts honey on her pizza crust. This is something I have never seen or experienced before. Who does that? Is it just people in Colorado? I am asking around... Let me know if you know.

Helplessness

A heart fretting
mood -fettering
utter dullness
sharp anguish, aching
shaking and sad
unsure and shattered

Trust, trust—the whisper…

speechles screeching
screaming struggle
drowning the pounding pulse
if only, if only—I, We, He, They—

Trust, trust—the whisper…

grieving unleashed
throat-catching chaos

Trust, trust—the whisper…

What can I do?

Trust, trust, trust, trust…

New Vocabulary

Over the last several weeks, my friends and I have been coming up with new words to represent things and feelings that don't exist in the United States. I am putting a few below.

• ahspeedbump (perhaps the most often used of our new vocabulary) means the feeling of when you are approaching a speed bump and you are going too fast and don't have time to slow down. [There are speedbumps everywhere.]
• mudding is the precipation of mud in the place of rain. While rain and snow do exist, the amount of dust blown up from the south sits over our city and then is joined with a little moisture which descends on everyone and everthing. Nearly every car in the city is the exact same shade of tan.
• archiumphl is the feeling of congestion in the throat and lungs when a combination of dust and illness attack.
• electrament is the feeling of novelty when the power goes out. This state of functioning wears off over time until one does not "miss a beat" or even pause during a conversation which is then continuing in the dark.
• visorate is the effect of seeing your breath in a room that experience would tell us is not actually cold enough. It undoubtedly has something to do with humidity, but an interesting phenomenon all the same.

There are some concepts that we have yet to invent words for. As an example, the feeling of taking a shower with cold water and yet the shower still gets steamy (it isn't actually that hot yet, but I experienced it before). Another one along the same track is when you put on your clothes and they feel like they came out of the dryer although they really just came out of your closet. If you have any suggestions, please comment.

A Poet I Recently Discovered

THE OLD MAID

I SAW her in a Broadway car,
The woman I might grow to be;
I felt my lover look at her
And then turn suddenly to me.

Her hair was dull and drew no light
And yet its color was as mine;
Her eyes were strangely like my eyes
Tho' love had never made them shine.

Her body was a thing grown thin,
Hungry for love that never came;
Her soul was frozen in the dark
Unwarmed forever by love's flame.

I felt my lover look at her
And then turn suddenly to me,--
His eyes were magic to defy
The woman I shall never be.

--Sara Teasdale 1916

Just for Fun...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? not really but my mom had a roommate with my name...
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? during a movie a week ago
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Turkey
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 58 students... does that count?
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I don't know... probably.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Define A Lot...
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Only if you paid me boatloads of money.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Granola
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Peppermint or Moose Tracks
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? voice
15. RED OR PINK? Red
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My size
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Laurel (my sister)
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? yes.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans, no shoes indoors here.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Hot cocoa and a cookie...before that, fabulous Mexican food.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My kerosene heater, people outside, my typing, Laura typing and laughing.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Dark Purple
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? The ocean, the air after a heavy rain, hot fresh tortillas, newly cut wood, tatami, chicken soup
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Bob Keenan
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes!
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Anything my siblings play.
27. HAIR COLOR? Blonde
28. EYE COLOR? Brown
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes
30. FAVORITE FOOD? Chedder Cheese
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Straight from the Heart (Bollywood)
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Tan tee with a light blue sweater/sweatshirt
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
35. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? Carrot Cake...maybe.
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Laurel
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Naomi
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Little Princess (teacher's reading group), The Hobbit (6th grade Lit), Genesis and Psalms, The World and Its People: Eastern Hemisphere.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? I don't have a mousepad, but my desktop is of the desert in Dubai.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LATE LAST NIGHT? I haven't watched TV since... well, January in Nashville I think.
42. FAVORITE SOUND? waves, birds, children laughing, thunder, silence
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Hmm... well considering that I have 2 homes that are about as far away as you can get from each other...how do I answer this question?
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? No
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Moscow, ID (not Russia)

If you read this, you are now tagged!

Sunshine and Shadows

This evening I saw the sun setting after several days of rain. Suddenly everywhere was flooded with light. The raindrops still glittered on the bare tree branches like white Christmas lights. The rooster across the way decided that it must be sunrise instead of sunset and I felt the warmth of morning in my soul. The dull tan concrete houses were blotched and dark with wetness that stood out from the grey and blue sky. Two small girls from the house across the street saw me standing on the glassy wet balcony and waved yelling "Hello! Hello!" Raising my hand to wave, I smiled, hoping that they knew that I was trying to be kind. The air smelled cleanly damp and the cars that drove by made a splashy noise like a mother hushing a small child. As the sun dropped further and further it became colderand darker, I retreated indoors where, although I can still see my breath, the rooms have been blessed with light.

Zebra

A zoo in Northern Iraq recently spent a large amount of money to purchase a zebra. The vet that inspected the animal recently resigned his position after a drenching rain storm. The paint manufacturer can no longer claim that their product has not been tested on animals. We wonder what will happen to the donkey.

Back at My Other Home

I am finally back in my home in the ME. I am so excited to see my kids (students) in the morning. But now...off to sleep. Happy!

Delayed in Dubai

Well, our flight got changed and no one told us and maybe the airline changed names too... we can't tell. Whatever the case, I am in Dubai for a bit more time than previously planned. We hope to fly out within the next few days and are calling the airport daily to keep track of the next flights out (make sure they don't get changed too!). But this allows for a little bit of sightseeing. Yesterday we went and saw the Ibn Battuta mall. Believe me, this place was impressive. There were areas of the mall for different places that this man Ibn Battuta had traveled from Spain to China. Below is a picture of the Persian area. I don't care for malls much, but I could have wandered around in this mall for ages. Although I don't know if that would be too good for business because I barely noticed the shops. I was only looking at the ceilings and walls. It is set up to look like you are outside almost, until you get to these huge rooms like cathedrals done up in that style. Then you move on to the next one. Anyway, it was fun and a good indoor alternative to the beaches. We wanted to go out to the beaches or something, but there was a sandstorm so we couldn't have seen anything anyway.

Nashville

Here I am... Nashville. It has a certain moist smell most of the times I have been here. It is a city full of roads that I haven't begun to understand despite my multiple visits here. The houses are beautiful with brick and pillars. The people almost all talk slow and add extra syllables. "Hill" comes out more like "Hee-yull". I can do a pretty good Nashville now. I haven't met any famous musicians...or at least anyone that I knew was famous. But maybe famous people like to meet people that don't know who they are. It means that they get to be normal, if only for a few minutes. Who knows...

So, it's been a while...

I have been terribly lax in posting this Christmas. I suppose that part of the reason is that I haven't been doing much of note. I have had snowball fights, lime juice fights, made funny hand signals with my sister, laughed until my head hurt, played Settlers of Catan lots and lots, read some Agatha Christie mysteries, had coffee/lunch/breakfast with people, laughed, gone walking by myself, played with my dog, cleaned my room (it kept getting messy), visited my grandparents, sang hymns, laughed, and laughed, and laughed. I have had a fabulous time.

Pictures... Pictures... and More...

So, I have all these pictures on my camera that I never put up because I forgot about them. Here are a select few. =)

Happy New Year!

I like Christmas. New Years is okay. It is a nice time for reflecting on what one has done. Although perhaps it ought to be done more... or less. Why do we decide that the change in the little numbers that we write at the top of letters or journals decide when we reflect, but "time and chance happen to us all".

Whatever the case, I looked through my old journals to discover the entries of January 1st. I have journals all the way back to when I was 7 years old. I find that there is a common thread, that weaves through them all, that is uncertainty. There is a great unknown out there, and I don't suppose that that will ever change.

I was talking with a friend as we contemplated our individual uncertainties and despite the fact that we dislike them, we also both knew that a life where we knew everything ahead of time would be rather boring. It is really more fun this way!

Oh the Places We Go!

On my way home I got to spend a day in Munich, Germany where I visited this famous castle. The Neuschwanstein Castle was gorgeous--I saw it covered in snow, unlike this picture. The whole place was "just like a fairy tale"... well, except that it was freezing and wet. But we all managed through rather happily I think.

I'm back!!!

I am back in the States now for a few weeks. I have the foggy mind of someone experiencing jet-lag. But it is actually not too bad. Thanks for all your prayers and support... Merry Christmas!

It is December!!

A Child of the Snows

There is heard a hymn when the panes are dim,
And never before or again,
When the nights are strong with a darkness long,
And the dark is alive with rain.

Never we know but in sleet and in snow,
The place where the great fires are,
That the midst of the earth is a raging mirth
And the heart of the earth a star.

And at night we win to the ancient inn
Where the child in the frost is furled,
We follow the feet where all souls meet
At the inn at the end of the world.

The gods lie dead where the leaves lie red,
For the flame of the sun is flown,
The gods lie cold where the leaves lie gold,
And a Child comes forth alone.

- G.K. Chesterton

An explanation...

Okay, so I got a comment and several other e-mails and chats about the Indian Mystery Dinner picture. I thought people knew about mystery dinners and such, but I guess not. It is a party of sorts where each person is given a part. They are all suspects in a crime...this one happened to be murder. The man on the couch is 3 parts pillow, 4 parts curtains and sheets, and 1 part basketball. This mystery also happened to take place on a British Plantation in India in 1846. Each character was given various things to reveal and conceal throughout dinner and all were trying to figure out who committed the crime. At the end each character guessed. We dressed up and ate Indian food and had a very very good time.

We had an Indian Mystery Dinner!!!

Words are not enough...

Someone Else's Rug

A Puritan Poem and Prayer

Lord of Immortality,
Before whom angels bow and archangels veil their faces,
enable me to serve thee with reverence and godly fear.
Thou who art Spirit and requirest truth in the inward parts,
help me to worship thee in spirit and in truth.
Thou who art righteous,
let me not harbour sin in my heart,
or indulge a worldly temper,
or seek satisfaction in things that perish.
I hasten towards an hour
when earthly pursuits and possessions will appear vain,
when it will be indifferent whether I have been
rich or poor,
successful or disappointed,
admired or despised.

But it will be of eternal moment that I have
mourned for sin,
hungered and thirsted after righteousness,
loved the Lord Jesus in sincerity,
gloried in his cross.
May these objects engross my chief solicitude!
Produce in me those principles and dispositions
that make thy service perfect freedom.
Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame,
so that with firmness and courage I may
confess the Redeemer before men,
go forth with him bearing his reproach,
be zealous with his knowledge,
be filled with his wisdom,
walk with his circumspection,
ask counsel of him in all things,
repair to the Scriptures for his orders,
stay my mind on his peace,
knowing that nothing can befall me
without his permission, appointment
and administration.

Taken from The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Betch you ain't never see this at a picnic!

Pomegranate Fun!

Sorry Letter

Imagine the following in alternating purple pink and orange pen.

Dear M. C----

Yesterday when you sent me to the office I didn't went to get the greenslip because I got one yesterday, but later when you told me I went, until now I didn't believe that Kurdish speech that said "lie's string is short". So I want to say that I am so sorry and I hope you forgive me.

Your student
----- ------

A quote that touched a nerve...

What are the lines for, exactly?

There is a particular road, a fairly main one, that has been recently decorated with its very own street lines. These gave me hope that there would soon be more organization on said road and perhaps more predictability in the driving patterns there. However, instead I followed a car for some distance yesterday morning up that hill and instead of passing it, I merely followed and laughed. This particular driver seemed to think that instead of driving between the lines, one was supposed to drive so that the line went directly down the middle of one's car, effectively taking his half "out of the middle" of the road. Other drivers completely disregard the lines as if they don't exist. I guess I always thought that people naturally drive within boundaries, but it must be something I learned through experience, or part of the way my culture thinks. Order is good, we say. God is a God of order. We like order. But these people don't always think that way.

More on my rug..

I think from Mr. Jesch's description, my rug looks like it is machine made... all those knots look really similar to me. Plus there is that nagging thought (although incorrect) that no one on the planet could have the patience to make a rug that is roughly 15 ft by 10 ft.

My Sewing Project

I thought I would show my progress on my most recent hobby. I am still missing a few colors that are being brought over from the states soon. But it is a relaxing thing and everything is put in order. It is a pleasant task since so much of life here is in disorder or "out of order".

من فه رش (My rug)

Out of the Blue...

I was reprimanding one of my students today and at the end of it, he said to me... "You know Miss C. I still think about what you said, 'A harsh word stirs up anger, but a gentle answer turns away wrath.'"


I wracked my brain and finally remembered a conversation we had early last spring. It is amazing how my kids retain stuff! And it is amazing too, to see how God's word never returns void. I know that I should not be surprised when God's word is true, I have seen the results often enough. But I still get blown away.

Craftiness...

It was like the planets had aligned themselves. A week ago, while I was on break and had time, I realized a need to organize some things, and I felt like organizing. All three coincided together...now I just had to figure out how! I needed some smaller bins or boxes for things like pens and cords. I haven't ever seen anything like that here, at least not in my budget. But I discovered a large cardboard box. I received permission to tear it to pieces and and a box cutting knife. I spent nearly all one afternoon and some of the next day creating boxes and covering them in brightly colored paper. My room is now organized and bright and happy!

I made 12 boxes in all, I think. The red one pictured here is the biggest and is triangle shaped to fit economically on my shelf. I have a grand stockpile of various medications that were rather ugly sitting on the shelf by themselves.

The Puzzle Undone

Have you ever been both troubled by something and yet, completely untroubled? This is the way with me now. There is less turmoil, but instead a steady waiting, like leaving a puzzle undone on a table. At the moment I am content to let it sit there incomplete and scattered. It has not been put away in a box, nor do I spend hours poring over the pieces trying to make them fit. I know I cannot leave it there forever--I will have to put it together or put it away someday. But as it sits out I am reminded of it, and I pray about it. And there it remains.

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

Text: George Matheson, 1842-1906
Music: Albert L. Peace, 1844-1912
Tune: ST. MARGARET, Meter: 88.886

1. O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths
its flow may richer, fuller be.

2. O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
my heart restores its borrowed ray,
that in thy sunshine's blaze
its day may brighter, fairer be.

3. O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow thru the rain,
and feel the promise is not vain,
that morn shall tearless be.

4. O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
and from the ground there blossoms
red life that shall endless be.

Hymnsite.com

Uh oh...

I had something I was going to post about, but before the page opened I forgot. Um... so... lately I have been up to studying the language and reading and praying and it has been nice to have time for these things on top of my teaching. And everyone gets a kick out of me speaking in their language.

It would be fun to type some of the words and letters here, but I haven't yet discovered how to get an Arabic script onto my blog post. I am in the process of looking it up. I don't want translation, just the script. Any ideas?

Colossians

I have been reading Colossians lately and I read in 1:19-20 about how God was pleased to have his fullness become human and through his blood on the cross to reconcile to himself ALL THINGS, things in heaven and on earth. While I have always known of the reconciliatory power of Christ's death for those on earth...I guess I never thought about anything in heaven having to be reconciled. Any thoughts?

Ramazan

They have turned the speaker from the local mosq in our direction recently. I hear it more clearly than usual. Perhaps they have turned up the volume as well because the call to prayer holds a tighter reign on the people at this time. It is the month of fasting for them now. This means they don't eat between sunrise and sunset, although there is much feasting otherwise. The students tell me it is to feel the suffering of the poor and one girl added that it makes her feel more thankful for food. Many more women cover their heads as well as a sign that they are fasting.

There is a strange duality to my thoughts about this. My first thought is that these people don't know really how a poor person feels even by fasting through a day and that if it doesn't change the way they feel about the poor then it doesn't matter if it changes their understanding. The idea is all well and good, but just because someone is educated about something doesn't mean it will change their behavior.

My second thought is that most Christians in America pay very little attention to even the possibility of fasting even though it is certainly not unheard of in the Bible. And while we live under grace instead of under law, isn't it an embarrassment to lukewarm Christians that people who have not truly been offered real life are willing to suffer more for their beliefs than people who have been exposed to real truth? There are many facets to this, and the longer I think about it, the less capable I am to write about it. But I will leave it there for now.

What about you?

Presidential Stuff...

So, I generally ignore the news. But with the Presidential Elections coming up, the encouragement of my parents that I should not be clueless, and a certain personal interest in the foreign policy of the next President, I decided to begin doing some research. I came across this. I don't know much about the guy but I have to admit I was impressed by this paragraph from his website.

If we leave, Iraq's neighbors on all sides will face a refugee crisis and be drawn into the war: Iran to protect the Shiites; Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan to protect the Sunnis; and Turkey to protect its control over its own Kurd population. Iraq is a crossroads where Arab meets Persian and Kurd, Sunni meets Shiite, so if it's not a peaceful buffer, it can easily become a tinder box for the region.

Personally, living in the Middle East, this is something I would rather avoid. Now I am going to go look up what other Presidential Candidates think will happen if the U.S. pulls out of Iraq.

Piffle.

I recently discovered that one of my friends is an excellent at talking piffle. It then occurred to me that many people probably don't know what piffle is and thus it is all very sad for them. For the word itself as well as the execution of it are both very entertaining. Go read Dorothy Sayers.

This is the reading for Sept. 11 in the devotional, The Christian in Complete Armour

“Whenever there is a storm in the spirits of saints, and the winds of their emotions are high and loud, it is easy to see who has stirred up the tempest. The devil practices his black art on unmortified lusts, that enable him to raise easily many storms of division among believers. Paul and Barnabas, for instance, set out in a calm together, but Satan sent a storm to part them in the middle of their journeyings: “And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other” (Acts 15:39).

There is nothing, next to Christ and heaven, which Satan begrudges believers more than their peace and mutual love. If he cannot separate them from Christ, and stop them from getting to heaven, he takes sinister pleasure in watching them get there in a storm. He would have them be like a shattered fleet separated from one another, saints deprived of the comfort and help of other Christians along the way. And when the devil can divide, he hopes to ruin also, knowing well that one ship is more easily taken than a squadron.”

Today...

I went and taught today. My students were glad for my return from the sickbed and it was touching. The other teachers were also happy that I was back which is good for the ego any day. Other than that, I chatted with one teacher about self-control, which she said was impossible and then I said, of course. Of course it is impossible without God. But Christ promises the Holy Spirit and part of the fruit of the the Spirit is self-control. As Christians we are no longer caught in the whims of the attitudes around us. What a blessing! So that is what has been on my mind today--reminding me that an even higher standard is required of me to prove Christ's power to those around me and yet, that that standard is not for me only, but for all who have the Spirit. And thus it is not only my responsibility or my power, but God's power producing self-control in my life. Thus my role is to rely on Him more and more. This all becomes clearer and clearer, sorry if my words make it seem muddy to you. Blessings!

Blog-o-Block...?

I have had the hardest time writing lately. Even my journal is lacking and my last several entries are dry and factual. I know I am busy and dealing with all sorts of changes and adjustment. But usually those are the times that I feel like writing the most so that I can sort out my world. Somehow this time is different. Maybe I am suffering from re-entry shock "back" into my old foreign culture. Wierd isn't it?

As far as stories of what I have been doing. The ladies from my team and I went out to dinner and then ice cream tonight. During dessert we began speaking about something (I can't even remember what!) and it was so intensely funny that we began laughing hysterically and uncontrollably. This of course being completely and totally inappropriate for women in public (here) had the whole restaurant of people staring at us. We, of course, were turning various shades of red and pink as well as trying to stifle our outburst. Anyone who has ever laughed this way will know that trying to stop it only makes it ten times worse. Before we had finished laughing, two ladies had accidentally dropped their spoons on the floor. Anyone who had failed to notice us choking in the corner of the room now drew their attention to us. The waiter promptly deposited two more clean spoons on the table; he was so quick because he also had been watching us the whole time. Somehow I have managed to have the embarrassment factor of a Middle Easterner without the same habitual control for my giggles. I am sure they thought we were all drunk--we weren't! We were just enjoying each other's company and fellowship. All in all a good time!

AH! I remember what was so funny. The ladies were trying to marry me off to the waiter's cousin.

Sara Groves Sings

I really Identified with the lyrics to this song, although I haven't been to Rwanda.

I have been reading the Psalms.

Oh Lord my God,
Help me in my distress.
My face is salty and wet;
My eyes are red with weeping.
I am pulled one way and the other
There is no way to please men.
My path is painful before me
I do not like the ways I see.
Anger rises in my heart
But spills out in grief of spirit.
I am a wanderer blown like the sand
I do not know where I will rest.
One man says go here,
Another says, no! this road is better.
The far-off one speaks with wisdom and authority
But doubts come from the near one's mouth
Smooth words that pull my desire to please
Although lacking in rights.

And yet my God is right.
His voice will lead me.
I will follow and walk in his way
Forever will he keep me secure.
Although those near me may grieve
And one will be disappointed
I will yet praise God my savior.
For I choose rightly with his help.
My actions are according to conscience
Made righteous by the blood of my Lord.
My God will never abandon me
For his love is everlasting.
Though human foundations crumble,
The pillar of YHWH stands firm.
He has shown me where to put my trust.
May I hear and know my Shepherd's voice.

I'm Back!

I am now back. I am jet lagged but excited. I saw some of my old students and it was wonderful. I set up my lesson plans for the first three weeks for one of my classes. I can't think right now so I will be back another time. I just realized that I used the word "back" 3 times. Scary what having a messed up time zone can do! Xwahafis!

What am I up to?!

Well, mostly this week I have been packing, repacking, and shuffling things. I actually enjoy this process because I like organizing and I like puzzles. Packing is a combination of both. And I like the challenge of both space and weight restrictions. I bought a smaller suitcase this summer so that I would be incapable of packing overweight but still managed to get more than 50 lbs. into it.



Other than that, I have been resting and reading. I recently finished a book called "The Heavenly Man". It is the autobiography/biography of a Chinese Christian called Brother Yun. It was striking to read how the Bible was true in his life and how verses about suffering and persecution applied literally to his life. His call to the Western churches for partnership and revival were amazing. I definately recommend the book.

A little unsure...

So, lately being confused over many things...I came across these verses. Finding that Paul gives no explanation but only the promise of understanding as a result of reflection, I am now reflecting. Please reflect with me.


2 Timothy 2:3-7Endure hardship with us like Christ Jesus.

Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.
The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Status Quo

I haven't posted for a week and I hadn't even realized it. I have not been really busy, but more of my life takes place face to face when I am in the States. Instead of e-mailing friends I call them up and we go out for coffee. Instead of scheduling Skype calls with my family we sit down together and play a game on a whim. Thus, my computer sits neglected and forgotten.

I have to admit that I don't miss it. I think lots of things we spend our time on we wouldn't miss if we had found something better. Sometimes we have found something better we just don't realize it. For example, I didn't miss TV when I first left my parent's home. My roomates and I didn't get TV channels and life was perhaps even nicer with books and real people instead of the flashing light box.

So, I haven't missed my computer or spending hours reading e-mails and checking the news. I know I will go back to that when I move back overseas this fall. For when I am there, that lifestyle is the way to communicate with my dearest friends and my wonderful family. But for now, for me, things like sight, touch, and smell are gifts much too beautiful to give up for telephone calls and feelingless typed words.

So I saw the Harry Potter movie...

The things I continue to notice...

Our silverware here in the U.S. of A. is fabulous. It doesn't bend at a 90 degree angle very easily at all. For those of you who have seen The Matrix, I am certain that they used Kurdish metal eating utensils for the "bend the spoon" tricks.

In addition, we have spoons that will fit in your mouth. In Kurdistan there is one size of spoon, it is generally the size we would use as a small serving spoon, just a bit larger than a tablespoon. Ahh... revel in your instruments for eating! They are a great blessing.

After so many years I still don't get it...

And now is the time to pray. It is sad how I only value prayer as much as I ought to when it is the only thing left I can do. Really I should go to it first, but somehow it seems that I try other things first. Why do I do that? And then things become a mess. It isn't my fault really, but I regret spending so little time in prayer over it all.

A man...

There was a man on the Areopagus that day that really struck me. There were other people there too, but this man wasn't part of some tour group or a tourist or anything. This man, whoever he was, made me think. He was most likely drunk or high. As he tried to talk to us his speech was garbled such that I couldn't tell if he was speaking Greek or something else. He seemed king of friendly, but my female companion and myself know better than to get mixed up with drugged foreign men. All in all, though, I was intrigued with the thoughts of what St. Paul would have done had he been there now, in this modern day. This man was the kind of man that Jesus gathered up, that the disciples would have healed, that Paul might have preached to. This man was here, on the Areopagus, and this city was stretched out before us, and they were both lost. What would Paul have thought standing there almost 2000 years later? What would Paul have done for this man? It seemed both hopeless and inspiring.

Paul's speech on the Areopagus (Thanks to blueletterbible.org [RSV])

Acts 17:24-30

The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything.

And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us, for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring.'

Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead."

My Personality...wierd.

Your Personality is the Rarest (INFJ)

Your personality type is introspective, principled, self critical, and sensitive. Only about 2% of all people have your personality - including 3% of all women and around 1% of all men. You are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging.

How Rare Is Your Personality?