Lawrence of Arabia

Birmingham, Alabama

2009-01-20T17:55:00.001-08:00

OK.... so I was doing pretty well there for a while keeping up with my blog. That is, until I came back to the USA. But I'm back! There is SO much to catch you up on and I can't wait to fill ya'll in!

I have just moved into my new house (well, the house is old but it's new to me) so there will be lots of "before and after" pictures to show. I spent the day unpacking and organizing which I, oddly enough, really enjoy doing. My kitchen is almost unpacked and I'm about to go get the bedroom straightened up and ready to sleep in. I'm eager to get settled- not only was my life in the Middle East/North Africa a little crazy but it's continued to be so since I'm recently moved back to Birmingham. I am ready to get settled.

I don't have much more time to write now but I wanted to say "hi" and I'm making a comeback to the world of blogging.

More to come...

Ajloun Castle

2008-05-31T00:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a couple of friends and I put on our "tourist" faces and went on a drive out to an old castle in a town called Ajloun. The castle was originally built in 1184 AD and was passed from one king to another as the years went on. These are a few random pictures of our little outing. It was so nice to get out of the city.

We just love some of the random things we see, such as the Tele-Tuby we passed. I think he was advertising for a restaurant along the road. Random. :

One of the towers of the castle:

Cool-lookin' moss growing on the castle floor:
One of my favorite flowers, wild poppies:
Cool-lookin' wild flower:

My friend, Sara, and I:

Morocco

2008-05-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

In February I had the opportunity to travel to Morocco and Tunisia for my work. I was only in each country for one very hurried week each. Both places have been on my list of "places I want to visit in my lifetime". I was a little disappointed that I did not get to see more of the country (especially Morocco since that trip was especially busy) but that just means that I'll have to keep it on my list and save my pennies to go back. One of the fun parts of my job is being able to go to new places. I love to travel and I love new adventures and that is one way my job has been perfect for me.

I don't have any crazy stories from Morocco like I do for the other places I've gone. Like I said it was a fast trip (5 cities, 8 trains in 6 days. ouch) so there wasn't much going on......actually I take that back. I DID have minor trouble on the train.... I got mixed up, twice, about which train station to get off at... being in a country I've never been to, traveling alone, and all. It wasn't that big of a deal, I just had to wait a few hours for the next train goin' my way. The funny part of the story is that I got off at the same (wrong) little train station both times- once coming and once returning. The same little old man at the station helped me. I'm sure he rolled his eyes at the funny foreign woman. I sat in a dingy little coffee shop sipping cup after cup of cafe au lait for a few hours trying to ignore the stares, as I was 'forced' to sit in a coffee shop which only men tend to patron. Well, anyway, being stuck at the wrong train station those two times gave me time to write postcards and journal not to mention the cups of cafe au lait, which were surprisingly very good, so I was a happy camper.

These three pictures are all random things of interest from Meknes:

A mosque on a hill-
Door-way of an old mosque-
Cookie shop in an open market-

2008-05-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

The next three posts are all taken in Kassala, Sudan. Kassala is somewhere in between a town and a village and is known for growing bananas and mangoes! I had a wonderful week there working the the deaf school and the deaf club!

The typical coffee served with popcorn. The smoke you
see in the picture is smoke from the coals that the coffee pot is sitting on.
This coffee is made with ginger and is really good! And you know me....
I never pass up an opportunity to drink good coffee.
I like this picture, even though it's a little hazy out there. This little
mosque is a little crooked, huh?
One view of Kassala. It happened to be green in this particular area... it is
the time of year that the rain starts so it's a little more lush than usual.
OK, on the first day there I went to a program at the deaf school in
Kassala. At the end I was asked to give a speech....so here I am.
I forgot what I said but it was good . Also, I was since made fun of
for claiming to have given a "speech" when I did not use my voice at all, just signing.
I know, I know.. very funny.

2008-05-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

This family that we went to visit live in a grass hut. One woman has six deaf
children and we enjoyed spending a little time with them.

We stopped to get some water to drink at this wide-spot-in-the-
road place. The man here was nice enough to get us a drink
and something to eat. What's he holding? Raw meat that used
to be a goat (it's hanging up-side-down). I especially appreciate
him holding on to the meat for us... and I'd like to remind you that at this
point in the day it's about 120 degrees. Nice.
Some of the guys I got to know in Kassala. This was at my going away party!

2008-05-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

These pictures are all taken in Kassala.....

Some little girls playing at the deaf school-

I was aiming to get a good "action shot"and I think this is a pretty good shot
even though I did cut their top halves off. What I love about this picture is
what you can tell about the culture from it. Notice their feet: one guy is playing
in his flip-flops, one guy is playing in one tennis shoe only (someone else has the other shoe),
and the third guy is playing in no shoes. Pretty skilled, huh?!
These kids stopped to watch our soccer game. I say "our" but I didn't play (because I'm a woman and it wouldn't have been appropriate....). The game was played by the men who are part of the deaf union. It was a good game....

War

2008-05-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

The awkward thing about war is that in one part of the world people are waging gun-wars in the middle of the market and in another part of the world people are at work, and picking up their kids from school, and going to the grocery and life for them is normal.

While I’m watching the sky darken with the black smoke of near-by bombs and thinking about who is being killed just miles away, my friends back in Jordan and in the States are living life and not skipping a beat.

Not that that’s a bad thing that everyone else is going on with life. I’m glad that war does not touch most of the people I know. At the same time, it’s an odd feeling. It’s like when a loved one passes away and you’re the one grieving while everyone else seems unaffected. You wonder how they could act like everything’s OK when, to you, it is the very opposite of OK. Maybe, for a time, friends grieve with you but then eventually you are left to mourn alone and watch everyone around you, envious of how un-tormented they seem.

I am in Khartoum, Sudan now. Those of you who tune in to the “world news” know that we’ve had a bit of trouble this past weekend. Surely you all know that Sudan has long been a war-torn country. This weekend the war came to the capitol, Khartoum. The rebels, who have been fighting against the government, brought their guns and their bombs and their anger to our doorsteps.

On Saturday I was with the girl I’m staying with paying the electricity bill, stocking up on more coffee, etc. The shopkeeper whose store we were in suddenly said-

‘Madam! You have to leave. You have to go home now!!’

A look of sheer panic had come over his face and he hurried us out the door shouting out behind us- ‘go home quickly!’

The government had imposed a citywide curfew and we all rushed home. My roommate and I gathered together important papers and a few clothes, and headed to our team-leader’s home so that we would all be together. That night we listened to the low thud of the bombs going off and watched the sky blacken with dark smoke of burning cars and rubble just miles away. The next morning we woke to reports of many casualties on all sides- rebels, government army, and civilians. Today-more street battles and riots. One moment is calm and the next huge helicopters are flying low and I can’t help wondering about all the mothers who have lost sons this weekend.

War. It is very ugly and if you think it’s black and white… think again. It rarely, if ever, is.

When I was 6 a war broke out in the country that my family and I were living in and has lasted until today. I have many, many good memories from my life in that country and from my childhood. I would never want my life to be different than it has been. It’s all been a gift- the good and the bad. Suffering and hardship is a gift, if you choose to see it that way. At the same time, that war is something that I will always, always carry with me. Some days it is awkward to know how to live with that. There are days when I recall coming face to face with the wrong end of a disgruntled soldier’s machine gun or running from angry riots or remember the pungent stench of tear gas. On those days I look around at everyone going on like life is normal. Within me is war and outside...everything is calm.

I realize this is not the MOST uplifting post. But this is where I am today. Sudan, as I said before, has been my dream come true. One of my favorite things to say is this: dreams aren’t perfect; they come true, not free. Being in Sudan these past three weeks and living in Northern Africa and the Middle East both during my childhood and these past two years has been my dream come true and whatever it requires of me I willingly give.

Signing off for now.

Love, from here……

Cairo

2008-02-11T00:21:00.001-08:00

I have been meaning to post pictures from my sight-seeing day at the pyramids in Egypt from way back in December! I was there in Cairo doing some research into the deaf schools there. It was kind of a bad time to visit since the Christian community was preparing for Christmas and the Muslim community was preparing for their Eid/holiday. No one was much interested in talking to me about deaf schools. I did learn some interesting things and stopped by the pyramids to take a picture or two! My family used to live in Cairo when I was a little girl (we actually had to evacuate from Gaza and went to Egypt- we were put on a bus in the middle of the night, left our house and all of our things to narrowly escape an up-surge in violence from the first Gulf War. We lived in Cairo for 4 months until it was "safe" enough to return to Gaza. That's a whole, other story for another day, though). So I've been to Egypt several times since we lived there but, still, it had been about 10 years since my last visit. Returning was both familiar and strange with moments of recalling good memories and hard ones.

My friends and I took a quick trip to see the Pyramids, since they're so magnificent! Here are some photos of that day:

This picture amused me. Camel owners offer to take you, on camel or horse-back,
on a ride around the sandy dunes which surround the pyramids so that you can
get the full experience of the desert. It's actually really fun (but I'd already been there,
done that and didn't care to this time).

Here I am.... on the look-out point where all the tourists go to take
good pictures.

There are six "smaller" pyramids where wives and children of the
Pharaoh's were buried. They are some distance away, though, and we
didn't see them this trip.

The three main pyramids. They look small in this picture.... they're huge in
reality.

So there you have it. I am packing today for my next trip, which will be to Morocco and Tunisia, two places that I have never been to. I am looking forward to seeing new things and, hopefully, learning about the deaf community in those countries. I will try to post from there. Keep me in your prayers!

Rambling...

2008-01-31T09:56:00.000-08:00

I have been writing more drawn-out posts lately. It's late and I can't sleep.... so here are some random things on my mind:

It snowed again today... about 5-8 inches. It shut down the whole city. It's soooo beautiful and I feel like I'm somewhere in Europe not in the desert. I will post pictures soon.

Today is the king's birthday (the king of Jordan). It's kinda cool living in a place that, on the news says, "today in the Kingdom of Jordan....". It's like a fairy tale land. Everyone loves the king here too which is amusing.

I love making lists. It's one of my favorite things. Now, I don't necessarily keep up with where the list is (it's usually somewhere in the abyss of my purse or left on my writing table)....but the process of making the list is entirely satisfying and I make them daily.

I also enjoy gardening very much. I re-planted my window boxes this week and it was the funnest, most relaxing thing. I've always liked plants and gardens but I didn't realize how much of a "thing" for me it is. The flower-boxes look great, by the way. Although I had to bring them in on a-counta the snow.

I go to my neighbor's house a few times a week to have tea (a very 'Arab' cultural/traditional thing). Tonight I was at "Auntie" Nuha's house (she's in her 60's??) and as we sat there chatting, watching the nightly news, sipping our hot tea, I realized just how difficult it will be to leave her in a few months. It makes my heart tighten to think of. About three years ago, in anticipation to my move here, I began to pray for someone exactly like her to care for me and to befriend. She is an exact answer to my prayers and every time I see her I feel like I have a little secret between me and God... like a special present He gave just to me. I don't want to leave her.

I found a new recipe for cinnamon rolls today. If anyone is looking for a recipe let me know.

And..... I think that's it. Now you've got just some random, lighthearted rambling. (lighthearted except for the part where I talked about leaving Auntie Nuha). Tomorrow will be another snowy day....and I can't WAIT! Drinking coffee, eating sweet rolls, watching the snow... yesssss!

Ya'll have a wonderful week....

How 'bout this weather!?

2008-01-23T13:05:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, we've had some snow here in Amman this week. I hear my friends and family in Birmingham, Alabama also had a snow day this past week! How fun! I woke up in the middle of the night hearing dripping outside. I assumed it was rain but when I woke up these big, beautiful snowflakes were falling. It continued on and off all day! In my area of town, the snow had all melted by the end of the day but in the higher elevation parts of Amman, it remained much longer.

In other news, my house has not gotten higher than 51 degrees inside. I honestly think it may be warmer outside than inside here. I don't know what else to do to warm it up.... it just will not. I guess I will have to find more layers. I usually have on about 5 layers on the top, two layers on the bottom, two pairs of socks and a scarf... I did draw the line at gloves. I do not wear gloves inside the house. I have a heating pad on my bed (size of a twin bed so it's a little small but better than nothing) that is amazing. I joked with a friend that if anyone is looking for me between now and the end of winter I'll be in my room in my bed with the electric blanket! Nice that I work from home many days so I can stay tucked in as I work on my computer.

I've had a couple of frustrating days this week... my gas heater has not been working and my gas oven has also not been working. I was so frustrated tonight that I almost cried. I can't cook if the oven's not working and there's no hope of warming my toes if my heater is down. It isn't the fact that they're not working that got me upset... lots of things around here don't work at least part of the time. It's the fact that I can't fix it. I don't mind calling friends to help.... they would have been more than happy to do so. I just wish I could have done it and I know if I lived in the States it would have been easier to fix. I really hope to get this resolved tomorrow. I'm having guests over for dinner on Friday so I should at least get it taken care of by then!

Anyway, enough complaining about things that don't work in my house. (but can I mention that my washer is also refusing to use it's spin cycle again? yeah. that's been lovely too). Sorry for complaining. I'll stop now. It really has been a good week in most other ways and I'm thankful for the good moments like some great visits with my neighbor, encouraging time praying and talking with two of my girl-friends here, snow, and some productive meetings I've had!

in the fire

2008-01-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that his all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.....
II Corinthians 4:6-10

This is one of... one of... my favorite passages. It is so honest about the struggles and suffering we will walk through in life and yet it is also so full of hope and purpose.

He makes His light shine through us, penetrating the darkness. And though we may be hard pressed, crushed, perplexed, persecuted.... though we may find ourselves overwhelmed by life, disappointed by broken dreams, confused about which way to turn.... we cling to hope because His life in us redeems all of our pain... Redeems for His glory.

I found out tonight that a friend and co-worker suddenly died today. He was on the way back to the country in which he works when he passed away. Details of what happened exactly are becoming known to us slowly. And I don't really know what to write next. He wasn't an extremely close friend but I worked with him last month and was supposed to be helping him with a project. .....perplexed but not in despair.....

Last month I found out that my sweet friend from college also died suddenly. He was about my age... (maybe 30?) and died unexpectedly from a heart condition. I didn't get a chance to tell him that I loved him; didn't make a chance to tell him that God loved him. And I'm so ashamed of myself for not being bolder and giving more of myself.... because now, for Jeremy, it's too late. I always feel torn in so many directions with my life and ministry here. There are so many people- millions, in fact- who need the message I bring. It is quite exhausting- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I confess- I often feel frustrated that I don't have time to meet my own needs for rest; for being taken care of and not do the care-taking..... but in times like these I wish I had given more of myself and more of my time, taken more risks and been more bold. When it's all said and done, I doubt I will regret not taking more time for myself like I regret not taking the time for Jeremy...... hard pressed on every side, but not crushed......

At Christmas time, I was traveling to spend some time with my family for the holidays. I had arrived at the Israeli border looking forward to the afternoon ahead cooking Christmas dinner, sneaking away to wrap presents, and loudly singing Christmas carols around the house with my mom and dad. I longed to hold my new niece, who would be there, along with her parents, for a short visit. I was rudely snatched out of my warm day-dream by a border-patrol officer angrily yelling at me refusing my entrance into the country. I was escorted out of the building like a criminal and forced to wait outside in the cold and rain for a total of 8 hours, not allowed to speak to anyone, not allowed to ask questions. The week that followed consisted of, among other things, waiting in one government office after an other- unpleasant officials throwing annoyed, snide looks in my direction before deciding to totally ignore me. I felt so hurt and disappointed. And it was in these darkest moments that I was urged to desperately cling to the hope that through these disillusioning experiences His light in me would redeem my struggles....... persecuted, but not abandoned......

Another favorite- Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

I share these things in an effort to offer some encouragement... to press on, cling to hope- even if you're only holding on to it by the tips of your fingernails-, look with excitement towards what is ahead whatever it may be, because He is worthy and because God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good

Be blessed. Be encouraged.

2007-11-29T08:25:00.000-08:00

These pictures I took at a place overlooking the city of Ta'iz, where I am this week. We had tea and some dinner as the sky darkened (that's me on the far left). And that blue house was just built into the side of the mountain. It was rather dark and foggy so these pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.

Color....

2007-11-29T08:08:00.001-08:00

These are all a glimps of what Yemen looks like: the meat man- yes, those are goat heads lying on that table and yes, they will be eaten. See that sheep in the corner there?? Poor little guy. Then there's the shepherd boy we passed in one of the villages. He was happy to see us! This man and woman are dressed in their typical clothing. And the men and the fruit and vegetable market were really amused by my camera. "Friend, friend!", they called out. That was my cue to take their picture (which I did gladly!).

Visits in Yemen

2007-11-29T07:56:00.000-08:00

Here is another snapshot of our visits in the villages. However, using the word "village" hardly describes the place we were this day. We took the jeep up the side of this mountain on what could hardly even be called a road. Up and over boulders, ditches, and steep, sandy ravines we slowly made our way to the very top. We ate lunch with this family... a father of nine kids who had married his wife when they were around 15 years old. This man and his wife are not very much older than I am and they've been married for 20 years! Yikes! Anyway, I worked with their oldest daughter and her father, again encouraging them to learn sign language. They were very skeptical at first but eventually got excited. I was also able to share with them a story from our Book. I will be interested to hear from them in a few years and see how they are!

Yemen

2007-11-29T07:45:00.000-08:00

Yemen. One of the most interesting places I have ever been. The influence and power of the society is found on the shoulders of the women even though from an outward glance it would seem that men control everything. The entire country is highly religious (Muslim)- almost 100% of the women cover in black except their eyes. The men chew "qat", a drug that is illegal in most places of the world and which is highly addictive. They start chewing around 2:00 in the afternoon and are out of commission for most of the rest of the day. I spent about a week in Sana'a, the capitol and then drove a few hours north to some villages to visit some deaf patients of a friend who runs a clinic. We wanted to love and encourage these families. And I personally wanted to encourage the families to learn sign language in order to communicate with their kids! In this picture above, I was visiting a sweet family... one of the poorest homes I have ever visited. I am not exactly sure how many- more than 6 members- lived in two or three dark, dingy rooms. The oldest child who is about 8 (they don't really know their ages since they tend not to keep up with or celebrate birthdays) is deaf and also has other physical handicaps. Abdul's parents had been given hearing aids and told that their son should be able to hear with them. After reading his audiogram, I broke the news to them that their profoundly deaf son would never be hearing. But I encouraged them to use sign language to communicate with their very bright and very sweet son. In this picture I am helping shape Abdul's hands into a sign.

Zoe

2007-11-13T14:46:00.001-08:00

My little niece, Zoe, is about months old now... she's too cute for words. Look at these pictures! I can't stand it. Zoe was a "fat chicken" for Halloween. She played the part well!!

2007-11-12T11:49:00.001-08:00

The past few weeks have been busy with various people and places. One of the places I've been hangin' out a lot is with Jim, featured in this picture, in one of our hospitals here in Amman. Jim and his wife, Gwen, are co-workers of mine and live in a town about one hour or so away. About three or four weeks ago, Jim became very ill and has been in the hospital since- some time in the ICU and some in a regular room. I have stayed with him for several days and also go to visit every other day or so in order to give Gwen some time to run errands, pack their house so they can return to their home in the U.S., or just get out of the hospital to grab a bite to eat. I didn't know them very well a month ago but we know each other well now! I'm not very good at asking for help and neither is Gwen.... so I don't give Gwen a chance to have to ask, I just go.
We hope that Jim will be stable enough to travel within the next day or two. I know that we've all gotten to know hospitals too well lately and they'll be happy to get home where they can have their family near-by. It's been a pleasure to get to know them.

In other news... I am getting myself together in order to travel to Yemen next week. I have this weird thing since living here that every time I travel, especially for long periods of time and especially to unstable or dangerous places, I feel the need to clean my house to perfection, clean out "junk drawers", leave my important papers in order, and in every other way leave behind as little mess and clutter as possible. I guess for two reasons: to have a clean place to come back to or to not have a mess for someone else to clean up in case something happens and I don't come back (the second reason is unlikely but it's still in my mind).

Before I sign off for the day, I want to remind you about the believers in Gaza who have continued to have their lives threatened since Rami's death (see below post if you don't know about Rami). It's a terrifying thing to wonder every day if you're next to be killed. But in their boldness, our brothers and sisters have said this about the persecution they endure for their faith: "it is a difficult school but we learn alot and it is a privilege to be in this school. " Please continue to remember them in your prayers.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!!!!!!

2007-10-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

I was recently put in touch with an Iraqi couple who have come to Amman as refugees.
Yeh-Yah is deaf and his wife, Wesaal is hearing. Yeh Yah became deaf as a result of the first Gulf War. He was driving in a car with his first wife, who was pregnant at the time. A bomb hit their car and his wife and their child was killed. Yeh Yah spent the next nine months in the hospital and has lingering scars and injuries, including his deafness. I was asked to do an informal language assessment for them before they immigrate once more.. this time to the southern USA. We had the nicest time together... what a delightful couple! They leave this coming Tuesday heading to a new life. They have no idea what to expect; they're nervous and fearful. What if Americans don't like them because they are Arab? Will their neighbors be friendly? Will they be able to learn English? The questions hang over them heavily. Through the mercy of the U.N. they will have refugee status in the U.S., which is how they'll be able to stay. With all of my heart I wish I could be there waiting on the other side and welcome them; help them get settled. Thankfully I have some co-workers who happen to be in the same city Yeh- Yah and Wesaal are moving to. My co-workers will be there for another two months and I'm sure they'll be very helpful!

If you think of it, pray for these two as they face huge changes ahead. Love on someone who you cross paths with today... someone who looks like they may not "belong", who are unsure of how to fit in with our American culture, maybe they don't speak English well (or at all), maybe they are controversial....whoever they are they need your warm smile and encouragement.

Ad (the director of the Deaf Center), Yeh-Yah, Wisaal, Bonnie

Funeral Blues

2007-10-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

We buried Mr. Hejazeen on a sunny, breezy Thursday. At noon that day a friend and I got in a taxi and we chugged and choked our way through town, up and over the Amman hills to the Christian cemetery. When we arrived, I joined the women inside the chapel while my friend waited with the men who were congregated outside.

As my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit chapel I could see that we were sitting in a round, domed room painted white and pastel blue. There was a huge, gold chandelier hanging from the center of the room directly over a marble slab/counter, which is where the body in the casket was to be laid during the service. On another alter stood a tall, gilded, and worn picture of a sad-faced Jesus. Us women sat together on one side of the round room clutching damp tissues and muttering under our breaths tearful words about the family- “Anxious to know how they're holding up”, “Did you hear about the way he died?” “Can you believe how suddenly it happened?”, “Poor Laila- what is she going to do now, will the wedding be post poned?”. On and on we muttered and dabbed our tears.

As the women’s benches slowly filled up I sat in awe at these exquisite village women who were trickling in one by one: Women covered in black cloaks with very long, black hair which was parted in the middle and braided down both sides then covered with a black lacy scarf and tied in the back. The women were olive-skinned; brown eyed carrying themselves with an air of dignity. In them you could see grief and resilience, sensuality and fatigue, calm and mischief mingled together. On their rough hands they wore the traditional gold bangle bracelets and gold rings. Gold earrings drooped from their ears. Their eyes, red from crying, were lined with khol liner. Dramatic. Enchanting.

And all at once with a collective gasp from those of us sitting and waiting, the immediate family swooped into the chapel. The women entered first, all dressed in simple black, no make up, no jewelry. The women grasped on to each other in desperate grief and lead one another to their assigned wooden benches; the casket followed carried by Mr. Hejazeen's sons, grandson, and sons-in-law and behind the casket all of the men who had been clumped together outside waiting now bustled through the doors and either sat on their side of the chapel or stood lined up in front of the doors. The Greek Orthodox priest began his chanting prayers and Bible reading. We stood and sang out "aaaahhhmmmmmeeeen" when appropriate, sat down again and repeated this motion a few times. There was one song that the people sang together- a chanting song from a passage of the Bible. One thing I love about the ways Arab-Christians sing is that they don't try to sing pretty. Most American Christians will only sing out if they think their voice sounds good and they don't mind others around hearing them. If they think their voice might crack or they may sing the wrong note they simply mouth the words and let the tune come out quietly under their breath. Not so here. The point of singing here is to have your voice heard- loud and clear. And so voices rang out in a boisterous melody. The congregation belted out the last, shaky note and we all sat down again.

The service came to an end and the priest prayed over the open casket. He poured olive oil over the body of Mr. Hejazeen and sprinkled dust over him. He signaled with a nod and backed away from the open casket and with a startling, loud clamor the immediate family of Mr. Hejazeen rushed to the casket which was laying on the marble slab and roughly reached for him, leaning in to kiss him one last time, touch his face, and say good-bye. They clung to each other; pulled one another away from the casket, cried out sobbing, fell on the floor in hopeless loss. The casket was pushed closed and the men bustled their ways back out the church doors to the graveyard. The husbands and brothers left the room with the other men throwing sympathetic, helpless looks back at their wives and sisters.

The women were left inside to grieve the way we do... with messy tears and streaked faces, hungry for comfort. We scooped the daughters off of the floor and carried them to the hard, wooden benches. We were hot and sweaty and helpless- at a loss for what to say. Sometimes the most comforting thing we, as friends, can do is simply be there- a silent companion. So we stood around the round, pastel blue chapel kissing the sisters and squeezing their tired shoulders. We stood there with the picture of Jesus looking down at us sadly. We dug through purses looking for one more clean, dry tissue and when Mrs. Hejazeen or one of the daughters threw back her head and choked out a sob we murmured soft words in her ear and let our tears run freely down our sweaty cheeks. A couple of the women pulled out cigarettes and shakily tilted their dainty chins and blew out smoke right there in the pastel blue chapel; right there with Jesus looking down sadly at them. And after a time when all of the cheeks had been kissed and all of the tears had, for the moment, been cried out, we cleaned our faces, smoothed back our hair and stepped out of the dim chapel into the sunny, breezy Thursday afternoon joining the men who were clustered around waiting...grieving in their own sort of way.

I decided that it takes a lot of courage to grieve without restraining yourself. It takes a lot of courage to freely express your emotions.... to really let yourself feel. And if anyone has the courage... Arab women do. I used to be ashamed of myself because I am a very emotional person. I try to numb myself to how I really feel because if I don't then I am afraid that my emotions will over-take me. After today, though, I feel more proud of that "feeling", emotional woman inside of me and more determined to free her. After all... it really would be a sign of my courage not my weakness, right?

Day Camp for the Deaf-

2007-07-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

Well these pictures aren't the greatest but I wanted to give you an idea of our week of day camp. These kids were great fun!! We had several different variations of sign language going on but despite the possible obstacles, communication was seamless!

Explaining the game-

The girls, including the Americans who had come to help
for the week- (next time it could be YOU in this pic!!!)

The guys-
The kids loved pool time. They were young enough so that
swimming in bathing suits boys/girls mixed was not a
problem. Also, in this picture is a young lady of the deaf
community who came to help that day-
More pool time-

Letter

2007-07-04T12:50:00.001-07:00

This is a letter I sent a couple of friends a couple of weeks ago and I thought I would share it with the rest of you. This experience will last in my memory forever....

Hey, guys.... I want so badly to share with you the things I experience here. The only way know how to bring you into this world with me is to write about it. These are some thoughts I wrote down after church this morning. I love being there so much I just HAD to give you a glimps of it......

I returned today, for the second time, to the Sudanese Church. I entered the room after they had already begun and joined in on the song they were singing.... the song that we continued to sing for the next fifteen minutes. Yes, fifteen minutes. My grandmother loves to laugh about the "7/11 choruses", as she refers to them. The new songs the "young folks" like to sing instead of hymns that are seven lines sung over and over and over and over again. Those 7/11 songs PALE in comparison to what we had going on this morning. The great thing about this song is how joyously it was sung- what exuberance, what enthusiasm, what a fun spirit. The people threw back their heads, sang out the words... "Jesus is alive, Amen (amen, amen, amen....)" and didn't hold back anything. We all got lost in our personal worship and forgot that the other was there... each of us clapping, swaying, dancing, stomping our feet in rhythm-- each one to his own beat and yet each beat mingled together in perfect unity forming the kind of rhythm and harmony that seemed practiced.

Eventually, the song faded and prayer time commenced. And these people know how to pray. Again, opening themselves to God and holding nothing back. Each of them spent the majority of their prayers thanking God, praising Him, loving Him, humbling themselves.... only at the end requesting a need be met or a sickness healed or a brother released from prison. THESE PEOPLE... who had no homes in Sudan. Sudanese to not know safety, comfort, ease of life. They don't experience justice from their war-torn country. One almost wonders what they have to be so thankful for?! How could they be so full of life?

Haha..I actually found myself laughing inwardly at one woman whose prayer was especially....heartfelt. She prayed at the top her voice and the longer she went on the more excited she got.... she actually was rather yelling out her prayer. I imagined God saying something like- Woman, there is no need to yell at Me. I can hear you just fine. Of course that isn't very respectful of me (sorry but it really is what I thought).

What I learn from the Sudanese church is how to worship with abandon. How to love God with all of who I am even when life's circumstances seem to make that impossible. Even when "all of who I am" seems to be not very much of anything worth offering to Him.

I loved the prayer of Pastor John who, when praying for a brother who had been arrested by the secret police, said "Lord, you are the chain breaker; you are a captive-free-er.....no matter how tight the shackles. Free him so that he may rejoice."

I love the Sudanese Church..... I think one reason that I love it is because it's dramatic and passionate and I am too and there aren't many arenas (public areas... many of you experience my drama-queen-ness on a daily basis) that I can express that part of me. Here, I can be free... and I throw my head back and sing real loud and sway real sassy-like and stomp my feet and say "AMEN" out loud during the sermon and trust that in doing this, in offering myself fully to God without holding back that He loves what He sees.

Ethiopia

2007-07-01T03:43:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've written.... partly because there's so much in my mind I don't know WHAT to write and partly because I've been in Ethiopia for a couple of weeks! Now that I'm back in the land of email and internet with new pictures and new stories in hand I thought it was time to give a mini update to what has gone on in my life since I last posted.

There may be some of you wondering just what it is I am doing over here in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Though I can't explain in full detail on the internet (though, I'll be happy to explain in person when I see you) what I'm doing I can tell you that I am a consultant for an NGO (nongovernmental organization) called IDRB and I am to travel the region researching about the deaf. I spent the first 7 months of my assignment studying Arabic and I will spend the next 11 months on the road to research. Like I said above, I just got back from Ethiopia which was interesting to say the least. It was a hard two weeks for me and I learned a lot about myself. There were some great things and not-so-great things- I loved to sit on the floor of peoples' huts and eat food off of the ground. I enjoyed walking down the market pathways even when it means having ten children following me and every eye in the place on me (not my favorite), and I love Ethiopian people- they are sweet and gentle. But I also love to shower every couple of days (unreliable water in E), I need to be connected to friends and family through emails and phone calls (which I was not while there), I like being able to buy dark chocolate (none there), and I do NOT like being bribed for money (which seemed a common occurrence). It was a good feeling to get back to the Middle East where I was much more familiar with language, life, and culture. What a nice feeling it was to be able to argue with the taxi drivers and read street signs and take a bath and eat lots of dark chocolate!
Here are some pictures of scenes from Aksum, Ethiopia.....

Outside our friend, Himenot's cooking hut. She had taught us how to make
the traditional food, enjera-

Coffee being poured. Ethiopia claims to have been the first country
to discover coffee and have an elaborate coffee ceremony....

This isn't the best picture of me but I love Himenot, who is beside me.
I fainted in her arms earlier that week (another story) and she became my good
friend after that....

Our friend Letenesana (who is deaf) and two ladies she works with-

Colourful walls against the backdrop of a drab setting....

The traditional Ethiopian food. I'm not sure what all I was eating...
not sure I want to know. Ethiopian food isn't as good as Arabic food
and the first time I ate it was really a struggle... I learned to like it fairly
well....anyway it's colourful!

The market (women don't like their pics taken... they're
hidind behind the umbrellas)-

Natural... disaster?

2007-05-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll....well things are definitely warming up (thankfully) and now you won't have to hear/read me whining about how cold I've been!!! Instead of deep, penetrating cold, we are now experiencing a lovely weather phenomenon called, in Arabic, khamseen. The word khamseen means 50 literally and though I have not heard exactly why it's called "50" I'm guessing it's because the temperature can get up to 50 degrees Celsius (which is about 120 Fahrenheit). Anyway.... this is the way it goes- The khamseen begins and it is suddenly hot and still. You know how when you're cooking something in the oven and you open the oven door to check on what you're cooking a wave of heat comes out and slaps you in the face? This is what it's like during the worst of the khamseen. While Amman is typically breezy and pleasant during the evenings of the warmer months, a khamseen will give you no breeze so you rather feel as though you could suffocate! The most fascinating thing about a khamseen happens towards the end.... that was last Friday for us. Friday I woke up to overcast, dark skies. Only wishful thinking would allow me to hope that it may rain. Instead of rain, the day grew increasingly orange. By noon the sky was truly orange and you could not see very far in front of you! If you opened your mouth to breathe you could taste dirt. A fine layer of orange dust and sand covered everything. By late afternoon the sand storm was blowing on through to it's next victim- town leaving us here in Amman choking blindly; dirty. I spent most of the day yesterday cleaning my house and am not finished yet....
I remember these khamseens growing up in Gaza and despite how gross they are and how much work they create in the cleanup I think they're so cool and interesting! And it's a fun reminder of my childhood in Gaza.
Below are three pictures, one of a clear day, one of a dusty sky like the beginning days of the khamseen, and the khamseen at it's best/worst. (The last picture was taken by a friend of a friend).

Cool, huh!?

2007-04-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Today was an interesting day! Well, back up.... I've been out of town for a week. I got back yesterday (which was Friday) and had a smooth passage through the border (several posts ago, I explained a tumultuous trip through the same border. This one was thankfully fairly hassle free!). This morning my friend and coworker, Glau, called me to say all NGO workers had been called together for a conference and since we are included in that category, we were invited. The special thing about this conference is that Her Royal Highness, Princess Aliiya was attending. Let me just say- when Glau called me- I was still in my pj's and was barely in the middle of my first cup of coffee.... and she told me I needed to be there in an hour. You'll be proud to know that I did not panic, did not rush... I took my time (ok, ok... I didn't take my time but I was totally calm, although I didn't get breakfast which is a problem because I never go without breakfast. Thankfully, there were cookies and coffee there and I stuffed my face later in the morning). Anyway, so an hour later, there I was in the Radison Hotel lobby showered, dressed in my "meet important people" clothes and ready to impress the Princess. A minute or two before the conference started, Glau pulled another surprise on me with a "how about helping me interpret for Ad (her husband) and the other deaf"? Now THAT was nerve-racking. As much as I love interpreting... listening to Arabic, translating that in my mind into English and then getting that onto my hands... SO HARD! Thankfully a translator showed up, she whispered English into my ear and I interpreted that into sign.
It was a good but long... about 6 hours) conference; it was nice to learn about other NGO work, and Princess Aliiya was kind, humble, and an honor to meet. (see the pictures below!)

As soon as the conference was over the three of us rushed over to the Deaf Center for the first sign language class which had already begun. It was then that Glau pulled out the third and final surprise of the day- "wanna help me teach English to the deaf today?". So off we went... the first class we were holding teaching the guys English. Although I am a trained teacher, I am not a trained English grammar teacher and these days with many different languages in my head it's all I can do to spit out a grammatically correct English sentence! HA!! Anyway, it was fun... those guys are so smart and it was fun to see them so eager to learn.
I've just walked in the door... so tired and starting to feel a little sniffly! I'm sure I'll sleep well tonight.
A fun day. Oh, here are some pictures from the Deaf Center. Sorry this is such a long post but there was lots to tell.

Da'oud, one of the regulars at the Deaf Center-Learning Sign Language!-
First day of sign language class-
Sahail, the teacher-

Ad presenting, Glau voicing- Chatting with the Princess-
Princess Aliiya seated-

Traditions

2007-04-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Arab Christians have a tradition of making what is called maamoul every Easter. It is a cookie of sorts- one is filled with dates and is in the shape of a circle; one is filled with pistachios and is rounder (the first picture below is pistachio). The round cookie represents the crown of thorns on Jesus' head at the time of His crucifixion. The more ball-shaped ones represent the sponge which was used to give Jesus a drink during the crucifixion.
Last week my wonderful neighbor Nuha called me downstairs to her apartment to help her and a couple of friends make maamoul. We had a great time, the ladies loved teaching me this age-old tradition and I loved learning! It's harder to do than it seems!!

Lebanon-

2007-04-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

At the end of February I went to Lebanon. The purpose of my trip was to do some research for work as well as what we call a "visa run". The government in Jordan gives me a visa to stay in the country that lasts about a month and I either have to go through a process to re-new the visa OR leave the country and re-enter so that they give me a new visa stamp! I had come to the point that I had to leave the country which is partly what led me to Lebanon.

Lebanon, as you can see from the pictures, is a really beautiful country. It is still struggling to get back on it's feet from the war with Israel last summer but none-the-less very beautiful. We were in the capitol, Beirut, in the south, Tyre and visited in some refugee camps as well. I will be returing at the end of this month to work further with my research with the deaf. Enjoy the pictures.....

2007-02-25T07:16:00.000-08:00

“My mother and father cried when I was born”
“My mother was scared when I was born because I was born deaf”
“I have never seen my child talk in sign language like she talks with you”
“My family doesn’t know sign language…they say it’s too hard to learn”
“Sometimes I don’t know what my daughter is trying to tell me because I don’t know sign language…. I don’t understand her”

These are some of the things I have been told the past few weeks….some of the things that I have wept over. I was at the deaf center last weekend and each of the guys there took turns briefly sharing the stories of their lives. Each one told, with a sense of resignation, how their parents' hearts were broken when they were born…deaf. And with all of my heart I wish that my love for them would erase the pain they pretend they don’t feel. How can they be shown that they are lovable and acceptable just as they are? Could they ever believe that there is a God who loves; loves to walk with us, to guide us, He loves to hold and comfort us, to pick us up when we fall down; He loves to teach us and shape us and most of all, He just simply loves. Could they ever believe that? Could they sense that through me? What can I do to be Jesus to people who don’t know who He is? A warm smile at the Iraqi refugee lady who isn’t welcome here, speak a blessing to the man who cleans my street and who no one else wants to love, spend time with the deaf little girl who’s family doesn’t know how to talk to her… a little girl who needs to be needed and who needs to be wanted, maybe a bold word of my faith to the man who drives me in his taxi? What can you do to embody Him? Show kindness to the family who only speak Spanish? Forgive someone who hurt you….someone who may not “deserve” your forgiveness? Go out of your way, even if it means being off schedule, to help take care of someone else’s need…..
It is a challenge to myself and to you to realize that being a witness and loving people can’t happen by accident but must be intentional. Sure, the Lord opens doors for us but sometimes we have to push on the door and see if it will open on our own. I hope you find creative ways to “love sincerely, be devoted to one another, to honor one another above yourselves, to keep your spiritual fervor in serving the Lord, and to share with God’s people who are in need” this week. Every person is in some kind of conversation with God. When our paths cross their paths, we have the opportunity to be a part of that conversation.... and it is up to us to determine what they will learn about God from us, whether our paths cross for moments or years. As the song goes, "Did I choose to love? Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things? I want to leave an offering...."
I hope ya'll have a great week and live.... and believe out loud.

Baby It's Cold Outside.....

2007-01-31T04:32:00.000-08:00

You Know You Live in the Middle East in Winter if…….

1. It rains..... and the streets flood
2. You haven’t had a shower in three days because there is no hot water
3. You turn the oven on and huddle around it just to keep warm
4. You have thee pair of socks on, long-johns under your pants, a long underwear shirt and two sweaters, your jacket, gloves and a hat…..and you’re sitting in your living room (still cold, too)
5. You don't need to put food and beverage in the refrigerator or freezer because leaving them out on the counter will suffice.
6. You can see your breath when you’re inside
7. It takes about 3 days for your clothes to dry after you wash them (because you don’t have a dryer) and even then they always feel damp
8. It helps if you wear a hat to bed

I was going to wait until I had ten or so "reasons how you'd know if you were in the Middle East during winter" but I thought these would be fun to share. I'll add more as I experience them in the days and weeks to come! I hope you, readers, don't take this list as a list of complaints...while they are all true, it's still one more thing to laugh at and be thankful for and I don't mean at all to complain! So stay warm wherever you are an enjoy the central heat extra much for me! And for those of you who either still live in the Middle East winter or have at one time.... feel free to add to this list! :)

A New Year.....

2007-01-12T07:04:00.000-08:00

Well bright and early on the first day of 2007 I began to think to myself what kind of New Year's resolutions I might dream up. I remember I used to make resolutions when I was a little girl...things like "try to be nicer to my brother" and "write more letters to my grandmother" and when I was a little older "write in my journal almost every day". Then in my college days it was "work out more, lose weight, drink more water" and so on. This year I was sort of at a loss as to what I needed to resolve to improve or work towards. Not that there's nothing to improve on....nonononooo...that's definitely not the reason! I think I just feel a little overwhelmed at what I am facing in the year ahead. I was told recently that my supervisor has a list of about 10 countries he wants me visit in the coming months in order to make contacts with the deaf there, I am facing more months of studying Arabic (WHAT a task!), not to mention keeping my chin up as I strive to live well in the Middle East. My resolution should be: live one day at a time with grace!

Anyway I think instead of dwelling further on things to come I will spend some time writing about things in the past year. In one year a lot has changed... It has been an adventure settling in here. I am recalling many lessons my parents taught me like- make every obstacle an adventure, live one day at a time, expect the unexpected, and celebrate even the smallest of successes! As I was growing up in the Gaza Strip we lived by these and I learned as a very little girl that life was fragile and precious and hard. God never promised us an easy journey, only suffering was promised. I learned to live in the moment and take from each day what it brought, with joy and thankfulness. I am trying to put those things into practice. Here are some other things I am having opportunities to live out:
1. Moving here has provided the opportunity to live with the fact that I have given up my rights. In the United States personal rights are something highly valued and taught. For women, especially, "rights" are something that have been fought for and something that women claim and hold to tightly. And living in a different culture/different countries where these "rights" are not put into practice, especially for women, has been difficult at times. I no longer have a right to have my voice heard; I do not have a right to dress as I like, go where I like, when I like; I no longer have the right to life my life my way. I am expected to live as the women here do.... or pay the price. Now, of course there are basic human rights that I will always hold to but the more general personal rights that we Americans are so used to are a thing of the past....
2. "Keep my eye on the goal"- that has been a line I've said to myself many times since coming here. There have been times when I was so lonely or sad or frustrated I've said to God, "Is it time to go back yet? Can't You please let me go now?; ....uh I was just kidding about this whole, 'move to Jordan' thing....can I go back??" When it's pouring down rain and I am standing out in it NOT finding a taxi, when the men treat me badly, when I am so overwhelmed with my job, and when I feel like turning back I sense a voice from the Lord saying, "Am I worthy?" and I know in an instant that He is. And that I can endure whatever comes my way because He is worthy and my purpose here is for Him.
3. Keeping perspective...... is not as easy as it seems. But it is something I am getting practice in!! "It could always be worse" is another phrase I repeat to myself often. I find myself coming up against several frustrating things about life here in the Middle East! One, for example, is my washing machine. For starters it is very small so if you have what may be considered one load of laundry in the U.S. I can probably fit about half or a third of it into my washer. Water only comes into my water tanks once a week- Thursdays. So Thursdays are my laundry day and it seems to consume my whole day! One delightful thing about my washer is that it's spin cycle does not do its job. Therefore after the cycle stops and I open the door to the washer I find soaking, sopping wet things inside. This is especially frustrating when washing towels (you can fit about two bath towels in the washer at one time and that's about it). Now, manually wringing out towels may not sound like a big deal but let me assure you that it is a lot more difficult than it may sound. It is especially frustrating because I don't have a dryer and it takes about two days for clothes to dry on the line (in the winter) so hanging out soaking wet things would, like, double the drying time. So there I was yesterday, leaning over the sink, holding heavy, soaking towels up, wringing ,with all my might, but somehow not managing to really get any water out! Except there is water all over me and all over the floor....and still in the towels! I stopped to rest, tried not to say ugly things to my towels and to the washer....and then I burst out laughing as it dawned on me... it could always be worse! Hey, at least I have a washer! At least I have clean water that comes in every week! So praise the Lord. Praise the Lord for the blessings that I do have, praise Him for a spin cycle that doesn't work, praise Him for the struggles He leads me through and praise Him that "He isn't an escape from reality but the way into its depths".
4. I am seeing that it is harder to forget than it is to remember.
I am going to keep this point vague for now but I am painfully experiencing this..... an attempt and a failure to forget that which I wish I could.

So here's to a new year! Here's to more adventures and more overcoming, more laughter, tears, and celebrations....

Never a dull moment...

2007-01-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

Another story from the life and times of Bonnie...... This one is about a border-crossing and I think it's rather amusing!

It began on Wednesday morning when Sarah and I (some of you may know Sarah who used to live in Birmingham where we became friends. Now she lives and works here) left Jerusalem to return here to Jordan. There are three border crossings from Israel into Jordan and our plan was to cross from the middle border, called the Allenby Bridge. We get a taxi to the border, said farewell to my mom and dad (who live and work in Jerusalem) and off we went, toting LOTS of stuff (four suitcases, two boxes, two shopping bags, a computer bag, and a couple of purses... will I EVER learn to pack light?!?! well it wasn't all my stuff anyway). We got to the border without dying in a car crash (these people over here drive insanely), got through the first check point without too much hassle- We were stopped by four young Israeli soldiers lounging with their machine guns. A fifth soldier approached our taxi to check out passports. He was very pleasant (that's not always the case, though) and asked if we were carrying any weapons. We wondered what he actually expected us to say..."yes, sir in my pink suitcase I have a hand gun in my make-up bag. Oh, and I forgot about the semiautomatic is somewhere in there too!" Anyway we thought that was amusing but were thankful that he was nice.
On we went to the main border where we successfully paid the "exit tax" and passed through the Passport Control section (this time without being questioned like last time) and after tipping the very nice (and strong) man who dealt with our luggage we loaded ourselves onto the bus which was to take us from the Israeli side of the border to the Jordanian side of the border. Everything was going smoothly until we stopped in "no-man's land" to have our passports checked again, a nice soldier stepped onto the bus and looked us over. He stopped to glance through everyone's passport but when he came to mine he did a little more than glance. It seriously seemed that he took like 10 minutes to decide what he thought about me and my stamped up passport. Really I think he just took about two minutes before stuffing my passports into his shirt pocket, giving me a disapproving look and sign and walking on. Oooh dear. Where is my passport going? Wasn't he supposed to give them back? Ohhhh dear, dear Lord.....dear Lord. Please let that nice man come back and give me back my passports. Oh here he comes!!! What? Get off the bus?? Come with you to a little room for questioning? I glanced back at Sarah who is taking it up a notch with the prayers and followed the nice man out of the bus into a little building to answer questions about who was I, and what was I doing here, etc? The questioner questioned and I answered, he pushed and I pushed back. We danced. He won. "You can't go to Jordan." he says. I didn't know how to fight back this time so I just said, OK. He sent a young guy to get my things off the bus while I went to get Sarah and after discussing the options decided to stick together (even though they didn't have a problem with her). We unloaded the bus, smiled at the other travelers who seemed intrigued with out situation, and stood on the side of the road in the middle of no-where wondering what next!!!
We stood there looking at each other feeling a mixture of amusement and panic. After a few minutes the soldiers asked us to have a seat in the shade which we did. We were very cooperative for about 15 or 20 minutes and then I decided to start pushing again. I got up to say "excuse me but there is really no reason to hold us up like this.... we have proper visas and we are teachers (or something like that), and please just let us go". I was prepared to throw a mini fit if necessary but thankfully it was not!! Just as I was getting my "fit-throwing" voice ready the guy said, you can go on. They loaded us on the next bus that came our way and off we went! We were pulled aside one more time into another little room and then the official said, these women are no problem for us, let them go!

Exhausted but happy we arrived home after another exciting taxi ride up the mountain in lovely Jordan. Another perfect example that there is never a dull moment with life here in the Middle East.

Sorry for the longwinded story but I felt it was necessary to record the adventures that come my way!!

Christmas

2007-01-05T05:04:00.000-08:00

I am back in Amman after spending a great time in Jerusalem with my parents (they work there) and a bunch of friends. We had a really good time. Of course I was happy to be back in the country that I grew up in and with my parents and old family friends and I was also glad to have friends with me. We went around to a bunch of "holy sites" in Bethlehem and Jerusalem. One thing we did on Christmas Eve was climb around and find a good hill to over-look the city of Bethlehem where the shephards might have been. We read the Story and sang some songs and huddled together against the cold! It was a beatiful night.
Now it's back to life here and getting back into a routine after a very busy Thanksgiving and Christmas season!! Thanks for readying my "blog"...enjoy the pics...

Christmas eve...Bethlehem-
Looking at the Old City walls. See the Dome of the Rock peeking out?
My dad, Sarah, and me in Bethlehem-
Sarah and I on Christmas night-

Snapshots of School Days

2006-12-12T05:55:00.000-08:00

These are a few pictures of moments from my school days. I and a friend my mine took these random pictures today during our tea break.
Every day we start class at 8:20 by singing Arabic praise/church songs and reciting our memory veryse of the week. Then one of us takes turns praying in Arabic. It's a good thing that the Lord understands our hearts without needing our words because we certainly fumble over this language!!! It's like- "ya Ruub min fadlaak aatina patience li at-aalmem illuugha Arabiy" ( which is- Lord, please give us patience in learning Arabic). I can get most words but some of the keys words I just have to fill in with English!! :) Anyway, after that we work until 9:20 when we get a ten minute break. Back for another hour of class before breaking for a half-hour tea break (Tea-breaks are every day occurences here in the Middle East at around 10:30 in the morning. The Arabs have inherited the tea break from occupation of the British back in the day).
So anyway these are some new friends and co-workers that I have been blessed with over the course of the past few months since moving here. We keep each other sane and help each other laugh at ourselves. Of course an occasional skipping class to go get some coffee!!! (sshhh don't tell!!)
Some of these pictures are a little redundant but oh well!

Christmas is Coming!!!!!

2006-12-05T05:51:00.000-08:00

Although I was not able to bring any of my Christmas decorations with me I am finding some things here and there to make my house look festive for the holidays! I hope you are all enjoying the Christmas season! More later...

Balad

2006-12-04T05:31:00.000-08:00

These are some pictures of the balad (downtown) where I love to shop. It's not a place where many foreigners like to go but the prices down there are so much better and it's a lot more colorful than an ordinary grocery store!! :) We do have a few big groceries like they do in America but most common are small one-room dukaans (shops) where you get groceries. The more I get to know the balad the more confident I feel going down there to bargin. Here are some colorful pictures of places I was at this past Sunday......

2006-12-01T05:28:00.000-08:00

This man was standing at the house across the alley from where I live. I took this picture inconspicuously out my window one rainy morning. This man is dressed in the typical Jordanian red and white "kafeeya" and I thought it was a good illustration of how east meets west here. Many areas of Amman are very western and "modern" and yet in some places as close as across the street is very "middle eastern". This old "sheik" on his mobile (cell phone) show the two worlds coming together.....

2006-11-26T05:20:00.000-08:00

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Debut

2006-11-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

Well this is my first time posting on "Blog". I'm not sure exactly how this thing works but I'm trying!! I hope this is a venue where I can keep you all informed with what I am doing and where I am going over the next couple of years. Thank you for your interest in what I'm doing!!! :)
Love, Bonnie

Simple Pleasures

2006-11-25T05:23:00.000-08:00

OK, I added this picture to see if I could figure out how to upload pictures. Thanks to Drew for helping me figure it out. This is a geranium from my window box on my window sill. They do a lot to make my house feel like a home! Now my neighbors and I can enjoy them.....
More pictures to come. Good night.