April 13th through 14th (Days 96-97): All-Day Events

April 13th:
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I can't help thinking these pictures will say more than I can express. First thing this morning I got ready to go on a Kurdish picnic. I walked to the orphanage (not far from Andy and Lisa's) and discovered that the lady who invited me wasn't there yet. I was ushered into a "ladies lounge," already occupied by five other women (who didn't speak any English) for T to arrive. I was already apprehensive about being the only American on the picnic, but felt that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and was confident that God would see me through the day. Even though it was an awkward beginning, I was reminded that smiling and making eye contact go a long way in overcoming communication barriers.

When T arrived, we waited for the buses to load, then drove with the director of the orphanage to the picnic site. T is very friendly. From the beginning, she told her niece (who was my shadow for the rest of the day) to call me "Aunt." On the drive to the picnic, T told me I needed to pick a tribe to belong to. The director said (through T) that I should choose his tribe (Bedani?), and then T told me the name of her's. She said I should just roll them around on my tongue and see which one I liked better. I dodged the question for awhile, but as the day progressed, it came around again. Not wanting to upset anyone, I finally said that I would join myself to the "Mezuri" tribe since it sounded like one of our states in America (Missouri - in case you were wondering) - Mezuri also happens to be T's tribe, which I think pleased her.  :)

We drove for about a half hour to a beautiful spot in the country. There were other picnickers, but we had a large area all to ourselves. Trash is everywhere, which spoils the natural beauty of their countryside, but if you could see beyond, it was truly refreshing to be out of the city.

The countryside:

New friends (T is to my left):

The director and one of the girls from the orphanage:

When we arrived, everyone set up their "areas," spreading out blankets under the trees and hanging up sheets to provide some shade. T and I moved from group to group so she could say "hi" to everyone.

All of a sudden it was lunch time. The owner of a restaurant in Duhok provides all the meals for the orphanage (which they try to keep nutritional) and he graciously offered to bring the food for the picnic as well. As we sat down to eat, it started raining! Nothing more than a few sprinkles for an Oregonian like me, but we ate quickly and then moved back under the trees until it stopped. The rain didn't last long and we had clear skies the rest of the day.

After lunch, I was standing around awkwardly, when some of the girls (ages 14-18) from the orphanage gathered up enough courage to ask me my name. I practiced my few Kurdish phrases and by the end of the day they were my new best friends. It is amazing how much you can tell about someone's personality without really talking to them. There was the girl who is confident and outgoing, and her friend who is more striking in appearance, but  looks to others for approval. There was her older sister who stood off to the side, content to be with a close friend and expressive of the responsibility she feels for her younger sister and brother. The two little girls who wanted to stay as close as possible, though they couldn't understand anything I said, eager to please me with chips and flowers... someday I might get to know all of their hopes and dreams, disappointments, and hurts, but until then it was fun to watch and learn from them. They taught me how to dance ... Kurdish style:

More dancing:

which helped dry us out and stretch our legs from all the sitting.

As I took a break from dancing, some of the boys I had met earlier (during our tour of the facility) came up and said "hello."

We sat around and talked most of the time. T was probably afraid I would feel excluded if I only spent time with the girls, so she made sure to take me from group to group to visit with the women (the girls were much more fun, though ...) :) When we weren't talking, we were usually snacking on seeds, nuts, raisins, or candies.

The boys started a game of soccer...

... while some of the older ladies moved on to a more secluded area for even more Kurdish dancing. This time, we danced to their singing. From what I could gather, they were telling a story about each of the cities (I will have to ask T the next time I see her). One lady would sing the verse, then the others would join in with a chorus. It is very much like a chant with a distinctive beat. Every so often someone chimes in with a high-pitched "dedalalalalal" that T compares to a Native American war cry.

I tried to soak up as much of "nature" as I could:

The boys were playing around with a microphone and a speaker and some of them were pretty good singers!

Some of the smaller girls who had been too timid before, gathered around me and told me their names. We started an interesting conversation about what their names mean. (My students already told me that "Heleen" means "nest" in Kurdish!)

This little girl can't walk. She was left with the police when she was only 2 and half years old. She is so sweet!

After we ate one more meal, we loaded up the buses around 5:30 and headed for home. It is surprising how fast everything gets packed up. No one made an official announcement, everyone just got ready to leave. The men loaded everything while the woman cleaned up the food. Kids scrambled into the buses and they were off in less than 10 minutes! 

Phew! What a day! Came home and Skyped with Jessica, then thankful to plop into bed at a decent hour. [I actually had my first dream in Kurdish!]

April 14th:
Woke up this morning ready for another all-day event. I picked up Lisa and Julie in a taxi and we headed off to the soccer field one last time. Today was the big tournament, so all the kids were excited to be there, wearing their official jerseys and showing off their soccer skills. A tournament back home wouldn't have really been a big deal - I might have gone to watch the kids I babysat play a couple innings of T-Ball, or cheered for my cousin from the sidelines - but there were always opportunities to watch or even participate in sports. For the past six weeks, soccer practice has been my one outlet each week. Not only do I get to run and shout (which I could never do outside the arena), I also interact with the kids in a very real way. I cheer them on, give them high-fives, laugh with them, tell them to "get back in the game with a good attitude" ... every week, walking out of the arena into the "real" world, I experience culture shock when I realize that I didn't just walk out of soccer practice in America. Anyway, all that to say that today was a big deal. I stayed the whole day just to be there for my students and the kids I've gotten to know over the past few weeks. Some of the older boys I didn't recognize since I hadn't coached their sessions, but I got to know them pretty quickly as I kept reminding them to stay out of the arena until their match.

By the end of the day, I had congratulated players, wiped their tears, and calmed frustrations... a day well spent! Some of the older boys can be a handful, but I enjoy talking to them and seeing them warm up to someone who is willing to listen to their interests and ask questions about their lives. Several times I realized how much older I must seem to them ... I remember what it was like to be their age, just like it was yesterday, but here they are, asking me if they can play their music on the speakers (which meant I had to listen to it and make sure it was "appropriate" ... reminded me of my parents) and looking to me for approval and acceptance. Such a difficult place to be in, but more so especially if I didn't have assurance of my own acceptance before God ...

After the trophies and medals had been handed out, the coaches and parents played a match. I ended up being the only gal who played, but it reminded me of playing street basketball with the guys and intramural football in college. I snapped back into "this is Kurdistan and I can't do everything the way I would at home" mode when the other gals decided to leave and I realized I would need to go with them since I couldn't stay alone with the guys ... funny how one moment can differ so much from the next. Still, I am thankful for these little blessings (a new experience at a Kurdish picnic, hugs from my students, and that burning in your chest after a good workout) - they fill my heart with joy. I know it's tempting to think that  the "foreign surroundings" are the cause for this overflow of passion and excitement, but I am convinced that every part of it comes from walking with the Lord on a daily basis. I find Him to be my strength and comfort, and as I continue to draw from His never-ending supply, I am filled and overflowing with His goodness.

Went to Texas Chicken with some of the kids ... I'm pretty sure the workers are going to know us by name pretty soon! Came home and took a nice hot shower (one of those other blessings I am thankful for every day - HOT water!), Skyped with a friend from back home, then wrote a test for tomorrow's math classes.

Going to bed with a grateful heart ...