March 26th through 29th: Math Journals and Family Dinner

Tuesday, March 26th - Thursday, March 28th:

I had three really good days at school. Each day, I gave the students a verse to help us with our goal for the next ten weeks - to learn math because we love God. The verses - "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind," "you that love the Lord, hate evil" and "love covers all sins" - led to some really good discussions and tied in with our lessons. In 6B, I was able to use the verse "love covers all sins" to create a new classroom management system. I keep a tally on the board of "hurts" and "helps." "Hurts" (talking, complaining, etc.) add homework problems to their assignment; "helps" (encouraging each other, following procedures, etc.) cancel out the hurts. They responded much better to this system, which made sense since they prefer to act as a community, resisting the classroom management system I use in 5B and 6A which has an element of competition in it.

On Thursday, I made a fun discovery. I've been struggling with 5A and 6B since January as their learning style is very different from 5B and 6A. While 5B and 6A will listen attentively, chiming in with answers and competing against each other to get the right answer, most of the students in 5A and 6B take notes passively and hold side conversations that distract the other students. I've been trying to figure out how to engage them more in the lessons and present math in a way they will appreciate. Hannah and I have been talking about the differences between students who love literature and those who prefer math. I decided I needed to give math a more "literary" approach. In 5A and 6B we started a math journal. At the end of class, I have them write a journal entry that allows them to think about math in a more creative way. On Thursday, the prompt was, "If you could be any number, which number would you be and why? What would your life be like? Who would your friends be?" Once they got the idea, they settled right in and spent 15 minutes quietly writing away. Afterwards, they shared their answers, which for the most part were well written.

After school on Thursday, we went to Andy's basketball game, then took his parents to Al-Azaim for their last dinner here.

This was the opposing team's warm-up suit even though their colors were white and green. America has more influence than it realizes ...

Lisa got to be assistant coach as Andy needed an extra set of eyes on the ground. She did a great job! (And so did Andy!) :)

Dinner at Al-Azaim

We loved having Andy's parents here and it was a bittersweet last meal with them:

Dinner is an all night long process. At sunset, we went outside for tea and baklava:

Doesn't get much better than this:

Zander and I played together:

And then it was dark and time to go home:

Friday, March 29th:

Since we have a four day weekend, I enjoyed the day to sit around the house, reading and taking a long nap. We had waffles at John and Mary's for brunch and I baked dessert for tomorrow's fellowship picnic; otherwise it was a quiet day.

March 24th and 25th: First Day of School and Perfect Love

These are pictures of the traffic on the way to Erbil. Photos courtesy of Katie.

All of these cars are trying to funnel into one lane going through the checkpoint and across a one lane bridge.

Yes, they are really sitting on the sides of the car!

Sunday, March 24th:

Woke up every couple hours last night wondering if it was time for the alarm to go off. First day of school jitters, I suppose! Even though I had a good quiet time this morning, I was feeling apprehensive about the day and kept asking the Lord again and again to allow me to go to school joyfully, filled with love for Him. My request was granted as the day progressed. Mary, Hannah and I walked to school together. The roads seemed quiet, leading us to believe there wouldn't be many kids in class today. We were right. I had as few as six while my largest class only had 11. Interestingly, more students showed up in the "difficult" classes (5B and 6A) than in the other two.

I had prepared an assignment on motivation for today. After the things God has been teaching me over the break, I wanted my students to start off on the same foot. Even though there were so few, I could see that God had brought each one specifically. I gave them a chart to fill in. They had to list a couple things they do (action) and why they do them - "I study for math because I want to pass and have a good future." Then they listed a few words that describe what they are (attitude) and why they are that way - "I am silly because I want others to like me." After that, I gave them a list of words and we came up with definitions for each: pride, fear, hate, selfishness, laziness. After that we categorized their motivations with one word. "I want a good future = selfishness or pride." "I want others to like me = pride." "I am angry because people have hurt me = hate." I got a couple questions, "Miss, is it okay if all of my motivations are described by the same word?" Exactly. :) We talked about where these motivations come from (our hearts) and that God does not want us to be proud, fearful, or lazy.

Then I told them I needed to share something really important with them (I've been reading some articles on teaching that have reminded me to talk less and make sure I use very specific words to grab students attention. "Important" is one of those words for my students.) They perked up. I explained that I completed this assignment for myself over the break. And when I finished, I had to ask myself, "What does God say is supposed to be our one motive for everything we do?" One student raised his hand, "Pray." (His English suffered over the break and I could tell he didn't quite understand the question, but he obviously knew where I was headed.) I asked him, "Why do you pray?" "To go to paradise." I asked him what kind of motive this was ... selfishness, pride, laziness depending on the reason you wanted to go to paradise. So why should we pray? Thoughtful looks across the classroom. I steered each class to the answer in a different way. Sixth grade was the most memorable. One student rambled on (she is a talker) about being able to pray for anything we wish for because we know that God will give it to us. "But is that why we pray? If you asked God give to give you a Porsche, are you asking for it because He has to give it to you?" Another student chimed in, "My father promised me a Porsche if I pass every grade and graduate high school." "Okay, but what if that year, all Porsche's were made poorly and everyone with a Porsche got in an accident. Should your father still give you one? Would you be upset with him if he didn't." "No." "Why not?" "Because I love him." So even if God doesn't give us what we ask for (I was reminded of the verse, "How much more does your Heavenly Father know what is good for you?"), our attitudes should reflect ... "that we love God." And that should be our motivation for everything we do - "Because we love God." Love is the opposite of all the motivations that are naturally in our hearts. "Love casts out fear." Love is what God says should be our reason for all that we do and say and are. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."

We talked about being characterized as people who love God. We know there are those who hate God and we can see it in all of their actions. Over the next ten weeks, we are going to focus on learning math because we love God and we are going to strive to love others because we love God.

I waited for Hannah in the teacher's room. A lot of the teachers were styling new haircuts and new clothes. We talked about their breaks - some went to their villages while others stayed in Duhok and went on picnics outside the city. Hannah and I taxied home, then I took a good, long nap. I Skyped with my family for a little bit before we left to meet the Bishops at the fish restaurant near the market. In the evening I finished a couple things for school and went to bed.

Monday, March 25th:

Since yesterday was a long post, I'll keep it brief today. Most of my students were back and happy to see each other after the long break. All of my classes went really well, and the students were attentive. I've decided to have a daily verse to help us focus on our goal. Today's was "Perfect love casts out fear." 

After school, Hannah and I taxied home and picked up some veggies from the corner store. I Skyped with my friend in the Philippines, then Hannah and I put together a cucumber, tomato, and onion salad for tonight's side. We left for Andy and Lisa's a little after 3:30 and decided to walk, taking advantage of the nice weather. We ate dinner together. The guys went out for rotisserie smoked chicken, which we ate with Mary's pretzels and our salad on the side. Mary and I left a little before 7pm so she could go to a doctor appointment. Office hours aren't 9-5 like in the States, since people here are mostly active from 10 am - 2 pm and then from 6-10 pm. The waiting area consisted of some plastic chairs scattered around the foyer where women sat until they were called into a small room off to the side. The receptionist called about 7 women in at a time (none of which were allowed to be accompanied by their family or friends.) From there, Mary said they were called into the examination room. I waited out in the foyer for her, reading on my iPad. Thankfully she was second in line and we were home a little before 8pm.

March 22nd and 23rd: Silent Love

Friday, March 22nd:

No fellowship today as it the Nawroz holiday and everyone is out on picnics. Hannah and I stayed in and decided to make crepes with strawberries and Nutella. This was a morning I'll likely remember for a long time to come!

My roomie, Hannah, slaving away in the kitchen :)

Table is set!

Crepes and coffee are on!

After another engaging 2+ hour conversation over breakfast/brunch, Hannah and I separated to observe a day of rest. I listened to a sermon on Providence and Prayerless - comparing the way Abraham's servant sought for a wife for Isaac and the way Jacob sought out a wife for himself. The circumstances were almost identical, but Abraham's servant pursued in prayer and gave thanks through prayer ... Jacob relied on self. It was a good and convicting reminder that I must seek the Lord in all things. Afterwards, I went up on the roof to read George Mueller's "Answers to Prayer" and to spend time coming before the Lord regarding a great many things that have been on mind lately. In addition to asking for His help and wisdom, I've been trying to spend more time in silence before the Lord - to be sensitive to His Word rather than speaking my own words (Isaiah 58:13)

My view from the roof

The city was strangely silent as everyone had left to go on picnics. John and Mary arrived back into town around 4pm. We went out to Texas Chicken with them for dinner, then visited at their apartment over tea.

Saturday, March 23rd:
Pretty quiet day. I did my workout this morning, responded to emails, and started a crocheting project. Mom sent me the Bible on CD, so I listened to the book of Mark while I crocheted. After that, I read Jonathan Edwards' "Love, the Sum of All Virtue," which confirmed and summarized very articulately what I've been learning regarding delight in (or love for) God as the primary motive for all I am and do. Over the next ten weeks, I hope to learn more what it means to love God, to love Him for who He is and what He has done. As I read some portions of Scripture, I was encouraged by a verse in Zephaniah: "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing." In my margin, "rest" can be substituted "be silent." I meditated on this for quite a while, joyfully in the knowledge that although a symphony of love may not be sounding in my heart, I may sit silently responding to the silence of His love.

In the afternoon, Hannah and I went with the Nelson's to Mazi. I pushed Henry around the cart. I think he missed me ... I've gotten several hugs from him! When we got home, I was exhausted. Hannah made some of her specialty salty caramel sauce, so I stayed in the kitchen to observe and socialize. After a try-me :) I got a little sugar jolt, but then crashed and decided to take a nap. I printed off some things for school tomorrow, then we went to John and Mary's for homemade minestrone soup and bread. I'm feeling spoiled with all this food!

Skyped with Mom and Dad in the evening, then went to bed, praying I'll be ready for school tomorrow.

March 20th and 21st: Bonding Over Food

Wednesday, March 20th:

This morning, Hannah and I had a "social coffee" 3 hour talk. It was nice getting to know her better and hear what God has been teaching her. Providentially, we are learning many of the same things right now ... I was reminded of Christian overtaking Faithful after the Valley of the Shadow of Death and how they were able to encourage one another in their experiences along the way.

As I've thought more about what God is teaching me, I've realized how freeing it is to do things out of delight in the Lord:

1. I don't have to worry about the outcome

2. I don't have to worry about others' reactions

3. I don't have to worry about doing it in my own strength

It has not been an easy lesson to learn as I see where ulterior motives have laid hold on even the smallest decisions - "I'll do this because it will help this person." "I won't say this because it might cause a bad reaction." "A good Christian shouldn't or wouldn't..." But I am encouraged knowing that God is my schoolmaster. "I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinketh on me."

In the afternoon, Hannah and I walked over to Andy and Lisa's. We stopped at Holland along the way and I introduced Hannah to their western assortment of goodies. Andy had the basketball team over to review game film, so I helped Lisa make Kurdish tea and serve plates of sweets to them. When they left around 4:30, we loaded up in Magnum and drove up to Zowa Mountain to participate in the traditional Nawroz Eve celebration. Everyone from the city was on their way up, so it was slow going. Near the top of the mountain, we ran into car problems, so had to turn around. We ate our snacks in the car and watched as everyone else lit their fires, flew kites, and shot off fireworks in celebration of their New Year. When we got back to the Bishop's, we had a campfire on their roof and invited the neighbors over. We grilled hot dogs (chicken franks) over the fire and snacked on chips, candies, sunflower seeds, and soda. Hannah and I didn't get home until 11pm, but it was a fun evening!

Thursday, March 21st:

Over the past few weeks, the reaction to my physical appearance has heightened. The last two times we went to Erbil as a team, I was treated differently because of the shape of my eyes - once I was refused tea, another time we were made to get out of the car at a checkpoint because I didn't look "American." On this last trip, when Katie, Faith and I went on our visit we were moving along with a line of women, shuffling past a security check. The guards called out to me as we passed by them, "Yapani, Yapani," drawing attention in a way that was not only unwelcome, but exceedingly shameful in this culture. Faith protectively drew her arm around me as we walked by them...

Again, last night, my physical appearance drew remarks - "so, you are samurai?" Usually, I try to laugh it off or change the conversation, but last night I was tired, tired of trying to do the right thing and pretending like it didn't hurt. I grimaced (in retrospect, I hope the darkness deflected the full effect of my expression), but I didn't think of the remark again until this morning. Why did I look back on it with such pain? I'm sure there are many psychological reasons, but at the heart, as I prayed about it with the Lord, I came to the conclusion that it reminds me of one more way that I am bound to this earth. During my 3am reflection the other morning, I got a glimpse of what my life could be like - living in an endless cycle of God delighting in me, perpetuating me delight in Him; this delight brings Him glory and is followed by His love and delight in me. It seems other-worldly (and at times I've doubted the "reality" of living in such a state, but am reminded that "we are not of this world" and "we are partakers of spiritual things.") Unfortunately there are the weights which do so easily beset us and the cares of this world that tie us here. Our own flesh restrains us from attaining to those heights ... and in my case, not only the flesh inwardly, but outwardly as well. When others comment on my appearance, it reminds me of this tie to flesh ... though I desire to have a spiritual identity (that my life be hid in Christ), I will not be completely free from a physical identity until eternity. Just as we must continue to live day by day paying bills, cleaning house, etc., I must live with how others perceive me and how they interact with me based on that perception. This doesn't mean it won't hurt, but thankfully, I can take my hurt to the Lord, my Refuge and Strength. He loves me as He loves His own Son, who is without blemish and without spot.

Today was a pretty quiet day. I went out for groceries as everything will mostly be closed tomorrow for the holiday. I was able to get a lot of schoolwork done - tests and quizzes written, lesson plans for the next week, etc. In the afternoon, I read on the roof, enjoying the sunshine, and not-too-hot weather. Mom bought me a biography about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. (My love for the West and all things cowboy is peaking through here.) :) It was an interesting read and encouraging to hear their testimonies. God gave them a heart for the unloved - they had nine children and four of them were adopted. He also took them through some very difficult circumstances - one child had down syndrome and died before she turned two; and two of their other children died in tragic circumstances. I was reminded that no matter how much we have materially, if we are children of God, we should "not think it strange concerning the fiery trials which is to try [us]," but that we should rejoice to partake of Christ's sufferings.

Hannah and I decided to have a late dinner together. She made an alfredo-ish sauce over pasta. Yummy! As we ate, we got deep in conversation. By the time we got up from the table it was almost 10pm! :)

March 18th and 19th: Learning and Growing

Monday, March 18th:

Wasn't feeling very well when I went to bed last night and even when I woke up early this morning, I wasn't feeling great. If I could've found a way to get Hannah on another day, I probably would've canceled. My friend Katie picked me up at 6:30, then we picked up our friend, "Faith" on the way out of town. About 30 minutes outside of Duhok, we hit a huge pothole, which was followed by a loud pop. Katie pulled over. Sure enough, we had a flat tire. She called her teammate, who put the spare on and traded vehicles with us so we could continue on our way to Erbil. When we arrived at the place of our visit, we discovered that our friend was no longer there. He was moved to Duhok, which means we probably passed him on the road! (This made the events of the morning a little more understandable as all three of us had hesitations about leaving this morning.) Of course this is great news as it means our friend is closer to his family now. We were able to visit with one of his close friends and encourage him before leaving.

Stamps from our visit:

Katie, Faith, and I ate lunch at Abu Shahab Food Court, then picked up my new roommate, Hannah. We stopped for coffee on the way out of town, then enjoyed a beautiful ride home.

Andy and Lisa met us on the outskirts of town, and we went to dinner at Abu Faris as a team. By the time we got home, jet lag was hitting Hannah. I was ready for an early bed too after getting up at 5am and not feeling so well all day.

Tuesday, March 19th:

Woke up spontaneously at 3am this morning and was able to spend some good time in reflection and prayer. I've been thinking about a lot of things over the past two weeks ... this morning was a culmination of everything I've been learning.

When I find myself in a difficult situation, my tendency is to DO something about it. God has been showing me that I need to focus on how to BE in those situations. In my relationships with others, in the circumstances I find myself, I need to be patient, humble, holy, submissive ... the list goes on. Once I am, then I can do. This morning God revealed that my motive for doing must be delight in Him. Not only is delighting in God a result of what we do, it must be the motive as well. The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I've heard it said that we most glorify God when we find our satisfaction in Him. God helped me see this morning that doing things because they bring satisfaction in God is a motive that glorifies Him. There is a danger in altering the motive - "do those things that bring delight to me," but when I make sure that I am being and doing things that bring delight in the Lord, my attitude and actions will align with His Word. "If thou call the sabbath a delight ... and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord."

Pondering these things was a great comfort as I've been examining my motives for being and doing. I find them tainted with selfishness, pride, fear, etc. And every time I've tried to move forward, I've been hindered by the question, "how can I make decisions that glorify God when I am led by good, but fleshly desires to meet others' needs, meet their expectations, and protect them from pain?" This morning's meditation helped me see that I can move forward, "rejoic[ing] in Christ Jesus and put[ting] no confidence in the flesh." For, whatsoever I do, I will do it heartily as unto the Lord (delighting in the Lord) and not unto men. I can still do things that will (as a result) please others, but I must do them because they bring delight in the Lord.

While Hannah was still resting, I went to the corner store and grabbed some groceries, then went to the market to enjoy the sunshine. It is always better to go to the market "early" (around 9am or 10am) because it is far less crowded. By the time I left (11:30am) it was starting to get busy. At home, Hannah and I spent some time talking, then I went up on the roof to read. When I came back down, I took a nap, then worked on a couple projects. Hannah and I went out to find her an extension cord, then later in the evening, we visited in the kitchen while she made English muffins. Hannah is a "feeder," so I will have to keep up on my cardio workouts if I'm going to stay fit over the next 10 weeks! :)

March 16th and 17th: Preparing for a New Roommate!

Saturday, March 16th:

Spent most of the day preparing for my new roommate to arrive - cleaning, vacuuming, boxing up the things Sarah left. I also got to do some sewing! One of my expat friends let me borrow her sewing machine while she is out of the country.

In the afternoon we went to the Duhok men's basketball game (upper division). They won ... in overtime! Definitely an exciting game. Afterwards we went to dinner at the restaurant that serves rolled sandwiches and a variety of salads for 3000 ($2.50). Andy's parents enjoyed it and we had some good laughs.

In the evening (9pm - 11:30pm), Lisa and I got to help Andy at practice. Well, I took pictures and kept stats for one of their shooting drills while Lisa helped Andy coach.

Going over the breakdown for practice:

At the end, Lisa was included in the final huddle (having women help/instruct the men is definitely unusual for this culture, so it was a sign of acceptance that she was included):

It was a late, but very fun evening!

Sunday, March 17th:

Got up relatively early after such a late night. I was able to get some things done, but wasn't able to Skype with my friend as I'd hoped. At 10am, I went to breakfast with Katie (my expat friend). I've never had a Kurdish breakfast at a restaurant before! We had lentil soup, an "omelet," bread, cucumbers and tomatoes, and lots of tea. We stayed long after we'd finished our meal just to talk and catch up ... and they kept bringing little glasses of chai. In the end, I had four of the small tea glasses!

When I got home, I finished a couple loads of laundry, including the sheets for Hannah's bed. Her room is officially ready! Oddly, a man from downstairs came up to check the pipes in our Eastern toilet (which I never use, but thankfully had cleaned last week). He said the pipes were leaking into his ceiling (yuck!) He checked the water in several places in the apartment, but couldn't really determine where the leak was coming from (perhaps all the rain?) It was strange to have a man in the house while I was there alone, but I'd just been listening to a sermon about the protection promised by my Heavenly Father, and was able to rest easy in that knowledge.

Early to bed as I have to get up before 5 tomorrow for the trip down to Erbil...

March 14th and 15th: Road Trip

Thursday, March 14th:

We left for Erbil today. John and Mary will leave for Cyprus in the morning and Andy's parents will arrive for a two week visit.

I always enjoy the drive to Erbil. Not only is it nice to get out of the city, but the scenery varies a great deal during the three hours it takes us to drive there.

John found this car seat at the second-hand market. He refitted it with straps from Henry's old car seat and voila! Henry had a new seat ... now, how many men does it take to buckle a baby in?

Saddam destroyed all of the trees, so this is where the storks build their nests:

A picnic or wedding celebration: 

When we arrived in Erbil, we picked up our fellow CSM teachers and headed to Royal Family Mall for some Chinese food (a novelty for us Duhoki's). Henry didn't seem to appreciate it as much as we did:

Just like a food court back home (almost):

After a little shopping, we went back to our host's house, ate dinner, and rested up for the trip back. John and Mary woke up around 2 and went with Andy and Lisa to the airport. Nelson's headed off for Cyprus while Andy and Lisa picked up Andy's parents.

Friday, March 15th:

I had a leisurely morning, then the Bishop's picked me up (they were staying with a different family) around 11am.

We took Andy's parents to the Citadel, which was all ready for Nawroz (the Kurdish New Year):

Fresh-squeezed juice, YUM!

Andy's parents:

After the Citadel, we went back to Royal Family Mall for one more Western meal, then took the scenic route home (going further east then circling back around to Duhok).

Faithful Magnum took us over some rough terrain:

Zander and Opa:

The Bishop's:

Things We Saw Along the Way...

A castle on a hill:

A city tucked between the mountains:

Beautiful mountain ranges:

Blasting out the mountainside:

Rocky hills:

Crossing the river Zaab:

Lots of green grass!

Beautiful rolling hills:

Amazing rock formations: 

A beautiful sunset (one of my favorite parts of the drive):

A long day in the car, but refreshing to be out of the city and see something new.

March 12th and 13th: Waiting Silently for God Alone

Tuesday, March 12th:

Today I had thought to get some housework done, but felt convicted to spend time in silence before the Lord. In the end, I can't say that I learned one particular thing, but my hungering and thirsting for the Lord was stimulated. I was able to dwell on His goodness, power, mercy, and love, and thank Him for the tribulations I've been going through as of late.

At 2:30pm, we headed off for Andy's game. Duhok lost, but the team played better and looked more organized on the court.

Little fans:

Team huddle (Andy says half of it is spent in translation, so he has to choose his words wisely):

Team Duhok (white) against Sulymania (red)

View of the city on the way to dinner

After the game we went to dinner at Cali Cafe. Then back to Andy and Lisa's for ice cream.

Wednesday, March 13th:

This morning I was able to Skype with Dad. Mom was out running errands, so she and I only talked briefly at the end. It was encouraging to talk with them and share what God has been teaching me lately. I did my cardio workout, then showered and went out for groceries. I made roasted garlic white bean soup for dinner, so spent most of the day in the kitchen. I also made Dad's Impossible Pie for dessert.

We felt another tremor today ... this time Nelson's felt it too. In the afternoon I took a nap ... even though we are on a break from school, I've been feeling emotionally drained and exhausted. If it weren't for naps, I don't think I could make through an entire day. We had a team meal at Nelson's. Mary made bread bowls to go with the soup, which made it really delicious (and also VERY filling!) By 8pm I was tired and worn out. Went to bed early after spending time in God's Word ... I can't seem to get enough to keep me going and find myself coming back frequently to "refuel."

March 10th and 11th: Hairdresser Helen and the Earthquake

Sunday, March 10th:

It was a strange feeling not going to school today. I still got up at 5am, but I had a leisurely morning, then went over to Lisa's around 1pm. I colored her hair, then cut it. It was a half-day salon treatment!

Putting plastic bags to good use!

While Lisa was washing out her hair, Zander and I played in his room (can you see me?) He had fun burying me under a heap of clothes and blankets.

Nelson's came over for dinner ... Lisa made a yummy Mexican dish in the crockpot. Since the U.S. lost an hour for daylight savings, the family I moved our Skype call to Monday morning my time.

Monday, March 11th:

Today did not go as planned. I was able to Skype with the family in the morning, but then I got some hard news and spent most of the morning in prayer and exercise. In the afternoon I walked to the orphanage. It was a beautiful day ... I really didn't need a jacket. When I arrived, they weren't there. In a mix of Kurdish and English I learned from one of the caretakers that there hadn't been school that day and the girls had gone to their different villages. I enjoyed the walk home.

Later that evening I was able to Skype with Sarah. It was good to hear her voice, though I felt like I should be able to walk into the next room and she'd be there too. We caught up on life over the past couple weeks. I'm encouraged to hear that God is growing her through this time and giving her the encouragement she needs. As we talked, the room suddenly started shaking. It took me a minute to realize that I was experiencing my first Iraqi earthquake! After I got off the call with Sarah, I called my team to make sure everyone was alright. The phones were down though and it wasn't until later that we were able to connect and I found out that none of them had felt it! At least I had Sarah for a witness (and the news confirmed it later that night).

March 8th and 9th: Pizza at Sunset

Friday, March 8th:

We had a good morning at fellowship. Our study on Daniel 10 was informative and also very convicting. Informative as we compared it with the mindset of this culture. If you confess a sin, then it becomes "real" and somehow unforgivable. As long as you don't mention your sin, it may be overlooked. I notice this especially in my classes. Just the other day, I discovered that a student from 6B was giving questions from the test to students in 6A. When I caught them in the act, all of them emphatically denied cheating. After telling them that they would not be allowed to take the test, I asked each boy to tell me what he had done wrong. In the midst of all their excuses and arguments, only one boy came forward to say he had cheated and deserved the punishment. When I told him he could take the test, the others were indignant. I wrote a simple phrase on the board (one that was a theme in our home) - "Tell the truth and you won't get in trouble." It took awhile for them to understand, but eventually they all came and confessed their wrong. Some still tried to give excuses, but I reminded them that God knew exactly what they'd done whether they told me or not. In the end, I hope they learned that it is better to tell the truth than hide behind a lie.

Our study was also very convicting. I came home and spent time reading and praying, realizing that I do not confess or pray for the sins of those I identify with - whether Christian, American, or Oregonian. In the evening, Mary invited me over for Mexican lasagna. The Bishop's came too and we enjoyed an impromptu meal together.

Saturday, March 9th:

I started off the morning with a bath at the Bishop's. It was nice to have a "spa" day ... something out of the ordinary. They were at fellowship, and graciously let me use their spare room for some quiet time. I caught up on emails and read for a little while.

In the afternoon, my friend picked me up and took me to the tailor so I could have my new jilli kurdi hemmed a little bit. (This is the dress made from the material given to me by a student.) My friend had dropped off several dresses and wanted to pick them up. The tailor hemmed my dress while we waited and then showed us her dresses. They are beautiful! I'll try to post pics later.

After she dropped me off, Nelson's, Bishop's and I took off in Magnum for a picnic dinner. We ordered pizzas, picked up drinks, and Mary brought strawberry pie. We drove out past the Gely to a spot I've never been before.

The sunset was stunning.

Pizza picnic ... this is the way Americans do it!

Team pic!

It was refreshing to be out-of-doors and away from the city, just enjoying the peaceful scenery.