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Easter Parties - collection of pictures from Egg dying party, cookie party and Easter Sunday dinner party...

Beginnings of Easter Advent 2014
Rough Rough Draft #1

Day 1: The 3 Gifts for a King
Day 2: Jesus as a Boy visits the Temple
Day 3: Jesus' Baptism
Day 4: Jesus' Calls his Disciples - "Follow Me"
Day 5: Nicodemus Visits in the Night
Day 6: Woman at the Well - Living Water
Day 7: Jesus Calms the Storm
You can see my Christmas Advent was a bit more developed

The Party's getting started!

Part 3

How adorable is this little girl ?! Look at that smile.

Henna Hands

Fancy hair for the party

We had a bit of a photo shoot, I was letting some of the girls take pictures with my camera.  My camera is a bit more complicated then they are used to but a got a couple fun pictures for the effort.

And the table, after we had devoured the first round of snacks - salad, humus, bread and cakes...

Beautiful details on an abaya

And the dinner served to our table - rice and meat

Sorry I don't have more pictures!  Most women don't like for there picture to be taken.  Normally I would never bring my camera to a wedding for that reason, but I had the opportunity since I know the family.

Wedding!

Village - Part 2

We got to the village and immediately joined a group of ladies getting ready for the party!  I was so excited to re-connect with family member I had met in the past and meet more of the sisters.  I think I finally figured out more of the connections.  Though I did think the Mom of the group was an older sister until about halfway through the night, and that some of ladies I thought were nieces were actually the younger of the many sisters in the room.  One can never assume.  Here is just part of the many piles of clothes and make up around the room.  I got one of the sisters to help me with some eye makeup.  And my friend caught me with my own camera while I was putting on eyeliner.

On the way to the wedding tent I walked by one of the areas set up for the men to sit outside.

And I had to take another picture of the mountains!  About here we met up with a group of little girls who took us to the tent.

Party Tent

Stage and royal chair for the bride when she arrives much later in the night.

We ate a full meal, danced to loud music and then most of the room left to go get the bride from her family home.  The slowly returned making a long parade like procession honking car horns, yelling and shooting off gunfire.  I stayed back with some of my friends in the tent knowing I would have more opportunity to chat and get to know them better there.

Trip to a Village

On the Road

I was so excited to be able to get out of my little town yesterday and see more of this beautiful country and visit my neighbors in their home village.  Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of all the water.  Yes, it rained the night before our trip and I was so worried my friends (who have a car and are my source of transport) were going to cancel the trip.  Because you see this country was not build for rain - I think we counted 6 crossings on the way where water was flowing down through the valleys and creating rivers over the roads which we had to drive through.  But we made it there and I was so thankful.

Henna Hands

I love henna, and I love that for engagement and wedding parties all the women and girls get henna.  It is hard to take a picture of your own hands, so these are the hands of my good friend who studies Arabic with me.  She is also wearing a traditional house dress and I just love the mixture of colors and design in this picture!

I found something green!

It was so wonderful to arrive in the village and be in the beautiful outdoors.

Last Weekend

Last weekend I was so excited to be invited to my neighbors Engagement Party!

You can see the tent - ready for the party!  This was set up in the small empty plot beside my building I was so excited to see it put together! When we arrived at the party music was playing and guest had begun to sit around the edge.  I was thrilled that several ladies came over to meet me and chat.  It is so fun to be at parties with friends and meet new ladies.  There was lots of food involved such as fruit, tea,  coffee and a meal of meat and rice.  Then the bride came in and sat on the platform.  Special gifts from her fiancee (clothes and gold) were shown to all the guest.  We also were given more cookies and perfume and incense was passed around the room.  Then the groom finally arrived and excitement was in the air!  Lots of family pictures and then cake.  Cause it's not a party until there is cake.

 My tour guides - these girls know everything about me and would spend every afternoon in my apartment playing games, teaching me Arabic and drinking tea.  Love them so much! (There is a third but she wasn't there when we took these pictures - sad.)

A couple days before the party I was able to go with the girls and get henna done in a salon.  These beautiful hands belong to one of my neighbors  - we got the same design done.

Did I mention how much tea and coffee I consumed in approximately 5 hours?  It was great!  This picture was snapped by one of the neighbor boys.  He is much calmer than his sisters and so I let him take my camera for a bit (I am not usually so trusting with my camera).

I recently read a simple book on the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer:  He asked a lot of hard questions of himself, his colleagues and his country:  "We often ask ourselves whether we still need the church, whether we still need God.  But this is the wrong question to be asking.  We are the ones who are being questioned.  The church exists, and God exists, and we are asked whether we are willing to be a part of the church and of service, for God needs us."

Am I asking the wrong questions?  How do I need to rethink and rephrase my questions to get to the heart?

I also appreciated this quote from the book:
"There is no way to peace along the way of safety...Peace is the opposite of security...Peace means giving oneself completely to God's commandment, wanting no security, but in faith and obedience laying the destiny of the nations in the hand of Almighty God.  Battles are won not with weapons but with God."
In the Midst of Wickedness (Then & Now) Janet Benge and Geoff Benge

A technique to questions asking

I finished reading a novel last night - I liked it - it brought back all the good memories from when I worked in heart surgery and made me miss it.  Early in the book the main character is carrying a lot of secrets and slowly he reveals who he is to those around him…Early in the book he also thinks about questions.  How to ask question and really get to the information you are really looking for…how?  

"One thing I learned in school, somewhere in those long nights, was that if you ask enough of the right questions, the kind of questions that nibble at the issue but don't directly confront it, people will usually offer what you're looking for.  Knowing what to ask, when to ask it, and most important, how are the beginnings of a pretty good beside conversation."  When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin.

Yesterday (February 4th) was my Mom's birthday.  As I was thinking about all the nice things I could say about my Mom, because it was her birthday, it all seemed kind of forced.  But then I was on facebook (my daily addiction) and ran across this link.  It thought it was worthy of sharing and for the question of the day:
What legacy am I building?  What kind of legacy am I leaving behind?  Am I intentionally tending to "my field"? (Proverbs 24:30-34).

And yes the link, pearlsandgrace and here is a cut and paste from the post...

The following words are beautiful truths that I have seen shifting in the hearts of women who want to be known for following Jesus.

She will truly have His heart and His eyes to see sons and daughters when she looks at His people.

She will be a doer of the word and not a hearer only.

She will refuse to judge and condemn and do her best to love people back to wholeness.

She will be a fountain of mercy and grace and one who will breathe life back into dry bones.

She will know that it is the love of God that breaks every yoke.

She will be a living epistle of love and humility and will demonstrate the scriptures with kindness and gentleness and compassion.  

She will give credit where credit is due.

She will point others to Him. She will give Him all the glory. All of the honor. All of the credit.

She will understand fully- the truth that is this. If it were not for the grace of God- there go I.

She will reach to the back row and encourage and minister to the hearts of the women who can't get past the grief and sorrow of their own life. 

She will look past circumstances and situations and appearances that look different than her own to see daughters of the living God who have yet to discover their worth.

The new church lady is looking for opportunities to be a blessing- instead of looking for her own opportunities.

The new church lady knows that the only way up is down. She knows that "humility isn't thinking less of yourself but it is thinking of yourself less."

Graciousness is her hallmark. 

Gratitude is her beauty treatment.

She is a woman of her word.

She is a worshipper. In spirit and in truth.

She is a prayer warrior and holds trust from others as sacred. 

She is supportive of others and is not an opportunist.

She understands that to become the Proverbs 31 woman- you can't skip chapters 1-30.

She is fully aware of her own shortcomings and seeks Him daily for His love and guidance.

She recognizes hopelessness and worthlessness in others and speaks life.

She is an excellent listener. She listens with her head and her heart. She hears what is not being said.

She is a lifter. An encourager. A hope giver. 

She forgives- fully. 

She knows that the same grace that was made available to her- is also available to everyone else.

She does not gossip. She does not constantly brag or boast. She speaks blessing.

She sees the best. Believes the best. Hopes the best.

She places a high value on God's people.

She invests in the greatest investment in the world.

His people.

She is known for what she stands for.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, good fruit, impartial and sincere.  ~ James 3:17

Me again - So thankful that I have been blessed with a Mom who is building a legacy of faith for the next generation...

How do you describe your personality?  Do you fit neatly in a personality type or category? What factors play into your personality?  Family, friends, culture, career choice.  Is personality inherited or learned?  Can a person change a personality flaw or are they stuck with what they were born with?  How much does education influence personality?

Why do I often feel so bad about being an introvert?  Why on the days I really need some time alone and in the Word do my neighbors constantly ring the doorbell and make be feel guilty and selfish for really needing some quiet? Is is learned or was I born with the need to be on time?  Why do I love learning about how science works and how things fit together but have no interest in technology.

Once I get started the questions just keep coming...

In general we all ask a lot of questions.  Either trying to start a conversation or just trying to be nice.  Too often we ask and never listen to the answers, or we ask and a truthful answer is not given.  I get asked a lot of questions because I am very different from all my neighbors.  Some of the most frequent questions I am asked are:
What is your name? What does your name mean?
Why are you here? 
Why do you live alone?  
How old are you?  
How much did you pay for that?  
Why aren't you married? Do you want to get married?
How do you pray?

For a couple years I made birthday lists, and then for a couple years I have not.  This year I am thinking I will make a list of 30something questions...
I have just decided that I am going on a quest to become a better question asker and information gatherer.   Neither of these come naturally to me, but practice makes a difference.  So for my first question in my list of questions.

1. How do I tell my neighbor that I do NOT like her fish rice? or How do you tell your neighbor that you do not like her fish rice?  Especially after she proudly tells you how she prepared the fish an authentic traditional way and made a plate just for you?

Answers are welcome...

A Week Away!

So thankful that exam week is over and I got to celebrate with a week visiting friends and at the beach! This was not the time away from class that I would have planned, but it has been good.

I love everything about the beach.  The week was wonderful and full of gifts, too many to list.  Here are a few of the many things I enjoyed this week - those that I remembered to take a picture of - some of the good things in life:

Dinner at Nando's with a friend, walking on the beach, Henna with another friend, and coming home to a note under my door and neighbors excited to see me.

"Home"

I realized after my friend commented on my apartment pictures that I had never updated the pics since I got my stuff!  So this blog is inspired by Heather and her recent pics of her apartment.  I roomed with Heather for most of high school and after seeing her apartment I am wishing for some of her artistic style, which you can see here - Heather

So much I would say about each item in the following pictures...Enjoy.

 Bedroom

 Spare Room

 Living Room/ Bathroom and "Hall"

 More items from my bedroom

Kitchen!

After Reading "1,000 Gifts" I started a Grateful Journal. It has been picked up at random times throughout this last year and forgotten too often, but I was excited to pick it up today and realize I had 100 things listed from this year.  I tried to not repeat anything and make it specific to the day I was in, if you read through you will see several repeats...

Today I am Thankful for the gift of...

1. New Year's Sleep Over!
2. Day off from class
3. Phone call from Dad and Mom
4. Clothes drying on line on the roof
5. Quiet days
6. Songs
7. Starting new every morning
8. Coming home and having friends to chat with
9. Warm Sunshine
10. Goats on the road
11. Sweet old lady on the debaab
12. Trip to look forward to!
13. Girl's Night - laughter
14. Good night's sleep
15. Sound of rain (even on the iPod)
16. New carpet
17. lots of colors
18. Email from Bria
19. New music
20. Emails from friends
21. warm weather
22. Breeze waving curtains
23. A clean room
24. Every moment with family in Portugal!
25. Cafe
26. The Ocean
27. Clean Clothes
28. Knowledge that God hears my prayers
29. Faith in God's Word and Promises
30. Good trip out and about by myself
31. Rain and Thunder
32. Energy to Exercise
33. A shared meal
34. Phone call from Dad
35. Pictures
36. Words that Encourage
37. Baskets and Bows
38. Strawberries
39. Visitors to host
40. New recipes
41. Friends to visit with
42. Travel
43. Bright Sunshine
44. Good taxi to school this morning
45. Crossing 60m by myself today!
46. Apples and Bananas
47. Carrots
48. Electricity all morning
49. Dr Pepper from Debbie
50. Meals with friends
51. Friends to spend time with just relaxing
52. Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie
53. Open windows and fans
54. Energy
55. Text messages from Callie and Melissa
56. Debaabs
57. Emails from Dana and Kara
58. Every memory from Italy and Cruise
59. Calendars and Organization
60. Books
61. New places
62. Ceiling Fans
63. Welcoming new neighbors
64. new teachers and classmates
65. Henna
66. Birthday parties
67. What'sApp
68. Exercise
69. My own apartment
70. Hot Water
71. Story of Daniel
72. Package from Autumn
73. Invite for Thanksgiving
74. Trip over Eid Week
75. Dad's Phone call
76. Rest
77. Peace
78. Calm
79. New phone numbers in my phone
80. Scripture prints for wall
81. Skype chats
82. Baking
83. Craft project
84. Naps
85. Books to read
86. Places to visit
87. Hope
88. Emotions
89. Internet working in my apartment
90. Christmas Lights
91. Heidi's Graduation
92. Open Windows
93. Unplanned Parties
94. Countdowns
95. Socks
96. Peppermint Candy Canes and Hot Chocolate
97. No drips in the bathroom
98. Door bell ringing
99. Sunshine
100. Staying comfy in bed that extra bit in the morning

Celebrating Christmas

 Trips to the big city - enjoying hot coffee (and at home loving the hot chocolate and candy canes my mom sent in a package - those two are meant to be together - yumminess!)

Merry Christmas from me!

 

 Christmas in a box!  Love every little detail of this package of my favorite things from my Mom!

 My little tree - the before shot - NOW there are presents wrapped and ready to give to my neighbors on Christmas Day!  Also loving sharing my Advent stories with my neighbors as I place a new ornament on the stand each day.

So thankful this Christmas to be in a place where I have so much freedom to travel around and for new friends to celebrate with.  Here I am taking a world tour last night at Global Village - we lots track of the countries we "visited" but it was a fun day getaway for us!  And look - the weather was cool enough for us to pull out our sweaters and jackets!  Fun