Hey, Joey! I hear that you have this blog address now. I hope you're reading. I also heard that you want to come to IQ. Well, get to it. We have plenty of room for visitors.
Yesterday, we went to a village about an hour from where we live. We had heard that it was flooded a couple of weeks ago (I'm not really sure on the timing), so we went to see if we could offer any help. We were told that about 20 houses had been completely destroyed. Those families had been given some money and tents by the government and many had moved into a nearby town, but some had stayed behind in their tents.
We visited one of those families. They were really nice. One of their sons was suffering from constipation. He was about 5 or 6 and had been sick since the flood. Dr. Dorris checked him out and we came back later with some medication (and some raisin juice) to help him out.
It was a small need, but one we could meet yesterday. We're going back to do something more substantial, so pray for us and the people there.
I haven't been online for a long time! I downloaded all of my e-mails today, so I will go home, plug in my computer and respond to all of them.
Also, Buck Knightly, let me know as soon as your blog is up and running!
2/15/2006
02/15/06
I find that, since I don't get to update this thing very often, I'd like to say something profound. However, I also find that I have nothing too profound to say. But, in reality, if you're reading this, you're not reading it for my wisdom.
Valentine's Day passed in Kurdistan without too much hullabaloo. One of our team mates (I'll call her...Lucy) folded our sifrah into a heart and baked a cake (strawberry!). A Sifrah, by the way, is the thing that one puts on the floor to serve as a "table" when eating on the floor. It's like a plastic tablecloth only nicer.
I also received the picture featured here from Hannah via Angie. Strawberry Shortcake's friend has never looked more lovely.
Oh, and we all got actual Valentine's valentines from the team member I'll call Stanley. They were very nice.
It is raining here again today. We were told that the rainy season lasts until May. May!! Previously, we were told March. But, the more rain we get, the more power we get. Apparently, the hamsters run faster when they have something to drink.
I've now pseudonymed three team-mates (Dorris, Lucy and Stanley), so I'll go ahead and hit the other two: Wally and Joan. I hope they like the new monikers.
Everyone at home has the same names they had when I left. At least, I assume that to be the case. Either way, I love and miss you all. Happy V-D!
2/09/2006
02/08/06
So, someone who shall remain nameless gave me a hard time about not updating my blog. I also won’t mention the fact that she doesn’t even have a blog!
Funny thing, I was re-reading some of my blog entries and I got to the one with the quote about comfort. Man, what I wouldn’t give for a little more comfort! This last week has been pretty rough. I mean, it was going through it. Looking back I think, “What was so bad?”
But it was. Bad, I mean. I spent all of Wednesday holed up in my hotel room due to bad kabob (at least that’s what I’m blaming). The topper was Friday. It rained for like 36 hours without end. It was a deluge. The streets flooded, a dam broke, etc. For me, though, it was just unpleasant. Our kitchen ceiling fell on the kitchen floor, we got trapped in a parking lot when cars parked behind ours. Plus at 2 am, I had to go up on the roof of the house to flip the satellite over so it wouldn’t fly off the roof.
But then on Saturday, one of the team members (let’s call her Dorris) cooked a real homemade meal. It was the best thing to happen to us all since we got here and things have started to pick up.
We met with other internationals last night and got to socialize with new people for the first time in a few weeks. (There’s only so much socializing that can be done with Kurds when you have the vocabulary of a three-year-old.)
I think this is the second stage of culture shock:
The Honeymoon Phase
The Hatred Phase (I’m not sure this is the official term)
The Acceptance Phase
I remember, though, that I once hated London, too, and look how that turned out. I was prepared to move through the stages, but I had no idea what the circumstances would be.
Don’t feel bad for me. God truly does provide and I have an amazing team here with me. Culture shock doesn’t last forever. Soon I’ll have routines and a normal life again. Plus, I know I’ll be a better person when this is done.
Which, if you think about it, should make me an exceptional person based on my starting point. ;-)
Funny thing, I was re-reading some of my blog entries and I got to the one with the quote about comfort. Man, what I wouldn’t give for a little more comfort! This last week has been pretty rough. I mean, it was going through it. Looking back I think, “What was so bad?”
But it was. Bad, I mean. I spent all of Wednesday holed up in my hotel room due to bad kabob (at least that’s what I’m blaming). The topper was Friday. It rained for like 36 hours without end. It was a deluge. The streets flooded, a dam broke, etc. For me, though, it was just unpleasant. Our kitchen ceiling fell on the kitchen floor, we got trapped in a parking lot when cars parked behind ours. Plus at 2 am, I had to go up on the roof of the house to flip the satellite over so it wouldn’t fly off the roof.
But then on Saturday, one of the team members (let’s call her Dorris) cooked a real homemade meal. It was the best thing to happen to us all since we got here and things have started to pick up.
We met with other internationals last night and got to socialize with new people for the first time in a few weeks. (There’s only so much socializing that can be done with Kurds when you have the vocabulary of a three-year-old.)
I think this is the second stage of culture shock:
The Honeymoon Phase
The Hatred Phase (I’m not sure this is the official term)
The Acceptance Phase
I remember, though, that I once hated London, too, and look how that turned out. I was prepared to move through the stages, but I had no idea what the circumstances would be.
Don’t feel bad for me. God truly does provide and I have an amazing team here with me. Culture shock doesn’t last forever. Soon I’ll have routines and a normal life again. Plus, I know I’ll be a better person when this is done.
Which, if you think about it, should make me an exceptional person based on my starting point. ;-)
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