December 13: True Christmas?

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Perhaps this is a secret code of some sort? Nah, just PeBUH walking across the keyboard to position himself next to me while I blog. He inserts himself with total confidence that he is welcome in the middle of anything we are doing, be that playing ping pong, or sleeping.

As we eat our cheeseburgers tonight, a school night after a busy work day; we will light the third advent candle. I almost forget that it is Sunday, let alone Christmas! Driving through the city, the only decorations on display are the colored flags of the nations attending the Gulf Cooperation Council summit for the next two days. About 2 weeks ago the city started laying tile, planting flowers, and draping flags in preparation for this event (that is planning ahead for this place!) I think they may have even swept up some trash. However, the only place where Christmas decorations can be found are in the malls, salons, private homes, etc. The occasional strain of Christmas music or smell of pine is a rare delight.

Amid this, I find myself once again at the Philippine Embassy Labor Office with a couple hundred disillusioned women in waiting. This poem in "Watch for the Light - Readings for Advent" put my time with these ladies in a different perspective.

No one can celebrate

a genuine Christmas

without being truly poor.

The self-sufficient, the proud,

those who because they have

everything, look down on others,

those who have no need

even of God - for them there

will be no Christmas.

Only the poor, the hungry,

those who need someone

to come on their behalf,

will have that someone.

That someone is God.

Emmanuel. God-with-us.

Without poverty of spirit

there can be no abundance of God.

Oscar Romero

When I arrived at the small room where we meet on Sundays, there were two ladies filling out forms while tears splashed down their fear filled faces. New arrivals, fresh pain, raw emotion. As I tried to comfort & assure them they were safe, one sobbed "but I don't have anything" as she had escaped with just her handbag. Her employer had forced her to strip off her clothes and told her they could be alone since the wife was away.... One lady confided in me that she was hungry. Fortunately, we had brought home baked Christmas cookies to share and I could give her something to hold her till the next meal.

Many of these women were grieving the loss of Christmas as they were used to celebrating it. We talked of these memories. Yet, I could not get away from the thought that women away from home, trapped by circumstances beyond their control, living in a temporary shelter dependant upon others...this was much closer to what the birth day of Christ was really like! Mary could not have dreamed about birthing her baby in a smelly barn away from the comforts of home. There were no twinkling lights and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Into our neediness comes God-in-flesh! The "poor, the hungry" are most able to appreciate the gift of Christmas I suspect. While I had an overwhelming urge to "fix" the immediate problems of these women, I had to just be with them, hug them, and pray with them as we formed a circle and held hands. God was there among us. Blessed are the poor in Spirit. We were blessed.

During the morning, there was also laughter and rejoicing; 21 ladies had received word their cases were being dropped. They would be transported to the police station, and from there, they would be flown back to the Philippines without their documents on a special flight. It is encouraging to have been there long enough to see that situations do get resolved, even though it seems to take forever.

One very precious girl who is only 22 was among those leaving. She has been there many months and is the one who carried the "Trash to Treasure" project when we were not there. She poured her heart & soul into the creation of these beautiful ornaments. She presented us with the most lovely necklaces she had made for us from beads taken off a pair of jeans. They are such a treasure to Molly & I as we remember this dear girl. She is a Muslim and I saw much of God in her. She hugged me and held on for a very long time while her tears wet my shoulder. Her gratitude was such a gift to me. She was very optimistic about her future: I just hope all the current conflict in her part of the Philippines does not dampen her can-do spirit. I wish I could bring her home with me.

Road Rage

December 6, 2009

This was just too funny not to share. As I was driving home today in the taxi, we came to a crawl near my home as there were several cars stopped in the middle of the road at random positions. It was unclear if one of them had actually hit another car but several people were out of their vehicles. As my eyes took in the scene, I could scarcely believe it: a Kuwaiti man was lunging into the passengers window of a car while wildly swinging his black coils (egal) used to secure his red & white head scarf! His scarf and dishdasha were blowing in the wind while he used his head accessory as a weapon against what I think was an Asian man. While he was whipping his coils, other drivers had exited their cars and were leaping to pull him off of his victim. How sad is this??? The insanity of these roads never fails to astound me.

I guess I'm a little slow, but I failed to put 2+2 together regarding the lack of addresses and the "poor" mail delivery in Kuwait. I'd heard the mail was "unreliable" but this week I realized I've never actually seen a mailbox OR a post office here! When our travel agent needed to send me our tickets from Egypt, he sent them by a colleague who I had to track down by phone, then meet him on the street by the Philippine Embassy where I was working to collect my tickets. Once again tonite we planned to go to a Christmas concert and I even had an address. Sadly, our GPS did not recognize the address and we couldn't even find it on Google Maps so we took off our party clothes and settled into the homework routine with the kids instead. No mailboxes...that should have been a clue!!!

Christmas Spirit

Ethan helps pack 1500 winter warmth bags

December 4, 2009

The photos are in random order but show a pack up of winter clothes bags at Operation Hope, a distribution of bags to hospital cleaners, ornaments made by the housemaids, and some of the ladies who worked on "Trash to Treasure." There is also the set up at the Movenpic Hotel where we sold the ornaments at a bazaar.

This week, Ethan & I helped to prepare for a big distribution to hospital cleaners. Socks, gloves, long underware and hats were packaged to give away. I also got to go on the ditribution where bus loads of workers were dropped off in the lot, they filed through in orderly lines, and recieved their bags with such gratitude. I love greeting the ladies because I kiss them (one, two on each cheek) but I always worry if I'm offending a man if I shake his hand.

After several weeks of working with the Filipino Run Away maids in making ornaments, throwing out "practice" ones, and supporting their efforts to produce good results: it all paid off! At the British Ladies Society Christmas Bazaar Operation had a booth and sold both our ornaments and baked goods. It was decided that ALL the profits of the day would go back to the Philippine Embassy, so instead of the 60 dinars from ALL of the ornament which sold, we earned 145 dinars = 522 US dollars!!! I was so amazed that the ornaments generated such interest on their own merit. While some people were excited about the HOPE that was represented in each piece of artwork, others just really liked the recycled magazine ornaments and purchased handfuls of them at a cost of $1.80 - $4.00 each. The ladies had expressed their desire to have socks as cooler weather is upon us; they also wanted more over the counter medications for the sick ones. With the money we earned, I went shopping with an Indian lady & her husband who know just where to purchase wholesale. We got 260 pair of cute, warm socks for the ladies plus a box full of tylenol, cough syrup, and other meds, AND we still have about a third of the money left.

Sunday:

The Labor Attache' came down today for the photo op and congratulated the ladies on their hard work before they passed out socks to every one of the 210 women in the shelter. The smiles were so rewarding. I was so proud of them: this is empowering them to do something that boosts their self respect and allows them to make a difference even while they are living in such difficult conditions. As I got to speak again with Mr. Jimenez about our work, he assured me we would have more space in 2010 to do what we do because he sees its value.

Home from Hajj

Molly returned late last night from her church youth group trip to Dubai. We were so very tired and disappointed when we saw her flight delayed. Aside from shopping in the airport, we were entertained by an entourage of "Pilgrims" returning from their Hajj trip to Mecca.

We didn't learn until later what the fuss was about. First we heard what sounded like animal calls coming from others who were waiting to greet the arriving passengers. A high pitched "la-la-la-la-la" with a trill is the best attempt I can make to describe it, followed by a shower of fresh flowers, coins, and candy coming over the barriers. The black clad women with heavily accented eyes were welcomed like rock stars by the cheering, crying, photo-snapping crowd of greeters. As family members emptied their baskets into the path of the Pilgrims, immediately there were uniformed "cleaners" underfoot to scoop up the small change from the floor into their pockets. While the hugs & greetings were going on, grown men (the Asian cleaners) eager for a few fils (money) scrambled shamelessly between the flowing abayias like boys grabbing candy from a broken pinata. The flowers and candy were swept up as quick as they landed on the floor. The barricade which was erected just for the occasion of the Hajj, extended all the way to the parking lot to keep the crowd of greeters separate from the returning Pilgrims. I assumed this was to prevent congestion but it was a very awkward arrangement.

Around midnight, our own tired and bedraggled little "pilgrims" emerged with bags and bed sacks. Molly had been able to skip through the passport procedure in Kuwait ahead of others; this was only a small consolation after her diplomatic passport caused such a stir on arrival to Dubai that the whole group was delayed by 2 hours.

Thankful List

"Praise the Lord O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

November 27, 2009

I've been reviewing my benefits since reading this Psalm first thing this morning and I am moved to tears at the length of my list! Here are some of the hightlights:

1. I'm so thankful for the growing intimacy I feel with God as I get older. I've had such precious glimpses of him at work these last few months.

2. The privilege of serving "the least of these" in Kuwait through Operation Hope.

3. The calls to prayer each day that remind me of the supremacy of God, that Jesus is his son, and of my desire for the Holy Spirit to make Him known in this land.

4. Robert's choices which have enabled us to be together here as a family, his priorities, his support for my passions, and his unbelievable love for our kids.

5. Molly's gap year which is allowing us to serve together. The experiences she is having here and the favor she genders with everyone she encounters. Her readiness for college (even if I'm not ready!)

6. Emily's tenacity in the face of academic and physical challenges, she has been such a fighter. Her relationships with the diverse group of international and Kuwaiti students where she is so very respected.

7. Ethan's strength of character and good decisions in the presence of negative influences and peer pressure. His growing maturity. The opportunity for him to star in "Oliver."

8. My friendships with the ladies from the American Embassy. It is not a chore for me to participate in social events, it is a pleasure.

9. The Kuwait Ladies Bible study and this very diverse group of friends who have been such a delight to get to know and be with. They allow me to lead them in worship each week and this has been a special blessing to me.

10. My Kuwaiti neighbors who are so gracious and generous with us. Tonight Amani sent over a pot of Arabic coffee, the special tiny cups that go with it, and a beautiful platter with a variety of dates for us to enjoy just as she knew we would be finishing our Thanksgiving feast!

11. Our very dedicated American soldiers. We enjoyed having two of them for Thanksgiving dinner along with two other contractors and two American teachers. It was a delightful mix of people, a fantastic "surrogate family" to feast with, play games with, sing karaoke with and even watch the Macy's Day Parade!

12. Family & friends back home who don't forget us even though we have been away for so long. For the stories I hear from them of God's provision during such lean financial times.

13. Our lovely big, comfortable home. The vehicle & free gas provided by the Kuwaiti government who appreciates the American presence and treats us so well.

14. The availability of almost everything we "needed" for a traditional Thanksgiving feast, even if we did have to pay around $15 for fresh cranberries flown in from the states!!!

15. My reliable Indian taxi driver, Hameed, who takes such care in transporting my family when needed.

16. For protection on the roads with the highest mortality rate in the world.

17. The Marines, who guard our embassy and provide security for us 24/7.

18. All the flavors of Middle Eastern food: Lebanesse, Indian, Kuwaiti...so delicious!

19. The thankful lists our children still make every year. We now have enough to cover two large tables.

20. The peace and contentment God has given me while living in a land so very different from my own.

Unintended Consequences

November 23

I'm sure in the handbooks of cross cultural ministry there are warnings of doing things with unintended consequences; we must be taking the extended course of "trial and error!" Actually, I was listening to Lynda's pastor talk about Smart Compassion and he made me think about this. Then, I experienced exactly what he was talking about...

As the first pilot group was underway at a different shelter for runaway maids, it was decided that the ladies would each get the full profit from the sale of their craft items: they were crocheting lovely bags from recycled plastic grocery sacks. We really wanted to let them reap the benefits, especially since many of them ran away in the first place because of many months of unpaid salaries. As we were still discussing how much to sell them for, and what percentage to return to them directly vs going to their common needs; someone took it upon themselves to sell the bags for 5KD (about $18.) These particular ladies are living in a beautiful home that was generously made available for them and limited to a smaller number of women. So, when they got their first payments, they announced that they no longer wanted to return to their countries, but to stay right where they were and make bags!!! Not exactly the desired effect!

Lesson learned. In this situation, Communism is much better than Capitalism! We quickly bowed out of that arrangement and I took another course of action with my ladies. This weekend I sold the first batch of "Trash to Treasure" ornaments (there was much more demand than I could fulfil) and took in over $75.00 US. When I told them today, I thought they might want to spend it on something frivolous since they earned it as "extra." There was a unanimous desire for sanitary supplies and cough medicine! Such basic needs. What a joy it will be to take them a supply of these. All money will be spent as they desire and returned to them in products.

This was such a good lesson to learn. We must stop, look, and really listen to discern how to serve in a way that is beneficial and not destructive or offensive.

Today, Molly & I joined in on our first "distribution" of winter warmth bags to TCN's (third country nationals) working as custodians at a public hospital on the far side of Kuwait. It was explained to me that these workers live 25 to a room with minimal or no toilet facilities. The crumbling walls are stuffed with trash to keep the wind out. Their meager wages are sometimes siphoned off by greedy supervisors who promise them better work or threaten them into giving a percentage of their wage to them. Hospitals hire the middle man; the company who provides a service and manages these workers for profit. This distances the Kuwaitis from how the TCN's are actually treated.

We took over 300 bags and several volunteers where we were met by the maintenance supervisors at end of shift. Very clean and neat men and a few women, all in uniform, lined up to receive their package of insulated underwear, gloves, hat and socks. Molly captured many happy faces on camera as they took the bags from us. Some would barely meet our eyes, most said a very grateful "thank you." A quarrel broke out once between a supervisor who came through twice and was accused of taking 2 bags by another manager. A little prayer, and it diffused. As word got out that we were there, men from a construction site across the street began to join in the line. Then security guards, and random other Indian & Asian workers. Some shouted over the fence, waving the bags, so others could come before we ran out of supplies. At last we pulled away, but one lone man came out by the car asking in Arabic if he too, could have a bag. Sheryll has the biggest heart; she told the lorry driver to let him have one of the few that were left...out of nowhere, others materialized and were stretching their hands thru the bars of the truck to grab one, two bags in a frenzy of greed. Sheryll scolded one man and reminded him that "God is looking and sees your greed, you need to take only one!" Certainly, God sees all of our greed but some of us are able to disguise it better than others.

It was such a joy to serve with Molly. I am so thankful that she has the heart and desire to serve in this way, and very grateful that we have this opportunity to minister together here and now.

Life is a Ball

So, I see; I am a little behind...I will try to close the gap! The days slip by at an accelerated speed as the holidays draw near. In addition to the joy of each day, I've spent time planning for our Egypt trip, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and we have 2 girls with special birthdays coming up as well.



As promised, my neighbor was good on her word: Friday morning when I went over, the maids were ready for church! I was so happy and I could see that they were too. On the way to church we learned that Anna has a 4 year old little girl and a husband back in the Philippines; Venge has a 12 and 19 year old and her husband died in an accident 15 days after she arrived in this country 2 years ago.



As we sat together in the worship service, Venge leaned over and said to me "I cannot believe we are in Kuwait, I feel so FREE here!" Our pastor spoke about leaving a legacy and reminded us that we are all placed here by God for a reason, even if we think it was a job that brought us here. I hope he gave them a sense of purpose for what they do. Afterwards, when I asked, both wanted to pray with the pastor & he embraced them lovingly and carried them and their families to the throne in prayer. The service ran long (as most do here) and we had to chat a bit after church & round up the kids. By the time we were on our way home it had been about 2 1/2 hours the maids had been gone. I got a text from their "Madame" saying "it is too long...where are you? I am having company and need my housemaids." They knew she would not be happy when they returned but I had a feeling they thought what they had enjoyed was worth her wrath. They were so pleased to be out and at church. I felt terrible, and really struggled with the selfishness of my friend who found 2.5 hours in a week with 0 days off to be too much to allow these precious lady's to rest and worship. This sense of sadness diffused into my day. I pray they will be refreshed with a new sense of hope, and pray this won't be the first and last time they get to go.



The Marine Ball was a lot of fun for Robert & I. For security reasons, it needed to be held at the Embassy and there is not a room large enough to hold the event. Thus, the tennis court is used. I was amazed at how they made a tennis court look like an elegant ballroom with swooping lights and draped curtains hiding the green mesh walls. Tickets to this event are considered quite the prize in this country. This is an annual affair at US Embassies all over the world because the Marines provide the security for all our Embassies and this event celebrates the Birthday of the formation of the Marine Corp. The video presentation gave some insight into the valuable service these brave men & women provide to our country and the sense of pride was evident. It was a tear jerker. After all the ceremony, there was a fabulous catered buffet and a live jazz band played songs from the 60's, 70's and 80's which is just the kind of music we like to dance to! For a reminder of the providence of God; I was blessed to sit by a lady who is professional artist who was very interested in the work I'm doing with the Philippine maids. She would love to help in any way and was willing assist me in the "Trash to Treasure" project!!! I just see God orchestrating things I could never even think to ask for and I'm so touched by how thoughtful he is.



The kids enjoyed a 4 day weekend as Parent Teacher Conferences were scheduled for Sunday & Monday. All enjoyed sleepovers with friends and it was so good to see them enjoying themselves. We are trying to get ready for Thanksgiving but this is a challenge. We thankfully got a turkey at the base before their limited supply was exhausted. As for the trimmings...we may have to make some substitutions as things such as pumpkin & cranberries are either not available, or extremely high priced and imported from the US. So far we have 2 teachers, and I think our current count of soldiers we expect is up to 5! These are guys stationed without their families who are at Camp Arifjan. I must start cooking soon:)

Cat Rehab and More

The highlight of last week had to be seeing my neighbors Philippine maid explode with joy when I placed a Bible in her hands. I finally felt the time was right. My Muslim neighbor invited us over for dinner and I knew Venge would be doing a lot of the preparation. I brought them some home made English Toffee, spinach dip (their favorite) and chips, then I said to my friend "I would like to give Venge a gift of a Bible but I want to be sure that is okay with you...is there any problem with this?" She assured me this was no problem, so I bravely charged ahead and asked if I could take her to church! This resulted in a flurry of red flags over concerns that Venge would make contact with men or others who were not a good influence. By now the husband was involved and he said he used to take his maids to church but they abused the privilege, so they quit. After much gentle reassurance that she would be under my careful custody, they agreed that on occasion, she could go! I was thrilled and Venge was "over the moon" but I think she will not believe it till she is in our car.

We had a very lovely time with our neighbors and enjoyed a perfect Arabic feast of food. Four big casserole dishes steamed in heated holders on the table with Arabic & Indian food, plus salad with beetroot and pomegranate seeds and all the trimmings. Language can be a source of frustration or of humor. We were talking about how their daughter has been too fearful to drive following her recent car accident, and her mom said "Halema is such a COW!" We laughed and asked if she meant a "coward" but she insisted she was a "cow" till her other daughter said "mom, you mean a CHICKEN!" We all got a good laugh out of that.

It is interesting that none of the locals here have mentioned the shootings at Ft Hood. Emily did tell me in one of the English classes the teacher asked "what do you think of when you hear 'Muslim'" and all the Muslim kids said "terrorist." It was not the Western kids who said this. Then again, they may have been saying what they felt the others would not say. Another funny conversation from French class was when a teacher wanted to put kids into couples for some skit. Since there were more girls than boys, Emily & her girlfriend quickly offered to be a group, but the teacher said "wait, Hani is a Muslim, he can just have two wives!" And so he did.

Yesterday, we became the proud (?) owners of a beautiful kitten who showed up in our car park area. Stray cats are as common as mosques here and all are skinny & dirty, most are wild and skittish. This little guy was purring and climbing Robert's boot as he was leaving for work, so he called to show me. I pet him and gave him some chicken enchilada, then called Molly down for a look...end of story! She spent the morning bathing, grooming, feeding, and administering first aid to a terribly wounded tail; looks like a mouthful is missing! We resisted a kitty rescue as long as we could; this little guy was so lovable and gorgeous, I said we could keep him till he is well, and everybody just winks and agrees. We are having fun with a variety of names but must remain culturally sensitive:)

Molly & I launched our "Trash to Treasure" project at the Philippine Embassy on Sunday to a packed room of 12 ladies, eager to learn. We recycled magazines into Christmas ornaments that are really quite pretty. We have people wanting to buy them if we can get enough produced in time. It may be more realistic to make and bank for the bazaars for next year; we will see how much crafting time we can get in. They seemed to love a project where they could learn the basic skill then add their own creativity to come up with something lovely.

Looking forward to a long weekend as teacher conferences are coming up. Molly was told the job she applied for had to be re-advertised because of an error that was made in advertising it but they want her to re-apply...oh yeah for red tape!! Ethan finished "Oliver" with a bang! He was a super star and everyone enjoyed his performances so much. He lit up on stage when he saw a full house of people...such a ham!

Robert & I have a Marine Ball on Friday night and that will be a big gig. We are thankful to all be healthy when many have been ill. Must wrap up as dinner should be here soon...this is my first time to do home delivery, it is the norm here. Even Burger King does home delivery. Any service or product you can imagine can be delivered to your door. What a country!

Human Rights & Migrant Domestic Workers

Nov. 7, 2009

Exported and Exposed

For a closer look at the problem of domestic worker abuse, this article really explains the current issues and potential solutions.

http://www.hrw.org/en/node/10592/section/2

Ethan completed his Oliver performances this week and though we were relieved for the busy drama season to end, he was quite sad. He was a stunning star of the show and we were very proud of him. When an audience turns up, he lights up like a Christamas tree and is so animated and fun to watch.

Emily is finally having tiny breather from her intense workload as it is end of quarter. We are thrilled with their grades first term in a new and challenging school. She is painting a mosque scene today; it's her first time to paint since moving and its very theraputic for her.

Molly & I have enjoyed her free time while waiting for an answer regarding the job she interviewed for. We've shopped and experimented with making Christmas ornaments out of old magazines. She stumbled onto a method that is really workable and we developed several samples for our Filipino ladies. We are excited to present this "Trash to Treasure" project to our refugee ladies tomorrow. Here are the proposed goals:

Objective: provide training & resourcing to make Christmas Ornaments for resale at upcoming Bazaar (Dec 1) and at related events during December 09.

Purpose:

1. Provide outlet for creativity, because we are made in God’s image

2. Restore self worth to mistreated maids who are treasured by God

3. Inspire confidence and ideas for future income producing activities

4. Generate some cash flow to help defer cost of living expenses at POLO

To

Tears & Hugs

October 28, 2009



During our weekly visit with the Philippine Attache, I asked him if there were any ladies who were so wounded, we didn't even see them down in the activity area. My counselor friend, Amy, had made herself available to us and I suspected there were some deeply wounded girls who may need her individual attention. Joseph immediately hit his buzzer and asked his volunteer to bring down a particular "minor" who should never have been allowed out of her country to work in the first place. Becky & I saw at once that she was incredibly sad and withdrawn, yet she agreed for us to set up a meeting with Amy.



Sunday evening I returned with Amy and they had Fabriya (name changed) waiting for us with another girl who spoke some English and some "Muslim" as they referred to Fabriya's dialect. This precious girl is only 18 years old and had only been in the country a few months when she was raped by her employers relative, raped again when she tried to flee, but was eventually brought to the safety of the Embassy.



Fabriya's brow was laced tightly with fear and her hands just seemed so...empty. Through her interpreter, she haltingly shared bits of her story. As Amy tried to assure her that she was now SAFE, her eyes leaked grief and pain. As I tried to fall asleep that night, I could still see the horror, the lostness, and the anguish in Fabriya's young, soft face. She wanted us to pray for her which we gladly did. I knew we were blanketed in prayer from others who knew of our meeting. With the limitations imposed by the language barrier, our dependence on the Holy Spirit was even more obvious. Amy was so gentle and professional with her, and it seemed her spirit really opened. She agreed to eat even though she had not been hungry, and wanted us to come again. At the end, I responded to a strong urge to just hold her close. I just wanted to bring her home and tuck her in bed, let her be a teenager like my own dear girls. I told her God was her Father and she was precious to him. I told her she was beautiful to God. I stroked her cheek and assured her God had a good plan for her life. It is such an unbelievable privilege to be His lips and hands!

Up Close & Personal

October 23, 2009



It's one thing to read about injustice & abuse in the paper; it's another to see it right under your nose. By some miracle, I still don't find myself "hating" or stereotyping people. God has given me a compassion that allows me to not generalize characteristics among certain groups of people. He has tenderized my heart and I pray it will continue to be so, even after stories like this one.



I wrote about the American businessman who was beaten after he tried to help a housemaid who had been raped. This same gentleman sent a panicked email after receiving a threat from one of the perpetrators of the crime who was also a police: he was told to leave the country or he may find himself in a deep hole in the sand in the middle of the desert. This man packed up and left the same day, as he felt the situation to be urgent. It saddens me deeply as this gentleman was truly concerned about the plight of foreign workers here. He had been negotiating with their agency to get them ONE DAY off per month, as till now, they had worked 7 days/week. We can do nothing but PRAY, yet I am convicted when I say "nothing BUT" as God may be teaching me it is not by power, or by might, but by Him alone that change will happen.



Today my neighbor's maid came over to bring back a dish and she took time to visit. As she poured out her heart, I was again saddened and hit with how powerless I am. As she shared her experience, she told me her husband was a Baptist and he used to read to her from the Bible. I asked if she had one, and she told me the agency took it away when she came to this country. As I was about to give her one, I was cautioned by Robert that I first needed to check the rules on such matters: I knew we could not give the Bible to a Muslim, but perhaps to a non Muslim it was okay? In the meantime, I prayed with her and read to her from Psalm 30 where David poured out his grief to God, who turned his mourning into dancing. I'm beginning to understand the strong pull that many disadvantaged believers have towards heaven! We are so content here, we barely give heaven a thought...not so for these dear brothers and sisters! What a joy to be able to pray for her strength and refreshment. The Holy Spirit will be her Comforter, I can give her a hug and a prayer. God, please let that be enough.

In The Flow

October 15

If Becky and I have been a tiny stream these past few weeks; it feels like we have just come 'round a bend and have been swept up in the flow of the river itself. First, God blessed me with an experienced friend who shares my heart for ministry among the underclass domestic servants who have been mistreated. Becky has been serving God in Indonesia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Canada prior to this move. She brings great wisdom, warmth, and is a cherished friend. Next, we felt the momentum increase when we met the "movers and shakers" involved in this type of work here in Kuwait and were introduced to the man in charge at the Philippine Embassy. We were honored to receive his favor and have been moving forward in regular service to these precious ladies.

Last week, I was asked to consider sitting on the council of Operation Hope Kuwait; a charity which provides for the needs of impoverished Third Country Nationals who are seen to be at the bottom of the heap in this class conscious society. This seemed very odd indeed for someone so new in the country with no proven skills! I agreed to entertain the idea but thought to myself "I don't want to be spread too thin." The same day this was proposed, I just happened to run into the founder of Operation Hope and we agreed to meet.

Sheryll & I met today at her home and I have been awed by God at his strategic use of people and resources. I have never felt so clearly that I am "in the flow" of God's divine purposes. He is gently making himself known through these humanitarian works of service which is speaking volumes to the native people of this land as well as to Third Country Nationals from all over the world. My desires and availability to serve this specific population was a direct answer to the vision God was growing inside Sheryll and the OH council. Instead of me having "one more thing to do," by stepping into the role of OH contact at the Embassy, it assures the work that I do will not end with our departure from the country, but will build on what God has been doing here for years and will continue long after we are gone! This also allows me the privilege of working with some amazing Christian Visionaries from whom I can learn So much!

October 19

On Saturday, I attended my first Council Meeting and was pleased to meet up with such incredible people. One man described his "wake up call" which came a month ago. He came out of retirement to work in real estate development here but his wife lives in the states. Because he had been volunteering with the runaway maids, he got a distress call that a maid had just been raped, beaten, and was trying to escape her employer. He rushed to the scene only to be admitted to the house, then fiercely beaten & thrown out. When the owner heard him call the police, they beat him again. The police did come, but not for the rapist; they took HIM to jail. He was told to NEVER put his nose in other's business again. His good connections meant he only got chastised and not imprisoned or kicked out of the country. His broken bones are healing but his zeal for justice was ignited.

I cannot share events like this without humbly pointing out that similar injustices occur EVERYWHERE and Kuwait does not have a corner on corruption in the police force. I am just so thankful for an organization that quietly goes about loving "the least of these" and setting an example of treating people with the dignity their Creator intended. The fact that the founder of OH is American, married to a wonderful and supportive Kuwaiti man is evidence that many people here care deeply about the way laborers are treated. I have much to learn about the way justice is, or is not carried out here. As a Christian Humanitarian organization, the focus is on serving, and hearts are gradually changing. I know any forceful approach toward the government here would only jeopardize the ability to reach these people with the love they need. My constant prayer is the one prayed by Mary Sumner in 1876:

All this day O lord

Let me touch as many lives as possible for Thee;

And every life I touch

Do Thou by Thy Spirit Quicken

Whether through the word I speak

The prayer I breathe

or the life I live.

As I write, the clean scent of Pine Sol is wafting from the kitchen!!! Finally, my house is getting a proper cleaning instead of just wiping up spills! My friend and neighbor needed a live in maid but did not have enough cleaning to keep her busy, so we decided to "share" a maid and split her salary and expenses. She is highly motivated and takes initiative to do what she sees that needs done. I am overjoyed at the prospect of not having to chose between cleaning or working on nursing studies or the projects I love. There have not been enough hours in the day lately and all of us collapse in bed at night in sheer exhaustion. The evenings we are at home are usually spent helping the kids with homework, Molly with college prep, cooking and keeping school uniforms clean and pressed. It is such an unbelievable treat to have help with this enormous house.

Last night Robert & I had a welcome event at the Ambassadors house. She is a lovely lady who articulates our mission here very well. The US Embassy Ambassador's home was built as a thank you gift from the Kuwaitis after the Gulf War...from looking at the house, one would conclude they were VERY appreciative! It is lavish; more like a Ritz Carlton Hotel lobby than anything else. The appetizers were fantastic, especially the mini pumpkin squares. I've not yet seen a can of pumpkin in this country.

The past two Sundays with our Ladies at the Philippine Embassy have gone very well. Becky & I were able to be much more prepared when we arrived on our second Sunday morning. We took time to listen and learn about the needs and desires of the residents before we led them in a head, neck & shoulders massage workshop. We asked to work with the ones who have been there the longest who have been identified as the leaders. Our intent is that they speak for the others regarding the needs, and that what we teach them, they will teach the other residents.

We had such fun doing the massage techniques with them, they were so proud to be able to give each other such relaxing massage. I suspect just having human touch and laughter did them all much good as well.

This week we took supplies to try out the sewing machines they had been given. Only 1 of 4 was in working order, but we still managed to get a good start on some pillowcases which they can then do needlepoint on. The project we hope to move forward soon is making tote bags out of plastic grocery bags which are crocheted into beautiful designs. These can be sold for a profit which will benefit the ladies, and they will learn a skill which can be used later to earn income with hardly any startup cost! An Indian lady is teaching us this skill and all are very excited about the potential. We are discussing other ideas constantly; such fun to be in the middle of this creative energy and people who really want to make a difference for the ladies. God help us see "what is not, as though it WAS!" The great frustration is the time it takes to obtain the legal documents so the maids can get out of "lockdown limbo" and get on with their lives either with a new job, or back in the Philippines.

Thankfully, Ethan's face is healing well. He is not loving school much this week; neither is Emily. Have I mentioned how hard transitions are at this age? Ugh. Having course work that is college level does not make it any easier for Emily, yet she loves the challenge. She has read 7 books so far this year in her honors English class. She is currently comparing Dante's Inferno with Virgil's Aeneid! She can now explain the whole of the economic meltdown from what she has learned in economics. She finally got a good grade in Pre calculus. The education is very valuable if only it does not kill her in the process! Ethan is finding he has to work more than he used to in order to get good grades. I long for free time as a family & feel guilty when Robert & I get to spend time out and about.

I've not mentioned the lovely times we've been having with our neighbors. Molly did a terrific blog on "Love" as we discussed it at lunch on Saturday. I'm just incredibly thankful for the easy exchange we are sharing with these two families. It was amazing to be able to talk about the sacrificial lamb of Abraham when he went to sacrifice his son on the altar, and to explain how we shared this same heritage, except we no longer sacrifice the lamb BECAUSE OF JESUS! We were told that we may be the beneficiaries of some freshly slaughtered lamb (some families have them grazing on their property already) during the upcoming celebration of this historic event: EID...yes, same as the end of Ramadan, I don't yet know why it is called the same thing. Lucky for the young girls, both holidays mean they get new clothes!

The only hint of fall here is found inside American homes where we proudly display leafy arrangements and autumn colors! It is a gorgeous 98 degrees outside today. A table & chairs was delivered this week for our roof top which is really fun! Unfortunately, it gets dark here around 5:30 as the evenings are getting to be so nice. Evening hours mean everyone in the country are out on the road, so it is a nice time to be home. We did face the traffic Sat. evening to take Ethan down by the marina where he could rollerblade with a friend. The boardwalk along the Gulf is quite nice with parks built in, and eve a skate park which Ethan was NOT ready for! There are Starbucks, Johnny Rockets, and TGIF's to choose from. A real bonus was that the sea no longer smelled of sewage! For awhile, it was easy to forget where we were.

4 Hospitals and 13 Stitches

Or, we could call it "Ethan's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad, Day!"

I was awake from 3-4 am with back pain after straining a muscle last evening, so I was happy to sleep in a bit. As Robert & I lay in bed talking, we made the mistake of asking "what should we do today?" Other than play practice for Ethan and making breakfast for the kids plus two extras we had accumulated, it was finally a "light" day.

I woke up all the kids at nine and suggested they all get started on homework. Downstairs in the kitchen I heard a muffled scream but it didn't register as troublesome, as Ethan & Aaron had been horse playing and having fun. A frightened Aaron came running to get us shortly after and I found Emily in Ethan's bathroom, calming a bleeding, screaming brother. At first I thought his lip was split in two, I later realized the wound began above the lip and ran up toward his nose for about a half an inch. They had resumed the sword fighting they were so enjoying last evening in his bedroom (yes, there is plenty of room for a duel!) but somehow they made contact when none had been intended.

Everyone including Molly's guest, Julie was given a job to do: stay with Ethan, get ice, clean blood out of the carpet, call the insurance company, call the local clinic! Thus began a very long day.

Selecting the best clinic or hospital was more difficult than we imagined and our insurance company was willing for us to go wherever we wanted. Since we had been to Royal Hyatt twice with good experiences, and it was super clean and new; we started there. They were happy to see us, but since it was a Saturday, no cosmetic surgeons were available. They advised us to go to Al Mubaric, the public trauma hospital across the way.

Ethan & I went inside hospital #2 while Robert parked and we could tell by the clientele that we were across the street but in a different world. Our first stop was the toilets and they were so revolting with no sign of hand soap, we promptly left. I could not possibly have him in there with an open wound.

After a couple of phone calls, we learned of another private hospital 3 miles away with a good reputation and drove on over. Al Mowasat Hospital was not fancy but clean. We tried to explain that our insurance had a contract with them and they had guaranteed payment, but they insisted we pay our flat fee of 15 KD ($52.oo) before being seen. Arguing, when English is barely spoken and understood is pretty futile, so we paid the fee and were ushered right into a room. An older surgeon entered promptly and scanned the wound. We asked about a cosmetic surgeon but he assured us that in Kuwait, cosmetic surgeons don't work on "fresh" wounds. He insisted the scar would be minimal and set out to repair it. Pleased that at least we didn't have a young intern, we carried on.

I began to get concerned when the doctor only cleaned around the outside of the wound, but never inside it. After he had numbed Ethan up, he was about to start suturing when I asked if he was going to irrigate and clean it "now that you've anaesthetised him?" He gave me a stone cold look and said "why don't you let me do my job?" Ah, sir, I realize you are the one holding the needle, but this is my son and I've spent a day or two in the ER....I didn't say that of course, but he DID pick up a spot of Betadine and make a cursory sweep over the wound before continuing. I thought in the end, the sutures looked appropriate, he put him on antibiotic, put a bandaid on which was to "stay on" (lasted less than an hour) and he sent us on our way.

Ethan was quite upset that he would not be able to audition for honor band on Sunday as he'd been practicing for; this is a big deal and those selected get to travel and perform in cool locations. He was also worried about missing the Oliver practice today. Since he was feeling well, we decided to take him, so others would not suffer from his absence even if he couldn't sing. Robert stayed, and was there when another careless student lunged and accidentally hit Ethan in the face. When I saw him, I began to fear that the edges of the wound were not tight enough...whether it was the second injury or not, I didn't know. I spoke to our reps in London several times and finally sent them a photo of his stitches so they could tell me if I was just being a over worried mom, in a panic about facial scarring on her little boy! They wanted to find me a plastic surgeon!!! By 7pm, they found a guy who was to be in clinic until 8. We got directions off the internet (rarely works around here) and dashed off in heavy traffic to find this place.

During the next hour and a half we traveled to the south of the country, and back north again to the city while talking to seemingly endless Indian nationals who spoke a version of English that was entirely meaningless to us. Our London liaisons were so amazing and somehow the doctor who stayed open till 8 was going to be there until 9. I was just about to give up and go buy steri strips to help hold him together, when I got a working phone number for the clinic. After speaking to yet another receptionist I couldn't understand, a man came on the phone and stayed with us through every turn, U-Turn, lite and wrong turn, until we pulled up to the high rise building. I thanked him and asked if he knew where in the building we could find the plastic surgeon and he said "mam, I AM the plastic surgeon and I'm on the 5th floor!"

By 9pm Ethan was back on the operating table getting his face re-opened, pumped full of anesthesia, and done properly. Thank God we persisted. He said he could only re-do it up to 24 hours after the injury, and it would have healed with a dip in his face because the muscle layer needed to be sutured separately from the skin. He thoroughly cleaned out the wound this time before sewing him back up. This guy was so great Ethan wanted us to give him a "tip!" When Robert payed the bill, we thought that was probably not necessary...the difference between a lousy job and a professional piece of work was well over a thousand US dollars!

Thank God for nagging doubts that make us push till we get answers. Thank God for good insurance and doctors, even though it takes all day to find them!

Assumptions

October 9, 2009







I've been thinking about how many "assumptions" we operate with which we never suppose are only "Western" in nature. These things get noticed in conversations with Middle Easterners and when driving on the highway. They show up while shopping, and in reading the papers. Kids discover them in the classroom and the neighborhood. Some are amusing, and others disturbing.







1. We do not marry relatives. This discussion took place in one of Emily's classes when some members of the royal family were discussing how "odd" it was that Americans think it's peculiar to marry cousins. The one in question commented his parents were cousins, and another student replied "oh, you mean like 3rd cousins?" "No, first cousins."







2. We marry expecting it to be for life; only wealthy movie starts sign "pre-nuptual agreements." Over lunch, our next door neighbor was explaining the contract she will sign when she is to be married. She explained that depending on the wealth of the family, the parents of the bride will have a written agreement with the parents of the groom that if the marriage ends in divorce, the sum in the contract will be given to the wife.







3. The cost of a meal is what's listed on the menu. Our favorite restaurant where we love to get carry out just decided to raise the price on everything by 50% but never bothered to write this on the menu. We were left wondering why our usually 8 dinar meal was costing 12!







4. The maximal acceptable time to spend in church is 1 hour and 15 minutes:)
We went to a special event our church was planning which was billed as a "festival." It turned out to be a 4 1/2hour service with dancing and short breaks mixed in. Even Sunday services are not bound by the clock like our Anglican church in London, and back home! For many of the Third Country Nationals, church is their only life outside of work and the attitude about worship is very different.








5. Guests never eat until the host sits down and begins. Both times we had neighbors in for a meal they sat down and began eating before I'd hardly even arranged the food on the table. They were happy though to pause while we said a prayer of thanks. One explained that what they do is to individually say "thanks" and so they ask/remind each other in Arabic, "did you say thanks?"







6. Personal ads are places by "persons" not families. How interesting to read the personals here! "Family seeking professional male of similar station for daughter..."







7. Parents should never impose on their kids as they grow older. This is perhaps an unwritten rule in our culture, but not here. It is expected that the oldest son will care for the needs of the aging parent as their health begins to fail. I am told there are not many "nursing homes" here as this is not where seniors should be.







8. Witnesses of an accident stay and make report to the police. Right in front of my taxi there was a car crash last Sunday morning. Two cars tried to occupy the same space (common place) and the crash occurred under our nose; one car skidded to a stop 2 feet from our car. My driver spoke very little English and I quietly watched as he maneuvered the cab around the vehicles involved and drove on past. There is no "Good Samaritan" law here and no expectation that you should get out and assist when there has been an accident.







9. Emergency lane should be left open in case of accidents. This only adds to the fear of car crashes. Any open space is fair game for travel when roads are congested...ditches, medians, curbs, emergency lanes, between trees if you car will fit! Thankfully, Robert refrains from driving in the emergency lanes but his sense of restraint is weakening! If he really needs to make a U turn and there is not a proper turn in sight, he will bail over the curb, or median while we bob in our seats like an Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland! He is really liking this big, tough Tahoe.







10. It is rude to stare. Here, it can be a method of flirtation. I always felt it was also rude NOT to look a person in the eyes, but to do so may be to send a very wrong message in this part of the world.







11. Titles reflect degrees earned; Counselor, psychologist etc. One must carefully consider credentials and not titles to discover what kind a training lies behind a title.





12. Police do not harass drivers for no good reason, there must be a violation to stop a car. A lady in my Bible study tearfully relayed a taxi ride in which her driver was stopped for no apparent reason. He received a 20 dinar ($72.00) ticket which he meekly accepted. When this lady asked him why he was ticketed, he said the police told him he was a "filthy Indian."

Update

As I was looking for websites that might help Emily in her research for an essay on Islam & Christianity when I came across this barricade: "This website has been restricted based on the instructions of the Ministry of Communication.We apologize for the inconvenience." Freedom of the press has it's limits it seems! Funny little discrepancies like this keep cropping up.

I can't believe it's been a week since I last wrote. Every day was brimming full with people and places. I am gradually becoming more and more attached to my new i pod touch. It is a wonderful companion to keep me organized and make the most of my time. I love being able to listen to Selah's Greatest Hymns and read from The Message in my palm while riding in a taxi!

The shape of my work is is slowly taking on more definition. I'm so thrilled with the people I've been able to meet who share my desires and have such wisdom and experience. I attended the first Kuwait Ladies Bible Study group on Tuesday and was delighted at such a well organized and diverse group of women coming together with a common purpose. We are doing "Me, Myself, and Lies" by Jennifer Rothschild. I am thankful that I had been studying the power of our thought life, it gave me some inspiration when I needed it most.

When Becky and I went to work with "our ladies" we had one session that was one-on-one, then were told the boss wanted to speak with us. We discussed several ideas for how we might spend our time and he was very grateful and trusting of our abilities. He is a very wise and insightful man and I am thankful for his guidance. He felt if we could do some group teaching, that might be the best place to start, so he asked an assistant to choose 15 ladies who were new arrivals and find a room...we were thinking; okay, so next week we will need to plan a workshop type of a thing.... when the assistant returned and said "they are ready." We looked at each other, sent a SOS prayer up, and headed downstairs to a room full of waiting, frightened, sad women. We excused ourselves to the ladies room long enough for a quick "what are we gonna do now????" then returned and plunged in! Becky was great to team with, God kept us both on the same page and hopefully someone benefitted from the exercises we did on managing our self-talk in times of stress. As we begin to hear their stories, it pains us that we are so helpless to assist them in the legal issues they face, but what a joy to take them to one who can!

I had a wonderful day out with my Lebanese fried who I met in the grocery store this week. She was so generous to give me a day of driving around Kuwait so I could see where some great shopping places were. Her 3 children were in school, but she is also a full time student working on a second masters degree, so I know she is very busy. We had such fun at the Iranian markets and I got the best prices EVER with her there to tell them in Arabic "you can do better than that!"

It has been fun to entertain here; everyone from young single American teachers we find in need of a home cooked meal with a family, to Muslim neighbors. We had a mother-daughter tea with the lady across the street on Saturday which was a hoot! They called first to see if there would be any males around & we assured them the boys would be gone all afternoon. I had made Coronation chicken salad, cucumber salad & blueberry cobbler, but they arrived carrying chicken, rice, and dessert! They wanted us to taste some of their food too. So we piled it all on the table and had a terrific feast. We think they enjoyed their own food more than ours...it was super delicious! They enjoyed looking at pictures and sharing family stories. When they left, they asked us to come to their house, same time next week! What should I take???

Daughter Not for Sale or Rent

Friday Market

Pet Market

Colored Chicks for Sale


Ethan & Aaron petting chicks

He asked for this picture to be taken!

Bird Flu Anyone?

Poor Monkey, holding onto Ethan's pants & heart

September 25, 2009

After church today Becky, Harvey & Aaron joined us for lunch at a Persian cafe and a stroll through the "Friday Market." Everywhere we went, we seemed to attract a crowd. Neither place was really frequented by Westerners so we were a bit of an oddity. We figured it was probably the pretty girls we had with us...girls/women were few and far between at the market and there were none in the restaurant. At lunch, they started bringing us all steaming bowls of squash (?) soup before we even saw a menu. Next came bowls of some kind of green leaf with raw onions and limes; Robert found this quite tasty and the soup was super! The waiter spoke no English, but he left and returned with a professor at the university who studied in San Diego who was delighted to help us order. They threw in a lot of free food and took very good care of their guests.

We wanted to see the pet section at the Friday market as we had heard how colorful it was. We didn't think about how sad it might be. Animal rights does not seem to be a big priority here! I have no idea what they use to dye the chickens they sell, but we saw some of them in boxes of neon colored powders. We saw bunnies being carried around wearing little tu-tus. Beautiful dogs were for sale out of the back of vehicles. The monkey was confined on a dirty patch of concrete under a tiny wire cover. Ethan really wanted to bring him home! I think the feeling was mutual. One boy was taunting the dogs with a chicken he carried by its wing tips.

While looking at the animals, Molly kindly showed one little boy the bunnie she was petting. The next thing we knew, the boy, his two brothers, and his daddy were following us everywhere we went. The dad wanted a photo made with Molly, then he wanted her phone number! He thought she was English, and Molly finally understood the proposition he was making: he wanted her to accompany him to England and care for his boys. Wow. There is no shortage of "work" for Molly here! The way the young guys flirt here really "creeps her out" as well. They simply STARE, and follow her with their eyes till she is out of range. We were told this is common. That doesn't make it any easier.

We must return to work on our Christmas photo outfits! I made my first "costume" purchase today, but there are so many choices of interesting Asian clothes, it will be a challenge!

Eid Mubarak

Roof Top Views from our House

One of our neighborhood Mosques with loudspeakers

Mutla Ridge

Emily & Molly with the Philippine Labor Attache

Run Away House Maids Worshipping

Entertaining the children who live at the Embassy

September 25, 2009

Ramadan is behind us and this week has been the Eid holiday. Eid is the celebration of the end of Ramadan and we're told it is a bit like Christmas. Some places have "Christmas lights" strung up, and stores have sales on for the many gift shoppers. I understand presents are exchanged but I've not really seen this. I made apple pies for some of my neighbors (the criteria was just being home when we tried to deliver them.) We had a difficult time getting past the servants who answer the bell; we tried to ask for the master or madame, but there was a language barrier. Eventually, the owners would appear. One lady who was also challenged with English, invited us in. We congratulated her on the end of Ramadan and she explained they still had one more day until Eid. We were puzzled, as it had been announced that the moon was sighted and Ramadan was over. We learned that not all clerics agree (imagine that!) and it depends on when your supreme leaders sees the moon. I can't imagine this state of limbo for the cooks: we might be having 60 people for dinner tomorrow, but it might not be until the next day!

This couple hosted us in their diwania with its brightly colored fabric covered benches that ran around the room in a U-shape. These are hard as nails to sit on but pretty to the eye. They insisted on giving us drinks, even though we refused since they were still fasting. In the middle of the room where a table was ornately dressed, was a finely decorated tissue box with matching trash can? I think so, this is how they get rid of the date seeds; spit into tissue & dispose. I must admit, Robert & I are getting quite hooked on these sweet, carmelly dates...I used to think they were too much trouble to eat, but not anymore! The husband had studied for his doctorate degree in Jordan; it is easy to start conversation with such questions because they tend to have photographs that reflect their importance in plain view. We could tell quite a difference in him from men who have studied in the West. Another neighbor travels often to London and had the air of comfort with Westerners that others lack.

Since Emily had to complete her summer projects for her honors & AP classes, we needed to keep close to home and give her plenty of time for the books. She took very few hours away from her studies and at times we had to enforce a break. We planned a sleepover for 7 girls that turned out to be a lot of fun. They scrambled all the way up to the top roof one evening and got great photos of our neighborhood at dusk. The singing, and laughter of the girls was a joy to hear again. Even though Emily loves her new friends, it was bitter sweet because it made her miss her old ones who spent so many fun hours in our home in London. We added a Karaoke game to our "teen toys" and it has given many hilarious hours of choral entertainment! With Molly here to organized everything from activities to sleeping arrangements; it makes light work of parties. We were able to do a "kid swap" with Ethan and he enjoyed time away at one of the girls brother's house.

Since I last wrote, the girls joined me for a Friday morning service at the Philippine Embassy. They helped to entertain the children while the mothers worshiped and had fellowship. I was there to observe and see where I can best contribute but it was great to begin to connect with some of the ladies. One young woman was crying and in pain due to some skin lightening creme that her employer had told her to use prior to running away. (While we are lying in the sun to get darker, women here are buying cremes to whiten their skin!) She had an allergic reaction and was terribly swollen and inflamed. We took her aside to discuss this condition, then I prayed with her and have her a hug. She melted into my arms like a child and I just held her, knowing her pain went much deeper than her skin. She actually had two children of her own "back home" and was no doubt grieving that while she had sacrificed to come here, it had turned ugly and now she was stuck, waiting to be returned to her family.

During the morning, these volunteers from the Lighthouse Church provide snacks, prayer, worship, teaching, and give toiletry items and clothes to whoever needs them most. One of the volunteers was, herself, a maid but worked for a Christian family who gives her time off. In her free time, she helps here, and is earning a degree in Christian Ministry from the Lighthouse College, so she can be ready to serve when she returns home! Anna was a beautiful little angel who fluttered around tending to the needs of her sisters.

Before leaving, we were privileged to meet the Philippine Labor Attache who is responsible for this place of refuge. He gave me his cell phone number and we agreed to talk further about how I could help. The pastor at our church also encouraged me to "pray broadly" as there is a similar need at the Ethiopian Embassy but it is less accessible.

Robert & I had a very fun excursion with our Canadian friends, Harvey & Becky over the break. Their son was spending time with Ethan, and the girls were busy, so we took off in the direction of Iraq. (Relax Dad, we were still 40 miles away!) We've been here over a month and had not yet seen camels, so that had to be remedied! We drove out the "Highway of Death" where retreating Iraqi forces were bombed by the Americans during the Gulf War. We wanted to see Mutla Ridge which is the highest point in Kuwait and the place where the Iraqis had established artillery forces. It is just a rocky outcropping but since everything else here is so flat, it provides a contrast. We were not the only ones to think this; the area was dotted with young men with ATVs zipping around on the sandy hills.

In a moment of youthful zest, Robert drove "off road" in 4-wheel drive to get closer to the site.

Even in our daring mode, we only drove where there were clearly many tire prints in the sand. We wanted to avoid unexploded devices if possible! The sand slopes were so inviting, we thought we would check them out "for our kids." The sun shield turned out not to be as "fast" in the sand as hoped, and our clever kids spotted our fraud at once! Never mind, we had a blast with friends who can converse deeply, or romp like kids in the sand with us...what a gift! While driving, we came across some camel herds and tents which we could only guess about their use. We were so excited, but decided not to drive any closer in case their herders were unfriendly. As a bonus, we passed a pile of camel bones (what else could they be??) and came home with some wonderful souvenirs.

I wish I could crack the code on how to embed my photos in my blog with headers; I'm open to suggestions!