Monsters Inc, Kashma, Remedy and Guys

How can this blog's headline NOT intrigue you?

Monsters Inc
I love this movie. The other day I watched (most of) it in Turkish. I still love this movie. BOOM.

Kashma
She's my new 14-year-old Kurdish friend. She's so sweet and her English is pretty good (much better than the intro English class that I co-taught and that she was enrolled in).

A few nights ago I went to her father's kabob restaurant, along with Kierstin (a teacher at the Life Center) and Kashma's mom and aunt. IT WAS SO DELICIOUS. He kept bringing out chicken, vegetables, chicken wings, naan, and some other meat for us to eat.

The restaurant, I think, was just for men, but because I was with the owner's wife and daughter it was ok to be there. It's still strange to me that they still have so much separation on where men and women can go. We did get kicked out after about an hour because we were taking business from him (we took up two tables and weren't paying, so this was completely understandable).

Kashma is definitely a 14-year-old girl. In class her best friend Hadn and her talk and giggle. She rebels a little against society here by her clothes choices. She says she hates living here and she wants to go to Alaska where it's cold and she can do whatever she wants. (Alaska, really?) Her mother shares these sentiments. I thank God that I get to talk to them, listen to their frustrations, and learn from them. I pray for each of them, especially Kashma that Jesus reveals himself to her so she can find the freedom she yearns for in Christ.

Remedy Mission VI
Remedy is underway in southern Iraq this week! While I am still a little bummed that I am not down there, I am encouraged by the progress this hospital is making and desires. The stories coming out of this Remedy are beautiful. How can helping save a child's life NOT be beautiful?

Even when reading some old blog posts that are sad, that illustrate the grief parents go through when it's too late to restore their child...the beauty of forgiveness and grace still is evident to me. Thank God for this, if these qualities didn't shine through I think it would be so easier to become hard-hearted, cynical, angry and bitter about a loss. (I am not saying I'm not angry, but those posts make me want to take my anger to change the ways things are so that more children and parents are not being told it's too late.)

If you haven't check out PLC's blog to see what is going on right now in southern Iraq!

Guys
Since Lydia and Alex are in southern Iraq right now, it's been me and 5 guy interns here.

Every now and then I need to retreat to my room to paint my nails or listen to Taylor Swift or Justin Timberlake, but for the most part I could not ask for better company.

I've learned a lot about guys, but not just from your average, American guy. No, I've learned a lot from great, intelligent, Christian men. So when I get home I hope I'm not too reverse-cultured-shocked by the average American college guy now that I've grown use to be around such awesome ones.

Also, on the topic of guys, there are more male Christians in this area than women. Women are the gate-keepers of Islam here. Another reason for this may be that men have more chances to hear the Truth than women. Women are generally confined to their home, or don't really socialize outside the house with friends. This makes it even more difficult to hear the Gospel. Keep praying for these women, but know that God is so powerful and that He can reveal himself to them in other ways. I heard a story from a Life Center friend the other day and she said she has a Kurdish acquaintance who, since a young age, had visions of Jesus, and knew that she needed to be searching for who this man was. This woman is now a believer, after hearing the Word and realizing THIS was the man in her dreams.

and that is the end of this post. I hope you all are doing well. Thank so much for supporting this trip. I love being here.

Schedule

I have less than a month left here, which means I've spent over a month here. It just seems so surreal still that I am in Iraq. I think part of it is because this isn't the Iraq I hear about, this isn't the Iraq the news (or even video-games) showed me. Part of the separation of my Iraq and the new's Iraq is probably because I've gotten to know the people here, and I get to hear the other intern's perspectives too. Don't get me wrong Iraq is still dangerous. Some protesters were killed in the city the other day, car bombs happen in the cities around us, people we get to meet and friend have all been affected by the wars (I believe SO MUCH MORE than most people in the states have been). My Iraq still feels pain, but the news' Iraq illustrates a different kind of pain.

Anyways after reading Gayle's team's blog I thought it was smart that they shared their daily schedules. So I am going to be a copy-cat and do that too. :-)

Sunday-Thursday

8:20am| Wake up for work

8:50am-9:00am| Walk to the office

9:15am| Office meeting

9:30-12:30pm| Edit, edit, edit

12:30pm-1:30pm| Lunch

1:30-5:00pm| Work some more

• (on some days there's an optional afternoon ice cream break- not PLC sanctioned, but too delicious to pass up most days).

5:00-6:00pm| walk home, change out of work clothes (some days cook dinner- the interns are on a rotating cooking dinner schedule)

6:30-???pm| Dinner, random hanging out, cleaning

On Sundays and Tuesdays I've been teaching English from 5-7pm.

Fridays are our day of rest...or sleeping in until noon.

Saturdays are mandatory 'be out of the house' days. On these days I go to the bazaar, meet up with friends, get coffee, and/ or walk around the city.

random pictures that have little to do with this blog taken by Adam Brandt

My Bazaar Life

Ha ha, I love how much I use the word bazaar as bizarre. I am so punny. ha ha, oh dear I hope someone laughed at that. Gayle would have laughed at that because she knows I am funny 24/7 365.


Speaking of Gayle. I am loving TEA Team's blog posts (CLICK HERE TO GET TO THEM). :-)


Anyways...


Yesterday Lydia and I went to the bazaar to get some long dresses/ skirts/ even more modest clothes for her trip down to southern Iraq. While I wish, wish, wish I was going down there with her I am thankful I don't have to endure 105+ degree heat in all black. She picked out some cute stuff, but it took a while because we thrifted  in IRAQ! Thrifted in Iraq. Liz. Liz thrifted in Iraq. AND I got two super cute (well they will be) dresses for less than $2. I am excited.


Today I went to the bazaar with Ryan and Ted. I wore my ballet klash and people just kept staring at my feet.  I am glad that I could advertise for the ballet klash a little. Ryan and Ted were great guys to go to the bazaar with. They totally nullify the cliche that guys hate shopping or are not fun to go shopping with.

[Lydia, Alex, and Cody left for Nasiriyah today for two weeks. Once again I am the only girl intern here. I am going to miss the other half of the so called "axis of evil" so much. Why are we called the "axis of evil?" Maybe because we're awesome.]

I didn't buy anything today, but I have several more weeks to start my souvenir shopping. So if anyone has anything super specific that you want you should let me know! Because as of now I've seen colored chicks, pigeons, scarves, key-chains, and ice cream that I'd like to buy for people.

I think it's safe to say the bazaar is one of my favorite places here. 

Why Being In Iraq Is Such A Blessing

If you asked me last year what I thought of Iraq I would have given you an answer based on the war, the images I saw on BBC News, or even the stereotypes of Muslims made out by the television or movies. I wouldn't have told you about the generosity of the people, the ways close guy friends hold hands walking down the street, or the ridiculous (in the best way possible) amount of tea they drink.

Iraq has taught me to look beyond what people tell me and to search deeper for the truth. I think I've always been encouraged to do this (with the Bible, with any beliefs), but being here makes me want to know why I believe things...not just because John Piper or any other incredibly smart person told me to.

Leaving the country means placing everything in God's control. Not just in the kitchy, "God is in control way, (but really I still holding on to everything just in case) way." I have no control about what's happening at home. As much as I would love to be there and pretend like I am control, I am blessed to be here and have no choice but to surrender ALL to God. 

and that is the best.

All I can do is pray. All I need to do is pray, to meditate, to focus on Him. Praise Him that being here has taken away all other distractions and enabled me to do this!

The staff of PLC (Jeremy, Jessica, Cody, Michelle, Matt, Cayla, and Awara) and the other interns have each been a huge encouragement to me. They are the type of people we should all have in our lives. 

Other people have come into my life here (other Americans, Iranians, Kurds, Arabs) that have all been such interesting people. I get to meet people and hear stories or ways of thinking that I would never had been able to in my own little niche of NM. I get to talk with them about God, to hear what they think, what they believe and be encouraged and worship Him. :-) 

When the people of Iraq greet each other they do so with a plethora of blessings. These blessings range from, "May your womb never close," to "May your parents remain together and grow old," or to "God bless you," and to "God-willing you have a long, prosperous life."

How do I bless others when I greet/ meet them? Do I?

a few photos

Pictures like this are going to be very prominent because it's usually just Lydia and I (or no one will take our picture).

My latte at Melody's cafe. I could get use to this artwork.

Newsha (an amazing Iranian photographer), Lydia, and I at the Metrography exhibit.

BEST CAB CLUB EVER.

Adam, Lydia, and I usually end up in the back of taxi's together...and cab club pictures are a must.

top three photos taken by my super awesome roommate, creative, inspiring photography, and classy, yet trendy dresser: Lydia Bullock

last photo (cab club) taken by my super awesome roommate's boyfriend and super smart intern: Alex Phillips

Leah: After Remedy She Still Isn't Growing

On Thursday (before I went to the super secret cool club) Jess asked me if I wanted to go on a house visit with her. Of course I said 'yes.'

We were going to visit Leah, a 9-month-old, Downs Syndrome baby who weighs 12 lbs. She can't sit up, crawl, or even control her neck/ head. Can you imagine that?

I didn't know what to expect as we drove to her house. It was a short drive where I Jess and I got to know each other better and where I felt I could release some emotion I had been holding in for a day or so. God knew I needed this drive and I am so thankful for this.

We pulled into the parking area and Leah's mother greeted us, along with Leah's two older sisters. We sat in the living room and had water, Mountain Dew, and apricots. Jess and Leah's mom talked. From what I could guess Leah's mom is really concerned her daughter is not gaining weight or developing correctly. Jess said that Leah has a band around her pulmonary artery because her heart was pumping too much blood into her lungs. She needs surgery to correct it, but is too small to undergo the invasive procedure. After all, she's already had heart surgery.

I can not imagine being in Leah's family right now. Their daughter has already had major surgery, and still needs more. 

Leah's family, in my eyes, is beautiful. Her sisters played with her and cared for her. Leah's mother, while worried about her daughter, fed us a large lunch. . The upstairs neighbor came down with her baby to eat with us. (Leah's mom and the upstairs neighbor eat every meal together. They are the best of friends!). Her parents want to save their daughter, even though they know they'll be caring for her forever. They love her. They will not give up on her. 

These are some of the reasons I LOVE PLC. They love their kids and they don't give up on them. They aren't afraid to be advocates for a Downs Syndrome kid- so many organizations and doctors just ignore them. Who are they to deem these kids as not worth saving? AND they Followthrough. They go to homes like Leahs' to make sure she's eating properly and that the parents know what other avenues to pursue. They aren't a hand-out, but a hand to help guide them and stand next to them.  

Has it really only been three days?

May 23

I woke up around 5:30 am. I was just too excited that I was in Kurdistan and could not wait to get to see some of it! After several more hours everyone else was awake too and at 8:45am we headed to the PLC office. J The office is right above a bakery- yum. There we received some information and our task for the day. The task was for us to split into two groups of three (you know so we wouldn’t draw more attention to ourselves than necessary) and explore the bazaar. Anton, Ben, and Ted were in a group and Adam, Ryan, and I were in the other. Tasks we needed to complete at the bazaar included exchanging $100 to Kurdish currency, picking up SIM cards for our cell phones, drinking fruit smoothies/ juice, learning a few Kurdish phrases, and making it to a restaurant by noon. It was kind of like the amazing race in that as soon as we left the building we were on our own and praying the taxi driver we found knew where he was going and what we were saying. We arrived at the bazaar, walked around, walked some more, and then walked until I developed blisters on my feet. The bazaar has EVERYTHING. Everything from fashionable modern heels to traditional Kurdish Klashi; from spices to live animals; from smoothies to cell phones, from DVDs to fabrics, it is so much cooler than a Wal- Mart. An interesting thing about the bazaar is that the people are probably more into building relationships and getting to know people than selling and buying. It isn’t uncommon for a shop- keeper to just sit down with you and have a cup of tea. When we were searching for specific items we discovered it isn’t uncommon for a shop- keeper to leave his store (potentially losing business) to help you find the store that carries what you are looking for- and also making sure the person there is respectful to you, because you are now his friend. We need more of this hospitality and less of the self- service mindset we’ve been taught for so long. I am thankful that I was able to experience the service of the bazaar because while I am here to serve, I need to learn from them what exactly that looks like here and how I can most respectfully serve and love them.

After the bazaar we ate a delicious, extremely filling lunch, and then came home to learn of the house rules, what each member already on staff at PLC does, safety ‘rules,’ and some more of what is culturally acceptable in Kurdistan.  Right now I am overwhelmed with information, but more excited to start building relationships, learning, and loving here in Iraq.

Kurdish Wedding/ Engagement Party

After writing my blog about the bazaar I went downstairs to chat with Cayla (Matt’s wife), who is amazingly sweet (more on the PLC staff later) and Jessica. They were in the kitchen prepping for dinner as the kids (Emma and Micah) were eating watermelon. After chatting with everyone for a bit, Emma and I started playing Polly Pockets upstairs in her room. Not more than 10 minutes into Polly Pocket playing (or really just setting it all up and making up background stories for our Pollys) Jessica came in and asked me if I wanted to go to a Kurdish engagement party. It was for the older sister of the first girl that PLC sent to Turkey for heart surgery. THIS IS HOW AMAZING AND IMPORTANT THE RELATIONSHIPS PLC BUILDS WITH FAMILES ARE! I, of course, said yes. We literally had 15 minutes to get ready (as Jessica thought the party was tomorrow night and not tonight). Jessica, Emma, and Micah all wore traditional Kurdish clothes (gilly-kurdi?) and I wore more make- up than I had ever worn, or feel comfortable in, because I needed to show how much I respected the family we would be paying congratulations to. After picking up Michelle (Cody’s wife) we headed over to the party. Little did I know that engagements are SHORT in Kurdistan. Like we missed the engagement party in the time it took us to realize the party was tonight, decide to go, get ready, and go and we were there for the wedding reception and pictures. The women there were all dressed in gilly- kurdis and looked absolutely beautiful in their bright/ sequined/ beaded outfits. They were all smiles and immediately took us inside to sit on the couches when we got there. I think the reason for this was to take pictures with the foreigners. The bride and groom were busy taking pictures with the other guests of the wedding, so I didn’t feel like we were upstaging the beautiful, BEAUTIFUL bride at all. After sitting, trying a little bit of the super sweet breaded desserts, the dancing began. It was not Western wedding reception dancing, but a Kurdish dance (basically side stepping, while holding hands in a circle, and moving your shoulders up and down). It was a lot of fun, but for those of you who know me it was also still a lot of not Liz to get up and dance. After some dancing we left the party and I pretty much just went home, ate a late dinner, and slept.

May 24

Today started off early again, at least for me. I woke up at 6:00am to shower. I wanted to make sure I gave my hair enough time to dry. Walking out of your house with wet hair is a huge no, especially for women. We got to the office (which is just a 10 minute walk) and talked about office rules, maintenance, and weekly schedules. After this we were informed individually what we would be focusing on this summer. I learned a little of my tasks. I’ll be the blog editor. This means I’ll be reviewing everyone's blogs, picking pictures/ titles, scheduling who blogs when and what the content will be. It sounds pretty fun, but I know there is so much that goes into this that I’ll be learning over the next week- like what do people what to read, what makes the blog, editing, who will write what best, and things like that. Then we went to lunch at a falafel place- delicious. After lunch Awara talked to us about Kurdish culture and what we were NOT to do.  Then we headed over to Matt and Cayla’s house for chile, corn bread, snicker doodles, cake, and Megamind. I, of course, fell asleep.  And that is today- tomorrow morning Cayla and I are going to the bazaar. :-)