100.4° Bring it on Summer...

     My belief that God has created me to live in the Middle East is growing.  Well, the fact that I enjoy 100° weather does seem to help in the general settling in here. I do appreciate air conditioning when it is available and am now settled in at Melody Cafe, enjoying my lemon juice, correcting my Bulgarian homework and contemplating all that has gone on these last couple of weeks.
Darrell and Cheryl have headed back to the States, and they are very much missed here, its different without them in our day to day lives. I have to admit to being a little less sentimental as I am going to see them perhaps in NJ during me stint on the East side of the States and then again when they travel to California on their home tour. I miss people, but I enjoy those in my life going out with a purpose and a fire. I like fire, and have tried settling multiple things aflame to see how they would react. Perfume makes lovely little green balls. If we hadn't thrown out our last bottle (horrid stuff) after fumigating DJ's room with it, I might have tried to mix something together. The fourth of July is coming up...
This week Elise and I went over to our friend Solange's house. Solange is from Brazil and is seriously one of the most expressive and hilarious people I have ever met. It was an encouraging conversation, for some interesting reasons. She is a nurse and sees some of the downside of life on this side of the world, difficulties that occur when people achieve positions because of wasta rather than skill (wasta is power, and if you have connections with those with wasta you can climb life's ladder with much more ease than those without), or when people become complacent with life as it is, unwilling to work for improvements although they are so badly needed in many areas. We discussed where these attitudes come from, a lot we believe came of living as a broken community, they are Kurdish to the world and stand together in that respect but the deep loyalty is to the family and to them alone. While I believe wholeheartedly in fidelity to your family, focusing too narrowly can lead to self-centeredness.  
Now, I truly believe that every culture has it's drawbacks, it is easy to visit anywhere, anywhere at all and fall in love with it during the week that you see the best in everyone. That is one reason why I believe that this trip is so valuable, it showed life is life wherever you go there are varying degrees of difficulty, but there is always the daily grind. There will always be the people you, as Solange puts it, ask God "please Lord, let me kill him, he is right there....No? Hallelujah, I will love him like you said to."
None of this sounds very encouraging, right? Depressing actually, but I suppose you have to dive into it all to find the hope. Looking at a situation from the outside can be overwhelming, (though it can often be inspiring in its possibilities). There are things that you will never see from the outside, you might read them in a news letter, or in a blog, but you would miss the small glimmer of hope you see in people's eyes as they first start talking about Jesus, as the search starts in their hearts. Or, reverting back to my friends in the Preemptive Love Coalition, there are numbers upon numbers of children who need heart surgeries here, but they get to see the look of wonder on each child's face after their surgery. 58 down, 100's to go... let us not disdain the day of small things. (p.s. I'm going to put in another plug for their work, go check out www.buyshoessavelives.com). Didn't Jesus say something about giving out cups of water in his name? Nothing too daunting, water, its not even juice! Let us be him in the small things as well as in our dreams to solve world hunger.  
Well, I really should be packing up and walking back home, its almost 1pm, time for lunch. Tonight is classes, only three weeks to go! This week is also registration for some summer classes we will be helping out with at the Kurdish University, that will keep us busy from Tuesday to Thursday. Children's classes start at the beginning of next month.


Prayer Requests:
1) These last two months are going to be going so fast! Pray for opportunities and deepened friendships.
2) I have a place to stay and a tentative job when I return, I am still waiting to hear back on my application for the TOMS internship.
3) It feels a bit odd asking for direction for the future, as I am content not knowing, but at the same time, you don't want to be aiming for nothing. I think that this year is mostly about getting a job, becoming debt free and learning more fully how to work in ministry. Where that will end up? Not sure, I am looking for an opportunity to do something such as the PLC, or another poverty related ministry.


Thank you again for everything, even taking the time to read this...
-Sarah


Let us live the dreams He has given, with a face towards the light, and die with a song in our heart, for what is death but a door?