my friend

This story is actually a few weeks old, but it took me a while to process before I could figure out what to write.  I was visiting my friend and I knew she had a rough life, like so many of the women here, but I didn't realize how bad it was.  I could tell from the moment I got there that she was upset and something was wrong.  The night before her and her husband had gotten into a fight.  He hits her pretty regularly, I think.  And he also hits the kids, and I have even seen burn marks on them that she said came from him putting out is cigarets on them.  As she was talking that day she was telling me that at night he comes home around 10:00 after "chewing" and he doesn't go to sleep until 3:00 or 4:00, She cleans a building and has to leave her house by 6:00 so she gets little sleep, because most of the time he makes her stay up with him.  (I have heard from a few ladies that it is wrong for them to go to bed while their husband is still up.)  He will stay up some nights and watch "bad movies" on his computer.  They don't have internet but she says he will download them somewhere else and then watch them in front of her.  It is just a really bad situation.  She was in such despair and even shared how much she wants him dead and even thinks about killing him.
I was sitting there trying to figure out how I comfort and love this lady and what I should even say to her.  I was with a "like-minded" friend and so that helped as we processed what she was telling us.  In this country there really is nothing to "do" for these ladies, he is not breaking any law and there is no battered women's clinic.  So we told her about the Father's love for her and we told her about how when we hate in our heart that to the Father it is the same as actually killing that person, that G@d sees our hearts (we said this because she said that he fear of G@d was the only thing keeping her from killing him).  I think for some reason felt I should share about forgiveness. and I even started with "I know this is going to be a hard concept, but"  and then I shared about when my sister had been murdered and how hard it was to forgive the men who did that and I could never do it on my own, that I could only with the help of the Father and the realization of what he had forgiven me of and saved me from.  And that we must forgive others because He has forgiven us.  I also shared that without forgiveness we will never be able to move on and be joyful.  We both shared with her that we know her life has been hard and we are not saying that it will ever be any easier, but that through the Son she can have peace and joy.  She allowed us to pr.. for her before leaving so we were very thankful for that.  Please remember her with me that she would come to realize that he Father loves her and has made a way for her to have a relationship with Him.
Also please just remember me, these conversations are so hard.  I came home and told Kirk "i'm not qualified for this, I need a degree in counseling." He reassured me that the Father will give me all I need, but sometimes I feel so inadequate to be sharing with these ladies.

EID

The big "Eid" or holiday is this week.  The first day of it was 

Friday and this is at a butcher shop the day before.  Every family

buys a goat, lamb, or small calf to butcher on the "eid."  There

were so many goats everywhere in the city!!!  On the first day of

the holiday we went and visited some friends.  It was great to spend

time with them but right before we were going to leave they brought out

a pot of food.  I did not recognize the dish but the lady of the house

reached down in the pot and pulled out the "special" piece of "meat" for

me to eat.  After asking many questions I realized that I was eating the

stomach lining of the goat they had slaughtered that morning.

Addie was sitting next to me and wanted to try it, of course

she did not know what it was.  She liked the taste and thankfully

ate most of it for me.  Of course, when they saw Addie eating it 

they found another piece for me!  I did manage to get it down, and

the taste wasn't that bad but the texture is something I would never want

to eat again!!!!  After that visit Abram and I were sick for two days, don't know

if it was that or something else but who knows!  I just loved being the 

"special" guest when we go places :)

G's Birthday!

The lady who has been watching our kids for a couple of years now

celebrated her B-day a few days a go.  The girls and Abram love her and it 

was great to be able to celebrate with her!!!

our little tiger

Kirk painted Annie Lynne's face the other day.  She loved it!!!

pumpkin village

There is a place on the outside of the city that we call 

pumpkin village.  We had a great day being out of the city and 

just letting the girls run, play, and climb!  It was a lot of fun

and I even got to talk to some of the shepherdesses out their tending

their sheep.  It was a great day!  

 On the way home we stopped and bought some pumpkins.

I made pumpkin pies and pumpkin cookies, all from scratch! 

A first for me!!!

our little boy!

Abram is growing so fast!!!  He has already figured out how to get

up on his windowsill and that wasn't enough so here is sitting

on a toy on the windowsill.  I guess this is why he always has 

bruises on his head, he is always falling of something.

 I thought we were weaning him from his pacifier instead

it has gotten much worse, and now he has figured out

how to suck on two at a time!!!

 The other day Abram got the cartoon of eggs and

decided to crack every one of them, before any of us

noticed he was missing.  He was such a mess to 

clean up and the floor was horrible, but he seemed to enjoyed it!

School Days

School, School, School!!!

 Really hoping that the computer can teach Annie 

Lynne to read :)  When I'm busy with the other girls

this is what she gets to do.

 Addie is getting better and better at reading and writing.

Here she is writing her spelling words on the board.

 Ayden doing her favorite subject... reading.  

Even Miley does school with us; when the girls make her :)

Happy B-day Annie Lynne!

Our little girl turned 5 on Oct. 10.  I can't believe she is already 5!!!

We did her "party" a few days early because Kirk was leaving with

Abram for Dubai.  She was very excited about her b-day and it was a lot of 

fun.  It ended up that Kirk did make it home for her real b-day, he got home 

that night.

 This is on the morning of her B-day.  We always celebrate with a 

cinnamon roll in the shape of the number of years.  This was a lot

easier when we could buy cinnamon rolls in a can :)

 She was very excited when Kirk got home that night and he had a 

gift from Dubai for her!!!

anniversary pics

One of my friends found out that my anniversary was coming up and decided that it would be really fun for me to dress up like a national bride and surprise Kirk.  She arranged it all and had someone come and do my "henna" and make-up and give me clothes to wear.  Kirk was very surprised and then I convinced him to put on his national clothes and take a pic with me.  It was all very fun.  I don't think I have ever had on so much make-up.  The hardest part was we did this all at her house and since it would be very inappropriate for me to go out on the street with all that make-up I had to cover my face to get home, eyes and all.  How do these women do this daily I do not know.  I thought I would suffocate! and it was not easy catching a taxi and getting home when your sight is not clear.  It made me reflect a lot on how it is not only the eyes that are veiled in the place, and how hard it is to see the light when you are completely veiled.  But also thankful that we serve a Father that can lift the veils!

 Kirk being very national and not smiling, we really were going for the local look!

 The girls loved it all, especially my make-up and head jewelry 

moving day!

 first night in new house!

 the girls love the bunk beds and Ayden thinks she 

is so big with a bed all to herself!

 We even let them have a winner roast with all the sticks

they pick up out of the yard.

 Abram was really helpful taking down all the "dulabs" (our closets)

and putting them back together in the new house.  

Life these days

Well it has been about a month since I have updated the blog.  Life has been a little crazy in the last month.  We are in the new house (and loving it), Kirk has been to Dubai with Abram because he fell and broke his leg and we have been very busy just with life here.  The house has been wonderful!!!  The girls love the yard and spend hours a day outside, which is just what we wanted.  It has become our little refuge in this crazy land.  Homeschooling is going good, and all three girls are doing very well with their school.  Annie lynne is so funny and she loves her school.  Abram enjoys it to, his favorite part is climbing up on the table and sitting right in the middle as i'm trying to teach :)
Also, thanks so much for all your Pr@yers for Abram.  His leg is much better, he is back to walking completely normal.  And since none of us even knew it was broken all the Glory of the healing goes to the Father, I love telling my friends here how the Father healed him.  It has not only been an encouraging story for us but also for them.
Other then that exciting thing, life has been pretty much just going.  We are in a routine of homeschooling and language and being out in the community and trying to see what the Father has each day for us.  Some days are overwhelming with culture and language and things we hear when we are out with locals; and some days are full of security issues and dealing with that, and then somedays are just "normal" whatever that is. :)