Independence - verses - Interdependence

The longer I  remain in the States,

the more I recognize the great contrast between "Western" ways of thinking vs. the typical "African/Middle Eastern" ways.

In our former host countries 

(Lebanon, Sudan, Jordan, Egypt)

  INTERDEPENDENCE is the theme.

Families live together, share any money earned and place it into a common 'purse.'

Extended members who are orphaned, widowed, struggling, are taken in without exception.

People rely heavily on public transport, public prayers, public tea/coffee/eating/smoking joints.
Interaction with neighbors is integral. 

"What is best for ME?" -  is not a thought often asked oneself.

Here in the West, INDEPENDENCE is the theme!

From the time we are teenagers, we are taught that independence is valuable.

We get our own driving lessons, our own license, our own vehicle, our own phone, our own insurance and then MUST have our own job in order to afford it all.

We can go to any CVS, Rite-Aid, Walmart -  and develop our pictures on our own. 

We can buy groceries and not need to interact with any human being if we take our purchases through the SELF-check out aisle.

Inevitably, we open our own checking account, where we store our own money . . that we are saving up for our own car, or our own home, our own life.

Privacy, self-reliance, success are integral!

We are encouraged to "MAKE IT ON OUR OWN" and to "Make Our Own Way in Life"

 - as the failure to do so risks appearing lazy, unsuccessful, non-conformist.

When we go through trials, we must pull ourselves UP by our own boot straps and hold our own rope.

Beyond culture and location, we must ask .. what is God's plan for us?

Independence vs Interdependence?

Today, take someone's hand.

Pray for/Pray with/ Give to a poor family, a needy sister, brother, neighbor, co-worker.

Spend time with someone you normally wouldn't because they might be an incredible BURDEN on you, your time and resources.

Pour out your time, resources and prayers on behalf of the needy, the suffering, the oppressed in your area or somewhere in the world.

Reach out to your community.

BE community.

Love others,

 until it hurts.

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done.

 We will be judged by 

“I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless, 

and you took me in.

Mother Theresa

THIS POST is dedicated to the 'community' that has set themselves up around us in order to make our transition tolerable.

For those who have prayed, carried our financial burdens, given comfort and encouragement, given belongings, extended resources and time, treated to a cup of coffee, arranged sleepovers and play-dates, listened to our complaints, pointed us to Jesus!

Thank you!

HOPE

"We waited for you against all hope.

We came for you with the greatest of hopes."

(Nancy McGuire Roche/adoptive parent)

Time for an adoption update, friends.  And .. 'thank you' to those who have journeyed with us in prayer.

We praise God-for the adoption grant recently received from Show Hope, in the amount of $7,000.00!

Valuable documents in my dossier are on their way to N.J. to be authenticated, 

after which I must bring them to the Haitian Embassy to be stamped.

THEN, the dossier will be ready to send to Haiti, along with half of the adoption cost,

 in order to be eventually matched with a child.

Adoption is always full of unpredictable variables and huge challenges!

We have met with some of them this week and I am asking for you to pray through these challenges with us, with great faith in the One who does the seemingly impossible!

Adoption rules in Haiti have changed drastically.

Our adoption facilitator and her organization are now NOT on the list of those newly authorized to facilitate adoptions.

I need Wisdom and Guidance now to know where to send my dossier.

Lord, make a way!

We pray also for Show Hope to be gracious in relation to changes that need to be made to my situation.

Show Hope retains the grant funds until I have been matched with a child and am close to traveling to pick up that child.

Please pray for Show Hope to release the funds early, so I may use them to pay for the first half of the adoption.

Additionally, I'd like to invite you to join me in praying for two other dear families who are at the very end of their adoption process and are waiting, with great HOPE to hear that their                       children are ready 

                    .   .   .   to come home.

 Pray for the Grams family, adopting Gustavo from Columbia. 

Lord, bring him home to his forever family, soon!

 Pray for the Timko family, adopting Jeno, from Haiti. (see picture below)

Lord, speed his home coming also!

We also invite you to pray for the necessary funding for all of us, to complete our adoptions!

Thank you!

"Adoptive parents are special and there is a bond that binds us,

but has no name.

We understand without words the precious gifts that we have been entrusted with."

(Martha Osborne/adoptive parent)

CHECK OUT THIS BEAUTIFUL SONG-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U64bongHqYU

Contrasts

Friends,

It’s been a while since my last post. We’ve been transitioning back to American life.

I cannot even count the ways that God’s mercies and favor have enveloped us these past few weeks, and we are so grateful.

 As I carry our former world in my mind, and live in the reality of our present world,

 I seem to measure the day’s events in terms of “contrasts.”

These days, I'm found driving my daughter 30 minutes to her school in our borrowed vehicle  - as opposed to walking down the street, dodging goats, cats, wild dogs, trash, naughty crowds of boy, dead animals and cars, 

    .  .  challenging our sanity in the early morning hours.

Nor are we waiting for a taxi to come, then sitting in the back seat, listening to Qur’anic verses being chanted as we’re driven by a man that we don’t know, or trust.

 We are now blasting worship music on our long commute, and singing along in the safety of our own little space.

I’m no longer walking the tiny, narrow aisles of our mom and pop grocery stores, wondering if I’ll find the needed food item that I’m aware might not be there for another week 

                   or month 

                              or ever again.

I am now walking into a university-sized supermarket that I am sure has enough food to feed Somalia .. and looking at the excess in every direction, 

  and then 

      feeling as though I want to run into a corner and cry.

On the other hand, I appreciate having everything written in English, 
and if I stand still for a minute or two and look bewildered, 
a handful of kind folks WILL run my way to offer help!

The fruit and veggies I now purchase are always
    large, luscious, colorful and yummy. 

No more picking off bugs and worms, scrubbing and dipping!

Food doesn’t spoil quickly in my fridge. 

All of the faucets in our home, work. 

Toilets always flush. 

Our clothes come out of a dryer so fluffy and warm and wrinkle free! 

The oven works perfectly.

 I have water and electricity daily and can make the temperature in my home whatever I want it to be! 

ATM machines never run out of cash.

Reliability and excellent service is the norm.

In most restaurants or stores, toilets flush themselves and water runs from the spigots without even the touch of a handle! 

Coffee machines, ovens, curling irons . . .all shut OFF on their own! 

It seems that I don’t need to think much at all in order to do anything these days.

These are welcomed changes as we venture into this time of rest and peace . .

However,

        HOW do I live with the constant awareness that much of this world is without these conveniences every day? 

And then there are the few precious ones who have given up these conveniences to serve those who are without them.

I will chase away the bewilderment of it all by praising Him for our present reality, 

and hopefully remember that these things are NOT our ‘rights,’ but gifts from a gracious God.

I will also not forsake praying for, giving to, finding ways to serve those who struggle to make it through a day in the parts of this world where He’s brought us before.

Let us all strive to

   GIVE THANKS

      GIVE TO OTHERS who are in desperate need!

         Praying for them, 

            without ceasing!

My Daughter and I had a Smoke Together on the Way to School this Morning . .

Actually . ..we didn't have much of a  choice since we were in the back seat of a taxi, headed towards Grace's school, and the driver was having his morning     smoke before breakfast!

THIS, is one of the things I WON'T MISS about Egypt.

Yesterday, while sitting to have dinner, Gracie asked,  
"Mommy, what are some of the things you look forward to in the States?" 

We took turns sharing our lists!

We DO have so much to look forward to and to be grateful for

 on the 'other side!'

 Certainly, there are many things we will miss about life in Egypt, as well.

• Our spectacular friends!

• Donkey carts selling veggies

• Occasional herds of goats walking    down our street

• Our cleaning helper and ironing man!!

• Flexibility of life, work, and rules

• Ministry among the poor

• Chatting with precious friends in the    office

• Beanos Cafe!!

 .  .  . to name a few things.

Likewise, I've been reflecting on things that I won't be missing -

The SOUNDS of night time Cairo: 
   noises that come all through the night and JOLT me out of my sleep such as -
   children screaming at the top of their lungs
   taxi drivers angrily shouting at each other
   packs of wild dogs howling
   motorcycles roaring by
   low flying planes
   wedding drums
   fireworks
   rapid gunfire
   gangs of boys fighting
   the incessant honking of car horns
   the call to prayer

I won't miss the frantic feeling experienced as I walk through the streets daily, or as we hop into yet another taxi with an unknown driver and attempt to trust him, or the feeling of constantly being completely out of control in almost every situation!

YET, I am finding that it takes MORE faith for me to trust the Lord in returning 'home,' than it did to trust Him for our move to Egypt.

In both transitions,    He remains faithful.

And, we are grateful for every one of our experiences here, and for God calling us and allowing us to be a part of HIS plan here in Egypt, for a time.
My sister reminded me of the words of one of her favorite authors just today, and I'll close with those 

"Don't be sad because it's

over,

 be happy because it happened." 

(Dr. Seuss)

STUFF

HOW DO YOU pack 
     an entire house full of 'stuff'
             into a few suitcases??
 The answer, as you can imagine, is 

                       You Don't.

Something's gotta give!

     Where our beautiful sky blue sofa set used to sit, now sit 7 suitcases, bulging from overweight and over-packing. 
     Over the past few weeks, we've had the JOY of realizing that our 'stuff' is JUST stuff, and while it was there for us for the time we needed to use it .. .it was not meant for us to keep forever, to cling to or hold onto with a firm grip.

Getting rid of our 'stuff' isn't as hard as we might initially think!

There is such JOY with releasing .. .letting go and selling, passing on  to others what was once precious and useful to us.
Lightening the load not only brings with it the essence of freedom and release, but the exhilaration of recognizing that all of your things are NOW gifts from The Lord, to others . . ..and the joy felt within the 'transition of stuff'  is beyond compare!!

     ALL great gifts have a forethought, a waiting period, and a special time to be given to that special person. Grace and I have piled our former possessions into corners, prayed, and waited to see what special people they are now meant for! 

There is such benefit in awaiting God's timing, His perfect timing ... for His gifts to be released. 

     Gracie's precious possessions now belong to two little girls who seem to live, and play in the streets outside of our building.
     The baby girl clothes that were brought here for Naomi, were really meant for my dear friends Leah and Andy, and their miracle baby girl!
We have watched as He has guided, and we have been the ones blessed to watch and be a part of HIS master plan!
  Through this time of transition, God has reminded me that all of HIS special gifts for His children are prepared, 

                    stored,

                           and ready to be released 

                                           in HIS perfect timing.

"Christian hands never clasp and He doesn't give gifts for gain 

because a gift can never stop being a gift - it is always meant to be given."

-Ann Voskamp 

(One Thousand Gifts)

My Green Grocer Wears a Dress and Speaks Many Languages

Food Garden

 . . . is our favorite veggie and fruit place on Rd 9 here in Maadi. Outside of the tiny entrance sits the  store's most luscious looking fruit, welcoming you to step inside the small passageway leading to what appears to be a tiny cave filled with a variety of fruit and veggies. 

There,  I can pick out, pay for and have sent to our door anything I desire. This option is wonderful for those of us with bad knees, who live at the top of buildings without elevators, although I can be sure if they promise to deliver before 30 minutes, I MIGHT be waiting for the next three hours for my stash to arrive!

The alternative is to call in my order as clearly as possible, and then be surprised at what actually turns UP at our door.

I believe last week I requested 3.5 kilos of cucumbers and a bunch of other things. I received that bunch of other things, along with only 1 kilo of cucumbers, three large bunches of green onions and three packages filled with garlic. (that were NOT requested)

         Close enough, I guess -

 But actually visiting this teeny Mom and Pop shop is a great experience because the man who runs it, and his family members who help, are always quite friendly and extremely generous to Gracie, and that makes it fun.  Upon entering, you will always find incense burning and prayers from the Quaran gently being played from the speakers. The owner, who does NOT appear to be eating much of what he sells ... is a typical veggie-man here in Egypt ( all considered to be mostly uneducated, working class folks) YET he deals with customers from around the world. I do not believe he's had a language lesson in his life .. however out of necessity he has impressively picked up an assortment of languages in order to make his sales work with all of his customers. I've heard him speak English, Arabic, French and Portuguese! (I think?)

   I have studied Arabic on and off for YEARS in various school settings, memorized lists of words, bought and studied numerous Arabic textbooks and have had private tutors, and still struggle to get a point across.

   Whenever I visit his shop without Gracie by my side, he always asks about her and sends me home with a yummy gift of bananas for her, or small package of some other fruit.

   Upon hearing that we were leaving Egypt for the States, he rounded up and handed me a massive bag of lemons saying, "These are for YOU to take back to your family, from me."

  This is one of the things that I will surely miss about Cairo!

The stores we visit daily are all small, and run by the same people who have always run them and always will. 

The faces never change, and we are known by the folks who serve us. 

 For me, it's true that - "Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came ..." 

(Cheers, in case you are wondering!)