Threshold Grace

The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for evermore. Ps. 121:8.

The Lord shall keep thy going out.
One of the great dividing-lines in human life is the threshold-line. On one side of this line a man has his 'world within the world,' the sanctuary of love, the sheltered place of peace, the scene of life's most personal, sacred, and exclusive obligations. And on the other side lies the larger life of mankind wherein also a man must take his place and do his work. Life is spent in crossing this threshold-line, going out to the many and coming in to the few, going out to answer the call of labour and coming in to take the right to rest. And over us all every hour there watches the Almighty Love. The division-lines in the life of man have nothing that corresponds to them in the love of God. We may be here or there, but He is everywhere.
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It is so easily possible for a man to be at close grips with the world and yet to be ever more and more out of touch with its realities. The danger in the places where men toil is not that God is denied with a vociferous atheism; it is that He is ignored by an unvoiced indifference. It is not the babel of the market-place that men need to fear; it is its silence. If we say that we live only as we love, that we are strong only as we are pure, that we are successful only as we become just and good, the world into which we go forth does not deny these things--but it ignores them. And thus the real battle of life is not the toil for bread. It is fought by all who would keep alive and fresh in their hearts the truth that man doth not live by bread alone.
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The Lord, shall keep ... thy coming in.
It might seem to some that once a man was safely across the threshold of his home he might stand in less need of this promise of help. But experience says otherwise. The world has little respect for any man's threshold. It is capable of many a bold and shameless intrusion. The things that harass a man as he earns his bread sometimes haunt him as he eats it. No home is safe unless faith be the doorkeeper.
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'Thy going out.' That is, our life as it is manifest to others, as it has points of contact with the world about us. We must go out. We must take up some attitude toward all other life. We must add our word to the long human story and our touch to the fashioning of the world. We need the pledge of divine help in that life of ours in which, for their good or ill, others must have a place and a part. 'And thy coming in'--into that uninvaded sanctum of thought. Did we say uninvaded? Not so. In that inner room of life there sits Regret with her pale face, and Shame with dust on her forehead, and Memory with tears in her eyes.  More than one man has consumed his life in a flame of activity because he could not abide the coming in.
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Look at the last word of this promise--'for evermore.' Going out and coming in for evermore. Indeed, they confirm that view of the future which is ever taking firmer hold of men's minds, and which is based on the growing sense of the continuity of life. To offer a man an eternity of music-laden rest is to offer him a poor thing. He would rather have his going out and his coming in. Yes, and he shall have them. All that is purest and best in them shall remain. Hereafter he shall still go out to find deeper joys of living and wider visions of life; still come in to greater and ever greater thoughts of God. 

Ainsworth, Percy C.. The Threshold Grace / manybooks.net. 

Yes, LORD, bless my going out and coming in.  Bless those times with neighbors, friends, shop owners, co-workers.  And bless my time at home alone and with family.  May we feel your presence at all times.

God is our refuge.

Trust in Him at all times, ye people. Pour out your heart before Him. God is a refuge for us. Ps 62:8

More thoughts from Percy Ainsworth.

God is a refuge for us. That is the great discovery of faith. That is the merciful word that comes to be written so plainly in the life that has formed the habit of faith. God our refuge. It may be that to some the word 'refuge' suggests the occasional rather than the constant need of life. But the refuge some day and the faith every day are linked together. A thing is no use to you if you cannot find it when you want it. And you cannot find it easily if it be not at hand. The peasant built his cottage under the shadow of his lord's castle walls. In the hour of peril it was but a step to the strong fortress. 'Trust in Him at all times.' Build your house under the walls of the Eternal Help. Live in the Presence. Find the attitude of faith, and the act of faith will be simple. Trust in Him through every hour, and when a tragic hour comes one step shall take you into the innermost safety.

Ainsworth, Percy C.. The Threshold Grace (Kindle Locations 104-110). manybooks.net.

What do you think of his analogy?  The peasant builds outside to have some independence, some freedom.  My thought is I want to build my cottage within his walls.  God should be my refuge at all times.

Trust in Him always

Found collection of sermons by Percy Ainsworth. Most are from the Psalms. Here is an excerpt from his thoughts about Ps. 62:8 - "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge"

Faith is not an act, but an attitude; not an event, but a principle; not a last resource, but the first and abiding necessity. It is the constant factor in life's spiritual reckonings. It is the ever-applicable and the ever-necessary. It is always in the high and lasting fitness of things. There are words that belong to hours or even moments, words that win their meaning from the newly created situation. But faith is not such a word. It stands for something inclusive and imperial. It is one of the few timeless words in earth's vocabulary. For the deep roots of it and the wide range of it there is nothing like unto it in the whole sweep of things spiritual. So the 'all times' trust is not for one moment to be regarded as some supreme degree of faith unto which one here and there may attain and which the rest can well afford to look upon as a counsel of perfection. This exhortation to trust in God at all times concerns first of all the nature of faith and not the measure of it. All real faith has the note of the eternal in it. It can meet the present because it is not of the present. We have grown familiar with the phrase, 'The man of the moment.' But who is this man? Sometimes he is very literally a man of the moment--an opportunist, a gambler with the hours, a follower of the main chance. The moment makes him, and passing away unmakes him. But the true man of the moment is the man to whom the moment is but one throb in the pulse of eternity. For him the moment does not stand out in splendid isolation. It is set in its place between that which hath been and that which shall be. And its true significance is not something abiding in it, but something running through it. So is it in this great matter of faith. Only the faith that can trust at all times can trust at any time. The moment that faith heeds the dictation of circumstance it ceases to be faith and becomes calculation. All faith is transcendent. It is independent of the conditions in which it has to live. It is not snared in the strange web of the tentative and the experimental. He that has for one moment felt the power of faith has got beyond the dominion of Time.

Click here to download the entire collection. 

Jesus Isn’t Contained in Our Boxes

Read a post today by Frank Viola.  He mentions the road to Emmaus, so I thought I'd had it here.

Do you remember the disciples who walked on the road to Emmaus? Their hopes were shattered by Jesus’ horrible death. Suddenly, the resurrected Christ began walking beside them, yet their eyes were blinded from recognizing Him.
However, when He engaged in the very simple gesture of breaking bread (something He had done frequently before them), their eyes were opened.
He then quickly disappeared from their sight.
These stories hold a critical insight. You cannot cling to the Christ you know today. He will vanish from your midst. Jesus Christ is an elusive Lover. Seeking Him is a progressive engagement that never ends. He doesn’t dance to our music. He doesn’t sing to our tune.

Click here to read the entire post.

May our God box be forever expanding.  After devoting most of his life to spreading the gospel, the apostle Paul still wanted to know Christ more. Amen!!

Knowledge vs Relationship

A follow-up on my last post...

The disciples on the road to Emmaus were given the same choice as Adam and Eve. The same choice we are given everyday. Do we desire knowledge about God or a relationship with God.  Adam and Eve chose knowledge. The disciples desired more and even though Jesus had shown them many things from the scriptures, they compelled him to stay. This is when he sat with them, broke the bread, blessed it, and revealed himself.

I pray to make this decision every minute of every day.

Jesus Himself

Recently I stumbled upon a "new" author.  New to me, but he lived over 100 years ago.  Andrew Murray was a South African writer, teacher, and Christian Pastor. Murray considered missions to be "the chief end of the church."

His book Jesus Himself was amazing nugget to find.  The first part is a message which originally appeared in the South African Pioneer, the organ of the "Cape General Mission". In it he retells the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus.  He says there are four stages of the heart that can be seen here.  

The first is a heart full of sadness.  This was due to the death of Jesus and the idea of who they wanted him to be.

The second stage is a heart slow to believe.  When Jesus joined them and asked why they were sad, they told him the news.  He replied "Oh! fools, and slow of heart to believe."

The third stage is a burning heart. Jesus began to open the Scriptures to them, and to tell them of all the wonderful things the prophets had taught. Then their eyes were opened, and they began to understand the Scriptures.  Later they said "How our hearts burned within us..."

Murray says "The disciples had had a blessed experience of His divine powers, but He had not revealed Himself, and oh! how often it is that at Conventions and in churches, and in meetings and in blessed fellowship with God's saints, our hearts burn within us. These are precious experiences of the working of God's grace and Spirit, and yet there is something wanting. What is that?"

It is the final stage a satisfied heart.

Perhaps you have arrived at the stage of the burning heart, and can tell of many blessed experiences, but somehow there is a worm at the root. The experiences do not last, and the heart is so changeable.   You know the story.  Their hearts were burning as they drew nigh to the place they were going to, and Christ made as if He were going farther. He put them to the test, and if they had allowed Him quietly to go on, if they had been content with the experience of the burning heart, they would have lost something infinitely better. But they were not content with it. They were not content to go home to the disciples that night and say, "Oh, what a blessed afternoon we have had! What wonderful teaching we have had!" No! The burning heart and the blessed experience just made them say, "Lord, abide with us," and they compelled Him to come in. They constrained Him to come in.

And what is to make a difference between Christ's disciples--not those who are just hoping to get to heaven, but Christ's whole-hearted disciples--what is to make a difference between them and other people? It is this, to be in fellowship with Jesus--every hour of the day; and just as Christ upon earth was able to keep those people with Him for three years, day by day, so Christ is able in heaven now to do what He could not do when He was on earth--to keep in the closest fellowship with every believer throughout the whole world.

Amen!!  May this be our prayer - "Lord abide with us"

Balancing our lives

This morning's reading from Proverbs 16. Several verses spoke of our path and plans we can make. It shows a balance between our freedom to make decisions and God's working in our lives.

3 Put your works into the hands of the Lord, and your purposes will be made certain. 4 The Lord has made everything for his purpose... 7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his haters be at peace with him. . 9 A man may make designs for his way, but the Lord is the guide of his steps.

El Classico

One of the first things I learned when arriving at the CSM school to teach was you have to pick whether you will pull for Real Madrid or Barcelona.  Yes, I am in Iraq and yes those are two football teams from Espana.  However, every student, and most nationals, will ask "Mister, Real or Barcelona... Real or Barcelona!!"  For the first couple of days, I had no idea what they were talking about.  Now that I do, I still don't have a favorite.  If the Steelers or the Tarheels don't make the list, I check out.  That's the extent of my sports enthusiasm... and to this day I don't even have a jersey or a Terrible Towel.  I like to watch sports, but "fanatic", I am not.

So when I was asked the other day about going to a local café to view the match between Real Madrid and Barcelona, known by most locals as "El Classico", my response was close to "meh".  However, a new American teacher had just arrived from Barcelona and his wife is from there.  When I say he just arrived, I mean he arrived in Iraq just 2 days before and knows very little about the city, the culture, or the language.  But I agreed to take him to the place where just last year there were several eruptions after Barcelona and Real Madrid lost games.  One such eruption had a lot of shouting, horns honking, and apparent happy gun fire (into the air presumably).   Now just in case you missed something, one of those teams was about to lose again.

Now since this is an Islamic area of town, this was not a bar, but a café.  No alcohol was present, but there was a lot of hookah going on… I just have to assume you know what that is.  It was very smoky and most seats were occupied.  A quick glance, lead me to believe I didn’t know anyone there, so we found one of the two empty couches and turned one around to face the closer TV.  The attendant came over and we ordered two orange Fantas.  I know, right?  No hookah, please.

We arrived late in the first half and no goals had been scored by either team.  Another glance around the room, and we were both pretty sure the crowd was mixed with supporters of either team sitting together – one had the colors from Real and the guy next to him was draped in a Barcelona flag.  So we felt at ease with the seats we had chosen.  Of course very soon, upon arriving we were asked the big question… “Mister, Real or Barcelona.”  Since my new friend had just arrived from there, we, of course, said, “Barcelona”.  My friend was quite the celebrity when word got around of his recent travels.  So again, more ease surrounded our presence.  We were asked who we thought would win and what the final score would be.  No betting, of course, but we offered our opinions.

The amount of supporters for either team became evident when Ronaldo for Real scored the first goal during the second half and maybe a minute later Barcelona scored.  The abundance and volume of the cheers heavily favored Barcelona.  Did I mention, we were feeling at ease?  Adding to this was the fact that several guys approached our couch after recognizing me in the crowd.  Not sure how they would have noticed me among so many, but the greetings were unexpected and very pleasant.  One was the brother of a local merchant whose market we frequent often.  The other had seen me working with my construction friends.  Another guy seated in front of us had very good English and after about an hour asked if I lived nearby.  I said, “Yes”.  He knew I had looked familiar to him.  You would think that would make me feel uneasy, but that is why we walk everywhere and visit all the markets we can.  We actually do want to be known among the nationals.

My American friend had a great time.  He is bigger sports enthusiast and even though an American, loves football… er, soccer.  The time was very enjoyable, I must admit.  The banter between fans was great and some singing commenced a few times.  I don’t know enough of the language, but it seemed positive.  Barcelona scored twice more to Real only scoring once more.  When time expired the place emptied without incident.  The Real fans were a bit downcast, but were still good sports.

Oh yeah… I failed to mention that the game began around 11:30p and we were walking home around 1:30a.  They play again next week sometime… I am sure we will try to repeat.

Gideon's 300

I have been meditating on the story of Gideon lately.  As a challenge to those who support our journey to Northern Iraq, I have mentioned Gideon's 300 because we need 300 gifts of $100 to meet our budget for the next 10 months.  To date we need 240 more gifts.

Here are some thoughts from the story:

• The angel told Gideon, "The LORD is with you..." (ch 6 v 12)
• Gideon questioned the presence and calling of the LORD.
• The LORD said, "I will be with you..." (v 16)
• God was patient ("I will wait..." v 18) and gave Gideon several signs to give him confidence.
• We are so thankful for God's presence and calling on our lives.  He has shown us patience and, upon reflection, has given us many signs as confirmation.
• God said to reduce the number of men so they would not boast in their efforts. (ch 7 v 2)
• Those who were fearful, were given the chance to go home.
• There were still too many men, so a random test was given and Gideon's army was reduced to just 300 men.
• Sometimes my plans are not God's plans.  He chooses to work in His timing and His ways.  We desire many to go "with" us on this journey, but God reveals himself, His power, in the few.
• Gideon was given the opportunity to further increase his faith by hearing a dream from the enemy.
• There have been many stories relayed to us about Muslims having dreams about Jesus.  We pray God will speak to our friends and neighbors in this way.
• The Ephraimites complained, "Why didn't you call us..." to help?
• We are trying to ask all we know to get involved.  All cannot help financially, but there are many ways to be a part of what God is doing in Kurdistan.
• The men of Succoth refused to help. "You're on a wild goose chase; why should we help you on a fool's errand?" (ch 8 v 6 MSG)
• Many have asked if we are crazy.  Some have actually refused to support our going.  We agree that it is crazy.  However, as Katrina, was told, "If something doesn't seem natural, it might just be supernatural."

So, how can you help?  

How can someone you know help?  

How can a small group that you are a part of help?

Winchester Family Financial Needs:

$850 per month rent in Kurdistan

   (our landlord expects 3 months at a time; $2550 four

    times a year)

    Our next rent payment is due September 1st

$1,000 estimated cost for Kate’s braces

     We have had most of the work done here, but she

     needs the bottom brackets while we are in Iraq

$1,000 monthly living costs

SOME ESTIMATED MONTHLY COSTS:

• $65 for taxi fare
• $100  for phone service and internet
• $400 for groceries
• $50 for generator electricity
• $50 for prescription medication
• $100 for dining out
• $40 for clothing/shoes

To the right, there are links for donate via credit card or print a mail-in support form.

Saw this and had to share.
It is a humbling responsibility you give us.

Opus Dei Cum Pecunia Alienum Efficemus
- "Doing God's Work With Other People's Money"

The Problem of Pain

Just finished reading The Problem of Pain by CS Lewis.  Can't say I agree with everything he says, but it has me thinking deeper about some things.  Basic thought, if God is who we think he is and we, as humans, are who we think are, then in order to have a relationship between the two... it will involve PAIN.

Some quotes to chew on:

Love can forbear, and Love can forgive…but Love can never be reconciled to an unlovely object... He can never therefore be reconciled to your sin, because sin itself is incapable of being altered; but He may be reconciled to your person, because that may be restored.  – TRAHERNE

The Divine ‘goodness’ differs from ours, but it is not sheerly different: it differs from ours not as white from black but as a perfect circle from a child’s first attempt to draw a wheel.  But when the child has learned to draw, it will know that the circle it then makes is what it was trying to make from the very beginning.

God’s love causes all the goodness in the object, causes all the goodness which the object has, loving it first into existence and then into real lovability.  God is goodness.  He can give good, but cannot need or get it.  In that sense all His love is bottomlessly selfless by very; it has everything to give and nothing to receive.

 Of all powers, he forgives most, but he condones least: he is pleased with little, but demands all.

A recovery of the old sense of sin is essential to Christianity.  Christ takes it for granted that men are bad.  Until we really feel this assumption of His to be true, though we are part of the world He came to save, we are not part of the audience to whom His words are addressed.

From the moment a creature becomes aware of God as God and of itself as self, the terrible alternative of choosing God or self for the centre is opened to it.  This sin is committed daily… it is the fall in every individual life, and in each day of each individual life, the basic sin behind all particular sins:  at this very moment you and I are either committing it, or about to commit it, or repenting it.  We try, when we wake, to lay the new day at God’s feet; before we have finished shaving, it becomes our day and God’s share in it is felt as a tribute which we must pay out of ‘our own’ pocket, a deduction from the time which ought to be ‘our own’.

In the world as we now know it, the problem is how to recover this self-surrender.  We are not merely imperfect creatures who must be improved: we are rebels who must lay down our arms.  … to render back the will which we have so long claimed for our own, is in itself, wherever and however it is done, a grievous pain.  … to surrender a self-will inflamed and swollen with years of usurpation is a kind of death.

Everyone has noticed how hard it is to turn our thoughts to God when everything is going well with us.  We ‘have all we want’ is a terrible saying when ‘all’ does not include God.  We find God an interruption.  As St. Augustine says somewhere, ‘God wants to give us something, but cannot, because our hands are full – there’s nowhere for Him to put it.’

Prostitutes are in no danger of finding their present life so satisfactory that they cannot turn to God: the proud, the avaricious, the self-righteous, are in that danger.

The full acting out of the self’s surrender to God demands pain: this action, to be perfect, must be done from the pure will to obey, in the absence, or in the teeth, of inclination.

The Marxist thus finds himself in real agreement with the Christian in those two beliefs which Christianity paradoxically demands – that poverty is blessed and yet ought to be removed.

Some “volunteer for the post of Satan… If you do his work, you must be prepared for his wages.”

Hungry men seek food and sick men healing none the less because they know that after the meal or the cure the ordinary ups and downs of life still await them.

To condone an evil is simply to ignore it, to treat it as if it were good.  But forgiveness needs to be accepted as well as offered if it is to be complete: and a man who admits no guilt can accept no forgiveness.

A Public Faith

Just finished reading A Public Faith by Miroslav Volf.  I had never heard of him and was just perusing the books available for download from the library and this caught my eye.  It was a great read about the Christian faith and how it functions and malfunctions within society.  I believe I will purchase it soon in order to take a slower, more deliberate, journey through the book.

Here are a few quotes that caught my heart's attention:

"In asking God to help us succeed, though, are we not abdicating some of our own responsibility?  We would be if receiving God’s blessing meant that God did things that otherwise we would have to do.  But that’s not the case.  When God blesses, God does not create finished products; God works through human means to achieve God’s ends.  With regard to our success in work, we pray not so much for God to miraculously bring about a desired result but to make us willing, capable, and effective instruments in God’s hand – which is what we were created to be in the first place."

"With respect to social relations, one of the most important aspects of the doctrine of the Trinity concerns notions of identity.  To believe that the one God is the Father, the Son, and the only Spirit is to believe that the identity of the Father, for instance, cannot be understood apart from the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The Father’s identity is from the start defined by the Son and the Spirit, and therefore it is not undifferentiated and self-enclosed.  One cannot say without qualification that the Father is not the Son or the Spirit because to be the Father means to have the Son and the Spirit present in oneself.  The same holds true, of course, of the Son and the Spirit in relation to the Father and one another."

"Whatever we have, we want more and different things, and when we have climbed to the top, a sense of disappointment clouds the triumph.  Our striving can therefore find proper rest only when we find joy in something infinite.  For Christians, this something is God."

"To reject wisdom as a way of life, or Christ as the embodiment of wisdom, is not like leaving the dessert untouched after a good meal; rather, it is like refusing the very nourishment without which human beings cannot truly flourish."

"One important feature of sharing wisdom:  it is more like playing a musical piece for a friend than treating her to a meal.  When I serve a meal to a friend, what she eats I no longer have; in contrast, when I play music for her, she receives something that, in a sense, I continue to posses.  When I share wisdom, I don't part with what I give; to the contrary, I may come to possess it in a deeper way."

Can I get up now?

My sister told me about this song. 
I have listened to it many times since and it still gets me.

I feel like I'm in surgery
Still you cut deeper

CAN I GET UP NOW!!

My flesh and my will
Its yours not to kill.
I present myself to you
but living sacrifice is MORE.

CAN I GET UP NOW!!

Be still and know... He is GOD.  I am HIS.

What a great song.

It hurts, I want to be more.
He is not finished yet.
There is pain, but I trust HIM.

Being changed

Another post from my wife:

Ran into an old friend at the grocery store today.  I was at the register and she was maybe 6 people back in the line when she called my name.  I turned and smiled and waved to her.  Once we were both finished checking out, she approached me and said, “Why are you bein’ all shy?”  Me, shy?  I guess because I did not call out across the store maybe she felt I was behaving differently .  No one in the last 3 decades, to my recollection, however, has called me shy.  Am I now shy? No. Have I changed? I will say “yes.” We all have; Kinley, our girls, and myself.  Being called shy made me stop and reflect.  I am the same person, but I’m not.  We are the same, only not really.  Our hearts are changed... well, changing.  We still are the same basic personalities, I feel.  I’m still a talker, for sure.  But I’m quieter at times, more thoughtful in some situations. I’d say some of our actions, reactions, habits, and conversations have changed because our perspective is changing.  For our old friends, like the one I saw in the grocery, we’re still your friends--only changed some.  So for those of you reading this, if you see us in the grocery store, mall, park, where ever—call out to us!  We want to see you and chat with you.  But if you feel we are somehow different, don’t take it personally. There’s nothing wrong.  As we follow Him in obedience to this call to love and serve the people of Iraqi Kurdistan, we will be changed.  It is our prayer that others will be changed as well.

A Day in Kurdistan

Sunday, the 10th of June, was sort of my first day out of school.  Really the full-time teachers still have to report this week, but technically there's nothing for me to do in the school, so I did not report on Sunday.  Actually, I used the fact that Sunday was Hannah's last day in Kurdistan as my excuse not to go to school.  Instead, we planned a shopping trip to the big bazaar that morning so the 3 of us, Hannah, Virginia, and I, could pick up some gifts to take to America.  We had also received a lunch invitation from Mrs. Linda for Sunday afternoon, so we were looking forward to a busy, fun-filled day.

At around 9:45 am the 3 of us grabbed a taxi and headed off to the bazaar where we enjoyed some shopping among the local people and in the traditional style.  There were scarves a-plenty, from which we each made our selections.  We perused small stands with henna and searched for ornate (and gaudy) teaspoons to bring to America.  I even found a great mug tree, but not for mugs.  Karoline will use it as a jewelry hanger.  You know how I love to re-purpose!  We wandered around among the sweaty people, hanging beef and lamb, buzzing flies, and noisily shouting salesmen for a couple hours, then made our way up the steep hill to the Qalat (Citadel).  Virginia loves the antique shop there and, since she's single, I guess she has the money to buy antiques. :)  She purchased some treasures, including another dagger (soooo Virginia), then we headed down the steep hill to finish the outing with ice cream or juice.  Virginia got her favorite pistachio ice cream, but Hannah and I decided to try some mixed juice flavors we'd never tasted before.  Hannah chose henar and gindora---translation: pomegranate mixed with  a melon (like cantaloupe).  I went with a safer mix, strawberry/banana.  Well, Hannah's was way better!!!!  I will buy that again.  So, happy and re-hydrated, we headed home in a taxi.  Kinley called to say our family had received another invitation for 5pm that evening!  Whew--it was shaping up to be a very busy day!  If you know me, I love it!

As soon as we arrived home after shopping, I had about 30 minutes to freshen up from the stale heat and dust of the bazaar before meeting Mrs. Linda at the school to go to her house for lunch.  Go, go, go!!!!  At Linda's house, Hannah, Virginia, and I enjoyed a small lunch of beef kebab in samoon and a soup with kuba.  We chatted about all kinds of things; family, students, TV...it was nice and relaxing.  We had tea and the sweet they call manna.  Nearing 5pm, Kinley called to ask when we were coming.  So, Linda graciously changed her clothes and drove us back to our neighborhood.  As soon as I walked in (at 5:34) Kinley and the girls walked out.  We were late for our 5pm invitation.  Oops!  MY fault.

Now, remember, this is NOT a time-oriented culture.  However, Kinley had an agenda for a small side mirror car repair and wanted to get it done before the shop closed.  So, my family left me home to shower and rest a bit.  An hour later, Kinley returned for me.  The girls were already at the home of our great Kurdish friend, Shemal!  Remember, he's the construction worker Kinley became friends with 2 years ago when the house next door to ours was being built.  So, we arrived at Shemal's around 6:45pm.  He lives at home with his parents, his wife, and 5 younger siblings.  He also has 5 older siblings, all married with children who have their own homes, mostly nearby.  We had all been invited to see the new baby.  Shemal was just married last summer, and Friday, June 8th, his first child was born--a son, Niaz.  Not all the family came for the visit, but most of them, including all their children.  I think there were 25 people, but I lost count!  I know of at least 11 more who were at the home of one of Shemal's brothers.  I was just waiting for them to show up.  It was an amazing evening--and night, of Kurdish language, food, celebrating, pictures, laughing, Uno (yes, my daughters have introduced them to the card game), and squealing, shrieking, running, and playing of lots of children.  Wonderfully, Shemal has one older sister with 7 children; 6 girls, one boy.  The oldest girl is 16 and they go on down from there to an 18 month old!  We had never met them before, but we found out they actually live on our own street in our neighborhood!!!  Amazing!  Plenty of girls for our daughters!!  Now, there was some serious language confusion between the girls, but hey, it's time to learn!  Believe me, Hannah Montana and Justin Beiber are the same in any language!  When Shemal invited us, we told him we would come in a week or so after his wife rested from the birth of a baby.  He said that's when guests come.  We are not guests, we are family and we will come when the family comes.  It was so sweet!  He calls Kinley his brother, and he means it, truly.  We had a long night, trying to listen and translate and communicate, but we were filled with the spirit of why we are here;  to love the people of Kurdistan and be a Light into their lives.  What a privilege to be called "family" by a national man and his extended family.  We left Shemal's house around 11:30pm. We are tired today, but filled with joy and overflowing with blessings of friendship!  As a matter of fact, Kate is so overflowing, she's still in the bed at 11:30am!!!!!

Katrina

Ladies Retreat in Soran

This update from Katrina after attending a retreat with 30 ladies:

From February 9-11 Katrina had the fabulous opportunity to attend a Women’s Retreat in Soran, a city about 2 -1/2 hours away. The retreat was a vision of an American lady, who is a friend of ours that we met here in 2010. She and her family live in a large house that is meant to be a guest house and retreat center for their organization, World Orphans. Because they have the space, our friend felt led to open her home to international believers for this retreat. It was so amazing! There were 30 women there, from many countries and cultures, now living and serving in 5 different cities of Iraqi Kurdistan. Some are single, some are married, some are married with kids at home, some are married with grown children/grandchildren…it was a very diverse group. Yet we were all drawn together by the Spirit! We had sweet times of worship and tremendously powerful times of joint prayer. It was a time of refreshment, encouragement, relationship building, and re-commitment for all of us. Pray with us for these women and their families and for the work God has called them here to do among the people of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Updates from Valentine's Day

While I was home sick, the girls had an opportunity to go on two field trips. Katrina with grades 5-6 and Karoline and Kate with grade 7. Here are their reflections:

Katrina:

On Valentine’s Day I traveled a few miles from our school with the 5^th and 6^th graders to visit a government school. The children in public, government school s are very low income and we went there to share a bit of love with them on Valentine’s Day. Each of our students took a gift to share. Selected students from the government school lined up to meet us outside in their courtyard area. After greetings and introductions, our students took turns presenting the other students with their gifts. We then stayed a while to play outside with some of the children during their break. We had some time also to look around the school. The classrooms were very small, dark, and dirty. The children also seemed dirty and unkept. It was a precious opportunity to whisper prayers for these children and their families, and for our students to take time to think beyond themselves. Whether they realize it or not, these are some of the small ways we are teaching our students the ways of Christ, and taking opportunity to show His love and light to others.

Karoline:

On Valentine’s Day, the seventh grade at CSM went to an orphanage. We went around 11 in the morning, so most of the kids were at school, but we got to meet some of the older girls (around ages 16-18) and talk to them. Well, kinda…we couldn’t exactly talk to them because of the language barrier, but we smiled and tried to use the little Kurdish we DO have. They live in a kind of dorm together, I think about two or three to a room. As soon as we got there, we were ushered into a conference hall and sort of briefed on many orphans there were and what the goal was for the orphanage. We couldn’t understand, so our friends had to help us. But the gist of it was that they didn’t want us to ask the kids where their parents were or why they were there. They just wanted us to show them love and care for them. They said they didn’t want us to talk about how we have families who love and care for us, but to just be normal kids and talk with them. After we saw the dorms, the girls and boys, who had gone separately to play soccer, came together to share the food we’d brought with the orphans. Then we gave the kids gifts and headed out. Since we really didn’t get to see a lot of the place, I didn’t get a really good idea of what was going on there, but from what we did see, I get the idea that these kids are cared for and loved and they’re in a good place.

I noticed one big thing that surprised me. Each day we’re available, Kate and I go to the school on the kids’ break to see them and talk to them and just generally hang out. So we get to see the kids in their “natural environment”, or so we thought. While at school, the boys (and some of the girls) are, well, mean. They’re rude to each other, teachers, and even the younger students! Since that’s what I see almost every day, that’s how I expected them to act around the orphans: rude, uncaring, annoying, and immature. But while we were in the conference hall, there was a time for questions. I was INFINITELY surprised to hear the boys asking good questions! One of them, who I’ve seen act pretty rude to a younger child, was asking if he could come back and bring his whole family to see the kids! My girl friend Sawa’s and my chins hit the floor! We looked at each other and I said “WOW. Today is the day we find out that the grade 7 boys have actual HEARTS.” She agreed. I was surprised and VERY proud at how mature and sensitive these kids were with the orphans and I’m glad I was there to see it. (I almost didn’t go)

Kate:

For Valentine's Day this year, my seventh grade class went on a trip to an orphanage to deliver gifts. The orphanage was a nice, up-to-date building with dorms for the girls and boys.The women there reminded us not to ask anything about their parents, but we were still able to have a fun time with the girls. Even though I needed a translator (my British friend helped a lot), I still enjoyed visiting the different girls for a change. While the boys enjoyed a game of soccer, the girls exchanged gifts, and set up food for lunch. Many of the girls were at school at that time, so there was only a few. But the few that we met seemed very sweet. We only stayed for a couple hours, but that was a very enjoyable time to share the love of Christ with some people we don't get to see very often.