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.