A very exciting thing happened this past weekend! AMFA threw a going away party for me! That was very nice of them, but that's not the exciting thing. The exciting thing was the friends who came. Most of the friends I have made throughout the year were able to come. What a treat! Both Muslim and Adventist friends, with their families, under the same roof! It was a fun night for everyone. We ate a potluck meal together, exchanged funny stories from this past year, and laughed all night long! It was such a special way to see all of my dear friends and say goodbye. (To respect the privacy of everyone there, I'm afraid I can't share pictures.)

Bit Twenty-Seven

I have some interesting news to share.

As this year is coming to a close, so is my commitment to AMFA Atlanta. My missionary call with the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists ends in December, and this means I will be looking for a new way to occupy my time and look for financial support.

Originally, I had planned to stay in Atlanta for another 6 months and continue working with the various organizations I have been blessed to be a part of. However, within in the past several weeks, that plan has changed. About a month ago, Josh got a call from the conference he has been working for, and found out that, for financial reasons, they are sending him to start seminary in January! That meant that within the next month, he needed to find a place to live and a part time job in Berrien Springs, Michigan! In order for him to be ready to start school in January, we need to have him moved up there before Christmas! Josh and I had expected this move to happen next fall, so we are very behind on preparation.

As far as I am concerned, I have been planning to go back to school at some point after my time in Atlanta. I had originally planned to do this once Josh went back to school (next August). Now that things have changed, I am looking at my options for grad school starting at the beginning of next year. Ideally, I would like to be in Michigan with Josh, so that is what we're working towards.

Needless to say, these past few weeks have been pretty busy for us. Josh and I have taken a couple of trips up to Berrien Springs to check out the area for places to live, jobs, and a grad school for me. We really need your prayers. God is bringing some exciting changes our way, and we want to be following him the whole way!

The exciting thing about this move is that I will be closer to my brother, since he's studying architecture at Andrews University, and my mom's family in Chicago! I also love exploring new places!

So far, Josh and I each have a place to live for the next semester, and God is opening doors for jobs for both of us. So, it looks like we'll be moving to a place much colder than I've ever lived, at the coldest time of year! Dear Santa, please send long underwear and electric blankets! :-)

I'll keep you posted!

Bit Twenty-Six

Each week, new families of refugees move into Atlanta. Working at World Relief allow me to be one of the first people to make them feel more at ease with their new environment. Usually, I'm excited to meet new families. I've gotten to know quite a few wonderful people who share so many different experiences.

However, a couple of weeks ago, I met a family that I was hesitant to see again. Sasha (not her real name) and her three daughters moved from Africa, and the drama began the day they arrived. It's understandable that refugees are fearful of their new surroundings, given the danger they lived in back home. Despite the reassurances of the case worker who brought them home, they were very unhappy with their new place to live. They were afraid of the noises outside and the neighbors. So, for the next couple of days, they made sure World Relief was aware of their discomfort, and the fact that four woman should be much more taken care of than anyone else.

I had heard of Sasha's persistence, so I was prepared when I drove them to the doctor's office for their immunizations. The whole drive, I listened to her talking about the problems she had back home - how polluted and crowded it was. She spoke of how beautiful America is. Thinking she had gotten beyond her fears, I asked her about her new apartment. Soon, I was listening to the stories she had heard of "refugee" communities in America. I'm not sure where she had heard them, but I was frustrated with her ignorance. I asked her to please stop talking about a community of people she had never met, people who are also searching for a new life of peace in America. She wasn't convinced.

After arriving at their apartment, I was again explained the security problems - only two locks on the door and no bars on the windows. At this point, I thought I could use our common beliefs to reassure her. I asked her if she was Muslim. Yes, she is. So, I explained that if we believe God is greater than Iblis (the Devil), then we do not have to fear evil. Fearing is not believe in God's power. She returned with "if we are not smart and take care of ourselves, God cannot protect us." I tried again by saying that we need to give God control and trust Him to protect us. She replied, "yes, but we must be smart." Ok.

Before I left, Sasha made a comment about her oldest daughter's appearance. I said that all of her daughters are beautiful girls. "They will be, once they get a good American education." I was shocked. I replied with, "They're all very pretty right now." Again, with the last word, "They will be."

That was it. It was too frustrating to hang out with them. I'll admit I hoped I would never have to visit them again. No such luck. The next week, I was asked to take them shopping. I decided this time I would keep my mouth shut and just listen. When I got to their apartment, I was greeted with a big smile from Sasha. She was delighted to see me again, and asked me to sit and have some breakfast. I never turn down food, because this is my opportunity to try something authentic and new. This was no exception - toast with spreadable cheese and "tea" made with hot milk, hot water, and instant coffee. Yum! With my mouth full, I listened to Sasha share more about her life in Africa. Then, she pulled out some pictures to show me. They were her wedding pictures. She was beautifully dressed in traditional clothing. I asked where her husband was, and she sadly explained that he had been shot to death back home. All of a sudden, I became soberly aware of this family's situation. Here, I had been frustrated because of Sasha's lack of trust, and I had failed to realize the tremendous shift I was expecting her to make mentally and emotionally.

Sometimes firmness is appropriate, but I'm realizing that a closed mouth and an open heart is probably more successful.

Bit Twenty-Five

Once again, it's been a month since my last post. I apologize to those of you who wait intently for an update of what's going on with me in Atlanta. :-) The tragedy of procrastinating in blogging is that now I have so many stories that I want to share! Let me share one with you that happened a few weeks ago, but really helped me feel God's presence in my work in Atlanta.
I was instantly aware of how special Sameer (not his real name) and his family were when I met them 4 months ago. They had just moved from Iraq the day before, forced by a very present danger to their family. Despite their tragic story, Sameer displayed a genuine smile and, with very good English, expressed warmly how blessed he felt to have his family and a new home in America. He was excited to hear me speak the few word in Arabic I know - Salaam Aleikum (Peace be upon you), Insha'Allah (God willing), and Al Hamdullilah (Praise God), and told me he has a very nice younger brother. :-) (I quickly explained that I've already become acquainted with a very nice boy.)

Over the next couple of months, I saw them only a few times when I had something to drop off for them. One of my visits, however, brought us much closer. I stopped by to deliver a vacuum (this has been a high demand item in most refugee homes), and stayed to talk for a little bit. I was so pleased to notice the improvement of Kalia's (not her real name) English since the last time I saw them.

While we were talking, the adhan (Islamic call to prayer) came from his computer. I have heard this before, so I knew that this meant it was time for them to pray. I kindly told them I didn't want to interrupt their time to pray, but Sameer told me there was no need to rush. Suddenly, I was moved, and asked if I could make salat (pray) with them. I think they were surprised, but gladly explained to me the process of washing and preparing to pray. Kalia gave me a scarf to wear around my head, and they brought out an extra prayer mat for me. Sameer graciously explained the procedure of the prayer, and the significance of each part. First, we released all of our anxieties from throughout the day, giving them over to God. Next, we recognized God's greatness. And toward the end of the prayer time, we would speak to God from our hearts, once we had submitted to His will. It was beautiful!

After praying together, Sameer, Kalia, and I sat and talked for an hour about how similar our spiritual past is, from Abraham and the prophets of the Bible and the Qur'an. He shared his experience in Iraq and how he saw the division take place between Americans and Iraqis. We all expressed a real desire to see better for our brothers and sisters. And we spoke of God's love and peace, which is sometimes ill-represented by individuals belonging to each of our religions. I was so blessed to hear their loving perspective of both Muslims and Christians.

I explained to Sameer and Kalia that I am a Seventh-Day Adventist, which means more to me than just Christianity because it carries even more similarity to Islam. We don't eat pork or drink alcohol, we value modesty, and we are waiting for the soon return of Jesus (the Judgement Day). As I explained this, he declared, "I am an Adventist too!" I was so touched by the openness I found in this family!

Since that exciting interaction, Sameer and his family have been joining our group each week as we study the Qur'an, following the path of the prophets. Not only have they enjoyed studying with us, but our group has largely benefited from their presence!

What a blessing God has given me to have met this family. They have become so dear to my heart!

Bit Twenty-Four

So, it's been over a month since I wrote my last blog. Perhaps this would be a good time to mention what an awful procrastinator I am. Things have definitely gotten pretty busy around here. I watched a couple of weeks go by, then a couple more, and now I guess I'll have to summarize the whole last month in one blog! Here's what has been happening recently:

1. Haddad, Zahrah, & Kedar invited Josh and me over to their apartment for Fotoor, the evening meal to break the Ramadan fast each day. Another Iraqi family was able to join us as well, and Zahrah made an incredible feast. We had several Iraqi dishes, including soup, rice, bread, dates, and of course Sunny D! Then, we sat back and enjoyed some sweet Iraqi tea (Shai). Next, we had some ice cream, followed by chips, popcorn, and bubble gum (because we really needed some snacks...)! It was such a blast talking with our new friends and learning some things about Iraqi traditions and adjusting to life in America. The highlight was when one of the men began to speak about what he knew of the Prophet Isa (Jesus) and began explaining, to me, the similarities between Islam and Christianity!



2. After several weeks of intense preparation, I flew out to California for our Adventist Muslim Relations Summit West at La Sierra University. The event consisted of two days of guest speakers addressing the similarites that we have with Muslims, and how we can use that common ground to develop relationships of love and peace. Mark Siljander, a former Congressman, and Jon Paulien, the Dean of Religion at LLU, presented some very interesting information on Friday. And we spent Saturday listening to several people share how they have encountered Islam in America. (Each session was recorded, so if you are interested, I can send you a link to watch them online.)



3. Immediately after the Summit, I flew back to Atlanta and met up with my parents. We all drove to Augusta to support Josh as he competed in his first Half-Ironman! We spent the whole day enjoying ourselves on the sidelines while Josh and 2,999 other people wore themselves out on a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run! (Josh finished in 5 hours, 42 minutes!) From there, the four of us went to Savannah for a couple of days to relax and enjoy the beauty of the South!
   



4. The first weekend of October was our AMR Family Retreat. AMFA Atlanta and AMFA Chattanooga met for a weekend of prayer and fellowship in a small town near Adairsville. We had a lot of fun getting better acquainted with old and new team members. (It's always an interesting experience when you have almost the same amount of kids as you do adults...)

Currently, I am sitting on the couch, enjoying the fact that I will not be going ANYWHERE this weekend. I was able to see some friends this week while celebrating my birthday in Chattanooga, and I thoroughly enjoyed being around some familiar faces, but I am in need of some quiet solitary time for me and my God. The sun is setting, and Sabbath awaits!

Bit Twenty-Three

Ramadan (رمضان‎)
ram-uh-dahn
Also written Ramazan, Ramadhan, Ramadaan

This will be my first year attempting to observe Ramadan. It’s also the first year I have heard of it. Therefore, I have been doing a little bit of research recently on the origins and meaning of this month-long holiday.

The month of Ramadan has been around since before Islam appeared on the Arabian Penninsula. It is the 9th month on the Arabic lunar calendar and is believed to be the month in which the prophet Mohammed received the Qur’an. During this month, Muslims around the world practice fasting, prayer, and self-sacrifice as a way to cleanse themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The Qur’an encourages those who are able to abstain from food, drink, smoking, and sex from sunrise to sunset for the 30 or 31 days of Ramadan. If you look deeper into the purpose of this time of fasting, it could also be interpreted as a month to reject evil. Therefore one might refrain from such things as cursing, fighting, arguing, and other negative behaviors. The Qur’an makes it clear that this is not a time when God wishes to place a burden on His followers. This is an opportunity to exercise self-control and patience by restraining one’s self from the natural desires of the flesh, and it also helps one to understand what life is like for those who do not have these comforts.

Along with fasting, more emphasis is placed on prayer and service to the needy during this time. Therefore, Ramadan is a month to sacrifice one’s personal wants and desires in order to sympathize with those less fortunate, serve the community, and ultimately draw closer in communion with our Creator and Sustainer, God. After all, true worship is serving others.

As I examined the purpose of Ramadan, I noticed that this is something I can appreciate as well. Jesus also encouraged His followers to fast, pray, and serve those less fortunate. In his letters, Paul wrote of the tremendous challenge we have in denying the selfish desires of the flesh. Therefore, intentionally choosing to serve God rather than ourselves brings us closer to a life of submission to God. If this is a month of physical, mental, and spiritual cleansing for our Muslim neighbors, why don’t we make it a time to fast from something that keeps us from better communion with God?

During these 30-31 days of Ramadan, about 1.6 billion people around the world are earnestly seeking a closer, more devoted relationship with their Creator. Nearly 2 million of them are in the United States. If these Muslims are seeking a deeper connection with Allah, what better time would there be for us to lift them up in prayer that God might encounter them in a deeper and more personal way than they have even imagined? Perhaps God might choose this month to reveal Himself to those who are seeking him.


Sources:
www.wikipedia.com
www.holidays.net
www.factbook.net

Bit Twenty-Two

I spent 3 hours in a doctor's office waiting room this afternoon. And it wasn't the first time. Since I started working with World Relief, I've been running a lot of time-consuming errands every Thursday. It's not quite what I was expecting when I signed up for this internship. I figured I would be busy running around doing odd jobs, but quick ones that kept me on my toes and gave me a good amount of knowledge about refugee resettlement. I didn't plan on driving 20 minutes to a doctor's office with a woman who doesn't speak any English so that I could wait for 3 hours before they call her in to get a shot that takes 5 minutes and then drive her home.

Now, before you think this is me complaining, let me stop here. I have lived a life that has almost always taught me that my expectations are no good. And this year has taught me that over and over. And today was not exception. Because who can say that they get to just sit for 3 hours of their day and make a little boy laugh? I may not have been filling out important paperwork, or making important calls, or discussing important issues, but if I didn't take the time, then who would have taken a Somali refugee and her son to the doctor for immunization shots? It's not ground-breaking, but it's also not high-stress. And I got such enjoyment from listening to little Walad (not his real name) giggle every time I tickled under his arm and watching him find such joy in taking pictures of strangers with my camera phone. No, it's not what I expected, but it's less stressful, and it's what needs to be done. Someone's gotta do it!

Bit Twenty-One

This past week has left me quite exhausted, and when I look back on it, I get the urge to call myself a failure. I don't know if you've experienced something similar, but it's not pleasant. When I think about the work I want to be doing while I'm living in Atlanta, this past week is a disappointment and a black spot on my record during my year of service to my community.

It all began on a pretty good note. I took a trip out to Oshokosh, WI with the Conyers Pathfinders. (Pathfinders is like a coed boy/girl scouts club with an emphasis on living a God-centered life, in order to become a better leader in their community.)

I was very much looking forward to this adventure, since I thought it would allow me some opportunities to develop stronger relationships with some of the youth Josh works with. Plus, Josh was going as well, so this would be our first camping trip together!

The 14-hour drive seemed to go by pretty fast, and we soon joined the 35,000 teens and youth leaders who had come from all over the world for the International Pathfinder Camporee! Red Flag #1: Since when is a "camping trip" fun when you're camping with thousands of youth groups?

I soon realized that this trip was not what I had signed up for. First of all, the longer I went without air conditioning, a normal shower, and my own bed, the crankier I got. Waking up for breakfast at 6am each morning meant that a couple times I forgot my morning appointment with God. And I could never seem to get used to the smell of the out-houses. When you add to this the challenges of counseling a group of teenagers, and a team of leaders who each have their own idea of how each situation should be handled, it created the perfect opportunity for frustration.

I noticed myself gradually becoming more and more critical of the behavior of the youth, the leadership, and myself. It was an aweful downward spiral that led me to the point where I wasn't enjoying myself, and I'm sure I wasn't making the trip any more enjoyable for others. By the end of the week, I was so tired and ready to go home that I had a hard time carrying on a pleasant conversation with anyone.

How discouraging! I had gone on the trip so that I could build relationships, support the Pathfinder group, and show my "fun side"! Instead, I became easily annoyed, silently bitter, and withdrew when I could.

I'm glad I was able to have this experience because now I know I will never put myself in that situation again, and I now have a new found respect for Josh's ministry.

Thankfully, I serve a God of forgiveness and mercy. He has forgiven me for my weakness and for allowing the devil to fill my heart with contempt rather than love. I am not proud of the way I handled this past week, but I hope to move on and pursue a joyful heart of service for others, to which God calls me.

Bit Twenty

As a volunteer with World Relief, I have a lot of opportunities to interact with refugees in Clarkston. I've only been volunteering for a few months, but I have met so many people who are from so many different cultures. And each interaction is so different. Because I am a volunteer, my number is on file for the volunteer coordinator to call any time they need someone to randomly do something.

For example, a few weeks ago, I was asked to help a woman navigate her way through the MARTA system so that she could get to her English classes each night. Coming from Somalia, she didn't have much experience with buses and trains. Being a fairly new resident of Atlanta, I don't have much experience either! Nevertheless, Laura from World Relief had faith in me. She guaranteed me that it would be easy to figure out and that World Relief would provide the tickets for the entire trip. All I needed to do what map it out on Google and walk the refugee woman through it. And after all, I had managed to travel around Europe for 9 months using public transportation!

I met Ama and her teenage daughter, Sophie (not their real names), at their apartment around 2 o'clock. The door was opened by a small boy who only spoke enough English to say "come in." I stepped in, and saw Ama getting ready. I greeted her with "Salaam Aleikum," a friendly Muslim (Arabic) greeting that means "Peace be upon you." She may have said something in return, but all I heard was a grunt. She began yelling at her daughter, who was upstairs. Finally, Sophie came down, and again I said one of the few phrases I know in Arabic, "Salaam Aleikum." She replied with "Hello." (This was slightly disheartening when I was expecting the common reply, "Aleikum As'Salaam.")

As we walked toward the bus stop, I asked if Ama had the tickets we needed for the trip. She pulled out one MARTA card, and gestured that this was all she had. I assumed World Relief had put the required amount of money for the 3 of us on one card.

When we got to the bus stop, none of my previous knowledge of bus transportation helped me figure out how to read the schedules. I had to ask someone for help. Finally, we figured out that we could hop on the next bus and take it to the train station.

Once the bus arrived, we all hopped on and told the bus driver that we were all paying with one card. "Nope!" Apparently each travelor needs their own card. So, I pulled out my wallet and paid for two more tickets, knowing I'd have to pay the cost of the whole trip for me and Sophie. That's fine, God's already taken care of it. Sure enough, He had! I had just the right amount of cash in my wallet to pay for the whole trip! I never carry cash!

After arriving at the train station, we tried once again to use the same card for all three of us to walk through the gate into the station. Thinking I was sneaky, I walked through and passed the card back to Ama. It was rejected! Now I'm on one side of the gate, and they're on the other! I tried to explain to them how to buy another ticket, but didn't have much luck. Finally, a group of people walked through, and one of them opened the handicap gate, which stayes open longer than the others. I motioned for Ama and Sophie to quickly walk through, and they made it to the other side!

During the trip, Sophie did most of the talking because she knew the most English. She was a sweet girl with a pleasant smiles, but it was very difficult to carry on a conversation. Most of the time, I would ask her about her favorite subject in school (English).

When the train arrived at our stop, we made our way to the gate. I knew we weren't going to be able to make it out with just one card. We would have to use the handicap gate again. But there was a security guard standing by the gates this time. So, I took a deep breath and walked up to him. I explained our dilemma and our misunderstanding about the tickets. He told us to use the handicap gate, and so we got through again on one ticket!

From the train station, we walked to where Ama would have her English classes. She met with her teacher for a few minutes, and we started the trip back. This time, I was a little more comfortable with the system. I bought all of our tickets (Ama's ticket only had enough money on it to take her one way), and we hopped on the train, then the bus, and back to the apartment by 5pm. The whole trip took a total of 3 hours! Phew!!!!!

I'm thankful for this experience because

1. I learned how to use the MARTA system
2. I found myself much more outgoing with people around me. I realized that when I'm in a position where people are depending on my to help them, I have no problem talking to strangers if I need to. I even had a couple of brief conversations with travelors sitting next to us!
3. I noticed how important volunteers like me are. If Ama was left on her own to figure out how to use MARTA, she could have gotten herself lost. As it was, I'm lucky I made it!
   
4. I was given another opportunity to see God provide for me as I put coin after coin in the ticket machines! He knew exactly what I would need before I even got the call to help!

Bit Nineteen

"True worship is this, to comfort those who are weak and hopeless so that we may remain uncorrupted by the world."

This past Sunday, a group of youth from Conyers visited the home of a friend who has cancer (Dice Davis). Because of the severity of his cancer, his wife is unable to spend much of her time cleaning the yard and the house because of the attention his illness requires.

The youth were happy to pitch in. We had a group of about 20 people cleaning up the front yard, . . .

weeding the garden, . . .

moving things, . . .

dusting, . . .

sweeping, . . .

polishing, . . .

and fixing the kitchen sink!

To finish the day,
Mrs. Davis prepared a scavenger hunt for all of us.

I noticed as I was driving some of the kids back home that even though we had spent a good 4 hours working, I didn't feel tired! I actually felt really happy! I felt like I wanted to do it again! It's so interesting to reflect on how times of service are actually moments of worship that bring God glory. And it's not only a blessing to God, it's so invigorating for the servant!

Bit Eighteen

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,"
-Luke 16:10

"It's always interesting when you realize that what you thought God was going to do with you is actually different than what He really is doing with you. As a volunteer with the Refugee Sewing Society, I don't feel like I do much. Even though Cathy claims that I am such a huge help, my contribution hasn't been much more than setting up displays at a couple of events and making copies of tags for items the women are making. I spend most of my time watching and laughing as the sewers figure out what they are making and how to do it.

The other day, however, Cathy learned that I graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration. With a giant smile, she decided to hand over the financial and organizational tasks of the RSS to me since the thought of calculating money stresses her to the point of exhaustion. I gladly took responsibility of handling money at events, as well as keeping track of what products were made, who made them, what there cost is, and making sure they get their money. I even made some handy product/payment logs for her to use!

It's encouraging to know that God is finding me capable of handling more, and He's providing me with opportunities to do more of what I enjoy!

Bit Seventeen

One easy way to tell if you are becoming friends with someone who speaks a different language is by seeing how often you make each other laugh. This is something I have discovered in my conversations with Zahrah. Mostly due to her ease with the English language, there have been several times recently when one of us has made a joke about something we were talking about, and we both have laughed about it.

I have noticed a similar progression in my moments with another Muslim friend, Dr. Ahmed. Every Thursday morning, I spend an hour visiting with Dr. Ahmed (not his real name). Born in Somalia, Dr. Ahmed has seen the fall of his native country from beauty to chaos. (Currently, because of civil unrest, the entire country is without any organized form of law and order.) He grew up in a part of Somalia which was colonized by Italy, so once he was ready to pursue a higher education, he moved to Italy.

Dr. Ahmed spend 10 years in Italy. So, each Thursday, Dr. Ahmed and I meet to speak in Italian. Having only spent 9 months there three years ago, our sessions are more of a lesson for me than a time to chat. However, he uses part of this time to practice his skills in English conversation as well. Our conversations range from what we did over the past week to political events around the world.

Many of our moments of laughter are created because of my clumsiness with the Italian language, but there have been a couple of times when we have chuckled together at cultural differences between America, Somalia, and Italy. For example, the word "parenti" in Italian is used to refer to one's parents, but includes all other relatives as well. We laughed at the thought of an English person introducing their entire family as their "parents."

I guess it all chalks up to the fact that everyone enjoys laughing, it's a universal language!

Bit Sixteen

The evening of Saturday, May 23 saw an unfortunate occurrence for the city of Clarkston. An apartment of Mission Year students, who have been volunteering for the past year, was broken into, and one of the female students was stabbed in the neck. The perpetrator entered through the sliding glass door in the living room, stabbed Stephanie, and ran out. Stephanie ran next door to her neighbor's apartment to have them cover the wound and call 911. She was rushed to hospital, and THANKFULLY did not have any permanent damage.

The authorities believe this to be a random act of violence because the stabber did not take anything and appeared to have no other motive for the break-in. This is thought to be a gang initiation-type crime.

As a result of this tragic event, our Mission Year friends have been pulled out of the apartment and placed elsewhere in Atlanta. Stephanie has returned home to be with her family.

Amidst the pain this group of students is experiencing, God has still used this time to bring a message of hope and peace. Though they have been pulled from their home in Clarkston, the Mission Year group has placed a sign below one of the windows saying: "To whoever hurt us, we forgive you." What a testimony to the power of God. Inspite of the devil's attempt to destroy the work of this group, they prove that God is so much greater than the troubles of this world.

I apologize for this sad story, but I share it for 2 reasons:

1. The Mission Year group still needs so much prayer. Two of the girls were upstairs in the apartment when this took place, and I'm sure they are going through a lot. It is so hard to see such dear friends experience such pain and trauma. I know God has used them tremendously in Clarkston, and I do not want to see the devil win this in any way by discouraging any of them.
2. Though it's sad to hear, the story of their forgiveness is so inspiring. It is already making waves in the community as the neighboring refugees read the sign and ask their friends, "what does this mean - forgiveness?" I hope this inspires you to show kindness even to those who have hurt you.

Bit Fifteen

What do you get when you take a tiny room (the size of small bedroom), put a long table in the middle, line with walls with sewing supplies (including 10 sewing machines), and fill it with refugee women? The Refugee Sewing Society!

This society was born from the idea of a local volunteer who wanted to find a way to teach refugee women a skill that could help them earn money while they stayed at home with their children. The idea was to find materials from thrift stores or through donations that could be recycled to make useful products for the community.

Once word got out about free sewing classes for refugees, however, there was an abundance of support from the local community. No need to shop at thrift stores. Donations alone have filled every shelf space to the max, and there are women lining up to learn how to sew market bags, aprons, napkins, placemats, and purses.

The RSS has even been given supplies to start teaching yarn work & beading. Not only are women able to create beautiful things to sell, the classes have provided them with an opportunity to interact with other women in their community. The refugees that come are from several different countries, such as Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda, and Bhutan. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to interact with them as well. The diversity of culture makes quite a contribution to the beautiful diversity of all the things they make.

These women are such quick learners, but it is funny sometimes to watch both the teacher and the student try to understand each others' languages well enough to learn a technique. For example, we have learned that if you want to make sure the women are making to napkins the same size, you must point to each and say, "Same, same."

Over the past couple of weeks, I have also helped display & sell these unique products at events in the community. People are so willing to help when they know the money is helping a refugee family (80% of the money made from each sale goes to the refugee whoe made the product, 20% goes to help the RSS continue to provide classes for the women). It's also fun to see the excitement the women have when they know they have created something that someone else would pay for.

If you would like to learn more about the RSS, check out their blog: www.refugeesewing.blogspot.com

Bit Fourteen

It has been a month since I met my friends Haddad, Zahrah & Kedar. Several hours a week is hardly enough time to spend developing a relationship, but the openness we have had with each other has sparked such a wonderful friendship between us.

Most of my time has been spent conversing with Zahrah because Haddad works and Kedar only knows the words "Sorry" & "Bye bye" in English. Zahrah and I have found many things to talk about: the weather, traveling, parenting, food, family traditions, American vs. Iraqi culture, and much more. Her English is quite good, so at times she will teach me a word or two in Arabic.

One Arabic phrase I have learned from using it over and over is "Inaha taib." This is a term in the Iraqi Arabic dialect that means "This is good." And the reason I have used it quite often is that every afternoon I have been over there to visit, Zahrah has made me lunch! Knowing that I have a fondness for trying new dishes, she has made me a different Iraqi dish each week!

The lunch always consists of white rice, Iraqi flatbread, some sort of red broth & vegetable and a carbonated beverage. On one occassion, we even had "Shai" - Iraqi tea. And it's always delicious! The broth & vegetables is poured over the rice like a curry. It's not spicey, but there is a lot of flavor. Each week it's a new vegetable - spinach, okra, eggplant, potato...

What better way to develop a friendship than over good food!
All I have to say is "Inaha taib!"

Bit Thirteen

Phew!
The AMFA newsletter is finally finished! I spent at least 10 hours working on it this week, and I now despise newsletters! Well, not really because it shouldn't be this hard in the future since all the grunt work for the template is done. If anyone is interested in receiving our newsletter and learning more about the team of people I am working with in Atlanta, and what we are doing, please let me know!

I want to take a minute and thank everyone for their prayers. It really means so much to me that I am not alone in what I'm doing and there are people who are lifting me up in prayer. There is a word in Arabic that means "All praises be to God" - "Ahamdulillah" (A-'hom-doo-lee-lah)! We use it quite often in our Signs Study, and I have felt like saying it quite often recently. Please allow me to share some praises with you:

• A Muslim friend of mine has received the support of her parents to spend two months in Cjad, in a refugee camp, with an organization that is trying to resolve the situation of Darfur. Because of her own experience in Darfur, she has an amazing opportunity to help those in the same situation she was once in. Ahamdulillah!
  
• We have successfully launched a prayer group at the Conyers church with the sole mission to lift up fellow church members in prayer as a way to see God's power unleashed. Ahamdulillah!
• A friend has kicked a smoking habit. Ahamdulillah!
• A friend from our women's study group is miraculously pregnant. Ahamdulillah!
• The refugee sewing society has been busting at the seams (no pun intended) with supply donations as well as women anxious to take sewing, beading, and knitting classes. Ahamdulillah!
  
• I have received funding that will support me for the next two months. Ahamdulillah!
  
• There is a woman who is interested in allowing us to be a distributor in Atlanta for her pie business. This gives us the opportunity to start a business in Clarkston as a way to help refugees develop skills in running a business, and to create a source of income for AMFA. Ahamdulillah!

All praise be to God that He does take care of His children!

Bit Twelve

Over the past week, I have taken on a new role as the North American Division Adventist Muslim Relations Administrative Assistant. It's quite a mouthful, but it basically means that I'm Bryan's secretary.

My responsibilities include anything business or communications related. It's nice because most of my tasks can be done anywhere, I just need to be able to access my email. It's fun because I am now a travel agent, customer service representative, graphic designer, public relations person, and event planner! I guess I have enough to keep me busy.

Aside from all of this business stuff, I am now officially a World Relief Volunteer! As a volunteer, I am assigned a refugee family, who I visit at least once a week in order to help them become more accustomed to life in the US.

On Monday, I met Haddad, Zahrah, & Kedar (Not their real names) in their apartment in Clarkston. They are a young family from Iraq, who have had to flee their home due to threat of persecution. Haddad & Zahrah speak English fairly well, but Kedar has not been able to learn it yet.

I was a little afraid to meet them, only because I don't know enough about their culture to make sure I don't embarass myself, or them. That's pretty much unavoidable. I'm pretty sure I said or did at least 3 things that I shouldn't have:

1. To Muslims, dogs are one of the dirtiest things on earth. So, of course, as I'm introducing myself, I talk about my sweet little dog at home who I adore!
2. The word "church" can be a misunderstood term for Muslims (not to mention most Christians as well), so it is best to explain what you mean by it. Silly me, I wanted to be part of the conversation, so I shared an experience I had with one of my church members.
3. It is impolite for a woman to offer to shake a man's hand, and there I was, about to leave, and I reached out to shake Haddad's hand before saying good bye!

I'm sure I made more cultural blunders than this. They were so gracious, though. I could tell they were very excited to have met someone who was willing to help them practice their English skills, exchange recipes, show them around Atlanta, and just be an American friend to them.
I'm very excited to see where our friendship goes!

Bit Eleven

ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Here are a couple of things for all of my faithful supporters to pray for:

Our ESL classes have become too large for our one teacher to handle on her own. We really need someone who has an interest in teaching English to refugees in Atlanta, GA. Our wonderful ESL teacher is willing to mentor someone who would be interested in helping her with this task. If you are interested, or if you know someone who is interested, please let me know. Otherwise, please keep this in your prayers! It is awesome to see how, when you are available to be God's helping hand in a community, he brings His children to you!

I recently discovered that my funding is almost run out. I can only live off of what I raise. I need about $400 per month for living expenses (gas, groceries, insurance, etc.). My plan was to be in ATL for at least the next 9 months. I praise God that He has given me the opportunity to be in a situation in which I must rely on Him 100%. I trust that He has a purpose for me here, so I know that He has a plan for me financially. Prayer through faith can move mountains, so please pray for God's blessings.

Thank you so much for your prayers! I would love to pray for you as well, so please let me know how I can lift you up in prayer.

In our Signs Study the other night (a time when we meet with Muslim & Christian friends to study the Qur'an together), a refugee from Sudan (a survivor of Darfur) made the comment that when we pray for others, not only do they receive a blessing from God, but we receive a blessing from Him as well! So, let's start praying for one another and let the blessings flow!!

Bit Ten

Beginning in 1 week, I will be leading out a prayer group at Josh's church (please keep this in your prayers). During the process of planning, I have learned a little more about this method of communication with God...

My thoughts on prayer:

Ephesians 6:18
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Praise - Give thanks. Beginning the session with praise helps us to acknowledge the great things that God has already done. After we understand His glory and worthiness to be praised, we are humbled to come before Him with our requests.

Before moving from praising to petitioning God we must make sure that we are honestly asking for God's will to become our will so that when we present our requests, we are asking for what God wants to give us.

Petition - Ask a request of God. Petitioning God is more than just asking for what we want. Jesus told us in Matt. 7 that when we ask, we will be answered, but He also went on to say that when we seek, we will find. Therefore, before requesting an answer from God, we must learn how to seek Him. In doing this, we learn what to pray for, and we learn to seek His answer.
We are breaking ourselves down in order for God to fill us with a Spirit that longs to see Him glorified, and not simply longing to see ourselves satisfied.

Pay Attention – Listen for God to speak and watch for His answer. Praying doesn’t end when the request has been made. That’s only half of the process. Prayer is a two-way conversation with God, and so we must stop talking and listen as well. Listening for God can be done through meditation, but it also includes keeping an eye out to see how He satisfies our requests.

Bit Nine

It snowed!!!

Absolutely beautiful giant clumps of white snow fell for hours on March 1st! Out in Covington, there was at least 6 inches covering the ground! In Conyers, we had probably about half of that, but it was glorious! It stuck around for a few days, and then melted away, but it made me feel so happy to be in Georgia!


Unfortunately, my camera was dead, and I couldn't find my charger, so the few pictures I have are from Heidi's camera.

Another disappointing part of the day was that, when I left my house that morning, I hadn't planned on the weather taking such a snowy turn, so on the way to Covington, as the snow became heavier and heavier, I had no coat and no boots (just my crocs to cover my feet)! I still enjoyed watching the others build a snow kangaroo (pictured above) from inside the warm house!

Bit Eight

When Heidi suggested that I volunteer to visit a Muslim refugee family once a week so that I could begin a friendship and learn more about the culture, my gut reaction was, "um...what else could I do?" I've never been able to look at someone and say, "I'm going to be that person's friend!" In fact, the times when I've purposefully tried to make friends with people, it never turns out the way I expect. It's usually the people I don't feel pressured to get to know that I end up being good friends with. Therefore, I found it very doubtful that I could step into a Muslim's life and successfully make a friend.

I explained this to Kelly when she invited me to join her to visit her friend, Basimah (not her real name). Since it was not a situation in which I would feel any pressure to form a relationship, I agreed to go along. Kelly needed a ride, and I was anxious to see how this "forced friendship" worked.

We arrived at Basimah's apartment, but she was not home yet. However, four of her house-mates (all women) were home. Only one of them spoke English, and so she invited us in.

Immediately, I felt welcome. Walking into the apartment of a refugee is very different than walking into an American home. Yes, their living rooms are nothing to write home about - nothing on the walls, just a coupld of couches and a small TV on a tiny table, but there was something that made me feel comfortable enough to sit and talk.

The woman who spoke English, chatted with us as if we had met before, and the other three pulled out some chairs. They were content enough to smile and listen to our English conversation. Two children sat on the floor, watching cartoons.

Eventually, we were asked if we wanted some tea. I politely said yes, but had I known how amazing Somali tea is, I would have been much more emphatic! Somali tea is like a hot version of Southern Sweet tea, but better! There are some special spices in it that give it extra flavor. And I'm pretty sure they add about 3 spoon-fuls of sugar to each cup! It was delicious!

By the time Basimah arrived, Kelly and I were happily chatting with the residents of the apartment as if we lived there. We talked about how I was trying to learn Arabic and how poorly I was doing. We chatted about the weather, learned everyone's names & ages, and taught one of the girls a few words in English (although I'm pretty sure she understood us quite well already).

It was difficult to say goodbye to such a friendly group of women. I have changed my mind on how I feel about making friends with Muslim refugees. It's nothing like making an American friend. In America, it's inconvenient when someone drops in to say "hi." In Somalia, it's expected! I'm now looking forward to building relationships while I'm here.

Bit Seven

To preface this tale, let me first mention that I believe there can be many metaphors taken from this story. Rather than indicating the parallels that I myself have found, I would like to hear the implications that you have discovered from it. So, please feel free to share any analogies you find. Now, without further ado...

The Tale of the Duck

Once upon a time...there was a duck with a dilemma. Unlike the other ducks of the pond, she had a ring around her head that attached her beak to her chest. Because of this, she was unable to extend her neck in order to feed from the bottom of the pond. The ring was bright green, and when she caught a glimpse of it, she would paddle as fast as she could to get away from it, but it would follow her. The duck felt it was safest to remain close to the bank of the pond.

One day, some kind-hearted girls came with some bread to feed the residents of the pond. Noticing the poor ducks predicament, they tried to catch her in order to rescue her from her bondage. The duck maintained her distance.


Lacking the tools necessary to catch this duck, the two girls left in search of others to help them. After failing to recruit the local Animal Rescue, they rounded up the maintenance crew of the apartment complex in which the pond was located. Using two long poles, one with a net at the end of it (intended for cleaning a large pool) and the other with a hook, the rescuers tried to capture the duck.

By this time, a group of young children in a playground on a hill above the pond became curious as to what was going on by the pond. Gathering along the fence, they watched. Realizing the need for the duck to be rescued, they sought a way to help as well. At first, they offered crackers to entice the little duck. Sensing the urgency, they began to quack in unison, hoping that this would bring the duck closer to the net.

The duck was quick (or so she thought), and soon caught on to the people's plot to catch her. She kept herself safely in the middle of the pond, surrounded by her male duck companions. Not even the crackers would lure her to the edge.

Two methods of thought were in play. To liberate the duck, the two girls tried to entice her with crackers, in order to gain her trust. The maintenance crew, on the other hand, attempted capture by scaring the duck from one end of the pond to the other, cornering her in order to save her. Both attempts were failing miserably.

Feeling discouraged, the group called the fire department. Soon, the team of rescuers had grown in size and gained more tools, but still had not captured the duck. Gathering around the pond, they tried cornering the duck, but she would stay just out of their reach. A few times, she would wander too close to the edge, and just about be snatched up in the net, but then she would fly to another part of the pond. The team of fire fighters, though known for being successful in rescuing kitten from trees, offered little help in catching the scared little duck.

I am afraid this tale has an unfinished ending. The duck could not be caught and released from her bright green confinement. The group of liberators was forced to leave the duck alone in hopes that it would eventually wander once again to the side of the pond. Until then, there was nothing they could do.