Grieving in the New Year...

Fireworks behind the minaret

The days are long, but the years fly by!  I cannot believe 2012 has come and gone already!  I have been living in Central Asia for about 15 months now.  It seems sometimes like I just got here.  This year, I went downtown with some friends to see fireworks and all the action.  Was a little bit apprehensive, didn't want to be the only gal at a big guy gathering.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to see many families and some with children.  That was a blessing.  I hope I managed to steer clear of all the dumb boys YouTube videos, but had to keep turning my back.  Sometimes I just wanted to look at them and say "Yes, I am white.  Who cares?  Do I have snot coming from my nose or something?"  Here, we say "عزاج بووم"  It's a combination of Arabic and Kurdish which literally means "I became annoyed."

My city is freaking awesome!  So full of history!
Happy New Year!!

Crowds waiting for 2013

Thankfully, God usually gives me the grace to laugh it off and not become too irritated or bitter at the men here.  It is a daily war against my sinful flesh to love my enemies (or even just to love the creepers.)  I was encouraged and grown last year to read through the Word chronologically.  To be honest, it was the first year I ever started and finished a yearly plan.  A few different years I would be done by February and start studying specific books.  I have seen the fruit of discipline and really enjoyed looking at the story unfold chronologically.  However, it was very fast and I found myself wanting to slow down and soak things in.  So, this year, I am focusing on just a NT plan where I have just a chapter a day.  I am excited because I have the NT in K'ish, so I have been studying it for the past several days (with my English sitting close by).  

Nana, Papa, and I

I miss my family a lot these days, more than I have in a while.  The first week of 2013 ended with my Papa S. passing away.  I found out late Monday night that he was not doing well at all, we weren't expecting much more than a week.  About three hours later he had left us.  My Nana, Dad, aunts, and uncle seem to be doing well.  Papa had Alzheimer's and his last year was pretty rough for all of them.  My Nana is a wonderful, faithful woman who took care of my Papa until the very end.  We rejoice in the Father that she never had to send him to a nursing facility, but only had to get a bed and wheelchair in his last week.  I will miss him, but mentally he has been far from us for a while.  My Nana is bringing glory to God in her situation and I am lifting her up as she adjusts to life by herself for the first time in about 60 years!  God has been so kind to be near to me as I am far from them.  The entire experience has been a gift of God's grace revealing to me His love and comfort.  It has also been fuel to make my heart burn with renewed joy and fervor in the gospel!  Jesus crushed sin, sickness, and death!!  He will make all things new and my grief and pain makes alive these realities in my heart!  What a treasure He is!  I have been singing Psalm 63 over and over in my head the last several days, especially these first four verses.  If you want to know the tune I sing, you should check out The Sing Team from Mars Hill Church in Seattle.  Title: "As Long as a Live (Psalm 63)" :)

"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; 
     my soul thirsts for you;
     my flesh faints for you, 
     as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, 
     beholding you power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
     my lifts will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as a live;
     in your name I will lift up my hands."

Christmas in Central Asia!!

It has been a wonderful time celebrating Christmas in Central Asia!  And the celebrating will continue.  I have been making plenty of Christmas cookies for our friends and neighbors.  We have been visiting friends houses and enjoying lovely American and K'ish meals!  Yum!  I miss my family a lot especially when I know they are gathering together and I am not there.  However, I have been very fortunate to get to celebrate with Audrey's family!  Her entire family (mom, dad, sister, and bro-in-law) has come to join us and we are having a great time.  They brought us lots of presents both gifts and things we ordered.  It was a real blessing!  From cold medicine, to Dr. Pepper syrup concentrate, to a new phone from my Dad, and a book of George Herbert poetry and some cardigans from my Mom! :)

We took a great trip up to the mountains yesterday and had some amazing views!!  Tonight we went downtown to the park and bazaar area!!  It is decorated for NYE and was lovely.  We also ran into some students at the mall before we went, then they also ended up downtown.  Thankfully, Audrey's bro-in-law was with us so we were able to sit and have tea with them (since they were guys).  Here are some pictures from the last few days ;)

Christmas PJ's on Christmas Eve from Aud's mom!  A Wagg family tradition :)

Breathtaking views!

Friday night downtown was hopping!  We are ready for NYE in our city!

Taken care of...

Can I just say....I have the most amazing people around me!?!  I see God's hand all over my life...I see his favor poured out...I see his kindness in the most unexpected places.  And, I am THANKFUL!

Just to share some things I have been thanking Him for recently:

**Our old office manager at the language center has returned from a job in another country.  He was keen to see life outside our crazy country, and, after six months, we are rejoicing at his return home AND to our center!!  He works hard, he protects us single teachers from the creepers, and he is super helpful.  For example, after I asked about a gym to see if he knew anything from about the "women's side" (which he didn't), he proceeded to tell my teammate and I about a gym right in our neighborhood.  He thought they had ladies' hours, a female trainer, and was reasonable priced.  Sweet!  Then he even called the guy he knew who worked there and found out even more :)  He is a blessing...life here is hard sometimes, but he always seems to find ways to help make it easier for us!

**My landlord and his family are wonderful!  We live on the third floor of their house (totally separate, like an apartment), but they welcome us into their home often.  Just last night, we sat with them for a couple of hours, practicing language, asking about local security stuff, and getting the low down on internet.  We have been wanting to get wireless for our house.  We asked the son (a tech saavy college student) and he just created a wireless hotspot for us from his internet downstairs!!  FREE :)  He was like, "No problem, it's fast, it's free (aka Dad pays), and it's unlimited every month."  What a gift of His grace.

**It has finally started to cool off!!  We practically jump up and down when it only gets up to 96F each day!!  Oh man...compared to the consistent 120F all summer, 96 is awesome.  And at night, when it is in the 70's, I am starting to get chilly.  How sad is that!?  It has even rained a couple of times in the last few weeks.  It smelled just like home in Phoenix!!  The rain is even preceded by a lovely dust storm like Phx, too!!

I am praising God from whom all these blessing flow, through unexpected people, in unexpected ways.  He is the Giver of good gifts and I am one amazed daughter of His!!  Thankful for JC through whom all of this grace is possible!!

Recent pictures of life....

Top Ten....

Well, on my ONE YEAR anniversary (AH!!) living in Central Asia, I figured I would make a Top Ten list of my favorite things about life here.

10. Shopping in the bazaar (and finding shirts w/ Goodwill tags!  Crazy!)

9.  Our language center staff is just like a family

8.  Picnics dressed in local traditional clothes

7.  Driving with no rules! (except don't hit anyone or anything...and wear a seatbelt)

6.  History...literally living in OT areas of the world!

5.  My ESL students...they bring lots of joy and laughter.

4.  The challenge of learning a new language & the joy of progress.

3.  Some of the most delicious food I have ever had...on any given day of the week.

2.  I have AMAZING friends who let me share life with them.

1.  God is with me and He reminds me of that everyday in some way :)

Here a few pictures from a trip last weekend to visit some friends.  Thanks for remembering me in Central Asia!!

The dry land shall be glad...water!  It's been a long summer!

From the mountaintop

Beautiful!

Roadside market...and a new mosque going up

A "Soupy" Sunday Lesson

There are things I should know.  Things I should have learned by now, but I am seeing that I have some HUGE blind spots in the cultural lens through which I view the world.  There are things I have just not thought much about because of the routine I had living in the US.  Here's an example:

If I think back a few years ago, with my upbringing, the social norms of American culture, and the daily routine most families establish, there were just the normal things I did.  I don't really even think through them.  Leftovers...I mean, who give much thought to leftovers??  If the food was tasty, it was like, "Woohoo...more for tomorrow!"  And into the fridge they went.  I never thought of another option when I made more than I could eat that day.

In moving to Central Asia, I have been "shocked" by many cultural differences.  However, some of the cultural norms I that have been surprising, have also taught me lessons I should already know...but somehow missed.  The simplicity of food as a way to love others is something that is apparent in most cultures.  But as an American...my hospitality was always planned.  Rarely do people just come knocking on your door to visit.  I may plan to bring food to a potluck or cookies to a party or invite people over for dinner a week in advance.  But, I never really thought much about taking my leftovers next door.

Life in K-stan has made me think twice about leftovers.  As I sit with my friends, and they look at lots of extra food, their first instinct is not "will this fit in my fridge?"  Their first thought is "who can I share this with?"  Sometimes, they plan to share their food before they even eat it and set some aside for neighbors beforehand.  While I used to think, oohh...more for me later, my thoughts are, by grace, shifting to think "who can I share my abundance with...He has surely blessed me abundantly!"

Now, don't think I don't have leftovers in the fridge....or even plan to make more than we need for a busy week ahead.  I am still an American "planner" in many ways, and with my job teaching ESL, I don't always have time to make big meals for each day like most of the women here.  However, I am often "shocked" in a pleasant way by the things I learn in this culture and the way these things often silently rebuke me saying "Don't you know this by now?  How have you missed something so elementary?"

Each of us, no matter where we are from, have our cultural blindspots...it is just easier for me to see the blindspots in my friends here, than to see my own.  I am thankful God often uses the mundane daily things to teach me big lessons about my heart and they way He longs for my transformation.

So, the soup you see above...it is tasty!  And I made WAY too much....thankfully, I will be visiting some friends tonight and will bring it with me to share with them :)  

A Cypriot Paradise

Like Amy Grant from the '80's, yikes!

One of the delightful perks of life in Central Asia is that I can vacation in places I would probably otherwise never visit!  Turkey has become fairly familiar, though Turkish still has not.  I can say "I don't know Turkish," which is just enough to confuse people.  Last week, I was blessed to be able to spend a week in North Cyprus.  Can we just say AMAZING??  :)  My skin has been kissed by the sun, the Mediterranean waters were a pleasant host, and the humid air brought out my natural curl, like it or not.

One of my favorite little things was a "café" just down the road from our hotel...we had döner wraps three out of seven days for lunch.  Delicious.  It was run by a Turkish family with a college age son who would run out every now and then with his fanny pack to make deliveries on his moped.  They also had Coke Zero, which was a pleasant change...though I was hoping for some Dr. P (he didn't meet up with us this trip).

Staying in the little fishing town of Girne was a treat...enough history to enjoy, fun things to do in the harbour, and stretches of beaches within minutes.  There was a hidden little cove about five minutes by foot from our hotel.  Locals frequented this place...it was obviously legit.  It had this natural rock barrier which made it like an ocean swimming pool.  I brought goggles that I use back home for lap swimming, but in Cyprus they were put to use enjoying God's creation.  I constantly found myself wishing I could bring my camera and capture the beauty of the sea floor.

The hidden cove

Being a touristy little island, I enjoyed some delicious dinners from all over the world...at a British fish & chips joint, I had sausage and fries (oh, the forbidden meat!).  Pan-seared pork loin, chicken in a delicious creamy mushroom sauce at the cutest little backyard restaurant downtown, lamb saag at a highly-recommended (for good reason) Indian restaurant, traditional Cyprus pudding, grilled swordfish at the harbour, and of course, Turkish coffee.  I don't think I have eaten that well on a vacation before.  Helps when the Turkish Lira is your form of currency in a fairly inexpensive place.

Here are some more pictures below to highlight this refreshing vacation!  Thankful to the Giver of these good gifts and for the fact that my receiving them points to the excellency of JC and his redeeming work on the cross.  These gifts are very undeserved!

Side note: double check for depth...

Girne Old Harbour

Atop the castle overlooking harbour

Shelled out for a beach club one day...worth it!

Coast from thousands of feet :)

Give and Take

My K'dish "Daya" on the right

Today was full of wonderful blessings.

**News- started swimming several times a week at a women's center.  Fun to start building relationships...fun to feel "normal" when you usually cannot do any physical activity outside your own home.  There is nothing like regular exercise to bring balance to life.

So, today started out with a quick 45 minutes of swimming (time was limited).  Then dropped off a friend (one of our other ESL teachers) at the airport as she "vacations" in the US for several weeks during Ramadan.  Excited to have her car all to ourselves (she is super gracious)!

After that, we planned to visit some dear friends before we leave for vacation.  One of these sisters is pregnant and due to have her little one in a few days.  No action yet, but she may very well have baby Miriam while I am on vacation.  That reminds me...tomorrow night, leaving for Cyprus (Turkish side).  :D  Excited for a break from the consistent 118F degree heat, and for shorts, and the beach, and t-shirts,  and the beach, did I mention I will soon be wearing shorts?  Put on your sunglasses Turkish Cypriots...this girl's legs have not seen the light of day since October 4th last year!

Sorry, sidetracked.  This fifteen minute drive took me almost an hour because we don't know her half of the city very well and I have never driven there by myself.  (And, she seems to go a different way every time!)  Well, this sweet family we know are all fasting during Ramadan (except J* our preggo friend).  So we didn't expect to be offered anything (maybe water since J* cannot fast right now, but again not expecting it!)  We have spent a LOT of time with this family.  We took a trip to their village during the K'ish New Year!  We call their mom "Daya"...an affection term for mothers in K'ish. Like "Mom" or "Mama" as compared to "Mother." (See picture above from this village visit).  Well, we got there and to our pleasant surprise, several aunts were there as well, we knew them from the trip to the village.  J* gave us some water.  I felt a bit guilty drinking it in front of them because from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan they don't eat anything or drink any water (also no smoking...not sure how some of them manage that, and no "fun" with your spouse).  I took a few sips to be polite, but acted a bit disinterested to as not to draw attention to the water.  In order to show my friends and their family love, I didn't want to be a source of frustration or a reminder of how thirsty most of them were.  However, I didn't expect for them to set aside their own desires and be so graciously hospitable.

Now, I know that if I invited them into my home during Ramadan (during the day) I would not have any drinks/food out so as to be sensitive to them.  I long so badly to love these friends well and deepen our friendships.  Any kindness in this way would be the least I could do.

When I saw "Daya" in the kitchen starting to cook, I figured she had started on whatever they were going to eat to break the fast at 7:22pm tonight.  About 20 minutes later J* and her sister got up and tried to usher us into the kitchen because her mom had so selflessly made us a full meal while she was fasting.  We tried to say, "oh, no!  It's ok, but thank you!"  However, when we realized that she had done this just for us, we got up and went into the kitchen.  After more protest (it's rude to eagerly begin eating), she finally looked at us and in K'ish said..."Are you not my daughters??  Eat!"  I said, "Yes, truly we are."  It was one of the sweetest exchanges I have had with her.  She has become so dear to my heart!

So, we sat and ate....by ourselves, mind you...who would want to watch others eat and drink water while fasting.  But truly, I felt so blessed and loved by this woman's hospitality and sacrifice.  I have thought so often as to how to sacrifice my own desires so as to be hospitable to my K'ish friends during Ramadan (i.e. no water/food in public during the day, visiting later at night after they eat and are ready for visitors, etc). However, I didn't expect to be so loved and served by their reciprocating responses though it was a sacrifice for them.  I thought I would just adapt to their lives during Ramadan and was pleasantly delighted and loved when they adapted to me and were hospitable nonetheless!

Today was a great reminder that I have SO much to learn and am so thankful to live in Central Asia!  The mutual give and take across such a vast cultural gap is humbling.  I hope I am often able to surprise others in the same way as I was surprised and served today!