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!