Our second Kurdish New Year

This was our 2nd year of experiencing the excitement of the New Year here in this country. It seems like everything throughout the entire year culminates in the 3-day celebration of this important event in the Kurdish calendar. From the beautiful, shimmering women's clothing to the dancing & picnics covering the mountainside, it is a festive occasion and one that we have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of. The first day we were invited to an indoor party where we basically danced for 4 hours, taking breaks now and then to eat & drink and then dance some more. With sore feet & sore backs (speaking of myself), we finally left a little after midnight. The next day the main street was blocked off and 100's of 1000's of people in their Kurdish clothing walked for hours up and down this street, stopping to greet friends, drink tea and dance! The third day we took to the mountains for a picnic with Kurdish friends. We ended up near the spot where we were last year but even more beautiful overlooking the lake on one side and the beautiful green mountains on the other. We enjoyed a relaxing day with lots of eating, some dancing, a boat ride and more eating. Because everyone in the city was heading out for a picnic, it took us 2 hours each way to reach our site which should ordinarily have taken just 45 minutes. People were stopped all along the highway, dancing on the side of the road, firing up their grills and pitching their tents. Many had gone the night before to find a good spot. Ours had been saved by 2 friends since 5AM that day. It was a wonderful time of celebration! The coming of the New Year begins the picnic season here and every Friday the city empties out into the mountains for a picnic. These picnics are always the same; tons of food (we had breakfast at 9:30 with a huge pot of stuffed vegetables, grilled meat at 11 and never stopped until we left at 4), dancing also is an essential part of every picnic; swings, kites & fires are also included. Basically it's eating & dancing. We sometimes take games along and our Kurdish friends enjoy playing them. We've also introduced the American football which they enjoy throwing. Spring is just a wonderful time of year in this country, when everything comes alive. The mountains break forth in color with poppies & daisies covering them like a blanket. The color in the women's clothing is so beautiful, cool breezes and warm sunshine. Ahhh for it to stay spring forever. But summer is coming... We'll enjoy it while it lasts.

A wonderful retreat

6 women came from Salem, OR to bless the women of the Arab Lands field with a 3-day retreat. The setting was a secluded convent among vineyards and olive groves. It was a perfect place for our time together! It was evident that much preparation and prayer had gone into this retreat. We were overwhelmed by the love and care of these women for us. Our souls were richly blessed with wonderful messages from God's word. Worship times were special with a talented worship leader who lead us into incredible communion with God. A table laden with snacks & drinks from America, card-making materials galore, manicures & pedicures, gift bags with books & CD's... so many ways they loved on us. A memorable evening going through the 7 stations of the cross and another time of praying around all our locations & each team member was so meaningful. We couldn't believe that these women would pour so much of themselves into this retreat and give so selflessly to make sure our needs were met. We were truly blessed and will never forget what they did for us. We returned to our places of service feeling refreshed & renewed.