Parents' visit

It's been a couple of weeks since my parents returned back to the US but I thought some of you would like to know about their visit to Kurdistan. We were all holding our breath, wondering how my mom would make the trip since she has had some major battles with her health in the recent past. Their itinerary called for long flights & layovers in airports but they made it through with little difficulty and we were so happy to see them walk out the door of the Sulaymaniyah International Airport. They were able to keep up a busy schedule the whole time they were here! The first week was spent joining in the activities of the LIFE Center, both in the classroom and at the coffee shop. The students loved them and quickly found their way into their hearts. They are still corresponding with some of them via e-mail, chat, etc. They experienced a one-of-a-kind Kurdish picnic, complete with a big pot of "yaprakh" (stuffed vegetables), grilled meat, watermelon and other snacks. The neighbors became quick friends and before it was all over, Mom was praying for the woman & dancing with the man! The second week was spent in a village about an hour from here where both Mom & Dad each taught a theology course to 14 students from 3 Iraqi cities. Again the students were overjoyed to have them as their teachers and loved sharing their lives and stories with them. Even with eating Kurdish food all week & having their sleep disturbed by noisy people in the halls at midnight, they made it through with flying colors and were sad to say goodbye. So many great memories & new friendships were made. They were heroes everywhere they went. Strangers would stop Mom to ask if they could touch her hair and see if it was real. It was a great 2 weeks and again, we were all relieved when we heard they touched down in Atlanta after more than 24 hours of travel back.