The Counselor is our rock. He provides for us even in the most unlikely situations. His timing is perfect and he has a plan even when it feels like we keep running into walls or coming to dead ends. One day in our village trip really taught me this.
We started out the day with a crowded bus ride and a visit to a hotel, the place of employment of a friend. We then asked several people where the road to our next destination (B*) was. We were told several times that it is too far to B. "f'rajlkum? baid bzeff!" ("you're going on foot? it's so far!") Finally though, we made it to the road we were headed for and walked for a while. After maybe an hour, we saw a road that turned off to the side that looked like a more scenic route and we decided to take it. We didn't know that it did not lead to our intended destination. After a little while a man told us that we couldn't get to B by that road, we would have to turn around and go back to the main road if we wanted to go to B. By this time it was about 3:30 so we stopped for a little while to ask the counselor what he wanted us to do. We decided to continue on that road and see where we were an hour later. We made it another half an hour before another man told us that he was concerned for our safety since we were pretty much out in the middle of nowhere, so we sat in the grass with a woman and her daughter who were grazing two cows and some sheep on a hill while a younger guy tried to get us a taxi back to the main road or on to a different town. We waited maybe half an hour and none came that could take us, and we didn't really feel welcomed there so we started walking back to the main road that we had turned off. We met a man who helped us out a little bit, he pulled some bread out of his jilabba (like a jacket dress)hood and gave it to us and then when we got to the road, he stood with us for like 20 minutes or half an hour trying to get us on a bus to B. He was finally successful and we were on our way. By this time, the sun was beginning to set and we were on our way to a town where for a time foreigners were not allowed to spend the night, and we had been told by a young woman on the road to not accept rides from strangers because it isn't safe. Needless to say, most of us were a little nervous.
On the bus, both Heidi and Jordan made friends and exchanged phone numbers but when we got to B we said goodbye to them; the girl Heidi met told us that we could stay with them if we didn't find anywhere else. Before too long it was dark, so we called Heidi's friend and asked if we could spend the night with them. That was fine, so we planned on that, but not 10 minutes later, Jordan's friend called and said we were her guests. So in a matter of 15 minutes we went from being shelterless to having two options of a place to stay. We ended up splitting up, three in one house and three in the other.
As I was literally tucked in bed and given a good night kiss from our host mom several hours later, I realized how good our counselor is to us. We spent the day roaming around in the middle of nowhere and feeling opposition from most people we met; the men who told us we should turn around, the people who didn't seem to welcome us. It all seemed to be for nothing, a waste of our time. But if we hadn't done that, we would not have made it to that bus at that time and we wouldn't have met those people who welcomed us into their home so warmly. We ended up spending two nights in the town where not too long ago it would have been illegal to spend one night! The counselor knew exactly what he was doing, and we've made some amazing friends!
Thanks so much for your thoughts as we were traveling!
-Jamila
*city not specified.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
moving on...
Well, as another chapter of our North Africa experience comes to a close, I am reminded once again of how short our time here actually is. The end of Salaam 2, our second level of language class, took me back to high school graduation a little bit. Heidi, Lavonda, and I have been taking language class since the beginning of our time here and it's end is a little bit bittersweet.
So now, what will we be doing with the rest of our time?
Tomorrow we are leaving in the morning for a trip to some villages. We basically are taking a change of clothes and some snacks and walking for 6 days, depending on the hospitality of the village people, who will be mostly Berbers (the natives of the North Africa), for our shelter and meals.
After that, two of us will be going to do childcare for a retreat in Melilla, Spain. (It's on the continent of Africa but Spanish property.) And then on the 26th we go vacationing in Spain!!
When we are done with all these amazing trips, we're hoping to get more involved in some volunteer opportunities. We've been doing some childcare for workers and volunteering at an American School, but there are a couple opportunities that interest us that have yet to work out. Hopefully with a freer schedule those things will fall into place.
Things to think about:
-health safety and provision for the village trip.
-that our volunteering opportunities would come together when we get back.
-guidance and wisdom in everything
-team unity
-that we would continue to learn the language outside the classroom and build relationships.
We are thankful for:
-our opportunity to see the countryside and its people.
-successful completion of language school.
-good weather over the last couple days and a good forecast for our walking through villages!
Thanks for your support!
Jamila for the team.
So now, what will we be doing with the rest of our time?
Tomorrow we are leaving in the morning for a trip to some villages. We basically are taking a change of clothes and some snacks and walking for 6 days, depending on the hospitality of the village people, who will be mostly Berbers (the natives of the North Africa), for our shelter and meals.
After that, two of us will be going to do childcare for a retreat in Melilla, Spain. (It's on the continent of Africa but Spanish property.) And then on the 26th we go vacationing in Spain!!
When we are done with all these amazing trips, we're hoping to get more involved in some volunteer opportunities. We've been doing some childcare for workers and volunteering at an American School, but there are a couple opportunities that interest us that have yet to work out. Hopefully with a freer schedule those things will fall into place.
Things to think about:
-health safety and provision for the village trip.
-that our volunteering opportunities would come together when we get back.
-guidance and wisdom in everything
-team unity
-that we would continue to learn the language outside the classroom and build relationships.
We are thankful for:
-our opportunity to see the countryside and its people.
-successful completion of language school.
-good weather over the last couple days and a good forecast for our walking through villages!
Thanks for your support!
Jamila for the team.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
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Sunday, January 18, 2009
We have successfully finished salaam one, our language class! On the last day of class, the king was in town, so we took a walk to see him. Heidi saw him waving, the rest of us just saw his car. One the way home we stopped by a clinic and saw the new baby girl of our one teachers and his wife. Some of us will continue with language studies but others are finished.
Yesterday we were given four more froshes for our apartment. We put two in the corner of our study/living room and it really makes the place comfortable and homier. We were joking about it being our home makeover.
This next week will be full of new things for most of us. Some new things include starting salaam two, teaching at the American school, tutoring, helping with health awareness, and taking a trip to an orphanage. Each of us will end up being involved in different areas, though many of the areas overlap.
We are thankful for:
-Cooking for ourselves is going very well
-We have many supportive and encouraging friends here
Things to remember:
-That we would take time in our days to just stop and be thankful
-That we would be effective in our relationships, what we say and what we do
--Jen for the team
Yesterday we were given four more froshes for our apartment. We put two in the corner of our study/living room and it really makes the place comfortable and homier. We were joking about it being our home makeover.
This next week will be full of new things for most of us. Some new things include starting salaam two, teaching at the American school, tutoring, helping with health awareness, and taking a trip to an orphanage. Each of us will end up being involved in different areas, though many of the areas overlap.
We are thankful for:
-Cooking for ourselves is going very well
-We have many supportive and encouraging friends here
Things to remember:
-That we would take time in our days to just stop and be thankful
-That we would be effective in our relationships, what we say and what we do
--Jen for the team
Saturday, January 10, 2009
It's just a feeling...
What does Morocco feel like?
It is my icy toes, trying desperately to pull heat from my muddy black shoes. The pitter patter of raindrops on my hair and face and hands as we wind through the crowded streets. And the sunshine that slides down over my skin and cloaks me in sweet, glittering warmth.
It is the itchiness of the worn blanket that has sheltered every member of my new family. It is the uneven and unyielding pillow that consistently wakes me to remind me that, in this country, softness is the exception rather than the rule. And the settling of heat that wraps around my body as I drift off to sleep.
It is the bumping, jostling, bouncing of the bus that tosses its passengers from side to side, and the crushing of toes from a neighbor’s unsteady foot. The bodies against bodies against bodies as my life overlaps with those of my fellow passengers. And the plastic bus seat that provides me with a haven of privacy as I sink below eye level of those standing around me.
It is the gentle touch of elderly hands that slip over mine as I yawn and settle further down into my blankets. The firm, genuine, enthusiastic embrace that takes me by the shoulders and pulls me closer, closer, closer. And the softness of cheek touching cheek in welcoming kisses.
It is my icy toes, trying desperately to pull heat from my muddy black shoes. The pitter patter of raindrops on my hair and face and hands as we wind through the crowded streets. And the sunshine that slides down over my skin and cloaks me in sweet, glittering warmth.
It is the itchiness of the worn blanket that has sheltered every member of my new family. It is the uneven and unyielding pillow that consistently wakes me to remind me that, in this country, softness is the exception rather than the rule. And the settling of heat that wraps around my body as I drift off to sleep.
It is the bumping, jostling, bouncing of the bus that tosses its passengers from side to side, and the crushing of toes from a neighbor’s unsteady foot. The bodies against bodies against bodies as my life overlaps with those of my fellow passengers. And the plastic bus seat that provides me with a haven of privacy as I sink below eye level of those standing around me.
It is the gentle touch of elderly hands that slip over mine as I yawn and settle further down into my blankets. The firm, genuine, enthusiastic embrace that takes me by the shoulders and pulls me closer, closer, closer. And the softness of cheek touching cheek in welcoming kisses.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
We have an apartment!
A toilet, a shower, hot water, a washing machine, and windows. A month ago, I'm not sure I would have expected to be so incredibly grateful for things that we consider in the states to be bare necessities. But after four weeks with host families, the last two of which none of us had access to a shower except the hammam- or public bathhouse- we are very grateful for some familiar facilities and our own space. As of Monday, we have moved into our new apartment, about a week or two before we had expected to. The apartment opened up and we looked at it, loved it and, for various reasons, decided we were ready to have our own space. It has been great so far. I'm finally unpacked and am no longer living out of my suitcase (after a month of being away from home...) We're learning to do our own shopping and using the wonderful vocabulary and phrases we've learned in Arabic class.
Speaking of Arabic class, we have about a week or a week and a half left in Salaam 1 (the first level class). We have finally learned how to conjugate verbs, which would have been very helpful to have while we were in host families, but the teachers kept telling us, "No, you can wait. You don't need verbs yet." I'm not quite sure what they had in mind for us to use in place of verbs in a sentence; we have learned through various forms that verbs are very important, pretty much essential to the structure of a sentence! At this point, we are not yet sure where language study will go after we complete Salaam 1.
It's really good for us as a team to all be finally living in one place. It helps our communication about different things a lot! We are still working on finding volunteer opportunities and have meetings set up with some of our contact people to help us get started. We have formed a lot of good relationships, both with Moroccans and other expatriates here. One struggle with that may become trying to figure out which relationships to invest in more heavily, because as we were told by a fellow expat, Moroccans have high expectations for relationships.
Things to keep in mind for us:
-language learning- clarity of mind and brains like sponges is what we need right now!
-relationships with Moroccans
-team unity as we now live together, which will help communication, but will pose other challenges.
-wisdom and open doors for volunteering.
We're thankful for:
-our apartment!
-the unity we have experienced so far.
-the relationships we have established
-the opportunities we have had to learn more about our options for volunteer work.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Jamila for the team
Speaking of Arabic class, we have about a week or a week and a half left in Salaam 1 (the first level class). We have finally learned how to conjugate verbs, which would have been very helpful to have while we were in host families, but the teachers kept telling us, "No, you can wait. You don't need verbs yet." I'm not quite sure what they had in mind for us to use in place of verbs in a sentence; we have learned through various forms that verbs are very important, pretty much essential to the structure of a sentence! At this point, we are not yet sure where language study will go after we complete Salaam 1.
It's really good for us as a team to all be finally living in one place. It helps our communication about different things a lot! We are still working on finding volunteer opportunities and have meetings set up with some of our contact people to help us get started. We have formed a lot of good relationships, both with Moroccans and other expatriates here. One struggle with that may become trying to figure out which relationships to invest in more heavily, because as we were told by a fellow expat, Moroccans have high expectations for relationships.
Things to keep in mind for us:
-language learning- clarity of mind and brains like sponges is what we need right now!
-relationships with Moroccans
-team unity as we now live together, which will help communication, but will pose other challenges.
-wisdom and open doors for volunteering.
We're thankful for:
-our apartment!
-the unity we have experienced so far.
-the relationships we have established
-the opportunities we have had to learn more about our options for volunteer work.
Thanks for your thoughts,
Jamila for the team
Friday, December 26, 2008
The first couple of weeks
Merry Christmas!
On Tuesday, we switched host families, and are now all on our own to try to communicate with our families. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how we look at it) most of our new host families speak very little English and no Spanish. It has been an adjustment to be separated, and it has been a challenge to connect with each other about team business, but it is good for us to continue to be stretched and branch out to meet new people.
We have been blessed to make many connections with other expatriates here before Christmas, so on Christmas Eve, we were invited to take over the apartment of a young woman from Texas who would be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with another family. Thus we were provided with the opportunity to spend Christmas Eve together, making cookies, skyping our families, and watching a movie. After that relaxing evening, we had another relaxing day at the home of an American couple who had invited several people over. They had a Christmas tree and a very homey environment which finally gave us the sentiment of Christmas. In a country that does not celebrate Christmas, it was very easy to forget that we were in the advent season for the first couple of weeks here.
The last few weeks have been filled with wonderful and stretching experiences. Last weekend, Heidi, Jen, and I (Jamila) were guests at a wedding. Our host family had the time of their lives dressing us up and putting makeup on us to make us presentable at a wedding. Friday evening was a party starting at about 4pm and lasting until 11 or so. It was filled with loud music, dancing, and lots of food. The second party, which was the next day started around 4:30 and lasted until after 12:30. Although we had a great time, by the end of the second party, we were quite exhausted. I had been wearing 3.5 inch heels for nearly 9 hours, so my feet were also in pain on top of being tired.
Language study has been an interesting challenge as well. We are about halfway through the first class "Salaam 1" and it has become clear that Arabic is not an easy language. We were astonished (and thoroughly overwhelmed) to discover that the maternal side of the family all have different names from the paternal side, and the family of one's spouse have different labels, depending on whether you're a man (the family of your wife) or a woman (the family of your husband). I found myself quite relieved that I am not married, nor do I have siblings who are.
Hopefully this gives you an overview of what's been going on in our lives since we've been here.
Please continue to keep us in your thoughts in these areas:
-Language study.
-Team Unity and open communication
-Our volunteering opportunities. We've gotten some information, but have not had a chance to come together as a team to discuss our options and call the contact people.
We are thankful for:
-provision and safety
-the wonderful mentors we have met through the Inc and other organizations in the city.
-the relationships we have formed and connections we have made, even with people on the bus.
Here are some pictures of the area where we live.
On Tuesday, we switched host families, and are now all on our own to try to communicate with our families. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how we look at it) most of our new host families speak very little English and no Spanish. It has been an adjustment to be separated, and it has been a challenge to connect with each other about team business, but it is good for us to continue to be stretched and branch out to meet new people.
We have been blessed to make many connections with other expatriates here before Christmas, so on Christmas Eve, we were invited to take over the apartment of a young woman from Texas who would be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas with another family. Thus we were provided with the opportunity to spend Christmas Eve together, making cookies, skyping our families, and watching a movie. After that relaxing evening, we had another relaxing day at the home of an American couple who had invited several people over. They had a Christmas tree and a very homey environment which finally gave us the sentiment of Christmas. In a country that does not celebrate Christmas, it was very easy to forget that we were in the advent season for the first couple of weeks here.
The last few weeks have been filled with wonderful and stretching experiences. Last weekend, Heidi, Jen, and I (Jamila) were guests at a wedding. Our host family had the time of their lives dressing us up and putting makeup on us to make us presentable at a wedding. Friday evening was a party starting at about 4pm and lasting until 11 or so. It was filled with loud music, dancing, and lots of food. The second party, which was the next day started around 4:30 and lasted until after 12:30. Although we had a great time, by the end of the second party, we were quite exhausted. I had been wearing 3.5 inch heels for nearly 9 hours, so my feet were also in pain on top of being tired.
Language study has been an interesting challenge as well. We are about halfway through the first class "Salaam 1" and it has become clear that Arabic is not an easy language. We were astonished (and thoroughly overwhelmed) to discover that the maternal side of the family all have different names from the paternal side, and the family of one's spouse have different labels, depending on whether you're a man (the family of your wife) or a woman (the family of your husband). I found myself quite relieved that I am not married, nor do I have siblings who are.
Hopefully this gives you an overview of what's been going on in our lives since we've been here.
Please continue to keep us in your thoughts in these areas:
-Language study.
-Team Unity and open communication
-Our volunteering opportunities. We've gotten some information, but have not had a chance to come together as a team to discuss our options and call the contact people.
We are thankful for:
-provision and safety
-the wonderful mentors we have met through the Inc and other organizations in the city.
-the relationships we have formed and connections we have made, even with people on the bus.
Here are some pictures of the area where we live.
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