Possibilities Arise...

Time for some true confessions: This time of adjustment has been good, but hard. We assumed our struggles would stem from relationships, religion or culture. And in a sense they have. But more than that, we've wrestled with the bureaucracy and with, quite frankly, boredom. Language classes only take up so much time and you can only study for so long. With the heat, everyone slows down, locals and foreigners alike. Coming from the West, adjusting to the slow pace has been our biggest challenge.

In light of that, we have been really seeking the Lord and asking for more opportunities to serve/work while in this adjustment period (within reason, obviously). The opportunity for me to teach English at a Girl's school was delayed indefinitely. So, today while walking to a meeting of Friends, we really felt like something was going to come up, an opportunity or an encouragement. And sure enough, it did! A school run by expats is looking for a school nurse, a soccer coach and a PE teacher... Wow! It is a school serving locals and foreigners; we think K-8. We mentioned we were interested and our contact said, "You're hired! You just need to decide if it's something you want to do. So, let's meet with the Principle tomorrow." How about that?! So, we are definitely praying about it... to say the least!

We'll keep you posted! Tomorrow morning... The Visa saga continues... : )

Photos: Here is our patio/lanai (hosch)... note broom- I've put more time in on that thing than I really choose to think about...!

Visas and Tourism

Armed with our brand-spankin' new work permit, letters from our company inviting Eddy to be granted a visa, a ridiculous amount of copies and our local friend, we marched over to the visa office on Tuesday, refreshed and ready to embark on our new battle: resident permits, aka: visas. I brought my trusty Sudoku and water, certain we would be there for hours. After filling out the paper work, attaching the countless copies and photos, Eddy and Faremie (local friend) presented the applications. They were checked for legitimacy and Eddy was pointed to the HIV testing area; this is mandatory for all applying for resident permits. So, after about 10 minutes (I didn't even start a Sodoku puzzle) we were back outside journeying home. We must wait for the results, which should have been done today, Wednesday, but there's a holiday today (how many can one nation have???), so maybe tomorrow. The infamous and ever dreaded Tomorrow.

But, have no fear, English Club is here! Our piece of normalcy and enjoyment in the midst of our bureaucratic battles! We decided on Tourism & Travel this week. We followed our usual format of vocabulary identification and discussion, followed by some teaching and ended with discussion questions. What countries receive the most tourists every year? (France, 75 million) What are the most popular honeymoon sites? (Hawaii... which, by the way, is a great place to live...) What are some tourist sites here in this country? How can you/your country promote tourism? Is tourism helpful or a hindrance to this society? Eddy took the lead this time and kept us all attentive with his humor and animations. We announced that next week would be Movie Nite since it was such a hit last time. The trick: finding a decent movie that has no offensive content and isn't necessarily animated... not a lot out there!

Photos: Eddy teaching at English Club... A random window on our road... waiting for a photo permit so I can be more free with the camera/take more pictures... (maybe no photos... internet trouble...)

Work Permit: Approved!

Finally! After 1 month of office visits, lawyer consultations, papers, photos, money, more papers, stamps, more stamps, starts, stops and more money, we finally received the work permit today-- Thank You God!! We met up with one of our local friends and walked to the office only to find it closed due to demonstrations (The office workers HAVE to be at the demonstrations). Mildly frustrated, to say the least, we decided to wait a bit, sit and drink some tea with the locals. During that time our friend shared some good news with a Somalian sitting next to us. Worth the wait for sure!

Needless to say about 45 minutes later, the gate opened, we went in and there in the stack of permits was Eddy's! Amazing! We stopped by our English Club and had our contact there write some letters for us in Arabic to take with us tomorrow when we try for our visas. We finished the day with our Family, sharing our good news and praying. We stopped by a donut seller on the way home to celebrate... God is good and He has a plan and His will will be done!

Photos: The Permit... not nearly impressive or official looking for all that work! The local version of Pizza- Filo dough, ground beef, green peppers and some cheese... it's very tasty and only $4!! (Picture taken after permit received... we're happy, but emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted... and we're not even legal yet...)

Maybe...

We went back to the work permit office today, payed the fees, bought the stamps, made the copies and even befriended a local businessman who helped us translate some forms. If everything goes as planned, we should have it Monday. Many people have warned us about trying to acquire a work permit and the process in getting it, saying "Never go to that office; you will never get it... it's virtually impossible". But it appears that perhaps we have conquered the beast! And by beast, I'm referring to a 5" x 3" flimsy sheet of blue paper with a picture stapled in one corner...

Since we were already in the city we walked over to a local eatery that makes tasty burgers and shuwarma (kinda like rotisserie meat) and splurged on some protein. We decided to walk home (4 miles), stopping several times to peek into shops to see what's available and how much things cost. We ended the day with some friends at party at an Embassy. Strange. We haven't seen that many white people (khawajas) in months. It was slightly surreal; everyone in their western clothes (tank-tops, tight pants, low neck-lines), drinking booze by the pool and chatting people up. Not our reality to say the least. Most people there work with NGO's or government orgs and have virtually no contact with locals. While fun to be able to socialize a bit with our friends, we really felt awkward and out of place, preferring our lifestyle with the local transport, living in a more rustic neighborhood and spending time with native friends.

Photos: Eddy & I in front of a more western cafe; every few minutes a fine mist of water sprays down on you while you sip your coffee...(Eddy is on the phone, people here LOVE phones); A funeral gathering on our street- the women prepare the meal while the men go to pray... She said we MUST (Lazem!) join them... we were heading to the Embassy.

Not Yet...

We had hoped to receive the work permit today, but no. We walked the 2+ miles to the office only to find our dear friend Steven, already there, searching the board for our name- what a good friend! We talked to some officials and they told us to go to a different office. So back down the road a mile or two, to find that the man we needed to speak with has been out of the office for a few days... maybe he will approve it tomorrow? Insha Allah.

Back over the bridge and into our little area of the city. We were disappointed as we found out this next week they are holding a teaching conference in our target city, and we are more than invited to come help and teach. We need our visa before we can travel there. On top of it all, we are reminded that each day we are here without a visa costs us $20. We know that we have been sent here and we trust things will work out for good! We'll head back to the permit office tomorrow.

**We have been asked to start teaching English more officially one day/week at a Girl's School... This isn't necessarily our focus, but is very tempting! Jess is considering it...

Photos: Eddy takes little cars with him to give out to street kids... or play with while crossing the 1/2 mile bridge; I was craving some gummies, and found these at our little corner store (ducan)- only $1.50; which is cheap considering they are made in and sent from... BRAZIL!!

English Club

It's Tuesday, time for English Club! Last time we explained that we were having some Visa issues, so many were eager to see us this week, confirmation that perhaps our visa situation had changed... and it looks pretty good so far!

Tonight the topic was Health and Disease. It's a bit of a broad topic and there are lots of complicated terms... it definitely wasn't one of our best Clubs. Nevertheless, we plowed onward, explaining the meaning of bacteria and virus, vaccines and prevention. We discussed the leading causes of death in the world, how to prevent them and what diseases are most prevalent and deadly. The highlight was being able to share the 4th leading cause of heart disease: Poor oral hygiene! Our dentist back in the states and good friend, Dr. West, pleaded with us to share this message with others- we fulfilled that promise today! And they were astounded by it- flossing and brushing can prevent some forms of heart disease??? Even they realized in the end that one of the most important preventative tools is Education. So, while at times confused, the students stuck with us and as always, were so grateful for the class.

Tomorrow we head back to the work permit office to see if it was in fact issued. If yes, then we'll cross town to the visa office and try for a work visa. Thank you for your prayers and support!!

Photos: Eddy facilitating a small group at English Club... Some flowers on our street, beauty in the midst of squalor.

Could It Be?

After some disheartening news that our camera didn't make it here, we are eager to report some good news--- there is a HIGH possibility that we will get a work permit (which will allow us to get a work visa)! We walked to the labor office a couple miles away and with the help of some locals figured out that our name was on the list and that our papers were in process. We met with a director who seemed to give us a glance and chuckle at our paperwork (not sure why it's funny) and were then told to return on Wednesday and bring money (gurush). This is a huge answer to prayer! Having a work permit virtually guarantees getting a work visa. Whew! We'll keep you posted!

A local friend of the Family visited us the other night, a needed holiday from his service in a "hot" area of the country. He showed us pictures and described his work with the different tribes and people in this volatile place. These are some of his pictures. The children are awaiting the ceremony for circumcision, both male and female. This is culturally mandatory in their tribe and religion. The ladies are a part of a different tribe in the same area. If you think of it, pray for our friend Chris and his efforts to reach out to these tribes.

Long Awaited Guest

Eddy has been trying for several weeks now to invite a local tribal guy, Mohammed, over to our house for English lessons. With our poor Arabic (still no verbs) and his equally small knowledge of English, coupled with general cultural misunderstandings, he had yet to show up at our house. That is until a few nights ago. Our meeting time came and went with no Mohammed. I started cooking supper and a German friend of ours, Chris, stopped by unexpectedly and decided to stay. No more than 10 minutes later, there was Mohammed! And thank goodness Chris was there as well, as his Arabic is far better, having lived here for 2 years. The guys sat in our one "cooler" area and chatted about life, work and the idea of learning English. Eddy started teaching him with the cards we use for Arabic and he seemed to learn quickly. I finished supper preparations and I joined them for the meal.

Culturally, it is rare that men and women eat together; especially in this tribe. But our new friend seemed undaunted by my presence and we all chatted comfortably, eager to learn about the others' culture. After Mohammed left, Chris explained that here it is common for a guest to stay the night; and it seemed from his discussions with Mohammed that that had been his original intent! Woops-how unprepared and unaware we were! Chris went on to say that Mohammed probably has other friends from his tribe in the area that he could stay with.

While we would like to continue to meet with him, the instability of our visa situation makes setting up lesson times difficult. He is out of work right now and therefore does not have a mobile for us to contact him. We can only hope and pray that we will cross paths again...

Photos: A window near our house... One of many "new" cars still driven here... some scarves at the market.

Breath Of Fresh Air

Every Tuesday night is English Club and it has turned out to be an oasis of life in the midst of a desert of dead-ends and frustration. Our students are eager, friendly and grateful... such a stark contrast from our day to day affairs. It was movie night this week and we racked our brains trying to recall a movie that is simple, entertaining and not offensive to any culture, as our club consists of people from all types of educational backgrounds, religions and ethnicities. The class starts at 6pm and at a quarter till we were still in our house frantically scanning our movie lists. I had to make the pop corn (which is a whole 'nother story when you don't have a lid that fits your popping pan... blazing hot kernels flying around the kitchen), so it was up to Eddy. His answer- when all else fails and you are out of ideas, animated kids movies are always a hit!

We decided on Ice Age. It was fitting since last week's discussion was on global warming. We had a smaller turnout as a wind/dust/sand/rain storm (haboob) loomed ominously in the eastern sky. But we arranged the chairs to theater seating around a little TV and after a good half hour around 30 people showed up. We stopped the movie every 15-20 minutes to discuss terms and slang, discussing words like "plot", "villain" and "hero". And I never realized how much slang is used in movies, like "cut it out", "beat it" or "I gotcha". It turned out to be a big hit and most of the students requested adding another night to the Club.

We both left with a feeling of accomplishment and purpose, thanking the Lord for giving us something that is life-giving and fulfilling in the midst of demoralizing tasks.

** Today we find out if we received the work permit. Our tourist visas expire today as well. Situations are "hot" right now in the city making travel to these offices difficult. Please pray!

Game On

In more ways than one, so to speak! Game 1: The Illusive Visa. It's a challenging game that requires patience, perseverance and a strong sense of humor. The goal is to make it to all the government offices, through varying modes of transportation while not losing one's temper nor purpose. The winner is the one who, in the end, receives the "illusive visa" while maintaining his vision... Common roadblocks in this game are language difficulties, cultural anomalies, heat exhaustion, lack of water/energy and discripencies over game rules- they can change at any time! Unfortunately, there are no "wild" or "get out of jail free" cards in this game.... Good luck!

Game 2: Balancing Date Cake. A fun game for any gathering or meeting! Pack a large mixing bowl with flour and invert on a tray. Carefully lift the bowl off the flour/tray, leaving the flour on the tray in the form of the bowl, or "cake" shape. Place one dried date in the middle of the cake. (You can us any candy, if dates are not available.) The object of the game is for each player to cut away a piece of the cake without making the date fall. If the date falls during your cut, you must use your mouth to extract the date from where it fell. Have fun! (played during last weeks Family meeting)

Tomorrow we will find out if we received the work permit. There are really only 3 things that can happen at this point: 1. We get the visa and can stay. 2. We don't and we renew our tourist visa as long as we can- 2 more months, maybe. 3. We are forced to leave. Either way, we know that we have been called here and will do all that we can to stay and fulfill that which we were sent to do!

Pictures: In a taxi with our friend Steven on our way to the lawyer's office. The Balancing Date Cake game... guess who lost?

Permits, Visas, and Licenses... Oh no!

We're down to just a few more days until our tourist visas expire. We are frantically trying to get ourselves organized and ready to apply for a longer-term stay visa. Everyone seems to have all the answers, telling us to go here or there and talk to him or her, but no one seems to be correct! Perhaps it is a cultural trait to have an answer instead of admitting "I don't know"... or maybe it's that the process always changes!

Frustrations run high as we seem to always be lacking some paper, stamp, photo or copy of something. Everywhere we turn it seems that the process will take longer and be more nebulous. But... and I say a big "BUT", we always have hope!

For up to date info on our area, check out the BBC news site: www.bbc.co.uk

Pictures: Around 5-6pm every night tea sellers make these fried dumplings- aka: mini donuts. We regularly grab a bag for $0.50... how not to??

Pictures: Walking around a local market... so crowded today!

Entertaining

It is fairly common here to be invited to someone's house or to invite people over to your house. Last night was our third time entertaining while here and probably my fourth time in my life! If you don't have people over you might not see them very regularly; and we're trying to build up our friendships here. We invited one German couple and an expat friend whose family is in the states for holiday. He came a bit late and brought with him his Muslim friend. Great! Except that I was wearing pants and a T-shirt; I guess thank God it wasn't my usual shorts-n-tank! But nevertheless it was a tad inappropriate...darn.

We chatted in our little living area about life here and customs and then ate supper around our little plastic table. While us westerners chatted, our local friend remained silent. He shared with us how it is unusual in this culture to talk during meals; meals are a time for enjoying and respecting the food and eating. He was kind and non-judgemental. He found out I was from Hawaii and couldn't believe that I would choose to come here. It was a great opportunity to share why! He also noticed our musical instruments and hounded us to play for him. After supper, we passed around instruments and drums and sung worship songs for a good 40 minutes.

We will get our work permit tomorrow and then it's off to the visa office. PLEASE PRAY.

Global Warming

It was English Club again tonight and the topic was Global Warming. After doing a little research I was armed with some thought-provoking words for them to try to define before launching into the class. We split the class up into groups for them to wrestle with these terms. One of the terms was: The Greenhouse Effect. This one brought some great responses... "It's a house with lots of plants and stuff planted around it, and it's painted green" and "I know what green is; I know what a house is; and I know what effect means; does that count?". We had a great time of throwing around facts & figures and discussing solutions to this hotly debated topic. They are always eager to jump in, are ready with questions and never afraid to say they don't know or need help.

We discussed possible topics for the future classes. Some of the suggestions: Communication, Divorce, Employment/Job Interviews, Culture & Language, How to Open a Business, Tourism in Their Country and last, but not least, the Advantages & Disadvantages of having 1 or 4 wives. So before leaving, we asked if for next week they wanted to discuss Tourism in Their Country or watch a movie. It was unanimous- movie it is; they asked if they could bring popcorn and if we could watch Titanic. Priceless.

Tomorrow Eddy will start teaching English to a man that works in the store next to our house (he is of the people group we would like to work with). Please pray for this!

Flashcard Mania

We've had four lessons now with our friend Adam. They are going well and our Arabic is increasing... slowly! We're now up to about 300 words- give or take- but we haven't really learned any verbs. That makes communication a little rough, to say the least! I bought some nice markers before I left the states, just in case I wanted to pick up drawing or sketching whilst away. And in a sense I did! I have to make 30-40 new flashcards for every lesson. We have a book with images, actions and situations, but Adam finds it difficult to understand. Looks like I'll be sketching indefinitely!

Our Visa expires in 12 days-- please keep us in your prayers!

Picture: A sampling of our flashcards... Adam writes the word in Arabic... although we can't read it.

Intersting Info

Every week Eddy and I teach at an English Club... an informal gathering of locals (mostly Muslim) at a nearby Institute. It's free for them and fun for us, allowing us to meet people and socialize. We try to keep things interesting by peppering our "classes" with some interesting facts and figures. Starting out with a game that encourages talking, we ease into teaching on a subject and end with group discussion questions. While preparing for this last class, we combed the web for facts on transportation and country populations and finances. During my search I came across a fun little website called "aneki.com", where they post different "statistics" (I put quotations because I question their accuracy...) Nevertheless, one topic jumped off the screen, "Cleanest Cities". And wouldn't you know that my home town of Honolulu, HI is ranked #2 in the world! Right below that category was "Cities with the Worst Standard of Living". Curiosity got the best of me... Guess which city is in the top 5? (Or is it bottom 5?) Yep, that's right, where we live now.
Pictures: The streets of a market near our home... Waimea Bay Beach Park, Oahu, HI