May 18 - Making it mine

Living room in the apartment


My room in my new home


Good day!

I write this update from a corner of my apartment here in Africa. Cars are buzzing on the street beneath me since siesta is now over, pedestrians bravely (or foolishly!) dash (or crawl!) across the road, and mopeds add complete mayhem to the mix! The Mediterranean Sea is a block away, I can see it from the corner window I'm looking out as I write this, and the sand from the beach is still stuck to my feet and legs. Welcome to my new home! (I'm having issues with loading pictures again - sorry! I'll mess around with it and see what I can do later on).

I arrived safe and sound on Tuesday night after quite a long day of traveling. Rick got me to the bus station byb 5:45AM, I hopped on the 6AM bus to Heathrow, had a 35 minute wait in Heathrow before taking the shuttle to Gatwick. I checked in at Gatwick and waited for about 3 hours before my flight to Malaga. Once in Malaga I picked up my bag, checked in there (I know, I should have checked the bag all the way through, but I didn't even think about it!), waited for another 3 hours before hopping on my flight to Africa. The flight across the Med. was late - I have no idea why, the readerboard never said it was delayed or anything, it just was! - but I had my music and enjoyed watching people. You can tell an immediate difference in the atmosphere between London and Spain... Spain is much more go-with-the-flow, laid back, relaxed feeling.

I had a group of people at the airport to meet me, they put me in teh front seat on the way home so I could start learning the route. We had a delicious dinner and my hosts (B and M) were sweet about answering all my enthusiastic questions about the apartment and running it. I've been SO blessed to be living with a wonderful couple who has just taken me in and treated me like a daughter. Wednesday B and I wondered into the downtown part of the city and he showed me where he shops for produce and introduced me to a vendor he says treats him fairly. "See, now that I've introduced you, he'll think you are my daughter and he'll treat you well also. You don't have to tell him I've left already!" B told me as we were leaving the market. M, B's wife, is also wonderful! We get to chatting as we make food or wash laundry or clean dishes and we forget what we're doing - it can be really dangerous! :-)

I don't know if I can quite put into words the different environments even here in the city. One section of town feels distinctly African, and another is very much European. In the European section - where I'm living - it is quite acceptable for me to wear my Western clothes and basically live much how I would in America - I went to the beach today in my shorts and a modest tank top, and I was probably the most covered person out sunbathing! (Ah-hem, and the whitest... *sigh!*) The other day I got up and went for a run along the waterfront early in the morning and passed other joggers and walkers. But if I walk 15 minutes another direction, the modest, loose pants and large t-shirt I wore to the market felt skimpy and exposing. The men sit around outside and on the streets staring at anybody who comes through in Western gear. The women all wear jilabas and head scarves. Consequently, there are certainly areas of town I won't be going to by myself or even with Bri when she comes, I think. At least not walking and without wearing appropriate clothing!

Basically the past two days have been spent wandering around the city, trying to get a feel for the layout, and learning how to run the guesthouse here. I've already got to sweep and mop and change sheets and set out breakfast stuff, so I'm beginning to feel like I can handle the basics. Hopefully the more advanced stuff - like being brave enough to answer the phone! - will come together soon.

We've only had two guests - one each for one night - but tonight it sounds like we'll have a full house, so I'm kind of looking forward to how things work when more people are here. I've been warned that it is either really, really busy, or nothing is happening at all, there is rarely any middle ground. And it sounds like it kind of just goes on a day by day or week by week basis. The guy that stayed the first night I was here came through today to have lunch with us and he was asking me if I've learned the hard and fast rule. "What's that?" I asked. He smiled at me and said, "The rigid, unbreakable rule in this area - maybe in all of Africa! - is that you must always be flexible." I think that has kind of always been a theme in my life, but good to be reminded of it!

One of the lovely things about staying with B and M so far is that they've been really encouraging of making time for a personal quiet time. And they read a section from the Bible before lunch and dinner. The very first lunch - Wednesday's - M picked Psalm 34 to read, one of "my" chapters from the Bible. It's been encouraging to be surrounded by people who are serious about serving the Lord and making an effort to grow.

This morning I went to Bible study and caught a lesson from Daniel chapter 11. The video we were watching made a point to focus on how selfishness is the opposite of sacrifice and how we don't have to give in to temptions of "great" evil things, we only have to give in to the tempation to be selfish. Selfishness demands our rights, it demands our expectations to be met, it demands that we have things done our way, on our timelines. The pure and simple truth is that that is not being servant-minded. It was an excellent reminder for me to remember why I'm here... It isn't to enjoy living in a foreign culture - although that might be a by-product of my time - it isn't to soak up sunshine - although that might also be a by-product - my purpose for being here is to serve. Whether it be in big ways, saving a child from getting run over by a truck in the street, or simply in providing clean sheets and fresh towels for weary workers coming into the city for a break from the country. I pray that my eyes will be open to the many ways I can serve, and that I will remember to do so with a truly humble and willing attitude.

Tomorrow night I'm heading into the country for a week or so to live and work among people there. I won't be taking my laptop and don't plan on trying to find any internet connection anywhere. It sounds like this will be one of my main opportunities to live extensively in the Muslim culture, as a couple days after I get back my hosts go home and I'll take over with Bri here. We will probably be needed mostly here in the city, but it will be neat to get a first-person perspective of what is happening out there so I can relate to the teams coming through. AND, I'll get a chance to wear the long shirts and skirts I bought for the being here!

Thank you to those of you who have emailed me or left comments (well, Megan! :-) ). As much as I am coming to love the people here and the environment it is still REALLY fun and encouraging to log onto email, or here, or myspace and have a new message or comment from someone! :-)

Love and hugs to you all! Thanks for your prayers!

- Dani