The Beginnings of a New Life

I want to type and write an update but I cant put my feelings and thoughts in a concise package. I feel as though I will be rampaging rather than have something insightful to say. I dont want to go on rambling like some people are in the habit of doing... Oh well... I just ask for prayer and the strength the continue with the call God has placed on my life despite the set backs and frustrations of my personal life. I trust God wholeheartedly that he has our best interests in mind and that his ways are higher than my and his thoughts are higher than mine. There is a reason and a purpose, I just havent located it yet. God I trust you and you alone. Guide me in my prayers so that I pray what your Spirit has in mind! Love you father.

Its Been A While and A Lot Has Occured.

I apologize to those who were left hanging near the end of my blog. I thought that I should finish the tale of my latest adventure overseas. The last week of school went by all to fast. Some of my students would come up to me and say, "Miss. Rachel, would you wear make-up and nice clothes on Friday? We would like you to look beautiful." Slightly taken back by the comment and realized the good nature in it, I granted their request. I then had other students come up to me saying that Friday was going to be lots of fun! I grew in suspicion that something was going to happen on my last day at the school. And I was right! All morning the kids were nervous. Kinda odd. Then a man with a big white box walked into our classroom and asked for the head teacher. She quickly shooed him away. Then next I had to come down to the office to sign a paper for the embassy?! So I went down and signed it. I went back into the classroom and all my students were standing around and yelled, surprise. They had pop, chips and a cake (which is very expensive) They had tons of presents for me. It was such a delight to share with them. Later my teacher told me that the students raised over 4,000 tk. That's roughly 50 bucks. I was astounded. I got a group photo and lots of hugs and kisses! I was an overwhelming day and I miss them a lot. I often think about them and the school and pray that they have a great coming year that is full of God and His wisdom.
The travel home was most uneventful, except I bought a starbucks coffee and forgot that I had to go through security again... not enjoyable or as pleasant as I had wanted. Oh well. Also, it was quite strange walking through Kuwait airport... it was as if I had only just been their before. Its true, I was but I felt easy, familiar like I had walked that airport a hundred times. Crossing from one world to another is always a strange feeling. The connection to both creates a catechism in the heart and whom you want to be with. Although Im home, I often pray for them and perhaps will return one day (with my husband, so say the women there... they insist. If I dont return with a husband they said they would find me one:) Got to love those ladies always looking out for my best interest lol.
I am glad that I am home. I knew that once I returned from my trip, it would be the last for a while. No sure how long but for now. I knew that going there satisfied my desire to travel and speak to that people group once I arrived and returned. I knew before I went that I would return home and be with my family. As it turns out, my feeling was correct. God has me home to be with my family and especially my dad. Most of you know he battled with kidney cancer 2 years ago. They removed the one kidney and said that they got it all and it should not return. 2 years later he has three nodules on his pancreas. They removed 60% of the pancreas and his spleen. Two days ago, he now has nodules on his thyroid. More than this fight with cancer, my family has been under attack from the enemy. I dont know why (I do cause were Christians and there is sin in the world) but you get my drift. My dad is a wonderful man who has sacrificed his life for his family. Everything he has done for us has been for our benefit. So why him? Why does my dad have to suffer? The answers to these questions, I can not answer. All I know is that we are all here for a purpose and that purpose is to Glorify God in ALL that we do or say. I will choose to praise Him even in the midst of uncertainty. I trust God with my families life and mine. Whatever happens, will happen for a reason. God has given the grace to continue the race even with the hurdles in the way. I will praise God for the days I have with my dad and create lots of memories. I love my dad so much! On another note,I also give him praise because he has given me a job! I am a new teacher now with Stayton Christian School. I am so excited and I thank God for his provision. I will dwell of the good and pray for the difficult circumstances.
Today, the Lord was speaking to me during church. The word soft came into my mind. God I ask that you would keep me soft and pliable. Keep my heart quieted and comforted. I ask that I would not harden my heart and become foolish. Make me a woman after you own heart! Help me to be the soft spirited woman who continues fervently pray when all else seems to fail and there isnt any other way! Help me to speak kindly when frustrated or hurt. Help me to be strong for the ones I care for when they are hurting. Thank you for all that you do for those who love you! May you be glorified in everything. Im trusting you Lord, I know you wont let go. You make a way to mend a hurting heart!

Your princess
Rachel

Lots of Happenings

So much has gone on in the last several days that it is hard to keep it all straight. The day after the wedding, I had my fourth grade girls come over for a tea party. They had never been to a tea party yet, tea is to Bengali as coffee is to American. Wait now that I think about it I feel like I have just repeated myself. Have I talked about this party already? Well if I have too bad :) So I went to the store on my own and got peanut butter and jelly and bread for sandwiches. I made that and cheese sandwiches. I cut the crust off and everything! Then I cut them into little triangles. I also had chanuchur (spicy tail mix) and biscuits (cookies) as well as Bangla cha. They all were dressed really nicely. We played Uno while we waited for all the girls to come. All but a few did come. I was told later by my principal that the girl who got chicken pox in my class was crying because she couldnt attend my party and that she wouldnt get to say good bye to me :) Isnt that super sweet. So anyway, we had food and tea and it was amazing. We played pictionary, signs, and then went outside and played freeze tag. The girls were super funny. It was a very good day!
Last night I went over the the KG (kindergarten) teacher's house. her daughter is in my class and she begged her mom to have me over. During class she kept coming up to me and saying how excited she was that I was coming over. After school I walked over to the house (it was super close). I arrived around 3:30pm. Jenny (the daughter) showed me her computer that she was playing on. We then did her science homework together. Then her mom brought me Bangla Cha, bannana's and cookies with chocolate on it. OOO it was super good! Then we watched some YouTube videos. After that her mom and I were chatting. It was amazing how much her mother opened up to me. We discussed our childhood pasts. Jenny had told her about my adoption and her mother is ways can relate and so we had a really good discussion. I felt honored that she would treat me like family in that way. After that, Jenny taught me some Bengali dances. Oh my work it was fun. She tied bells around my ankles so that when I danced, I made noise. I felt really cool!! I might have looked stupid but were to friends having fun. I then taught Jenny how to do the Charleston, the waltz, some tango, and salsa dancing. She was a hoot to watch any try to do that Charleston. She thought the tango was really funny. We did the cheek to cheek thing. Oh man :) Then we played Mono-polly (Monopoly). She wooped me. I kept getting in Jail and she would grab all the properties that should could get her hands on. (I think I gave her too much money :) Im sure of it) After much playing, we decided to watch a movie Little Mermaid 2. Her mother said that it was time to eat. So we paused the movie to get some food. He mom piled on the rice. I took a little bit of each thing. Then Jenny said that I must eat more because that is what a good woman does (they eat and get fat) So Jenny's mom took my plate from me and piled more food on. There was chicken, veggies, eggs, beef and fried pumpkin. I literally had the largest bowl of food that I have ever eaten in my life. We went to sit down and I dug in (eating with my hand of course). I got 3/4ths the way through and the mom took my plate and asked if I wanted more. I said a little more rice to finish my egg. She came back with another full plate of food. Oh I was hurting by this time (I was sooooo full but it tasted sooooo good) So I ate about half the second plate and I slowed down really fast. Then her mother finally said, that I ate with a lot of energy and so I didnt have to finish my plate. I graciously gave her back the left over. She thought that I was silly for not eating at least another plate of food lol. Then she gave me ice cream that was really good! I was the honored guest and I felt like a queen. She is probably the best cook here! I loved it sooo much... I had so much curry that my nail turned yellow from eating lol. After ice cream, I went home and arrived at 8:30pm. I spent 5 hours with the family and it was amazing. It was what I really had wanted to do. I love just sitting in the house and being surrounded by this wonderful family who loves the Lord and served me and treated me like one of them. I wish I could have done this more, but I am thankful for the chance that God gave me! I pray that He would continue to bless them. 3 days to go...
I had to teach on the spot today because Miss J was stuck in a traffic jam coming back from the 5th grade field trip. Lol I had 5 minutes to look over prepositions before I taught the lesson. It went well for such a short notice. Oh boy I love being flexible! I love being a teacher

The Wedding

I was invited to a wedding this last weekend. I was very excited to attend because I havent attended one yet. I woke up really early on friday morning to get ready. The wedding was to take place after church. I was very excited to wear my Sari. I had been waiting for an opprotunity to wear one and here it was! I woke up 2 hours before it was time to leave for the church. I got everything put into place and now I was working on the pleets near my chest. This took the longest to complete. It took so long that I had to give up and just wear a Salwar-Chamise. There was no one to help me to put it on and I didnt want a fiasco with the Sari. I was glad that I didnt wear it because we ended up walking to the church and it would have been a pain to walk so far in a Sari. I was sweating like a pig when I arrived and there were only fans, no air conditioners. It was so hot! I had no clue what was going on during the survice because I dont speak their language. :) But after and hour and a half of singing and preaching, church was over and we all filed outside. They surved a snack to the congregation. I was so glad that they fed us something small because my tummy was rumbling and we would not eat for quite some time later. The wedding was supposed to start at 11 and it was 15 till. But, the wedding didnt start until almost noon. Typical lol! So we chated for a while until the wedding began. There werent any decorations (which is not usual, this marriage was for a poorer family). The bride was decorated nicely with a Sari, a vail, Henna all over her feet and hands with gold paint outlining the Henna, then she had gold paint over her eyebrows. There was a sermon and exchanging the rings. The bride never once looked up. She was very timid. This was an arranged wedding. They only had met briefly before when the parents were evaluating the other. I cant imagine what was going through either of their heads. I would be thinking, what am I getting myself into? I cant imagine getting married to someone I dont know and then have to live with family members becuase it is customary. Anyway, the only time she looked at him was to put a lai of flowers over his head and he to her as well. The flowers were orange, red, and yellow. They were beautiful. Of course it clashed with the bride (who wore red, gold, and green) because the more colors the better... lol... After the wedding we headed back to my building where the reception was held. There was a huge tent that was very colorful. The bride and groom were set in the front of the house. People who wanted to congratulate them would feed the bride and groom sweets. Literally feed them :) it was cool. Then we were hearded to go eat. The feast consisted of rice, two type of chicken, boiled eggs and veggie curry with shrimp! It was nice and spicy! They literally fed about a 100 or more people. They had huge pots over a makeshift fire outside. It was awesome! It was so hot and I needed to rest. I decided with a full belly to take a nap. The wedding was fun and lots of good food! The people hear said that the wedding was way more simple than usual. But since they didnt have a lot of money, they focused on feeding people. Feeding people is the most important thing to do. It is an honor to serve people!

I have 4 days left and I will be home soon! Keep us all in your prayers please and I will see you soon!

PARTY!!!

Today was an amazing day. I woke up around 8 o' clock, had some french toast made by Shemole! Then, Alexis and I worked out in my room. Then we went to Kings Confectionery. Oh man, it was sooo sweet smelling. The entrance to the building was really sketchy. But as you climbed the stairs, sugar and coffee filled your nose. We entered to restaurant and it was bitter cold. It felt like an ice box compared to the 70 percent humidity with 85 degrees F. It was wonderful. I picked up a tray and some tongs. I was able to pick whatever I wanted and place it on my tray. There were sweet rolls with meat, delicate cakes, pound cake, tarts, doughnuts (beside elaborate cakes, kings is known for their doughnuts), and many other delicious items. I chose a large doughnut that was half white frosting with nuts and the other half pure peanut butter topping. MMMM it was delicious. I went to the counter to pay and I also ordered a REAL CAPPUCCINO! Oh how I love real coffee that is bitter and sweet at the same time. The we sat down at a table and corrected papers for school. It was the best two hours of my life. What could be better than a fancy doughnut and coffee in a cool place? But that is not all!
This afternoon I had all the boys from 4th grade come to the house. All 13 boys came! It was wonderful. We played soccer for a half hour. There was this wasps nest by the swing set and multiple times we hit the bar and they wasps were everywhere. There were many nice saves and blocks done by the boys playing. I didnt get any pictures because I was too busy playing. After that we went up stairs and had cold mango juice with ice cream sandwiches, watermelon and chips. Oh it was delightful. Well sort of... they boys were quite rowdy and loud. But none the less they were cracking me up. Then half the boys went back to play soccer and the other half played LIAR with me. They had never played before but they thought that it was a really fun game. Then when 5:30 hit, I ushered them all outside. We continued to play more soccer and basketball. Oh it is a hoot to watch these kids play because they are not used to using their hands... so funny! I was given a VERY lovely present by one of my students. It was a beautiful orna and a wonderful bracelet. I cant wait to wear it! I am so glad that I had the chance to bring the boys over. Next week I am planning a tea party with the girls from 4th grade. We will have small sandwiches and tea in china cups.
The times seems to be winding down but I still want to be useful and helpful. I will have more time to interact with my students as more as an auntie rather than their teacher and that is really exciting! Anyway, Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. I shall see you all soon!

Shobo Nobo Borsho

Happy New Year. Last Wednesday was the New Year and it was a blast. I relaxed most of the day. I was invited by some girls ( a language student, and a second grade teacher from WCA) in my building to visit one of the librarians at school. I knew of the librarian and thought that it would be really fun to go and visit her at her home. Her children also attend the school, grade 5 and 2. On the new year most people wear red and white, I didn't have any lol. We hailed a baby taxi around 2:30 in the afternoon. Lots of people were coming back from DC Hill where the nationals go to celebrate the new year (it wouldn't be safe for foreigners to go). It was a sea of red and white that lined the streets. Whole families would dress a like... kind of reminded me of when families in the church get matching Christmas sweaters :) and take pictures. Anyway I saw lots of Saris, punjabies and shalwar chamises. They were all dressed very nicely. I even saw some more traditional dress, with bright heavy makeup, jewelry in their hair and around their neck and wrists. These women usually have loads of flowers adorning their head to keep their hair all knotted in a bun. They looked like painted dolls. Finally we arrived to the house. It was a small two roomed house with tiny kitchen. She welcomed us into her home with open arms. Her two beautiful daughters were there as well, they were timid to see some of their teachers at their house (two rooms, one for the living room and the other for sleeping) These nationals all usually sleep together in the same room. They did eventually warm up to us once they got to know us as aunties rather than their teacher. It was a hot day and luckily the fan was running and they gave us cold water. Although we had already eaten lunch, the mother insisted that we eat what they had for lunch. It was vegetable mush (a specialty during this holiday) with rice. It was quite good actually, very flavorful. I ate a little to please her :) We were all so delighted to be hosted by the librarian. We sat on plastic chairs and two cushioned chairs. There wasn't much room but it suited the small group quite comfortably. When we finished, they brought out more cold water. They also brought a pitcher of water so that we could wash our eating hand (they don't use cutlery). Then the father of the librarian came out and brought sweet fried things (they are like a thin pastry in the shape of a flower and deep fried. They were so good ( I ate four). Then they brought out some specialty snacks for the new year. I didn't much care for these because they were like balls of hard packed sand (really just rice flower packed) that had a hint of black licorice (I am not fond of either). I bit off a hard chunk and then took a gulp of water and swallowed it hole (I had to repeat this process several times before I finished the snack) I didn't feel so good after that. Every thing else was wonderful. They also showed us some video's on their computer of their girls on a TV program. It was wonderful. She also feed us Cha with is homemade tea with milk and sugar. It was the best Cha I have tried! Then the oldest girl took down her harmonium and played a song. She sang as well with the piece. It was beautiful! What an amazing gift she has. By the time we realized what time it actually was, it was about 5 o clock. It was such a good time that we lost track. The whole family was so hospitable! I love it! I thank God for allowing me to do what I have wanted to do and that was going and visiting. God knows the desires of our heart and if we wait and be patient, he will eventually grant us the desires of our hearts! I hope this has shown you how hospitable and loving these people are. It is a blessing to be so blessed with food and good company! Happy New Year

28 Days Left

I have 28 days left here in this beautiful country. As I contemplate living here, my time has been a blessing but I have had some frustrations. I have not written much because I have been reflecting on a lot of things. Last week, I hit a wall. I was so frustrated at the fact that I could do nothing independently. Although I would prefer to go places with people, I am not free to leave a party when I feel like it, I have to depend on someone else to take me home. I have also been frustrated with not knowing the language. I had wanted to get into language lessons but it never got off the ground for several reasons. I was frustrated that I didnt have anywhere to go or do outside of school really. I have wanted to go visiting to other peoples house (nationals) but I have not been given the opportunity. While I have gone out shopping or to an American's house for dinner, it is not the same to go to a nationals house and speak with them about their culture. I wanted to immerse myself into their lives and glean from them but that is not how it worked out. So I basically recluse myself and watched movies on my computer and read books everyday after school. If I wasn't doing those things I was working on student teaching, trying to distract myself from my frustrations. I believe people here could tell that I was not really myself. I didn't want to express my emotions because I didnt know how to express them myself. I tried to trick myself in believing that everything is okay. I had the opportunity to speak to a friend from back at school and she explained that it was culture shock. I didnt want to believe her because I didnt want to have it. It is not that its a bad thing, but to me it shows weakness that I cant handle it. But she tried to point out that it happens and its not a sign of weakness but a sign of adjusting to a life style that you arent familiar with. I told her that I wasnt ready to accept what she had to say to me. So to say the least I was numb the rest of the week to my frustrations.
I continued to seek the Lord for guidance and wisdom for teaching and for the future when I return to America. I continued to read the Holy Scriptures and I came to realize something today. I know that I cant teach on my own and that God has to give me the strength to teach effectively. However, I ignored the fact that I not only need dependence on God for teaching but also for my life and spiritual well being in the here and now. While I tricked myself in believing that I was dependent on him for those things, I was not. Most of you know that I like to do things on my own time, I like to do them the way I would like them done and I like to be independent. And a few days ago, I realized yet again that I can not live anywhere without dependence on him. Although God has tried to teach me this multiple times, this time was on a grander scale that I didn't think was possible. So to say the least, God yet again revealed himself to me and reminded me of Ephesians 5:15-33. In verse 15 Paul says to be careful on how you walk, to be wise and understand what the Lord's will is. Then in verse 21 to submit to one another out of reverence for Him. He then jumps into the whole wives submit to your husband. I believe that verses 22-33 are not about the women being a lesser sex but a picture of how He loves the church and how the church should Him. It is His delight to love us, give himself up for us and sanctify us for the day of his return. It is the church's response then to submit our lives unto Him who cares for us in every way. It is in this way that a marriage works between Him and the church. So should that not also occur among the husband and wife when they merry? Anyway, I found myself reevaluating how well I submit (depend) on Him. I need to depend on him out of respect and reverence because of what he has and is doing for me even though I do not deserve it, even if it is as simple and depending on Him to provide a way home for me. I should be grateful for the care that these workers here have taken care of me. I have been selfish. I ask for forgiveness for my selfish desire to be independent of the body of Christ which is ultimately being independent of God. I thank you father for the opportunity to live here and meet so many amazing people. Despite my stubbornness, you have provided many spiritual encounters where you have spoken through me and used me for your glory. It is unfathomable why you would use a human (corruptible)to carry out your perfect will and work. But I thank you for using me anyway. I feel honored and humbled. I welcome these frustrations in hopes of learning more about you and leaning closer to your breast to hear your heart beat! I pray that you continue to give me the strength and desire to depend on you and your people to complete the work you have for me here in these last couple of days. Do not punish my students for my stupidity. May I have even more opportunity to speak your name and the truth that you have given to us! Amen