We are Thankful

My last post was more of a venting for me! But here I am, alive to blog again.  That's not to say that there aren't more close calls to report from here, but been there, and I will wait for awhile before going back to that topic. Just assume we need prayer everyday when we drive over here. :)

Thanksgiving was wonderful.  We had our dear friends from Abu Dhabi come and stay with us. The Kenneys who moved to Oman a year before we came to Doha, and the Gardebleds who are in the process of moving to Saudi. It has been ages since we were all together. There were many years when we celebrated every Thanksgiving together and other holidays, too!
 Barry moved to Saudi several months ago and they have been working to get Pattie's residence permit to enable her to join him there. They were especially thankful this holiday as her permit has come thru and she will be joining him on Dec. 15!  We are all excited for them. I'm sure they will have fun stories to share and I hear the driving is worse over there. Enough said. :)  (Barry was with us for Thanksgiving but I only had one picture and it wasn't a good one, so I am not putting it here. Sorry, Barry. )

After Thanksgiving I turned around and flew to Abu Dhabi for a kitchen shower for my soon to be daughter in law,Talitha.   It was a very quick trip but so worth it.  In the short 36 hours I was there I had great time with Russell, great time with Talitha's family, and saw very special friends...ON top of  a great shower hosted by Pattie. (She is my hero.  That woman is the energizer bunny..artist extraordinaire, , preparing for a major move ...and hosting a great shower!)

Thankful for these friends and many others all over the world who have blessed and continue to be such a blessing in our lives.

 Everyone was very generous at the Shower and Russell and Talitha received wonderful gifts.  Something that touched me deeply was her excitement over the Calvary Baptist Church cookbook I included with our gift. I love how she values family, and history and that part of Russell that she has yet to really meet.  This summer they hope to get to Kansas to hang out with the Kansas Gang.  I remember my first summer there.  I'm very excited they are planning a visit.

We just hit one year since Mom Hildebrand passed away.  I wish Talitha could have met her. I know Mom would have loved her.  But still, we have so much to be thankful for... and we are so happy for Russell.  Lots going on between now                                                                                       and Jan. 16!

Road Kill

Robert and I nearly died today.  I'm still seething over the near miss.  It's common here but this time it was THAT close.  We see a lot on our morning commute on the roads here,  from camels, goats and sheep to silver rolls royces and red ferraris.  And sometimes we see our lives pass before us.  It was heavy traffic and we had just come off one of our 5 roundabouts... cars stretching before us and beside us.  This guy squeezes in between the lanes, cuts off my front bumper, and to make his point he slows down in front of me. I lay on my horn, clinch my teeth, and brake .sure that someone will slam into us.  The crazy guy weaves in and out and races on down the road.  Only to be one car in front of us at the next roundabout.

Recently my friend Alisa and I educated a new friend on the ins and outs of surviving the driving here.  You scream, you cringe, you get mad..then you find a friend and laugh.  After a couple of years you learn which flashing head lights you can ignore(toyota trucks and vans) and which you can't(white land cruisers and silver rolls').  Not sure where I'd put gray suburbans in that list but I almost used rude hand gestures (which can get you arrested around here...)

On the brighter side..we have fun drives to school, too.  Like when we saw a cute, black, floppy- eared goat  or a grinning camel.  The fancy ferraris and rolls royces are nice.    And my favorite..the travelling outhouses.  

You just never know.  Today, Robert and I are just happy to be alive after our morning drive...

Outside the police station in our neighborhood.  To deter bad driving? maybe. Successful? huh..  

  
   

Reconnecting!

Celebrating Jen's Birthday last weekend. She's in pink.  

About 4 or 5 years ago we met this lovely lady in Abu Dhabi. An American teaching in Abu Dhabi, not her first international living experience but her first in the Middle East. We got together weekly, to  share and encourage each other.  She moved to China to teach and we moved to Doha at the same time.  But lo and behold! She moved to Doha about two months ago! So just like no time has passed..we are meeting for coffee every week, or trying to!  It's always fun to spend time with Jen, but my favorite part is usually hearing about her day as a teacher. The stories she shares usually bring us to tears with laughter... which is one of the many ways we all cope over here. :)  

Last week she had some fun ones.  Like how her first graders were doing work with alphabet cards and she had removed the P card...because the illustration was..you guessed it a pig. Wanting to be careful not to offend any of her many diverse students she removed it.  Well, apparently her advanced group would not let it go, "Miss, Miss, we are missing a card. Where is the P??" "Oh maybe it was misplaced..."  "No Miss!  this was just opened! where could it be?? we need to find it!" "No, no, its ok. Just keep working. " "No, Miss! where could it be????" Finally, in a soft whisper she says to the group..It was a pig. And I put it away. OHHHHH . Big eyes everywhere. OK!  And the game continued. Poor, Jen. She was sweating that one.

And the grammar lesson she taught the other day on run on sentences....  And my mom took me to the indoor amusement park and we rode the rollercoaster and we ate lots of food and my mom yelled at me for fighting with my sister and being too loud..."but Miss! why ??? why would my mother be upset with me?? why if I'm too loud? " At the point she lost the whole class. Being loud here is a way of life. I had one friend say that he had yet to be in a restaurant over here where at least one or two kids weren't screaming and running around the tables. Yep. at that point, her lesson was over. She quickly changed her sentence but it was too late. 

She has a boat load of stories. I enjoy every one.  What a blessing for our lives to circle back around together.  Love the stories. Love the laughter!   

Gift Giving

Last weekend my friend Kathi and I hosted a small Gift sale here at the villa. We met this lady a couple of weeks ago at the Doha Mums Bazaar, where she had a table with beautiful hand made crafts and items displayed.  After striking up a conversation with her, we found out that she was discouraged as many of the Holiday bazaars this year have been cancelled in Doha and she will not have many opportunities to sell her things.  She and her husband are distributors for many families in Palestine who make these items and sell them in other places to... well....survive. She is a beautiful lady with a compassionate heart and limitless energy!  Kathi and I were happy to help with a home sale and we were excited to have at least 30 ladies pop in to shop!  It's always fun to have my neighbors come over.  For some of them it was their first time in my home.

Kathi and Jeni playing Vanna White 

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Sejal and Sandra. My new friend Suha is on the left in the back.

Checking out the Arabic calendars and handmade educational toys.

   

Sarah and Jen, done shopping ..time to chat!

On the subject of gifts, we received a very special one last week. Our terrific driver Sadiq had his cousin bring us something from Bangladesh. He brought us pickles and limes. We tried them. Our mouths caught on fire. Wednesday night I very carefully explained to Sadiq that we could not eat them. He laughed and laughed." Madam. To us they have no spicy. " Sadiq, "to us ...they were like fire". He loved it. I gave them back and said to enjoy them but we were very honored that he thought of us. He smiled and said ok. :) The limes, by the way, are tasty.

Those Rolling Hills

It's time for our favorite part of the year. While our friends are getting colder and temperatures are dropping in the US, we have moved onto the patio with mint tea and butter cookies. Plans for Thanksgiving are taking shape.Good friends, Jeff and Mary, are coming to visit from Oman.  Even though homesickness also gets us, like missing fall colors, missing Sallie and Ryan, our families, and great friends,we appreciate what we have here, too!   I will say that keeping a sense of humor makes it better here when things get hard.  And for that, we have Robert.

A few Fridays ago, while driving to church, which is not a very pretty drive, Robert had us laughing out loud.    Our route to church takes us right thru a construction materials sight.  Robert, under his breath,  "Ah the Rolling Hills of Doha...."  We miss green trees and green grass. We miss fall colors and Thanksgiving decorations...but we do like laughing. And we love our middle of the winter temperatures! :)

Happy Days!

 

 
October was crazy busy! October 3 was the start of our 10 day Eid vacation.  Russell came to visit us from Doha with his then girlfriend, Talitha.  I say then..because she is now his fiancee! We knew this was coming as we had all been talking about it. We just didn't know when he was going to pop the question.  As part of their visit we took them to Sheikh Faisal's museum for pictures.  This is my favorite museum in Qatar.  The Sheikh is a major collector of just about everything. His museum is constantly expanding with items he finds from all over the world. It is a fun place to visit and you never see it all. He has 100s of cars inside,  dhow boats, and even houses he brought from Syria that he rebuilt inside the museum.  Our friend Maureen came to take pictures and it was a fun morning.  The actual question was asked a week later as Russell and Talitha were at the park in Abu Dhabi. Mike and I are very happy she said yes! And so is Russell. :)

The date is set for January in Abu Dhabi.  Kind of funny to be at this next stage for us.  Never in a million years did we think we would be here in the Middle East planning our eldest son's wedding to a beautiful young lady from South Africa. God works in wonderful ways.  It's going to be a busy fall!

Changes in September

My neighbor and I hardly contained our smiles the other day as we chatted about the heat finally starting to break.  Last night several ladies sat outside next door and caught up with each other. Heat breaking, sitting outside...It's time for our favorite season in Qatar_ Not Summer.  This week Mike and Robert and I ate our first dinner on the back patio. This morning Mike and I drank the " first" coffee out there.

First day of 11th Grade??? Not so fast !!

Every day I drive thru 5 roundabouts to get Robert to school. 

  September is also the first month when traffic is back in full swing in Doha. In the summer months Mike leaves the house and in less than 15 minutes he is at work. Starting in September it takes about 40 minutes. The other day my school run for Robert took 50 minutes, just getting him there. In early August it takes 12 minutes. The round trip was a record breaker..Walked out the door and 90 minutes later walked back in. I was numb.

My friend Alisa and I turned a corner while running errands the other day and audibly gasped when we saw the street lined with Cement trucks on both sides. Would we ever get through???

On the other hand, and more importantly,  by September the best part of  Doha is also back in full swing. Friends have returned from far flung places and once again we are together.

Lunch at Fuddruckers for Clint's Birthday!

 I must add that although we are thankful for cooler weather and fun reunions, many of us living here are concerned about the horrible events in our region and the escalation of violence around us. It is not our safety that concerns us but the safety of people... the women, children and men who are facing such terrible things. Please pray for them.  

Home to Home

Sallie was baptized this summer.  A special time. 

A couple of days ago I decided it was time to clear off my floral,  summer table cloth( a lovely birthday gift from a dear friend here in Doha) and replace it with something more fallish.  It is still getting up to 110 or so here on some days but we know change is right around the corner. So I took off my flower centerpiece and pulled out my browns and oranges. A couple of pumpkin candles and I'm ready for a change!

I thought about my summer as I put the table stuff away.  It was a great summer.  Full of time with friends. Time to catch up with their lives and catch them up with mine. Time  to laugh and cry over the various good things going on and the hard things that  happened as well. Hugging Sallie's neck as we talked on her couch in the new place she and her roommates will be in for the next year.  Just having time with her that was relaxed and easy.  We loved the movie Hundred Foot Journey. Both of us laughing over the cultural clashes between India and France. We loved finding cute things for the house and setting things up. Mike and Robert set up the big speakers for a stereo for the girls... Oh boy!  It was so good to see Ryan in Austin.  I feel more connected having been in his house and having met his roommate. My heart was full as he cooked us a meal in his kitchen. My stomach was full, too. He really is a great cook. And to be with my sister and her hubby, Adrian and my niece , Tiffyn made the week in Austin perfect.  Ok, not perfect because it went by WAY too fast but wonderful, nevertheless.

My terrific sister and amazing niece. 

It's a strange thing this  "Expat Living",    Being torn between two worlds and connected deeply to both of them can kind of make a person feel schizophrenic at times. As my friend here in Doha said to me when we hugged after not seeing each other for nearly 3 months, "Mattie, it's kind of like having that second child. You can't imagine loving another baby as much as you love that first one. But then ..you do!  I love my US life and all so much and yet I find life here is wonderful, too. And to be blessed with a whole extra set of amazing friends!" She's right. Both of my lives are rich, and meaningful, and challenging, and full. Both are very, very different. But both are exraordinary. I'm so thankful. So blessed.

One of the very special things I  missed by being in Doha.. Pat became a grandmother. ( And so did Susan, and Anita, and...)  

As Robert and I stood in the DFW security line I noticed he seemed pensive. "Are you ok?" "I guess so, I just feel sad." "I know, me too. This is the hardest part, isn't it. It's like we know when we go thru that gate we have said goodbye. No turning back..and yet, we're so ready to be home with Dad and back to our lives..." "Yeah. This is the hardest time. When you still have a choice..." And once we were on the plane? We were fine. Ready to be home in Doha. Missing our home in Dallas. Yep. schizophrenic. :)

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Robert, Sallie and Lolo enjoying the puppies at Debi's house.  

Good friends moving Sallie's couch to her the new place.   

Chef Extraordinaire...Austin, Texas

Our time was short but oh so sweet. 

Ramadan Kareem Pie

Today, all over the world, Muslims begin their month long daylight fast-Ramadan.  People will greet each other with Ramadan Kareem..meaning Generous Ramadan. It is a time for generosity to others. Robert and I will only be here for 3 days of it as our flight to Dallas is Wednesday.   Even so, we felt the anticipation all around us, as well as the looming dread for many.  Traffic gets better and worse. As the day starts later for many, the drive into work for Mike today took less than 20 minutes-versus the usual 50 or so. The rush on the grocery stores surpasses the US equal at Thanksgiving or even, dare I say it, Black Friday.  Cars patrolling the parking gatages and parked along the walls, food sold out on the shelves, and so on. No eating or drinking during daylight hours, which for the Gulf Region is about 14 or so.  But after evening prayer time...families and friends gather all over the city to break the fast together.

Last night I went out to the pool for one last chat with my friends who are out there every evening smoking Shisha.(I call them the Shisha Ladies.)  I had a Key Lime Pie to share with them. (The pie,lest you think I have transformed in someway to a pie baker... was a gift from our friends Andy and Colleen.).The group has shrunk as many have left for summer.  But three of us sat and chatted. It was a sweet time. I asked my friends what Ramadan meant to them personally. Is it just a tradition like many think of Christmas.. a holiday of family and friends but one which has lost its spiritual significance? Or do they see it as a special time to seek God ? Both shared how for them it is truly a time of spiritual renewal and they get frustrated with the many who don't keep a right attitude of reverence.  We talked for quite awhile, enjoying the pie and sharing our religious perspectives with each other.  I was happy to leave the pie with them as I returned to the house. I love Andy's pies..but oh my gosh, the calories!!! :) It was a nice evening.

I came back to the villa to find Mike and Russell visiting on the back patio. Russell was on a visa run from Abu Dhabi and we gladly spent a few days with him. Robert and I were thinking the week would drag by until we leave for Dallas..So Russell came and spiced things up.  While here, Russell received the news that he has a job in Dubai! Great news. It is nice having him over in this part of the world. If only we didn't miss Sallie and Ryan so much. Splintered might describe how we feel many days. But also, we know we are blessed. We have great kids and enjoy them whenever we can be together!

Enjoying early morning visit on the patio. Fan going full blast but still breathable. 

Last lunch in public . Mr. Taco is a favorite for the Hildebrands.

Others like Mr. Taco as well. The mall was hopping!

 

Overwhelmed

Cousins Catching Up 

As the first day of summer rolled to an end yesterday, I told myself I needed to blog!  But here it is, the next morning, and I am just sitting down.  Normally, I would be upstairs waking Robert..BUT Thursday was his last day of school! Finally!   His buddies have all been out for at least a week, some of them for two weeks. We plodded along though and now we are finished. I intentionally said "we" here as I think I may be more excited than Robert. :)  A break from the drive to and from and to and from will be nice.

Although school just finished we actually started our summer holidays a couple of weeks ago ourselves.  We went to Abu Dhabi one more time to say good bye to good friends-the Heaths, the Eichhorsts,and the Pages.  We decided missing one school day so close to the end was not too major. (As it turned out, there was no school that Thursday.) The weekend was filled with lots of hellos and goodbyes... Good byes to two of our favorite Canadian families still there, and the Joe and Jean Page who are returning to the US after umpteen years serving faithfully and whole heartedly in the Middle East.  Hellos to Russell, who just returned from his trip to Texas, and to Martin, my nephew!!! He is in Dubai until sometime this fall.  It was great to see him. I'm ashamed to say it had been 5 years!  (and longer since I've seen my niece...but this summer I will take care of that!)  

Good bye luncheion for the Heaths. Lots of old friends reunited. We flew in from Doha. The Kenneys flew in from Oman and the Pages were back from Arizona to say good bye to Abu Dhabi. 

Because I have been writing this for many years..going on seven, to be exact, I know sometimes I repeat myself.( The years combined with my age, probably)  But, anyway, this expat life is rewarding and challenging.  The challenges involve living so far from family, especially when the kids return to the home country, operating under different rules and customs, the details of the here and the there, and so on...and over it all, the challenge of saying goodbye after goodbye. As I looked around that luncheon group in Abu Dhabi, I was overwhelmed with the feelings of  what those people came to mean to us in the 5 years we were there. This was the group who was there for my dad's death so soon after our arrival. My mom's death, 3 months later, Mike's trials at work and job searches and finds, Russell's sudden exit from Afghanistan... and so much more.  There were some folks absent but be sure they were talked about and missed.  It was a sweet time of laughter, memories and tears. 

As we begin our third summer in Doha.  We see the friendships developing, the shared experiences, both good and bad, being carried and celebrated with our newer friends here.  We feel the support so needed when you are accosted by the challenges and the tough times, and the differences. We are reminded again that wherever we go He is here.  Bringing His family together to support each other and then moving them on to what is next for them. For us. Yes, it is rich. 

And reading these words,  I am overwhelmed again.  To be blessed like we were in Abu Dhabi. To find that again right here in Doha...  and to know, that in less than two weeks we will be in the US with the same thing all around us.  Family and friends who help carry the burdens, celebrate the joys, and share the journey.

Rewarding and challenging. Life. 

Here's to summertime! 

    

  

 

Last day as a high school Sophomore!

Birthday upon Birthday!

Anna and friends!

Heather and Sarah over for birthday coffee and coffec cake. 

The last week has been celebration on top of celebration. My friend Heather had her birthday, which was bitter sweet as she will soon be leaving Doha for Berlin with her precious family. We will miss all the Hintons. That's for sure. Our neighbor Anna..now age 8 had her party.  What great neighbors we have all over this compound. Anna's mom is Portuguese. Her dad is Italian and they speak English around me which I appreciate. :) And then I had my birthday. Mike, Robert and I went to The Pearl to an Argentine Restaurant , Patagonia. The beef is imported from Argentina and the flavor brought back memory after memory of my childhood in Latin America. This is a restaurant we will return to with guests. It was  a great day and over and over I counted my blessings!

Smile for the Camera

After three years of pain, rubber bands and only slight smiles in pictures..Thursday morning dawned. The day that Robert got his braces off! Here he is with our fantastic orthodontist Dr. Graciela from Brazil. We were told about her just after moving to Doha and the best part? (besides the fact that she is GREAT!) is that she is just across the street from our compound! Although Robert still has a couple of weeks until the bottom set comes off, we are celebrating!  

                                           Happy Smiles, Robert!                  

Not A Normal Day

Today is our 31st anniversary!  Our 7th in the Gulf Region. As much as today is special, and it is, it has also been a difficult day for me.  A few weeks ago I was asked to go with a friend of mine to the courts building to translate for a young woman from Bolivia.  Glad that I could help out I went down there for her hearing. She had been detained 7 months earlier for drug trafficking. This was the first hearing where she would actually understand what was going on. The previous hearing were cancelled as she had no translator.  Only she didn't know this..because, you guessed it, she didn't understand what they were saying. I will not go into her case but she is innocent.
 Anyway, as I said, I was glad to translate and immediately felt a kinship with this young woman who for the first time was told what was going on.  We were able to pray with her and encourage her and explain things, as well as translate the hearing for her.  At the end of the hearing her lawyer, who had actually never interacted with her, nor did he say anything during the hearing, told her that on May 28...today, she would be released as innocent or as time served. Huh. Ok.  Wanting to be sure I understood the Arab to English translator we asked to have it repeated. My other friend was also there and she heard this too.
. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that today did not go as expected. The judge at the end of the hearing made sure that I would return today to translate. I said of course. However, when we got to the courthouse today we never saw our Bolivian friend. No, after two hours of having no idea what was going on, the same lawyer came and told us... 5 years. She is here for 5 years.But wait, we haven't even seen her. Where is she? What is going on? How will she learn this information she isn't even here and who is going to tell her??? The police will come and take her to prison. She can appeal. She needs a lawyer. Fine, Fine. But HOW WILL SHE HEAR THIS???  We finally connected with a lawyer who spoke English well and she explained a bit more clearly what we would need to do.  Again, we said, ok, but who is going to tell our friend??? Well, her family/ NO they don't live here. She was in transit. She has no family here. She speaks no English or Arabic. Seeing that we were not getting anywhere we left.
 Our hearts were heavy, so heavy for our new friend who only wants to go home and be with her family. We decided that we would risk  going to the detention center to see her even though visiting days are only on Saturdays. We would try to talk (and pray) our way in. All we could think about is that she sat all day thinking she would be released to go home. She would soon be corralled by the police who would take her to prison and she would have NO IDEA what was going on. Our hearts were heavy.  We battled Doha traffic again. It was now 11:30. The car thermometer read 47 degrees... centigrade. (117 degrees fahrenheit...) The air conditioner was losing the battle and my friend and I were soaked. We arrived at the detention center and I wrote a note just in case I couldn't talk to her. However, we received the captain's permission to speak with her. Thru the glass partition we told her the hard news. Thru many tears she kept repeating, my baby. my son. Are there other options.. We felt so helpless. After we talked for awhile encouraging her any way we could, we had to leave.  Our kind guard allowed us to hug our sweet friend before we left. Saturday I will  return and speak with her again before they move her to the prison. One of the inmates offered to have her lawyer meet with her and help her out. Perhaps that will be a way to go.  We will be praying.
It was not an easy way to spend my anniversary day and yet I am thankful I can help in some small way to ease this woman's pain and grief. As a follower of Jesus I was reminded of the exhortation in Hebrews chapter 13..Continue to remember those in Prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Please pray for this woman. And many who are here and separated from their families.

     

May Birthday

Robert turned 16 this month. Russell and Sallie dropped in via Skype. On Friday he had friends over to celebrate. I think I am still in shock that our baby is now 16. :)

 

As I sat and watched the kids horsing around, I couldn't stop smiling. Not just because they are all great kids and were having fun, but also because I am thankful for Robert having them as friends! It has been lonely with Sallie gone this year and we were all missing Russell, Ryan and Sallie!  

Casting Crowns

Mike on the Dhow cruise. In the background is the project he is working on. 

April flew by for us this year.  We celebrated Resurrection Sunday. or Easter, on a Dhow boat with good friends. Mike took the week off so he was able to join us on Sunday, what is usually a work day in this part of the world. Robert was on his spring break.  It was a gorgeous day filled with relaxation, prayer and laughter. Most of us signed up to do it again next year. A new tradition? I hope so.  

Also, we are excited to announce that we have located a good dentist over here! This is no easy task. My neighbor's husband came home last week after seeing a guy who didn't know how to do a root canal. I gladly gave her our new guy's number. :)  As Dr. Rami examined my teeth he coninually commented on all my crowns...which, by the way, are in good condition.(.Thank you, Dr. Hank Campbell, in Carrollton, Texas. Friend and dentist for about 25 years! )It is nice to have found someone here who is up to date on the latest technology and trustworthy.  Especially as I have a cavity. :)

We squeezed in a visit to Abu Dhabi this week as well. Many of our friends will be leaving this summer and we wanted to see them before they pack up and head to other places. We also had breakfast with Russell's good friend, Talitha.  Always fun to catch up with her, even with Russell being in the US right now. 

I imagine May and June will fly by as well.  Robert finishes school on June 19. He is counting the days.   

  

Although we had no April showers we did have some flowers bloom on our back patio..So enjoying our desert rose.