Doha,Dallas, Austin...India

The end of summer is here. The speed limit in school zones is back to 20 mph. Temperatures are easing up.  My Doha friends are finishing with their return jet lag. Facebook is filled with back to school pictures. Yes. Goodbye summer "vacation".  Our container from Doha traveled the ocean all summer and is supposed to arrive in our driveway today. There is a sense of closure that surrounds the delivery of 9 years in the Middle East.  Today, before putting Robert on the bus to Austin where he will be met by his brother Russell and then start college on Monday, we will sort through and identify the boxes that will be stored here in the attic and those that will be moved to Austin on Friday.   Granted it's not a huge container but still the task overwhelms me.  Vaguely I remember the contents and I do have the inventory list but still...actual items and sizes of boxes are not in this brain.  The summer has been good though. Time to reconnect with friends.  To be with our family in Kansas. Road trips. Buc-eys, Doha reunions and Abu Dhabi ones, too,  Dallas restaurants, long conversations, movies, laughter, tears, stories, hugs..and Mike getting a job.  In India. I hope to join him once the crazy here is sorted out.  I guess I'll have to change the name of my blog.  I actually  started this to have a chronicle for my kids. They were pretty young when we left the states.  Friends have told me to keep writing so I guess I will.  Been brainstorming a new name for it though.  Sandy land won't work in Mumbai. Guess I'll get my creative kids on that... My creative juices aren't flowing right now.  Perhaps by the time I join Mike in India...hopefully by end of September, I will have a new title for a new adventure. 

One of the many wonderful memories  from summer that I will take with me.. Shari and I holding our great nieces for the first time . 

30 Days of Summer

His name is Sarge. Every morning he greets me on the porch.  There is something comforting about this friendly brown lab with the stubby tail and the lolling tongue.  Mom's front porch, overlooking the fields with a 180 degree view that goes for miles, has been a a safe place for me for 35 years.  A place to breathe and think and pray.  And even with Mom Hildebrand gone now (and me missing her very much) it still is that comforting place .

While I sit on the porch I'm thinking about the month we've been back in the U.S.  The busyness of it , yes, but also just the familiarity of everything. The grocery store always has what I'm looking for,  the nearby park with green grass and green trees to take walks in the early morning cool air, highways that go for miles and miles and bring you home, radio stations, movies, family, friends, fresh breezes, and resounding thunderstorms. I've been taking it all in this month.   

Future plans are still fuzzy but these weeks in Texas and Kansas have me feeling less fragile and vulnerable. God knows what is next...so I'll keep,praying, enjoying our family and friends, and periodically petting Sarge on the front porch.

On the way to Kansas.  Can you say, "Kids in a Candy Store?"

Sallie, Katie, her boyfriend, Rem, Robert and Lindsey after a great meal in Hudson, Kansas

Sunning by the Sandpit with an interesting audience.....

Laughter, S'mores and the 4 th of July with family. Nothing beats it.

Sallie and Robert setting up some explosives. 

Goodbye Doha

In the great brown desert

There were

Shisha Users and

White land cruisers

Swaying palm trees 

And Bright blue seas

Camel hair and 

Call to Prayer

In the great brown desert where the road construction never ends

There were mosques and thobes and 

Pakistani robes

Shoes at the door and marble on the floor

The early morning sun and Kareem Ramadan

Sand dune hills and dune bashing spills

Huge yellow bear,

Raging sandstorm air

Malls everywhere

Goodbye shisha users 

Goodbye land cruisers

Goodbye swaying palm trees and bright blue seas

Goodbye camel hair

Good bye call to prayer

Goodbye mosques, and thobes,

And Pakistani robes

Goodbye shoes on marble floors and 

Early Ramadan sun

Goodbye dune hills and dune bashing spills

Yellow bear

And sandy air

Goodbye malls everywhere

Goodbye road construction that never ends

And good bye to precious, amazing friends...until we meet again.

Graduation Celebration

Jen Van Belle joined us for Robert's ceremony. So fun to have her come!

                                            Congratulations, Class of 2016.  Job well done!

Lori, Robert's other mom for 4 months while we lived in their home this spring. Couldn't ask for more generous friends.

 From Thursday night until Saturday night Robert and his friends celebrated the end of high school.  Youth Group honored the seniors with games,  shaving cream and eggs. The traditional GYU send off.  Early Friday the youth leaders kidnapped the seniors for breakfast before church.  During church the seniors were recognized,  prayed for, and each given a gift. Straight from church we headed to lunch and then over to the Ritz Carlton for Robert's  actual graduation.  Saturday was a joint party for several of the seniors from youth group.  Sallie and I worked on gathering things for Robert's display and Sallie finished the video for Robert's story...presented to the song Ends of the Earth.by Lord Huron. (Each graduate prepares a short clip to show the guests.) The evening ended with prayer and cake.   And lots of hugs and smiles.

I think we all sort of experienced  adrenalin drop after that.  Sunday we tried to have a fancy dinner combining birthdays(Sallie's  21st,, Robert's  18th) and our 33 rd anniversary(May 28) before Mike left for Texas on Monday. The restaurant was closed but we grabbed lunch nearby anyway and still enjoyed our day.  With Mike gone the kids and I are preparing for their trip to Berlin to visit some friends and then our final clearing out from Doha on June 8.  Pretty much a roller coaster of emotions these days. No doubt about that.   Underneath it all is thankfulness for a great Senior year for Robert and wonderful memories and amazing friendships that we take with us from 9 years in this Sandy Land.

Adrian, Corbin, Alice, Maya, Jaeden and Robert

May Milestones

Lots of life markers this month.  Robert turned 18. He celebrated his birthday with his good buddies Daniel and Adrian and got an iPhone.  It was a simple day, but for Robert, being with good friends and having his dad back in town made it good. (and he really needed a phone. the Blackberry was definitely dying...)   And other markers?  Prom coming up. Two of them actually.  Then graduation on May 27th.  Finishing up 9 years in the Middle East..that's a marker, too.  We are so proud of him and excited for what the future holds for him. Thankful for his strong faith, his good friends, and his overall self!  

Birthday lunch at Mooyah Qatar. 

As our time in Doha winds down quickly,  the memories of good friends, adventures, and yes, hard challenges constantly play thru my mind.  I have been writing this blog for 9 years now.   I hope that my kids will one day treasure this chronicle of their experiences over here.  Robert was young, just 9, when we got off that plane in Abu Dhabi in August of 2007.  Sallie was  12 and Ryan was 16. I remember Ryan saying.."It's midnight and I have never been this hot!" Little did we know..ha ha.   And the time Robert saw the grand Mosque out the car window as we were coming back into town from Oman..."Oh look! There's the Mosque. We are almost home. " Not words we ever thought we would hear from any of our Texas kiddos.  All the conversations and planning around Ramadan schedules,  or airplane schedules, or Eid holidays.  Unusual conversations and sights like... Just the other day Robert asked about a driving issue that happened here.  Just to clarify Mom, is that normal?  I laughed. Great. ( He will have to overcome lots of bad driving experiences before  learning  to drive.)  Or the sheep racing down the middle of a busy thoroughfare by the school.  I remember thinking..wow that's a funny looking dog.OH it's not a dog...Well ok then. :) 

And today I picked Robert up from school. His last day of high school.  An exciting milestone for sure..with many more to come. 

Traveling palm tree... that's how they roll.

Just never know what will be waiting outside the gate. Watch your step. 

Freeze Frame

I turned the page in my devotional this morning (Believing God Day by Day, by Beth Moore) and MAY popped up.  Shocked  I realised  that the year is nearly half over.  I'm sitting in a beautiful location so the sting was not so bad.  Still,  I am a bit shell shocked by the way time is flying.  In May ,Robert, the baby, will turn 18, attend two Senior Proms, and graduate from high school. I will celebrate Mother's Day for the 28th time, and Mike and I will celebrate our 33rd anniversary.  All of these things are great things, however, they do accentuate how dang fast life is going! 

My friend Melissa decided to slow down the racing clock by planning a Girlfriends' Weeekend Away.  It's been wonderful.  7 of us flew to Sri Lanka and have spent three nights here. It's especially nice as 4 of us will be leaving this summer and this has given us time to just be together without life pressing in. Melissa has lived in this region for 18 years or so and for her the goodbyes are extra difficult. A person says a lot of goodbyes in this part of the world, so she has learned to make the most of every minute. I'm certainly on receiving end of this.  My girlfriends actually gifted this trip to me. After being shocked I was just humbled.  We have balanced beach time and relaxing with sightseeing and shopping. Not too much craziness with plenty of laughter and conversation.  Boogie boarding, mangrove adventures, and good food... A wonderful breather for all of us before the whirlwind of May activities and June goodbyes come in like the pounding surf outside our window.  

I'm so thankful I got to come. 

Keeping It Interesting

One of my favorite things to do this year has been driving Robert to school. We listen to his good music and we talk. Just the other day he told me that he is afraid he will find car rides, and even driving in the US, kind of boring when he returns there to live. What? You mean no camels bouncing around the back of a truck? or sheep zooming by as we fly thru a death trap roundabout? Yes. Stuff like that.  We laughed. Thankful to have made it alive to school one more day.

We run into a lot of things over here that keep it from getting boring.  Some things are random and some things are very nice.

 Friday, for example,  I joined dear friends at the Qatar Exhibition and Convention Center for a concert with the Qatar Philharmonic.  It was an all day music festival. Robert joined friends for the 5:30 concert of Star Wars. Ours was at 7:30 with music from Carmen, Boheme, and the 1812 Overture for the finale.  A wonderful evening. And randomly, there is a huge spider sculpture that greets you as you enter the very elegant convention center.  I could see this maybe gracing the entrance of a Natural History museum but I cannot fathom why it is part of the state of the art Convention center. (Just as I cannot imagine why we have a massive yellow teddy bear, impaled on a lamp post in the middle of the amazingly modern international airport...)

One never knows what interesting things you will see when you go places here in Doha.  Like these great chairs where we ate lunch a couple of weeks ago.  Or Sponge Bob showing up for dinner at the mall...  And Robert was thrilled I convinced him to go see Jungle Book with me last night( I needed a night out and he was available) as we ran into the cast from the new Xmen movie.

One Last Time

Robert and the Team. Nepal 2016

Russell and the Team. Costa Rica 2006

Ryan and the Team.  Costa Rica 2005.

So Robert returned from Nepal Thursday night. Another great trip is in the books. The team were blessed in countless ways last week as they served in Kathmandu and surrounding villages.  It was also encouraging to see people they had ministered to on past trips still involved in activities at the center.  Janet and I picked up Molly and Robert from the airport Thursday night and heard  their stories as we drove home.  In a nutshell they worked hard,  prayed hard, and saw God work in mighty ways.  

As I waited for the plane to arrive I had a thought.  It is in the end of an era for the Hildebrands.  The last youth mission trip for the Hildebrand kids.  I counted about 19 between all four of them..but I think that is actually low because I forgot Russell's trips to New Orleans and Ryan's summer in inner city Houston.  But whatever the number, my kids have served in some amazing ways with wonderful people, and have had the opportunity to see God do incredible things.  In that process they have been challenged,  encouraged, stretched, and been a blessing to others.  And we've been blessed too.  We loved every time they came home with their stories, and their smiles and a faith that was sharpened. 

It's hard to believe that this trip to Nepal is the last one.   I suppose this is just one of the many endings I'm facing as Robert's graduation rushes towards us.  I need to be ready. 

Sallie and the Team. Nepal 2013.

Astana Adventure

Cannot believe I forgot my camera! My kids would have loved this trip if only for that reason alone. Even so,  my week with Mike in Astana, Kazakhstan was just what we needed.   That being said, for visual images google...Khan Shatyr Mall,  Astana sights,  or whatever you want to actually see the places we visited.   I took a few pictures on my phone but Robert is not home to show me how to get them off my phone and put them on here.  (I'm hopeless. I know. I'm glad my kids love me anyway.) The week was filled with every kind of weather, snow, rain, fog and gorgeous blue skies.  We were thrilled to locate a place to go for Easter where we met some great folks of all nationalities and they had English translation.  We had time to talk about the craziness of life, pray together for the kids and family things going on,  eat good food(did not try the horse filets) and relax. It was a great trip.  I'd like to see some other places in KZ.  Some of the folks in the hotel told us a lot about Almaty . It's supposed to be beautiful. Maybe another time.

I am one for irony.  And living overseas sometimes the ironic jumps out at me.  The mall that is across from the Marriott..Khan Shatyr  actually has a beach on the top floor.  Basically it is three pools, two volleyball sand courts, huge waterslide, beach chairs, snack bar.  Outside it was snowing..inside warm as toast and lots of natural light.  I just couldn't help but but compare it to the Ski Dubai snow covered slopes and play areas.  Skiing in the desert, swimming in -40 degrees. Both in malls...  I told my tour guide at the Beach about the skiing in the desert and he thought that was pretty funny.   Yes, indeed.  Ironic.  For sure. :)

Although I cannot say that Astana was very pretty for this trip, I did hear that come spring time it will be beautiful.  There are trees and parks everywhere.  And once the weather turns there will be outdoor cafes set up all over the city.  That will be nice!!! (maybe i will take pictures!)

Got my laundry done.  Waiting to go to the airport to retrieve Robert who returns from his youth trip to Nepal tonight.  Then I will hear his stories and do his laundry.  We are on the home stretch. He graduates May 27th!

March On

I blinked and March is half over.  I flew to Abu Dhabi on the 3rd. Mike and I hung out for the weekend with Pattie and Barry, who came in from Riyadh. Although the time went way too quickly we all enjoyed every minute of it.  Pattie and I actually had all day Friday together as the guys weren't able to come until the evening. We went to the beach, walked around the new park, ate at fun places and caught up on all the comings and goings of the last, crazy 7 months. We had time with Abu Dhabi buddies and even time to hug on Talitha, who is now, as I write,  reunited with Russell in Austin...at least for a couple  of weeks.    When Pattie headed back to KSA, Mike, Barry and I caught a good movie.  ..We saw 13 Hours and it received 6 thumbs up from us.  

Nowadays it's back to our Doha schedule with a slight detour for illness that wouldn't go away. After  5 days at home,  Robert is finally back at school.  Not sure what bug moved into his stomach, but it sure was stubborn! 

Doha heat is around the corner so we are savouring the last of the mild weather. Even enjoying some rain showers. What? 

It's time to figure out summer flights, future plans, and get ourselves organised. Sallie will be here in May for Robert's graduation. Can't wait!

How Are You?

Last week was rough traffic wise.  My friend Joy texted me with, "I'm OK but just got hit on my way home."  My friend Lori also got hit while driving home.  She was fine, but disappointed because it ruined her 8 year streak of no accidents over here! Lori was rear ended by a Sudanese man who told her to follow him to the police station so they could get their police reports taken care of. Only he didn't know where the station was and they meandered for quite awhile before Lori made him follow her.  Made for a long day for Lori but eventually they got the required documents. (In order to have any repair work done on your car over here a police report is required.  Even if it is damage from driving too fast over a speed bump or dune bashing in the desert and losing a bumper...) It can be quite draining to locate the correct police station and then communicate the problem.

Joy's story was a bit different. An Iraqi woman hit her and they remained at the location until the police arrived and until Joy's husband arrived with an Arabic speaking coworker.  Apparently, as told to Joy, the woman repeatedly argued with the officer that it wasn't her fault because..."I didn't see her."  Over and over again she tried to convince the officer and ,according to the translator , he told her several different times that she was crazy.  I'm pretty sure he used different words but then maybe not.  Finally the woman  stopped arguing, kissed Joy on the cheek and said, "you take me home now."  Really, I cannot make this up. (Joy and Curt did take her home. They are very nice people.)

My friend Jen also needed a police report recently. Her dad, while visiting, noticed a strange sound when they were driving and told her to get it looked at.  So off she went to the police station.  After finding the correct one, she went to the counter and was greeted with "How are you?" Jen smiled and began describing her problem. "How are you?"  Oops. Limited English. Looking at the guy one chair over, "Can you help me?" "

Yes, madam.  One car or two car accident?

 Ummm. One car

Tomorrow, madam. 10 am.

Oh no. but I am a teacher. Can you help me today?

Tomorrow.

But I have the children. Please can you help today? Is there anyone who can give me the paper today? I cannot come tomorrow. I have school. Is anyone here today?

And then she hears... How are you ?  Big smile from the first guy. Who then proceeded to fill out the paperwork. Hooray! No return trip necessary or time off work. The next morning
Jen's phone dings with a message... How are you?  

Thankful that no one had an accident like this one...but it happens here, a lot!

Pot Stickers on The Pearl

               

I confess.  I did not really care about learning how to make pot stickers but the added fun of doing it with 9 lighteharted ladies was too great a temptation, and in an apartment with a lovely view as a bonus!  Sheryl, originally from Hong Kong, was our instructor. We folded little wrappers and dropped spoonfuls of filling in each one.  Sheryl made the filling beforehand, but she gave us the recipe.  In less than 20 minutes we prepared  over a hundred pot stickers and put them in the pans to fry and steam.  As I said in a previous blog..my new normal. Time to try new things.  Well, for me, even showing up to learn a new cooking technique is a new thing.  I actually came thinking I would just chat and watch, but as the preparation was on the veranda with the gorgeous view, I really had no choice.  No, I don't think I will make,them again...but I will remember a relaxing afternoon with good friends, good food, and a beautiful view of the Pearl.

This and That

Mike surprised me on Valentine's Day with red roses.  He had our friend Curt drop them by.  It made me smile.  We are making the best of our time apart, and although it is not easy, we will be ok.  I dropped by our old compound yesterday to swim and visit with my neighbours. It was fun to catch up and hang out in the hood. :)  Lots of changes for sure.  I found out that two more families are relocating from there.  The price of oil has affected  many jobs over here.  It's hard to hear of so many people leaving, and many with no chance to finish the school year.  Sometimes the constant gloomy news gets me down, but we are muddling through.

On the bright side, Robert had a fun weekend with friends.  Friday he watched the Regional school basketball tournament with his buddies and Saturday he spent the day at  a new arcade here in Doha.  He was invited by a classmate and as it was the opening promotional, he was able to go for free! There isn't a lot to do here for teenagers so this place, Megalopolis, is pretty big news.  Flight simulators, mini golf, arcade games,  and karaoke were some of the activities available.  For the next few months Robert also has access to a piano..so we are having it tuned and he asked for piano lessons.  He has had them on and off for years but this time HE is asking so we are going to go for it.  
As i look out the window at the garden in our new temporary home, I thank God for His provision and love.  Sometimes I wish we were all back in Texas as I miss my family there and it is hard to be separated.  Difficult things are going on, but I know that God is at work and He hears my prayers in every situation.  I'm thankful for the the family and friends who pray for us and encourage us every step of the way...on this side of the ocean and on that side!

Moving Pictures

. Our last few days in Villa 3, Al Fardan Gardens 4 were a whirlwind of comings and goings, energy and exhaustion.  Tuesday the packers cleared out all that we were keeping and Wednesday thru Saturday was filled with people buying everything else and hauling it away.  At least my days were filled with that. Mike's days were filled with all it takes to close down life in the Gulf region.  Clearance letters on no debt. Selling cars and making sure all the paperwork is transferred correctly, OR if not selling ,then getting them put in someone's else's name to sell later.  This requires different paperwork and more trips to various government buildings.  In the midst of this we tried not to forget to pick up Robert from school and also feed him.  Sometimes we were successful.  

As of yesterday we are completely moved out of the villa and into our friends' home for the duration.   We have good friends who will house us for awhile, and then other friends who said if these friends kick us out we can go there. :)  A back up plan in case we are lousy house guests. We are blessed with some very generous friends.  

Now that we can take a breath, I find myself replaying the last few days in my head.  The last morning I woke Robert for school in his room on his bed, that was Sallie's in Abu Dhabi.  My friends giving their time and expertise to sort and organize for the indoor garage sale. All of us laughing as we tried to make sensible piles of this and that.  Finding my dad's company lapel pen from McKee, the company he was with for most of my life.  Then there were the repeat Filipino shoppers , smiling and giggling over every item and loving the low, low,prices!  Going away and coming back with more friends two and three times...for all three days of the sale!!  Then there were the kids from the compound...harrying to find the fun stuff and really loving it when I said I was having a discount. Everything for free. ( It hit me that these 8 or so kids could carry a lot out my door, and I wouldn't need to!!). Another picture in my head was Friday night dinner. Our Kuwaiti /Palestinian/ Canadian neighbors invited us to dinner.  Just to say goodbye.  It was a nice evening and I will miss all the friends we made in the compound.  I promised my next door neighbor I would pop over in warmer weather to catch up while,they enjoyed their evening shisha time.  Lots of pictures. Lots of memories.  

Mike is packed up.  Paperwork  basically finished.  48 hours and he heads out.  We will join him later.  More adventures to come... In Kazakhstan.  Or as our friend Joy calls it...Ka-froze-istan.  

Ruth, Mike, Joy and Curt...oh and Robert resting up for the next round. 

Happy Shoppers!!

Empty Room. Full heart.

It's 4 am.  I woke up nearly an hour ago.  No matter that I kept telling myself, "You need to go back to sleep." You know, sometimes that actually does work for me.  But not right now. Not in the middle of our worldly goods being packed, sold or  and moved out the door. Not in the middle of all the hard stuff my friends back in Dallas and Kansas are going through and we aren't there.  And certainly not in the middle of thinking about all that is about to happen..soon.  Nope. Sleep is not happening.

So I lit my candle(saved from the movers) and created a safe place in the corner of the sofa that is sold but not gone yet, and decided to have some quiet time ..to write, pray and probably cry a little.

Moving is physically hard but what was harder this past week was watching the things we sold go out the door.  We are keeping  little of what we collected over the last almost 9 years in the Gulf Region. Most we are selling and giving away to our friends here in Doha.  (Still have quite a bit to sell and give away, which may account for some of the insomnia.). But it's been hard to see it go. It's what it represents that I realized was grabbing me.  Our family nights at the patio table. The birthdays celebrated at the dining table purchased weeks after arriving in Abu Dhabi.  The friends who shared heart to heart conversations on the sofas and chairs.   Coffee time with those mugs.  Teenage laughter on that ikea chair or the wicker swing in the game room.  Ryan's comforter. Sallie's planter painted just for me. Russell's fishing pole when he decompressed from Kabul and visited all those times in Abu Dhabi. That table where I sat when I learned of my brother's death. And that corner of the couch where Talitha and Russell chose their diamond for her ring.    All the stuff that bears witness to us.. To the Hildebrands. The good and yes, the bad.  Because I have done this all my life and because I know God keeps his promises, I know new adventures await. I will sleep again.  The stuff may come and go but the memories are the real treasures...and all the people in our lives who make them. Now I think I'll take that cry time I mentioned.