Saturday evening Mike and I went to the Abu Dhabi National Theater to hear Dr. Michael Yousseff speak. That may not sound like big news to you but over here it was actually a historical event. This was the first time ever that an evangelist has been allowed to speak in this type of forum. We had to smile as we thought of the special week Bent Tree was having and here there we were...having our own type of "festival" but on the other end of the spectrum. We sang many familiar songs in English, led by a Filipino worship team...and then another musician came up. He led the congregation in Arabic worship music. I cannot tell you how cool that was...we were standing there and all around us praises were being lifted up. It was really neat.
Friday nite we were also busy. About 800 people gathered at Ryan's school for Picnic in the Park. It's a fundraiser for the school trip to Bangladesh in November. We had lots of fun...the picnic food was middle eastern :) and there were several music acts from the school for entertainment. We sat on camping chairs and matts and visited with people. It was relaxing... for us anyway....Ryan worked like a dog. :)
Our busy week has started....Will keep you posted.
Mattie
Monday, October 22, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Our First Visitors
It's Friday afternoon here and we are getting ready to head to Ryan's school for an all school picnic. It is a fundraiser for the team going to Bangladesh with Habitat for Humanity in November. Ryan is working it, as he is on the team that is going.
Mary and Laurel Hone left last nite after their whirlwind visit to see us. We spent 4 days laughing, crying, and zipping around town to see the sights. We had a desert picnic, visited a camel farm, toured Emirates Palace...a hotel with a lobby the size of 3 football fields, had Moroccan tea, swam at the beach, ate at some fun restaurants...including Lebanese Flower and McDonalds...:) and generally had a ball. I think the best part was knowing that although we are so far away we are still connected with our friends and family back in the States. And now Mary and Laurel will both know what we are talking about when we share things. It just made all of us feel less isolated from life back there. They really blessed us with lots of fun movies to watch and some good books to read as well. Woo Hoo!
Fun fact we learned from Jeff Kinney the other nite while Mary, Mike and I went over there so she could meet them. Mike was talking about the process to buy a used car and all that it takes....(going on 3and1/2 weeks) when Jeff asked him if he noticed the separate door for the women to get their driver's licenses...Mike said yes. Jeff kind of chuckled and said...The Local ladies,( all wearing black veils that cover everything but their eyes) who go back there to get their picture for the license don't have to take off their face veils for their picture....
'Nough said. We just laugh and move on.
Love you all,
Mattie, Mike, and the Kids
Mary and Laurel Hone left last nite after their whirlwind visit to see us. We spent 4 days laughing, crying, and zipping around town to see the sights. We had a desert picnic, visited a camel farm, toured Emirates Palace...a hotel with a lobby the size of 3 football fields, had Moroccan tea, swam at the beach, ate at some fun restaurants...including Lebanese Flower and McDonalds...:) and generally had a ball. I think the best part was knowing that although we are so far away we are still connected with our friends and family back in the States. And now Mary and Laurel will both know what we are talking about when we share things. It just made all of us feel less isolated from life back there. They really blessed us with lots of fun movies to watch and some good books to read as well. Woo Hoo!
Fun fact we learned from Jeff Kinney the other nite while Mary, Mike and I went over there so she could meet them. Mike was talking about the process to buy a used car and all that it takes....(going on 3and1/2 weeks) when Jeff asked him if he noticed the separate door for the women to get their driver's licenses...Mike said yes. Jeff kind of chuckled and said...The Local ladies,( all wearing black veils that cover everything but their eyes) who go back there to get their picture for the license don't have to take off their face veils for their picture....
'Nough said. We just laugh and move on.
Love you all,
Mattie, Mike, and the Kids
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Island Living
group of us gathered on Thurs. nite at the beach for a picnic. Many of us there were newcomers and it was fun to meet several other new families. The water is finally cooling off so Sallie and Robert enjoyed swimming. Our friend Peter brought his guitar and we sang thru the evening. It was so peaceful and relaxing.
The night before our picnic I found out that one of my old friends from Aruba was living in Qatar. Her brother and his wife just moved here and she and I were talking when we realized that I had been in Aruba at the same time as her husband's family. I couldn't believe it. Joni was in town this weekend , and we spent Sat. morning talking until we were almost hoarse. She has kept up with several other friends from our Aruba years and it was so fun to catch up.
We christened our new grill last nite with Snapper and shrimp. The grill takes up our entire balcony...and not because it is a big grill. Mike and Ryan went to the fish market and brought home dinner. It was delicious. I've never been a big fish eater(that's an understatement) but I decided I need to broaden my horizons. Ryan made the cocktail sauce and we dined on a delicious meal. And I didn't have to cook....:)
From Mike:
The fish market was a bit of an experience itself. It is housed in a building at the port just around the corner from the Iranian souk (another story). You smell it about 50 yards before you get there, when you coax yourself inside there are about 100 booths and 300 Indian and Arab fishermen selling everthing slimy, slippery, and smelly fresh from the Arabian Gulf ! Yards of stainless steel tables laiden with crushed ice and fish. Shark, tuna, squid, lobster, snapper, red fish you name it, much of it still wriggling around a little bit on the table. We're talking fresh! Ryan and I chose the prawns (shrimp). Not Texas shrimp, more like miniture lobster, these were about six inches long, four of them made a meal for about 3 bucks. They grilled them up right at there at the market (key item here...keep the smell and the mess out of Momma's kitchen). We brought the snapper (cleaned and fileted by the fisherman...ref:note about momma's kitchen) home to cook it up ourselves on the new grill. Even food critics Robert and Sallie were transformed into seafood lovers...well sort of. The Baskin Robbins ice cream for dessert was probably the bigger hit.
Mike and Mattie
for the Seafood lovers in you!
The night before our picnic I found out that one of my old friends from Aruba was living in Qatar. Her brother and his wife just moved here and she and I were talking when we realized that I had been in Aruba at the same time as her husband's family. I couldn't believe it. Joni was in town this weekend , and we spent Sat. morning talking until we were almost hoarse. She has kept up with several other friends from our Aruba years and it was so fun to catch up.
We christened our new grill last nite with Snapper and shrimp. The grill takes up our entire balcony...and not because it is a big grill. Mike and Ryan went to the fish market and brought home dinner. It was delicious. I've never been a big fish eater(that's an understatement) but I decided I need to broaden my horizons. Ryan made the cocktail sauce and we dined on a delicious meal. And I didn't have to cook....:)
From Mike:
The fish market was a bit of an experience itself. It is housed in a building at the port just around the corner from the Iranian souk (another story). You smell it about 50 yards before you get there, when you coax yourself inside there are about 100 booths and 300 Indian and Arab fishermen selling everthing slimy, slippery, and smelly fresh from the Arabian Gulf ! Yards of stainless steel tables laiden with crushed ice and fish. Shark, tuna, squid, lobster, snapper, red fish you name it, much of it still wriggling around a little bit on the table. We're talking fresh! Ryan and I chose the prawns (shrimp). Not Texas shrimp, more like miniture lobster, these were about six inches long, four of them made a meal for about 3 bucks. They grilled them up right at there at the market (key item here...keep the smell and the mess out of Momma's kitchen). We brought the snapper (cleaned and fileted by the fisherman...ref:note about momma's kitchen) home to cook it up ourselves on the new grill. Even food critics Robert and Sallie were transformed into seafood lovers...well sort of. The Baskin Robbins ice cream for dessert was probably the bigger hit.
Mike and Mattie
for the Seafood lovers in you!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Desert Detour
On Tuesday the kids and I joined a couple of other homeschooling families and headed out to a newly built area right by Abu Dhabi...Khalifa City. Mike actually looked in this area for places to live when he got here but decided it was too far out for us. This was my first visit there. My new friends Krista and Jean drove the one car and I followed them. We actually got a bit turned around and we saw more of the desert than planned. :) Somehow we ended up in Khalifa City B when we needed to be in part A. So, we stopped at a gas station...to ask directions...(we women do that, you know...) All of us had a good laugh when Jean came out sort of shaking her head. I asked her, "Were they able to help?" She laughed and said "I don't know...we go 5 kilometers and take a left right. " Oh boy. Well, we did finally reach Michelle's villa in Khalifa City A and had a good visit.
Mike and I are enjoying the cooler mornings these days. We go down to the Corniche(seawall) and walk in the mornings. We usually stop about halfway thru and find a bench where we take some time to pray about our life and for our friends. It's been a sweet time for us.
We are all excited about the upcoming week. First of all, Ramadan will be over today or tomorrow and secondly our friends Mary and Lolo Hone are coming on Saturday!!! They aren't staying long but we are so excited to have them here!
So that's the news from here. We love you and miss you.
Mattie
Mike and I are enjoying the cooler mornings these days. We go down to the Corniche(seawall) and walk in the mornings. We usually stop about halfway thru and find a bench where we take some time to pray about our life and for our friends. It's been a sweet time for us.
We are all excited about the upcoming week. First of all, Ramadan will be over today or tomorrow and secondly our friends Mary and Lolo Hone are coming on Saturday!!! They aren't staying long but we are so excited to have them here!
So that's the news from here. We love you and miss you.
Mattie
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Wednesday Dinner
One way that our church here gets people from all the different cultures to interact with one another is by hosting dinners. People offer their home to a family from another culture and they share a meal together. These evenings are called Adventures in Fellowship. We got to share a meal with two Filipino gals..Amy(real name Imelda..named after the Presidents wife when she was born) and Trish..who has lived here in Abu Dhabi for 18 years. Amy did all the cooking...Trish said she was there for moral support because she doesn't cook. :)
When we arrived at the apt. Amy greeted us with a beautiful smile and promptly asked us to sit on the floor so we could play a game and get to know each other better. I love the men in my family....neither Ryan nor Mike can easily sit on the floor..as their long legs make it difficult, but both guys just smiled and plopped right down.(They aren't exactly big on icebreakers either, but didn't bat an eye):)... We shared about ourselves and then had to share about the person next to us. It was fun and I wish you could have seen the wonderful smiles on these girls faces. So warm and friendly.
Amy served some wonderful Filipino dishes and talked about them as we ate. We had a chicken dish, and rice, and a wonderful oriental type vegetable chicken dish as well. She laid low on spicy stuff...which I appreciated, and so did Robert and Sallie. :)
Before we left that nite, I asked Amy if she would close in prayer..in her own language. So she prayed in Tagalog. It was such a wonderful nite. Our own little m. festival.
Speaking of the Festival that Bent Tree will be having next week, I hope those of you in Carrollton are planning to attend. Wish we could be there. We'll be downloading the messages. I will probably cry but then I will be fine. :)
We love you all.
Mattie and The Gang
ps. Ramadan ends this week. Woo Hoo!!!! Shops will open and there will be food during the day...and we can drink water in public again. Please continue to pray for everyone who is truly seeking God during this time...that they find Him and follow Him. And that His love would shine thru believers everywhere.... Amen? Amen!
pss. we are trying to buy a car. pray we find one and then that the paperwork, etc. goes smoothly...just buying a toaster can be frustrating....:)
When we arrived at the apt. Amy greeted us with a beautiful smile and promptly asked us to sit on the floor so we could play a game and get to know each other better. I love the men in my family....neither Ryan nor Mike can easily sit on the floor..as their long legs make it difficult, but both guys just smiled and plopped right down.(They aren't exactly big on icebreakers either, but didn't bat an eye):)... We shared about ourselves and then had to share about the person next to us. It was fun and I wish you could have seen the wonderful smiles on these girls faces. So warm and friendly.
Amy served some wonderful Filipino dishes and talked about them as we ate. We had a chicken dish, and rice, and a wonderful oriental type vegetable chicken dish as well. She laid low on spicy stuff...which I appreciated, and so did Robert and Sallie. :)
Before we left that nite, I asked Amy if she would close in prayer..in her own language. So she prayed in Tagalog. It was such a wonderful nite. Our own little m. festival.
Speaking of the Festival that Bent Tree will be having next week, I hope those of you in Carrollton are planning to attend. Wish we could be there. We'll be downloading the messages. I will probably cry but then I will be fine. :)
We love you all.
Mattie and The Gang
ps. Ramadan ends this week. Woo Hoo!!!! Shops will open and there will be food during the day...and we can drink water in public again. Please continue to pray for everyone who is truly seeking God during this time...that they find Him and follow Him. And that His love would shine thru believers everywhere.... Amen? Amen!
pss. we are trying to buy a car. pray we find one and then that the paperwork, etc. goes smoothly...just buying a toaster can be frustrating....:)
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Crockpots at Carrefour
I managed to avoid shopping at the mall for a whole month. So, having recovered from mall overload from the first few weeks, I returned yesterday with Sallie and Robert. We needed to buy a regular phone in hopes that soon we will be able to use it. The kids and I hopped in the car and headed to Marina Mall(which you can see on the internet if you'd like).
Here's what we saw when we drove up....it took a minute to process what we were looking at...The entire front wall of glass, which is two stories high was covered in a wallpaper that looked like lattice work, with mosque type windows cut out across the top. Yes, you guessed it...the mall is decorated for Ramadan...I couldn't tell if it was to resemble a mosque or a palace. The doors all had arches placed in front of them as did the escalators, which also had the lattice paper decorating their glass sides. It was actually quite pretty, but again, very surprising when one isn't expecting it. :)
We did find a phone, but even better than that...I found a crockpot! Big deal, you say??? Well, let me tell you, it is!! My friend Mary has searched for one here for two years! I called her and she was headed over to get one. I also called my new friend Debbie who was also very excited and she wants to get one, too. What can I say? Little things make us happy. :) By the way, this is not just any crockpot with a silly little knob and two heat settings...nope, it is double sided so you can cook two different items at once and it is electronic with a time setting for how many hours and has an automatic warmer on it for when you are done cooking. Hah! Bet you are all jealous now.....:) Oh, yeah. and we got a normal old toaster.
One last interesting thing about the malls here and many of the stores...they have flat escalators. Sort of like airport walkways but they incline. This is so you can put your grocery carts on them when you change levels. The carts have ridged wheels to stick in the runners on the escalators....I tell you..it's a different world here. :)
Sallie wants to go to buy a jewelry for her phone so we are heading out. She converted the $$ she saved to Dirhams so now we need to go spend it. :) Jewelry for her phone..good grief..is she my child???? ( We'll do school when we get home...lest you are worried about SandylandISD, Mr. Pearce.)
Shop till you drop,
Mattie, Sallie and the guys....
ps. sorry about the pix, we'll figure it out...sometime.
Here's what we saw when we drove up....it took a minute to process what we were looking at...The entire front wall of glass, which is two stories high was covered in a wallpaper that looked like lattice work, with mosque type windows cut out across the top. Yes, you guessed it...the mall is decorated for Ramadan...I couldn't tell if it was to resemble a mosque or a palace. The doors all had arches placed in front of them as did the escalators, which also had the lattice paper decorating their glass sides. It was actually quite pretty, but again, very surprising when one isn't expecting it. :)
We did find a phone, but even better than that...I found a crockpot! Big deal, you say??? Well, let me tell you, it is!! My friend Mary has searched for one here for two years! I called her and she was headed over to get one. I also called my new friend Debbie who was also very excited and she wants to get one, too. What can I say? Little things make us happy. :) By the way, this is not just any crockpot with a silly little knob and two heat settings...nope, it is double sided so you can cook two different items at once and it is electronic with a time setting for how many hours and has an automatic warmer on it for when you are done cooking. Hah! Bet you are all jealous now.....:) Oh, yeah. and we got a normal old toaster.
One last interesting thing about the malls here and many of the stores...they have flat escalators. Sort of like airport walkways but they incline. This is so you can put your grocery carts on them when you change levels. The carts have ridged wheels to stick in the runners on the escalators....I tell you..it's a different world here. :)
Sallie wants to go to buy a jewelry for her phone so we are heading out. She converted the $$ she saved to Dirhams so now we need to go spend it. :) Jewelry for her phone..good grief..is she my child???? ( We'll do school when we get home...lest you are worried about SandylandISD, Mr. Pearce.)
Shop till you drop,
Mattie, Sallie and the guys....
ps. sorry about the pix, we'll figure it out...sometime.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Lions, tigers, and bears...Dubai!!
Ok, if this works right Sallie and I will have loaded pictures for the first time onto the blog. We don't know if it worked but we hope so.
Yesterday, we went to Dubai for the first time for a birthday party. Mike, Robert and I followed Mary who had a car full of 9-12 year old girls. (Hence the separate cars...) This was the neatest place. When you walk thru the Mall of the Emirates you come to this place that is decorated and set up like a ski lodge...:)( The money here is incredible. Yeesh.) So, anyway, this huge dome thing is actually a ski resort. Two or three runs on one side and then the other side is the Snow Park. At the entrnace to the Snow Park side there is an ice cave with ice carvings. Yep. Real ones. Polar bears, dragons, etc. Then there is the toboggan run, the tubing hill, and sleds to pull around plus places to climb for a view of the whole place. It is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass walls so you can watch from the mall and stay warm. It did cross my mind that at my age I may want to move into the Snow Park at certain times....there was a little igloo that looked quite cozy. :) The temp. stayed at -4 centigrade and felt quite comfortable. :)
After the snow time we all ate and then the girls shopped. We headed for home. Sallie said they stayed up until 3 am. She is kind of grumpy today. Imagine that. :) The drive to and from Dubai takes about an hour and a half...Until this road was built it took forever as there was no direct route. Once you are outside the cities over here there is nothing but sand for miles. Wow.
All in all it was nice to get out of Abu Dhabi. Ryan didn't get to come as he had a dinner with the youth group. I'm sure we will go again. By the way, as we drove into Dubai I was amazed to see an entire city...think Manhattan island under construction..buildings everywhere, tower cranes everywhere yet none of these buildings is occupied yet. Most of them are at different stages of construction..It is like the whole city is a job site. Mary said you never know if you will be on the same roads because they are always moving them around with the construction. I mean it was AMAZING. We've heard that 30 percent of the world's tower cranes are in Dubai...I believe it.
Hope you are all doing well.
Blessings,
Mattie, Mike, Ryan, Sallie and Robert
Yesterday, we went to Dubai for the first time for a birthday party. Mike, Robert and I followed Mary who had a car full of 9-12 year old girls. (Hence the separate cars...) This was the neatest place. When you walk thru the Mall of the Emirates you come to this place that is decorated and set up like a ski lodge...:)( The money here is incredible. Yeesh.) So, anyway, this huge dome thing is actually a ski resort. Two or three runs on one side and then the other side is the Snow Park. At the entrnace to the Snow Park side there is an ice cave with ice carvings. Yep. Real ones. Polar bears, dragons, etc. Then there is the toboggan run, the tubing hill, and sleds to pull around plus places to climb for a view of the whole place. It is surrounded by floor to ceiling glass walls so you can watch from the mall and stay warm. It did cross my mind that at my age I may want to move into the Snow Park at certain times....there was a little igloo that looked quite cozy. :) The temp. stayed at -4 centigrade and felt quite comfortable. :)
After the snow time we all ate and then the girls shopped. We headed for home. Sallie said they stayed up until 3 am. She is kind of grumpy today. Imagine that. :) The drive to and from Dubai takes about an hour and a half...Until this road was built it took forever as there was no direct route. Once you are outside the cities over here there is nothing but sand for miles. Wow.
All in all it was nice to get out of Abu Dhabi. Ryan didn't get to come as he had a dinner with the youth group. I'm sure we will go again. By the way, as we drove into Dubai I was amazed to see an entire city...think Manhattan island under construction..buildings everywhere, tower cranes everywhere yet none of these buildings is occupied yet. Most of them are at different stages of construction..It is like the whole city is a job site. Mary said you never know if you will be on the same roads because they are always moving them around with the construction. I mean it was AMAZING. We've heard that 30 percent of the world's tower cranes are in Dubai...I believe it.
Hope you are all doing well.
Blessings,
Mattie, Mike, Ryan, Sallie and Robert
Monday, September 24, 2007
Little Things
Ok, so over the last few days I have smiled about several things...and now is a good time to share them. I am in the middle of cooking dinner but if I don't get this down I know you will never hear them.
So, I'm at my new friend Rebecca's house that they just built. Here they are called villas but don't let the fancy name fool you...Don't get me wrong. It's a beautiful "looking" house but... not a single window in the house is the same size as any other one. Including the ones that are in the same window space...the one that opens may be one size and the other is different. She said, "I think they just measure an empty space and fit in a window." I had to smile when I noticed that even the windows on either side of the french door that opens to the deck(with a beautiful view of the Arabian Gulf) are both different sizes. Is it any wonder my sweet, engineering husband is going nuts??? This does not even cover the gaps between doors and door frames, or plumbing that really isn't fitting just right...Mike said "They grab the closest pipe and say..'this fits'...:)"
(Ok, so I know we need to realize it is different..not wrong, but actually, in construction I think it's ok to say...uhhh..this is wrong. Otherwise buildings fall down.....)
I also had a laugh when Mary and Rebecca were talking about the weather. "Rebecca, you remember last winter when we had that horrible sandstorm?" I just stared at Mary and started laughing...Picture Marganne and I sitting down and saying...Hey you remember that horrible sandstorm last year? Sandstorm just did not compute in my head. :)
And just a few minutes I sent Mike and Robert to the Mar Mar grocery store...little grocer man across the street for salad stuff and an onion and some garlic. Well they did not come home with lettuce cuz he doesn't have it today but they did come home with a BAG of garlic cloves! Yep, he sells apples individually, and onions and cucumbers but not garlic. Folks, I can count on one hand how many garlic cloves I have used in MY WHOLE LIFE and it is less than the EIGHT in this bag! What in the heck am I gonna do with all of this garlic? So I just chuckled and stuck them on the counter. Maybe I will give them to my new friends like you do when you have a garden...which I have never had either....:)
Tomorrow I am going on a bus tour with new moms from Ryan's school. Not new moms as in babies...:) Sallie and Robert are coming with me. It should be a fun field trip. We are going to have lunch at the Equestrian Club. I think it will be fun.
Well, dinner is ready. We are going to eat and then take Ryan to his Small Group. They start tonite.
Will write more soon.
So, I'm at my new friend Rebecca's house that they just built. Here they are called villas but don't let the fancy name fool you...Don't get me wrong. It's a beautiful "looking" house but... not a single window in the house is the same size as any other one. Including the ones that are in the same window space...the one that opens may be one size and the other is different. She said, "I think they just measure an empty space and fit in a window." I had to smile when I noticed that even the windows on either side of the french door that opens to the deck(with a beautiful view of the Arabian Gulf) are both different sizes. Is it any wonder my sweet, engineering husband is going nuts??? This does not even cover the gaps between doors and door frames, or plumbing that really isn't fitting just right...Mike said "They grab the closest pipe and say..'this fits'...:)"
(Ok, so I know we need to realize it is different..not wrong, but actually, in construction I think it's ok to say...uhhh..this is wrong. Otherwise buildings fall down.....)
I also had a laugh when Mary and Rebecca were talking about the weather. "Rebecca, you remember last winter when we had that horrible sandstorm?" I just stared at Mary and started laughing...Picture Marganne and I sitting down and saying...Hey you remember that horrible sandstorm last year? Sandstorm just did not compute in my head. :)
And just a few minutes I sent Mike and Robert to the Mar Mar grocery store...little grocer man across the street for salad stuff and an onion and some garlic. Well they did not come home with lettuce cuz he doesn't have it today but they did come home with a BAG of garlic cloves! Yep, he sells apples individually, and onions and cucumbers but not garlic. Folks, I can count on one hand how many garlic cloves I have used in MY WHOLE LIFE and it is less than the EIGHT in this bag! What in the heck am I gonna do with all of this garlic? So I just chuckled and stuck them on the counter. Maybe I will give them to my new friends like you do when you have a garden...which I have never had either....:)
Tomorrow I am going on a bus tour with new moms from Ryan's school. Not new moms as in babies...:) Sallie and Robert are coming with me. It should be a fun field trip. We are going to have lunch at the Equestrian Club. I think it will be fun.
Well, dinner is ready. We are going to eat and then take Ryan to his Small Group. They start tonite.
Will write more soon.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Shoes
It's Friday morning. We are waking up to get ready for church. It is still kind of strange to be going on Fridays and not Sundays. Our week has had lots of ups and downs. Or maybe not ups..but normals and downs. :) Work is in constant change for Mike. He is moving to a different project but what it is exactly is unclear. This has been very stressful for all of us. Several times we felt like packing our bags and heading home. There are days.....
On the other hand, the weather is starting to cool down a bit. Evenings are nicer...not a big change but still, cooling down. Ryan got to go to Dubai with the volleyball team. I didn't have to do any shopping except for food. The Beth Moore study is going well. Robert is starting to click with his AWANA group. Mike and I are getting to know some folks. All in all, some things are feeling normal now.
The other evening Sallie, Robert and I took a walk along the beach promenade...called the Corniche. We were looking for some of the playgrounds that are dotted thru the parks by the beach. On the way to the beach we passed one of our 4 neighborhood mosques. A few pairs of sandals were lined up outside the door. It was nearly an hour later when we returned to our building, passing the same mosque. There were hundreds and hundreds of shoes covering the sidewalk and stacked on the front wall...hundreds.... I felt this overwhelming sadness wash over me. It was like the air had been knocked out of me. I think I was already becoming comfortable with my surroundings but God used this to knock me back. While we finished our walk I prayed for the men who went there to pray that nite. That they would find the God whom they earnestly seek. I hope I never forget the picture of those shoes. There are many here who celebrate Ramadan like we do Easter or Christmas...it's the thing to do. But some truly yearn to know God. Please pray with us that many will have their eyes opened to see Him. By the way, apparently the shoes didn't affect Robert the same way...His observation was "Wow, Mom, how do they find their own shoes?! ":)
We're home from church. It was nice because we actually had people to talk to as we left the building. Just like the old days with Sallie and Robert rolling their eyes at us....But...it wasn't all me. Just so you know!!!!! We couldn't drag Mike away. :)
Have a great weekend.
On the other hand, the weather is starting to cool down a bit. Evenings are nicer...not a big change but still, cooling down. Ryan got to go to Dubai with the volleyball team. I didn't have to do any shopping except for food. The Beth Moore study is going well. Robert is starting to click with his AWANA group. Mike and I are getting to know some folks. All in all, some things are feeling normal now.
The other evening Sallie, Robert and I took a walk along the beach promenade...called the Corniche. We were looking for some of the playgrounds that are dotted thru the parks by the beach. On the way to the beach we passed one of our 4 neighborhood mosques. A few pairs of sandals were lined up outside the door. It was nearly an hour later when we returned to our building, passing the same mosque. There were hundreds and hundreds of shoes covering the sidewalk and stacked on the front wall...hundreds.... I felt this overwhelming sadness wash over me. It was like the air had been knocked out of me. I think I was already becoming comfortable with my surroundings but God used this to knock me back. While we finished our walk I prayed for the men who went there to pray that nite. That they would find the God whom they earnestly seek. I hope I never forget the picture of those shoes. There are many here who celebrate Ramadan like we do Easter or Christmas...it's the thing to do. But some truly yearn to know God. Please pray with us that many will have their eyes opened to see Him. By the way, apparently the shoes didn't affect Robert the same way...His observation was "Wow, Mom, how do they find their own shoes?! ":)
We're home from church. It was nice because we actually had people to talk to as we left the building. Just like the old days with Sallie and Robert rolling their eyes at us....But...it wasn't all me. Just so you know!!!!! We couldn't drag Mike away. :)
Have a great weekend.
Monday, September 17, 2007
One month in...
Today at the Beth Moore study that I am enjoying...one of the gals shared how strange it must have been when everyone started speaking in different languages all at once. You know, you're in the middle of buying bread or whatever and BAM you don't understand what they start to say. It made me smile. It really must have been amazing. I wanted to pipe up with one of my "i think i am so funny" comments...like, that's how Mike feels everytime he is in a meeting and boom..they switch from semi-English to Arabic, but they don't know me and may not like my sense of humor. :)
We have television. The guy just left. We still don't have phone but we are closer. There is a phrase here...NQR...it means Not Quite Right. Very much like my Almost blog from a few days ago. My dishwasher continues to be a mystery to us. We have all the instruction manuals except for English, or even Spanish...so I have been trying to read the Italian one and even looked at the German..nope, not so much. It is hit or miss every time we try and run it. Either it runs without drying or it goes for nearly 2 hours, or whatever. :) I just want clean dishes. :)
The other nite was fun. I went over to the apt. of a British schoolteacher who has lived here for 4 years. I met her thru this small group Mike and I are in with our friends the Kinneys and several others. Her name is Helena and she is so sweet. She invites new teachers to her place every year to get to know them. A couple of weeks ago she mentioned that she just was weary and really didn't want to do it this year....I told her that I would come over and help. I am so glad I did. I met 4 other Brits and we laughed and had real tea...like in a teapot and everything....and I understood about every other word. :) We laughed about that, too. It was so fun. I drove them home to their "flats" and we all agreed that is was a great nite. Helena is a young gal...just turned 30, who has lived overseas for 8 years. She has such a heart for the Lord.
Mike, meanwhile, went out with the rest of our group to celebrate a couple of birthdays. They had Iranian food(very similar to the Lebanese food we had the other nite) and then laughed and talked till 10:30 or so. He beat me home but the rest of the gang went back to a home and played games till 12:30. We aren't quite there yet. Hah.!
Ryan has a meeting tonite about a trip to Bangladesh with Habitats for Humanity. You can pray for him. The trip is in November. I hope it all works out. He is going to check out playing in a Rugby club tomorrow. Very big sport here...lots of South Africans play and they are always looking for folks.
Robert is doing AWANA, but Sallie decided not to do it. She may help with the Sparks. We are all finding our way...and learning more and more about trusting.
I'll leave you with this from my Ladies Study last week. This gal who was doing the devotion and is new to Abu Dhabi shared from a book called Managing Transitions...3 questions....What are you going to hold on to? What are you going to let go of? and What are you going to reach for? I've been pondering her words....I'll let you know when I figure out my answers.
We have television. The guy just left. We still don't have phone but we are closer. There is a phrase here...NQR...it means Not Quite Right. Very much like my Almost blog from a few days ago. My dishwasher continues to be a mystery to us. We have all the instruction manuals except for English, or even Spanish...so I have been trying to read the Italian one and even looked at the German..nope, not so much. It is hit or miss every time we try and run it. Either it runs without drying or it goes for nearly 2 hours, or whatever. :) I just want clean dishes. :)
The other nite was fun. I went over to the apt. of a British schoolteacher who has lived here for 4 years. I met her thru this small group Mike and I are in with our friends the Kinneys and several others. Her name is Helena and she is so sweet. She invites new teachers to her place every year to get to know them. A couple of weeks ago she mentioned that she just was weary and really didn't want to do it this year....I told her that I would come over and help. I am so glad I did. I met 4 other Brits and we laughed and had real tea...like in a teapot and everything....and I understood about every other word. :) We laughed about that, too. It was so fun. I drove them home to their "flats" and we all agreed that is was a great nite. Helena is a young gal...just turned 30, who has lived overseas for 8 years. She has such a heart for the Lord.
Mike, meanwhile, went out with the rest of our group to celebrate a couple of birthdays. They had Iranian food(very similar to the Lebanese food we had the other nite) and then laughed and talked till 10:30 or so. He beat me home but the rest of the gang went back to a home and played games till 12:30. We aren't quite there yet. Hah.!
Ryan has a meeting tonite about a trip to Bangladesh with Habitats for Humanity. You can pray for him. The trip is in November. I hope it all works out. He is going to check out playing in a Rugby club tomorrow. Very big sport here...lots of South Africans play and they are always looking for folks.
Robert is doing AWANA, but Sallie decided not to do it. She may help with the Sparks. We are all finding our way...and learning more and more about trusting.
I'll leave you with this from my Ladies Study last week. This gal who was doing the devotion and is new to Abu Dhabi shared from a book called Managing Transitions...3 questions....What are you going to hold on to? What are you going to let go of? and What are you going to reach for? I've been pondering her words....I'll let you know when I figure out my answers.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Kaballah Boomadan...town
Let me just say that I am so glad we didn't miss this. We are quietly sitting in our "flat" having experienced our first day of Ramadan...when Boom! boom! vibrates thru the room....2 blocks away, on the beach, are the biggest set of fireworks we have ever seen. Yep. bigger than Kaboom town, or Fair Park... They were set up in four different locations on the beach...and set off in sync. If we weren't standing there watching them we might have thought we were getting bombed. No kidding. It was beautiful and loud. Poor westerners...we stood there with our mouths hanging opened. It was so fun. Ryan did notice that there was no red, white and blue. :)
Things were very quiet for most of the day. Restaurants are closed until dusk. People stay inside during the day and then come out at nite. Stores are opened until 3 am. It is almost like a month long Christmas day. Gifts are exchanged...nite after nite of family and friends and food. Very interesting and we are learning a lot. We have been told that toward the end of the month people are very irritable. It is hot so I imagine that adds to the irritation. Ryan's school hours are from 8:30 until 2pm. Mike came home at 3. For the whole month everything runs on a shortened schedule.
Will keep you posted on what we learn and experience this month.
Miss you all.
M,M,R, S and R
Things were very quiet for most of the day. Restaurants are closed until dusk. People stay inside during the day and then come out at nite. Stores are opened until 3 am. It is almost like a month long Christmas day. Gifts are exchanged...nite after nite of family and friends and food. Very interesting and we are learning a lot. We have been told that toward the end of the month people are very irritable. It is hot so I imagine that adds to the irritation. Ryan's school hours are from 8:30 until 2pm. Mike came home at 3. For the whole month everything runs on a shortened schedule.
Will keep you posted on what we learn and experience this month.
Miss you all.
M,M,R, S and R
Monday, September 10, 2007
Sept. 11
Woke up today. Took Ryan to school. On the way I said to him...today is Sept. 11. "Yeah...I know," he said, "Wonder if they will mention it at school. Probably not." But we are thinking about it. Such a day in the US but just another day over here. Very surreal.
Still feeling a bit surreal in a lot of ways. Like the Ladies Bible Study I attended yesterday. I have always wanted to do a Beth Moore study so I am taking one over here. It's about the Tabernacle and she has just redone it. Anyway, there are 27 women in the study and although there are several from different countries, the surreal part is that about 8 of us are from Texas! :) Mostly Houston...and mostly oil..but still, kind of fun to meet other Texans. I am looking forward to the Study.
Today I will go to our church and meet the ladies there. It is the kick off brunch for the fall studies. Sallie and Robert will work on school here and then I will work with them when I get home...so Sandyland ISD is still on track. The computer curriculum we are using is working well for us, although next year I would like to try and get them in school here.
Because the setting up house stuff is about done...(except a phone) things are slowing down and both Mike and I are hitting that "we really miss our friends" wall. As are the kids. Please pray for us. We are plugging in and all but it is still not home. You can't replace what we had there...and especially not in 3 weeks.
Love you all.
Mattie
Still feeling a bit surreal in a lot of ways. Like the Ladies Bible Study I attended yesterday. I have always wanted to do a Beth Moore study so I am taking one over here. It's about the Tabernacle and she has just redone it. Anyway, there are 27 women in the study and although there are several from different countries, the surreal part is that about 8 of us are from Texas! :) Mostly Houston...and mostly oil..but still, kind of fun to meet other Texans. I am looking forward to the Study.
Today I will go to our church and meet the ladies there. It is the kick off brunch for the fall studies. Sallie and Robert will work on school here and then I will work with them when I get home...so Sandyland ISD is still on track. The computer curriculum we are using is working well for us, although next year I would like to try and get them in school here.
Because the setting up house stuff is about done...(except a phone) things are slowing down and both Mike and I are hitting that "we really miss our friends" wall. As are the kids. Please pray for us. We are plugging in and all but it is still not home. You can't replace what we had there...and especially not in 3 weeks.
Love you all.
Mattie
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Charades
Yesterday Mike and I took Sallie and Robert to the beach. One of the other Project Directors from Hill invited several Hill employees and their families to a beach party. It was very nice...and a much needed break from shopping. (Ryan didn't come because he went to the first youth group meeting at church...another story...) Anyway, we swam in water that was about hot tub temp. and then felt much cooler when we got out. One of the ladies from the office planned games. My favorite was charades...How can I describe this? First of all, about 12 adults and kids jumped up to play...no shyness here. Most were filipino or indian. All of them with big smiles and 100 percent participation. Sallie played too. They did movies....nobody remembered to say how many words, everyone pretty much talked while acting it out...and generally if one was guessed it was a total fluke. Mike and I laughed..but not rudely. My favorite part though was when Mike leaned over and said..."This is what it's like at the office everyday...." I'm still chuckling. So thankful my sweet hubby has not lost his sense of humor...and believe me, sometimes it is hard to laugh.
Take today for instance...We have spent over 8 hours trying to get our phone set up. Had to buy a desktop computer, Ryan and Mike set it up and voila..it didn't work. So, Mike and i went back to my favorite place...the Mall...and tried to return it. We went to the customer service place by the electronic section. Waited in line. And then we were told that the place to return it was on the other side of the store...opposite of the electronics..ok. So we wait in line for about 50 minutes. When Mike gets up there they unpack the whole box and plug it in. There are several people around waiting, the service return place is a small room..and they plug it in. Apparently, after we were told to come back in another 30 minutes while they fixed it and rebooted it, BECAUSE they needed to use a diptor...no, wait, that must be an ADAPTOR cuz it doesn't work without it...Hmmm....Ok....Next time it would be nice if they told a customer that WHEN they bought it...but oh well. Now, Mike is still working on it...but soon we should be done.
So, we ALMOST have a phone. Yee hah. :)
Take today for instance...We have spent over 8 hours trying to get our phone set up. Had to buy a desktop computer, Ryan and Mike set it up and voila..it didn't work. So, Mike and i went back to my favorite place...the Mall...and tried to return it. We went to the customer service place by the electronic section. Waited in line. And then we were told that the place to return it was on the other side of the store...opposite of the electronics..ok. So we wait in line for about 50 minutes. When Mike gets up there they unpack the whole box and plug it in. There are several people around waiting, the service return place is a small room..and they plug it in. Apparently, after we were told to come back in another 30 minutes while they fixed it and rebooted it, BECAUSE they needed to use a diptor...no, wait, that must be an ADAPTOR cuz it doesn't work without it...Hmmm....Ok....Next time it would be nice if they told a customer that WHEN they bought it...but oh well. Now, Mike is still working on it...but soon we should be done.
So, we ALMOST have a phone. Yee hah. :)
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Early Friday Morning
It's the early morning here...I woke up just before the first call to prayer. I like the silence of the city in the early mornings. Just the odd car or two on the street...the buildings all dark. A different place in the early mornings.
Last nite we went to ACS-the American Community School-where Ryan attends. They hosted a New Family Dinner. Mistakenly and narrowsightedly I assumed they'd serve something American. :) Why do we assume those things? I think of myself as you know...big worldview, international and all that...but still, my first thought was maybe they will serve hamburgers. :) Nope, it was not hamburgers. It was little shish kbobs, and a very flavorful rice, and veggies, and some breaded chicken. It was very tasty and very international, which is what that school is...very international.. There was another Hildebrand there..definitely original Germans..not like us, a mixed breed. :)..and Jordanians, Indonesians, Texans, New Yorkers, South Africans, French,etc, etc. It's overwhelming and energizing all at the same time.
Speaking of food, night before last we took the family to dinner at a Lebanese restaurant...The Lebanonese Flower(as you can see the cooking thing comes in spurts...I've enjoyed not cooking for a couple of days...:)). It was very tasty. A huge platter of grilled meats, a bottomless basket of pita bread and an appetizer of fresh vegetables(which are ok to eat here...water is desalinized so much safer for weak American digestive tracks) and mint tea after dinner. Memories of Morocco all over the place....For a second we thought Sallie was eating a pigeon wing, as they had pigeon on the menu, but darn it! it was just a chicken wing...Wish you could have seen her face for those few seconds of unknown....priceless.
Today the kids classes start at church...technically it is what we call Sunday school but since we attend church on Friday..they just call the classes Explorers. We are invited to a company beach party this afternoon. I am looking forward to that as well. Hope it's sunny...hah! First time it rains here I'm out there in it!
Blessings!
Last nite we went to ACS-the American Community School-where Ryan attends. They hosted a New Family Dinner. Mistakenly and narrowsightedly I assumed they'd serve something American. :) Why do we assume those things? I think of myself as you know...big worldview, international and all that...but still, my first thought was maybe they will serve hamburgers. :) Nope, it was not hamburgers. It was little shish kbobs, and a very flavorful rice, and veggies, and some breaded chicken. It was very tasty and very international, which is what that school is...very international.. There was another Hildebrand there..definitely original Germans..not like us, a mixed breed. :)..and Jordanians, Indonesians, Texans, New Yorkers, South Africans, French,etc, etc. It's overwhelming and energizing all at the same time.
Speaking of food, night before last we took the family to dinner at a Lebanese restaurant...The Lebanonese Flower(as you can see the cooking thing comes in spurts...I've enjoyed not cooking for a couple of days...:)). It was very tasty. A huge platter of grilled meats, a bottomless basket of pita bread and an appetizer of fresh vegetables(which are ok to eat here...water is desalinized so much safer for weak American digestive tracks) and mint tea after dinner. Memories of Morocco all over the place....For a second we thought Sallie was eating a pigeon wing, as they had pigeon on the menu, but darn it! it was just a chicken wing...Wish you could have seen her face for those few seconds of unknown....priceless.
Today the kids classes start at church...technically it is what we call Sunday school but since we attend church on Friday..they just call the classes Explorers. We are invited to a company beach party this afternoon. I am looking forward to that as well. Hope it's sunny...hah! First time it rains here I'm out there in it!
Blessings!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Almost
So, we have our friend Dennis over for dinner last nite. We asked him if we were to have a bench built for our corner window would it be done right? He smiled and said Almost. This made us laugh because that is exactly what we had been talking about earlier.
You see, our new speakers had blown out and we took them to be fixed at this store that had been recommended to us. The guy fixed them easy as could be...and we were thrilled. Well, when Mike and Ryan went to set them up again...Wouldn't you know the guy fixed it, but then put the back on upside down...it was fixed..Almost. And my washer/dryer...well, the dryer still vents into the ceiling...they never fixed it...so it runs...Almost. Our stove top has 3 burners that work... So, you get the picture.
Tonight we had a sidetable/buffet delivered...in pieces. They put it together in the apt. It's a pretty piece made of mahogany that we are using for a TV table. The guy worked two or more hours putting it together, even assembling the drawers right here. All except for the 3 last handles. Didn't have all the parts. And we wanted holes in the back piece for cords, etc. So after two hours he said he'd be right back. Hmmmm...we sat there and waited for 2 hours. Both Mike and Ryan said he wouldn't be back with the parts to finish...I said, give them until 10pm and then I'll say they aren't coming....I love this part...at 9:50 the doorbell rings and there is a different guy with the rest of the parts. ( I loved the look on their faces!) So he puts the drawer handles on and then begins to put the holes in the back with the wrong kind of saw and rips of the wood on the back panel. We have a lovely TV cabinet...Almost. They are supposed to come back with the new back to put on. We'll see. May end up like the dryer. Oh well.
We also bought a beautiful carved bookcase that was delivered today. We think they just finished staining it before they brought it over. Our books are on it with pictures from home. We are nearly done shopping. Amen and amen.
It's starting to feel more like home...Almost.
You see, our new speakers had blown out and we took them to be fixed at this store that had been recommended to us. The guy fixed them easy as could be...and we were thrilled. Well, when Mike and Ryan went to set them up again...Wouldn't you know the guy fixed it, but then put the back on upside down...it was fixed..Almost. And my washer/dryer...well, the dryer still vents into the ceiling...they never fixed it...so it runs...Almost. Our stove top has 3 burners that work... So, you get the picture.
Tonight we had a sidetable/buffet delivered...in pieces. They put it together in the apt. It's a pretty piece made of mahogany that we are using for a TV table. The guy worked two or more hours putting it together, even assembling the drawers right here. All except for the 3 last handles. Didn't have all the parts. And we wanted holes in the back piece for cords, etc. So after two hours he said he'd be right back. Hmmmm...we sat there and waited for 2 hours. Both Mike and Ryan said he wouldn't be back with the parts to finish...I said, give them until 10pm and then I'll say they aren't coming....I love this part...at 9:50 the doorbell rings and there is a different guy with the rest of the parts. ( I loved the look on their faces!) So he puts the drawer handles on and then begins to put the holes in the back with the wrong kind of saw and rips of the wood on the back panel. We have a lovely TV cabinet...Almost. They are supposed to come back with the new back to put on. We'll see. May end up like the dryer. Oh well.
We also bought a beautiful carved bookcase that was delivered today. We think they just finished staining it before they brought it over. Our books are on it with pictures from home. We are nearly done shopping. Amen and amen.
It's starting to feel more like home...Almost.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Response from Mike to Darren's Pants issues
One would have thought that the zipper on the side would have tipped him off.
Internet, Internet, Internet
Dare I say that Mike's face lit up like Highland Park at Christmas this morning? The internet guy came and we are all set up!! Mike even danced into Ryan's room to tell him...(yes, he danced). (Ryan is home sick today from school..I'm not sure the dancing helped much, but the internet did!:)) So we are now connected.
Sallie's bed also showed up yesterday. and the tv. We are almost done with the house setting up thing. I for one will be very glad to be done shopping...:) Once I figure out how to cook on this very slow stovetop we will be ready for guests. That's if I can figure out more than 3 recipes to make. Ryan did help with dinner last nite...found a good recipe and I went and searched out the ingredients. That's the hard part. It took us about 2 hours in the kitchen to prepare dinner...ummmm...that ranks right up there with shopping for me. But it was fun to cook with Ryan. Maybe there is a Super Suppers or Dinner Station around here. It's a thought. :)
(In closing, may I address Darren Ford's blog of recent days? If you have not read the most recent of his blogs...fordsinbulgaria.org....you may want to check them out....but take them with a grain of salt. He is WAYYYY more competitive than me...and he definitely wins in the pants contest. Really, I am fine with that. I will say that it was one of my finer moments though...Especially when I discovered my pants were on inside out while we were sitting in the bank and Mike had his nice suit on...etc. etc.)
So, praise the Lord for internet. Will write more as it happens.
With love from Sandyland.....
Mattie, Mike, Ryan, Sallie and Robert
Sallie's bed also showed up yesterday. and the tv. We are almost done with the house setting up thing. I for one will be very glad to be done shopping...:) Once I figure out how to cook on this very slow stovetop we will be ready for guests. That's if I can figure out more than 3 recipes to make. Ryan did help with dinner last nite...found a good recipe and I went and searched out the ingredients. That's the hard part. It took us about 2 hours in the kitchen to prepare dinner...ummmm...that ranks right up there with shopping for me. But it was fun to cook with Ryan. Maybe there is a Super Suppers or Dinner Station around here. It's a thought. :)
(In closing, may I address Darren Ford's blog of recent days? If you have not read the most recent of his blogs...fordsinbulgaria.org....you may want to check them out....but take them with a grain of salt. He is WAYYYY more competitive than me...and he definitely wins in the pants contest. Really, I am fine with that. I will say that it was one of my finer moments though...Especially when I discovered my pants were on inside out while we were sitting in the bank and Mike had his nice suit on...etc. etc.)
So, praise the Lord for internet. Will write more as it happens.
With love from Sandyland.....
Mattie, Mike, Ryan, Sallie and Robert
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Hurray!
Ok, so my washer is working now! We still have a slight problem with the dryer..It is vented into the kitchen ceiling. but we do have a washer!!
Sallie and Robert and I went to a movie yesterday...after we went shopping for rugs...sigh. We saw Nancy Drew and it was very relaxing. Not the best movie ever but definitely a nice break. Hardest part was coming out of the theater and realizing we were halfway around the world. Still, it was fun.
I now have curtains up in our bedroom and Sallie's. Just a bit longer and we may be settled. The sheets are getting a bit old. :)
Sallie and Robert and I went to a movie yesterday...after we went shopping for rugs...sigh. We saw Nancy Drew and it was very relaxing. Not the best movie ever but definitely a nice break. Hardest part was coming out of the theater and realizing we were halfway around the world. Still, it was fun.
I now have curtains up in our bedroom and Sallie's. Just a bit longer and we may be settled. The sheets are getting a bit old. :)
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The Elevator
No, still no internet or washer but please remember to thank the Lord for Jeff and Mary and their kind, generous hearts...as here I am again...doing laundry and using their computer. :)
On our way out to the car today I actually met someone on the elevator...It is very rare to see other people in our apt. building for some reason. Her name is June Ko (my spelling) and I think she may be from Korea. We smiled at each other and I asked her how long she has been here. She said she was very new...only two weeks. I laughed and said.."Us, too!" She gave me a beautiful smile. Perhaps a new friend.
Yesterday we spent the day at the Beach with Jeff and Mary...(can you tell we rely on them?) and it was so relaxing. That evening we went to IKEA again to buy curtains...good thing we had some down time at the beach cuz IKEA was a beating...again. :) We did find some curtains to use for Sallie's room. She is doing a brown and turquoise theme for her room. She wants a swing chair to put in the corner(thanks Luella) and we are dreading it cuz the roof is cement block....That will be fun to hang. After we find a rug for Robert's room he will be done. He has a great raised bunk bed with a desk underneath and his own half bath. His room is small but just right for him.
Slowly but surely...new friends, new place...we are getting there. We love you all. Mattie
On our way out to the car today I actually met someone on the elevator...It is very rare to see other people in our apt. building for some reason. Her name is June Ko (my spelling) and I think she may be from Korea. We smiled at each other and I asked her how long she has been here. She said she was very new...only two weeks. I laughed and said.."Us, too!" She gave me a beautiful smile. Perhaps a new friend.
Yesterday we spent the day at the Beach with Jeff and Mary...(can you tell we rely on them?) and it was so relaxing. That evening we went to IKEA again to buy curtains...good thing we had some down time at the beach cuz IKEA was a beating...again. :) We did find some curtains to use for Sallie's room. She is doing a brown and turquoise theme for her room. She wants a swing chair to put in the corner(thanks Luella) and we are dreading it cuz the roof is cement block....That will be fun to hang. After we find a rug for Robert's room he will be done. He has a great raised bunk bed with a desk underneath and his own half bath. His room is small but just right for him.
Slowly but surely...new friends, new place...we are getting there. We love you all. Mattie
Friday, August 24, 2007
Our new friends, Jeff and Mary invited us over today after church to catch up on our emails and stuff... Sallie and Robert are playing with their kids. So, I thought I would take a minute to update the Blog. Jeff and Mary are the couple that saved Mike's sanity when they offered their house to stay in while they were in the US. They have a dog and this makes Sallie very happy. :)
The sermon today...our first service here in Abu Dhabi was called Lord, I've Got Another Problem...it was from Isaiah and he preached on Hezekiah. It made me laugh though cuz just last nite Mike said, "Mattie, everytime I think we have a problem solved something else goes wrong." :) He's right, you know.
We had our washer installed finally last nite. It took 4 hours and 5 guys to put it in....and then they all left and I went to finally do some laundry and we noticed that it took forever for the tub to fill. OOPS the water was draining as we were filling the tub...so no laundry yet. We will call the guy again. And then the phone Mike got Ryan isn't working. Just got that yesterday. Ok, so we are still trying to get internet and the company says there are no ports. So just what does that mean exactly...well, we will let you know when we figure it out.
But, on the plus side...Sallie's new phone works and she is a happy preteen...a pink Razor phone. The sink is no longer draining onto my feet...another plus. And the guy who is going to fix my stovetop also came by and will soon install my new burner so that I don't throw a breaker whenever I use that burner. See, things are also going well....just sort of a two steps forward and one step backwards. :) Ryan likes school and has good teachers. Our apt. is bright and sunny. We have beds and furniture. And we are really making friends with our building maintenance guy. :) Oh, and Robert got to have Dunkin Donuts today before church. Just like Texas.
Speaking of church....our first Friday service. I love the international feel...filipinos, chinese, indians, americans, south africans, british, germans, and so on....It was cool. (Well, not cool in the temp. sense but very fun to be worshipping with so many different believers) We were a bit late so came down to the front of the room...about the size of E122 at Bent Tree and the music started. We were all standing...Mike, Robert, and Ryan up front and Sallie and I just behind....I saw Ryan lean over to Mike and quickly they both sat down. Not a soul behind them could see the overhead...It was like standing behind a wall. I smiled as I remembered April Burk always telling Mike to move over cuz she couldn't see the screens. :) So the boys sat thru all the music...:) My friend Mary said that 17 different congregations meet in that building. As we were leaving the filipino congregation was coming in...and after them the indian church and then there is the Ethiopian group and the Chinese...and so on. I keep thinking of that song...He Reigns...
So, that was our first service. When you guys are at church on Sunday, Ryan will be at school and Mike will be at work...well, not really, as we will be done with our day by the time you go to church but still it is strange to not go to church on Sundays. By the way, we went to Fuddruckers for burgers after church. Kind of fun, huh?
The sermon today...our first service here in Abu Dhabi was called Lord, I've Got Another Problem...it was from Isaiah and he preached on Hezekiah. It made me laugh though cuz just last nite Mike said, "Mattie, everytime I think we have a problem solved something else goes wrong." :) He's right, you know.
We had our washer installed finally last nite. It took 4 hours and 5 guys to put it in....and then they all left and I went to finally do some laundry and we noticed that it took forever for the tub to fill. OOPS the water was draining as we were filling the tub...so no laundry yet. We will call the guy again. And then the phone Mike got Ryan isn't working. Just got that yesterday. Ok, so we are still trying to get internet and the company says there are no ports. So just what does that mean exactly...well, we will let you know when we figure it out.
But, on the plus side...Sallie's new phone works and she is a happy preteen...a pink Razor phone. The sink is no longer draining onto my feet...another plus. And the guy who is going to fix my stovetop also came by and will soon install my new burner so that I don't throw a breaker whenever I use that burner. See, things are also going well....just sort of a two steps forward and one step backwards. :) Ryan likes school and has good teachers. Our apt. is bright and sunny. We have beds and furniture. And we are really making friends with our building maintenance guy. :) Oh, and Robert got to have Dunkin Donuts today before church. Just like Texas.
Speaking of church....our first Friday service. I love the international feel...filipinos, chinese, indians, americans, south africans, british, germans, and so on....It was cool. (Well, not cool in the temp. sense but very fun to be worshipping with so many different believers) We were a bit late so came down to the front of the room...about the size of E122 at Bent Tree and the music started. We were all standing...Mike, Robert, and Ryan up front and Sallie and I just behind....I saw Ryan lean over to Mike and quickly they both sat down. Not a soul behind them could see the overhead...It was like standing behind a wall. I smiled as I remembered April Burk always telling Mike to move over cuz she couldn't see the screens. :) So the boys sat thru all the music...:) My friend Mary said that 17 different congregations meet in that building. As we were leaving the filipino congregation was coming in...and after them the indian church and then there is the Ethiopian group and the Chinese...and so on. I keep thinking of that song...He Reigns...
So, that was our first service. When you guys are at church on Sunday, Ryan will be at school and Mike will be at work...well, not really, as we will be done with our day by the time you go to church but still it is strange to not go to church on Sundays. By the way, we went to Fuddruckers for burgers after church. Kind of fun, huh?
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