We've heard from many of you at home that your Sunday School classes, school classes, friends, and church groups are also praying for us. We see that many visit our blog. This means that we have a lot of prayer support. You'd think that with so many people praying that God would answer our good prayers! So far, though, we are still stuck in Bangladesh despite daily prayers from all of you to bring us home. Kalina's packages continue to arrive late, leaving us without proper supplies for her. Nadeem and I have both suffered with health issues this week even though I prayed for our health for months before we left home.
Yesterday we got some shocking news from my mom. All this time we've thought that the fingerprints were in Texas for processing because that was the news from the senator's office. Apparently there was a misunderstanding. The lady processing our case said she would send them, so the senator's aid assumed that she had. Instead she held onto them in Atlanta for two weeks and just now sent them.
How do you respond to situations like this? This just happens to be our story, but all of us have had many times when our good prayers haven't been answered. I cannot begin to claim that I have anywhere close to total understanding. God's ways and thoughts are not ours. I do want to share some insights that God has given me over the past few years.
In one of his books, Neil Anderson talks about the difference between goals and desires. He defines a Godly goal as something that reflects God's purpose for your life and does not depend on people or circumstances beyond your ability or right to control. God's goal for your life is character development-for you to become the person God wants you to be-looking like Him. On the other hand, Godly desires (our good prayers), although good on the surface, may or may not be fulfilled.
Even God has desires and goals. He desires that all come to Him and have eternal life ("He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." -2 Peter 3:9). Of course that is good! We all want that, too! However, we know the reality is that not everyone will come to God. One of God's goals is to cast Satan into the abyss and for Jesus to return again. Nothing will prevent this.
In the Bible, Job's desire was to avoid pain and suffering and have his pleasant life restored. God's goal was for Job to know Him more intimately and value Him above all these things. ("I have heard of You by the hearing of my ear, but now I see You with spiritual eyes." -Job 42:5) Martha's desire was for the healing of her brother, Lazarus. God's goal was for people to see His glory as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus' desire was to avoid dying on the cross. God's goal was for us to have the gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life.
For many years my desire was to be a mom. I wrestled over and over with this unanswered good prayer. I thought maybe God was mad with me or maybe I wasn't doing enough for God or maybe God didn't care. After a while I lost hope and decided that this wasn't God's plan. I can tell you that my desire was never to adopt a child. Nadeem and I wanted our own biological children. My desire was never to travel to Bangladesh. My desire certainly wasn't to be here for two months and still counting. My desire is to avoid pain and have my happy plans work out. However, God's goal is to make me who He wants me to be and to show His glory so that people will believe in Him and follow Him. Sometimes that comes through pain.
Does having some understanding make the journey easier? Not completely. Nadeem and I struggle immensely every single day (sometimes every single hour) that we're here. For me I have to focus on the truth of God's Word. I have a stack of scripture cards where I write the verses that God gives me and I keep reading them over and over, thanking God for what He has said. I also journal a lot. My journal doesn't sound particularly "Christian." Parts are embarrassing as I tell God that I quit, that I've had it, that I don't know why He's not helping me, and on and on.
It took me a long time to get to the point where I could wrestle with God about issues. I thought that wasn't right to question God. However, Job and David give us models in the Bible to show that it's okay to work through tough questions with God. One of my favorite authors, John Eldredge, wrote about how he spent a year away from church and just sitting outside, not even reading the Bible, after his best friend died tragically. He was with God, but he had to work through a lot of questions and anguish.
I think it's so important to talk to God when good prayers aren't answered and stay with Him until you find peace. If you were angry or hurt with a person here on earth, hopefully you would go to that person instead of telling others how upset you were. Others can't resolve the problem. In the same way, go to God and tell Him about what's happening. Nadeem and I have plenty to tell God lately! He's faithful and always gives us some comfort or peace, usually not complete understanding, but by His grace, enough to move forward in faith.
I want to conclude with some encouraging news. My mom said that the senator's aid has promised to stay on top of the case. He has explained how urgent the need is for us to return home. Part of the reason for the delay was because there is one man in Texas who handles the processing of the paper fingerprints. The lady in Atlanta had to make sure that he was in the office and ready to receive our prints. She FedEx'd them straight to him. The senator's aid believes that we will receive our approval this week. It only takes maybe an hour to actually process the fingerprints.
May we be like Abraham who "against all hope, in hope believed." (Romans 4:18) We serve a mighty God. His goal will be accomplished! His promise will be fulfilled! He will deliver us home!
Friday, October 31, 2008
October 31
What does this day mean? For all of you at home, especially my younger friends, it means the chance to celebrate Halloween. Happy Halloween! My sweet friend Kelly gave Kalina a cute pumpkin costume. I told Kalina about Halloween this morning, and she listened very carefully. Maybe she could be a Thanksgiving pumpkin??
For me, this year October 31 means that we've been away from home for 8 weeks or 56 days. Every day God has given us strength for the day. Some days we don't feel we can make it through even one more day. This morning I made a November calendar. Who would have ever thought we'd be entering our third month here? A few days ago I went into a panic and despair, wondering when we'll ever come home. The message God gave Nadeem and me was to focus on the present, taking one day at a time. He'll provide. Every time I start worrying about the future it's a problem.
I've never been away from home for more than 10 days and that was just last year when we ewent to Europre for vacation. I'm a homebody. I'm the child who cried at Girl Scout camping trips and (though I wouldn't have admitted it then) even as a middle schooler on our Washington, D.C. trip. Nadeem grew up traveling and loves it. He always pushes me to stay gone a little longer, and I say no. I miss my home, my cats, my loved ones, and my routine too much. Some friends predicted that once I had Kalina that I would forget all about being away and feel really happy. Every day I miss being at home. I look at her and think about all that she has waiting for her. You would not ever want to raise your chlid in a third world country, in my opinion.
I've only made it through 8 weeks by the strength of God. It's a mighty strength that keeps you going when you're ready to quit. Before the trip I was scared and dreaded it and even sobbed the day we had to leave. (Thank God I had no idea what was in store!) I heard Beth Moore, a popular Bible teacher, explain a Bible verse about being "thoroughly equipped." She explained that the original meaning of this is "thoroughly equipped for now." She said that many are worried that they're not ready for what God has called them to do but that's becuase it's not time. When the time comes, you'll be ready. I feel the reality of that verse because in my own strength I could not be here.
Love to all from Sherri, Nadeem, and our precious Thanksgiving Pumpkin!
We plan to be home to give great thanks with you by the end of this month if not sooner! Kalina won't be 4 months for too much longer!
Special thanks to my mom and my cousin Tena for relentlessly pounding on doors of senators and representatives to bring us home!
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, THOUROUGHLY EQUIPPED for every good work>' -2 Timothy 3:16,17
For me, this year October 31 means that we've been away from home for 8 weeks or 56 days. Every day God has given us strength for the day. Some days we don't feel we can make it through even one more day. This morning I made a November calendar. Who would have ever thought we'd be entering our third month here? A few days ago I went into a panic and despair, wondering when we'll ever come home. The message God gave Nadeem and me was to focus on the present, taking one day at a time. He'll provide. Every time I start worrying about the future it's a problem.
I've never been away from home for more than 10 days and that was just last year when we ewent to Europre for vacation. I'm a homebody. I'm the child who cried at Girl Scout camping trips and (though I wouldn't have admitted it then) even as a middle schooler on our Washington, D.C. trip. Nadeem grew up traveling and loves it. He always pushes me to stay gone a little longer, and I say no. I miss my home, my cats, my loved ones, and my routine too much. Some friends predicted that once I had Kalina that I would forget all about being away and feel really happy. Every day I miss being at home. I look at her and think about all that she has waiting for her. You would not ever want to raise your chlid in a third world country, in my opinion.
I've only made it through 8 weeks by the strength of God. It's a mighty strength that keeps you going when you're ready to quit. Before the trip I was scared and dreaded it and even sobbed the day we had to leave. (Thank God I had no idea what was in store!) I heard Beth Moore, a popular Bible teacher, explain a Bible verse about being "thoroughly equipped." She explained that the original meaning of this is "thoroughly equipped for now." She said that many are worried that they're not ready for what God has called them to do but that's becuase it's not time. When the time comes, you'll be ready. I feel the reality of that verse because in my own strength I could not be here.
Love to all from Sherri, Nadeem, and our precious Thanksgiving Pumpkin!
We plan to be home to give great thanks with you by the end of this month if not sooner! Kalina won't be 4 months for too much longer!
Special thanks to my mom and my cousin Tena for relentlessly pounding on doors of senators and representatives to bring us home!
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, THOUROUGHLY EQUIPPED for every good work>' -2 Timothy 3:16,17
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Refiner's Fire
Yesterday I was really down and feeling pretty bad with this stomach bug. I really wanted to be at home in my own bed! I was struggling to see where God was in all of this. Isn't it enough that we're here for so long? Do I have to get sick, too? I felt like my prayers were hitting the ceiling.
Our devotional reading in the morning was based on Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." You may have heard the analogy of the refiner of precious metals and God. The refiner adds heat to the metal to remove any impurities, but he cannot allow too much fire. As soon as he sees his face reflected in the metal he extinguishes the fire. God can be compared to the refiner, and we are His metal.
That evening Nadeem had to go grocery shopping with Someira. Ayesha is still recovering from surgery and both servants were gone for the evening. I still wasn't feeling 100%, and I was a little concerned about caring for Kalina. To encourage myself, I decided to read a Psalm to Kalina. I randomly opened to this passage from Psalm 66: "For you, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; you laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment."
The verses that God has given Nadeem for many days is James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Clearly God is trying to send us a message. Nobody wants the fire and trials, but God also shows what lies ahead for the good.
This morning during Nadeem's prayer he talked about seeing God's beauty. I thought, "There is no beauty here." We've heard that other parts of Bangladesh are quite lovely-beautiful beaches, villages, bodies of water, and other nature. The city is so noisy and harsh. Then I reconsidered. If God is here, which He is, then there must be beauty. I've asked God all throughout the day to show me His beauty. Here is what I've seen so far: beautiful sunshine coming through our window, a beautiful smile on Kalina's face, the beauty of our family being able to cuddle up together on our bed this morning before starting our day, the beauty of my husband's kindess in giving his ice cream to an elderly guest, the beauty of my husband's loving touch in bathing Kalina while I type this, the beauty of God's love and His Word, and the beauty of the prayers and love of all of you at home that reach us here!
(Oh, and if you're wondering, God gave me strength to take care of Kalina while Nadeem was gone!)
Our devotional reading in the morning was based on Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." You may have heard the analogy of the refiner of precious metals and God. The refiner adds heat to the metal to remove any impurities, but he cannot allow too much fire. As soon as he sees his face reflected in the metal he extinguishes the fire. God can be compared to the refiner, and we are His metal.
That evening Nadeem had to go grocery shopping with Someira. Ayesha is still recovering from surgery and both servants were gone for the evening. I still wasn't feeling 100%, and I was a little concerned about caring for Kalina. To encourage myself, I decided to read a Psalm to Kalina. I randomly opened to this passage from Psalm 66: "For you, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; you laid affliction on our backs. You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfillment."
The verses that God has given Nadeem for many days is James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Clearly God is trying to send us a message. Nobody wants the fire and trials, but God also shows what lies ahead for the good.
This morning during Nadeem's prayer he talked about seeing God's beauty. I thought, "There is no beauty here." We've heard that other parts of Bangladesh are quite lovely-beautiful beaches, villages, bodies of water, and other nature. The city is so noisy and harsh. Then I reconsidered. If God is here, which He is, then there must be beauty. I've asked God all throughout the day to show me His beauty. Here is what I've seen so far: beautiful sunshine coming through our window, a beautiful smile on Kalina's face, the beauty of our family being able to cuddle up together on our bed this morning before starting our day, the beauty of my husband's kindess in giving his ice cream to an elderly guest, the beauty of my husband's loving touch in bathing Kalina while I type this, the beauty of God's love and His Word, and the beauty of the prayers and love of all of you at home that reach us here!
(Oh, and if you're wondering, God gave me strength to take care of Kalina while Nadeem was gone!)
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A Quick Message
Hi, Everyone! I wanted to post a quick message today. I have a stomach bug and finally this morning I have a little more energy. I want to thank Nadeem, the most wonderful husband and father, for taking care of Kalina and me all evening and night! We're waiting for our US approval to come any day now. Thanks for continuing to pray!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Mommy Moments
Today Kalina is 4 months old! We've had her for 6 weeks now. When she first came to us, she was such a tiny little baby. You could see her ribs, and her little arms and legs were so small. She arrived with a cough, a touch of diarrhea, and some skin issues. Now she is so much healthier and stronger and bigger! We are so thankful to God for providing healing for our little girl. She is a happy little angel (well, most of the time!). She smiles at everyone she meets, much to their delight. We've noticed that most babies and children here don't smile much.
When Kalina first came to us, she arrived without warning in the middle of the day as a surprise. She came crying with hunger. Quickly we scrambled to prepare a bottle, diapers, and clothing that we had brought from home. We were immediately thrown into parenthood without our family or friends to support us. We were scared! This was a big topic of my prayers before I left home. I was very nervous about taking care of such a tiny baby. I've never been a mom, and I'm used to older children. At home I'd have help and books and our pediatrician. Here we were on our own. God would have to be the source of our wisdom.
The first few days were challenging and scary. We faced a fairly newborn baby throwing up-quite shocking, I might add, if you haven't witnessed this before! Her first night with us she screamed for about an hour straight at 1:00 a.m. We were totally panicked. We really had on the job learning! Nobody helped us. In fact, people would ask me questions like "Why is she crying? Why did she throw up?" I realized that I was the mom!
I look back at how far we've come and I'm amazed and know that once again God provided for us. We still feel clueless and inept much of the time, but Kalina knows us and we know and love her. It's incredible to watch her grow and change. Just two days ago she discovered her toes! She leaned over from her new favorite sitting position and got this look like an archaelogist on a dig! It was really funny. Then she grabbed her toes, turned her head sideways to look at me, and gave me this big grin of ecstasy! Then she proceeded to try to pull her toes off. Probably not a good plan for when she's ready to walk in many months! My friend Lydia had told me that at around 4 months of age or so you start to see your baby learn something new pretty much every day. It's true! She loves looking at herself in the mirror now. She has been fascinated with this butterfly on the wall on Smeira's room where we sleep ever since she first came. I always sing this butterfly song when she sees it. Now when she hears the song, she smiles. She loves to be active and hates naps. That's when the not-so-angelic side of her surfaces. Get out your earplugs! She fights like a wild cat. She has learned to play with toys and also how to pull out her bottle and pacificier. She can almost put her pacifier back in correctly. She has a contagious laugh, usually in response to having her stomach tickled or hearing a song she likes to hear while she's looking in the mirror.
Oops, I think I hear my daughter now! Time to relieve Daddy and give Kalina her nap time!
Thanks so much for praying for us and loving us. I know that parents around the world watch their babies grow, and in some ways it's nothing new, but at the same time it's still a miracle!
When Kalina first came to us, she arrived without warning in the middle of the day as a surprise. She came crying with hunger. Quickly we scrambled to prepare a bottle, diapers, and clothing that we had brought from home. We were immediately thrown into parenthood without our family or friends to support us. We were scared! This was a big topic of my prayers before I left home. I was very nervous about taking care of such a tiny baby. I've never been a mom, and I'm used to older children. At home I'd have help and books and our pediatrician. Here we were on our own. God would have to be the source of our wisdom.
The first few days were challenging and scary. We faced a fairly newborn baby throwing up-quite shocking, I might add, if you haven't witnessed this before! Her first night with us she screamed for about an hour straight at 1:00 a.m. We were totally panicked. We really had on the job learning! Nobody helped us. In fact, people would ask me questions like "Why is she crying? Why did she throw up?" I realized that I was the mom!
I look back at how far we've come and I'm amazed and know that once again God provided for us. We still feel clueless and inept much of the time, but Kalina knows us and we know and love her. It's incredible to watch her grow and change. Just two days ago she discovered her toes! She leaned over from her new favorite sitting position and got this look like an archaelogist on a dig! It was really funny. Then she grabbed her toes, turned her head sideways to look at me, and gave me this big grin of ecstasy! Then she proceeded to try to pull her toes off. Probably not a good plan for when she's ready to walk in many months! My friend Lydia had told me that at around 4 months of age or so you start to see your baby learn something new pretty much every day. It's true! She loves looking at herself in the mirror now. She has been fascinated with this butterfly on the wall on Smeira's room where we sleep ever since she first came. I always sing this butterfly song when she sees it. Now when she hears the song, she smiles. She loves to be active and hates naps. That's when the not-so-angelic side of her surfaces. Get out your earplugs! She fights like a wild cat. She has learned to play with toys and also how to pull out her bottle and pacificier. She can almost put her pacifier back in correctly. She has a contagious laugh, usually in response to having her stomach tickled or hearing a song she likes to hear while she's looking in the mirror.
Oops, I think I hear my daughter now! Time to relieve Daddy and give Kalina her nap time!
Thanks so much for praying for us and loving us. I know that parents around the world watch their babies grow, and in some ways it's nothing new, but at the same time it's still a miracle!
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Dream
I've been thinking about this blog entry for quite some time and have hesitated to post it because it really needs a disclaimer. It involves a dream I had quite some time ago and what I feel God could be saying through it. This is where I need to be very careful because this is not necessarily what God means, only my interpretation.
Nadeem and I have prayed for the past year leading up to this journey for God's guidance, knowing this has always been God's plan. This spring God revealed to us that we should adopt a baby girl. Shortly afterwards, Hasan's mom told us there was a baby girl at the orphanage who would be 4 months old when we came in September. We were very amazed to see that God really was providing a child for us and that we hadn't been following Him in vain. The next day God brought something to my mind-a dream I had had many years ago. In the dream I was sitting at my mom's kitchen table holding a 4 month old baby girl. She was clearly mine to raise, but I hadn't given birth to her and had no idea why I had her. I just knew that her parents were gone for some reason. I woke up from the dream feeling very confused and then put it out of my mind until God reminded me again recently.
I got goosebumps and chills all over when I realized that God's plan was really huge-that years ago He had already selected a baby girl across the globe for us to raise in answer to our prayers and to fulfill His plan.
Shortly after this, Hasan's mom visited Atlanta. When we met her, she told us that there was a baby girl who would be 6 months old when we visited. What happened to the 4 month old girl? We didn't know. We knew this was the wrong baby. Nadeem told her that we had prayed and felt God calling us to adopt a 4 month old baby. When she returned to Bangladesh, she went back to the orphanage and found our Kalina. Originally we were told that her birthday was June 4 which meant she would be 3 months old when we met her and 4 months old when we brought her home at the end of September. That seemed to make sense. Then we learned that her birthday was actually June 28. No matter how you counted, she wouldn't be 4 months old. I didn't know what to make of this. She was the only girl in the orphanage other than the 6 month old. Nadeem and I felt she was our daughter, but I didn't understand the dream. Maybe it meant nothing. It seemed strange, though, that I vividly remembered the number 4 months. All along this has been in the back of my mind.
At the end of September as our plans were first being delayed I had this moment of panic as I suddenly wondered if perhaps I hadn't understood the dream completely at first. What if the dream meant that we were to return home with Kalina when she was four months old? I couldn't bear to think about being here for so long, and I certainly didn't want to post this for all back home to worry about as well.
Now, however, Kalina is almost 4 months old. She'll be 4 months old tomorrow! Does this mean that we'll be coming home soon? I don't know for sure. I suspect that maybe God gave us an idea of His appointed time to deliver us. God does send messages through dreams. Again, I'm not sure. What I do know is that God WILL deliver us at the right time! We are one day closer to seeing that victory! Thanks for praying for us and waiting expectantly.
Nadeem and I have prayed for the past year leading up to this journey for God's guidance, knowing this has always been God's plan. This spring God revealed to us that we should adopt a baby girl. Shortly afterwards, Hasan's mom told us there was a baby girl at the orphanage who would be 4 months old when we came in September. We were very amazed to see that God really was providing a child for us and that we hadn't been following Him in vain. The next day God brought something to my mind-a dream I had had many years ago. In the dream I was sitting at my mom's kitchen table holding a 4 month old baby girl. She was clearly mine to raise, but I hadn't given birth to her and had no idea why I had her. I just knew that her parents were gone for some reason. I woke up from the dream feeling very confused and then put it out of my mind until God reminded me again recently.
I got goosebumps and chills all over when I realized that God's plan was really huge-that years ago He had already selected a baby girl across the globe for us to raise in answer to our prayers and to fulfill His plan.
Shortly after this, Hasan's mom visited Atlanta. When we met her, she told us that there was a baby girl who would be 6 months old when we visited. What happened to the 4 month old girl? We didn't know. We knew this was the wrong baby. Nadeem told her that we had prayed and felt God calling us to adopt a 4 month old baby. When she returned to Bangladesh, she went back to the orphanage and found our Kalina. Originally we were told that her birthday was June 4 which meant she would be 3 months old when we met her and 4 months old when we brought her home at the end of September. That seemed to make sense. Then we learned that her birthday was actually June 28. No matter how you counted, she wouldn't be 4 months old. I didn't know what to make of this. She was the only girl in the orphanage other than the 6 month old. Nadeem and I felt she was our daughter, but I didn't understand the dream. Maybe it meant nothing. It seemed strange, though, that I vividly remembered the number 4 months. All along this has been in the back of my mind.
At the end of September as our plans were first being delayed I had this moment of panic as I suddenly wondered if perhaps I hadn't understood the dream completely at first. What if the dream meant that we were to return home with Kalina when she was four months old? I couldn't bear to think about being here for so long, and I certainly didn't want to post this for all back home to worry about as well.
Now, however, Kalina is almost 4 months old. She'll be 4 months old tomorrow! Does this mean that we'll be coming home soon? I don't know for sure. I suspect that maybe God gave us an idea of His appointed time to deliver us. God does send messages through dreams. Again, I'm not sure. What I do know is that God WILL deliver us at the right time! We are one day closer to seeing that victory! Thanks for praying for us and waiting expectantly.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
The Significance of Fingerprints
Fall has arrived in Bangladesh! For the past two days we've had rain with temperatures in the low 80's/high 70's! This has caused an increase in traffic resulting in classes being canceled today at Someira's university. Also, everyone is bundling up-wearing long sleeves and slippers in the house. A neighbor brought by her grandson who is Kalina's age. He was dressed in winter clothing-long pants and a long sleeved shirt. For us, we're doing a happy dance not to be sweating all day! They asked us if we want a heavy quilt for our bed. I'm sure you can guess what we answered!
Hasan's parents are back, and his mom is recovering nicely from her surgery. Thank you for continuing to pray for this kind family.
Many have asked when we're coming home. We don't know. As soon as we get Kalina's visa we'll come! The obstacles in our journey have all centered around fingerprints. Nadeem and I were totally new to the adoption process, and there are no adoption agencies that work in Bangladesh, so we trusted God to guide us and open doors.
The US process for adopting a child domestically or internationally is really tough. We had to have medical exams, a home inspection, repeated interviews with an accredited agency, six written references, mounds of paperwork-and fingerprints. This is where our trouble first started. For the home study you must have fingerprints taken. We were under a tight time frame, but our attorney and an accredited agency told us we could be approved in time, not to worry, just to work fast. We did! We got everything completed, including the fingerprints. Then we waited for the fingerprints to be approved....and waited....and waited...as time ticked by, closer and closer to our departure date. Everything else was set. Nadeem kept calling the agency to find out what the problem was. After much conversation back and forth between the agency who does the home study and the government agency who processes the fingerprints, we were told that Nadeem's fingerprints were lost. We thought this was odd because they were taken on what's called a live scan, which means that the computer reads your fingerprints and electronically transmits them for processing immediately. How could they be lost, especially if mine weren't? We asked if Nadeem should have them taken again. We had more back and forth conversations included a heated conversation with the employee who took the fingerprints who got angry that we said they were lost and hung up the phone in a huff. You can't just walk in and have fingerprints taken. You must have an appointment. While we tried to deal with this situation, the agency called to say that actually the fingerprints weren't lost. Instead what they meant to say was that there was a problem processing them because of Nadeem's amputated fingers on his left hand. This has never been a problem before. He even became a US citizen with fingerprints taken excluding his missing fingers. We asked them to please reconsider or allow us to do the prints again. Meanwhile, time ticked on. We had to have these fingerprints approved before we could file the I600A, the official form asking if we could be adoptive parents in the US. We needed this done before we left. Both the lawyer's aid and the agency told us we couldn't file without the fingerprints being approved by the FBI. I want to also share that we already had obtained state of Georgia clearance-in one day. At the last moment, our friend who recently adopted from Russia told Nadeem that you don't have to have FBI clearance in order to file the paperwork. Nadeem talked to the lawyer's aid and agency who agreed that this was indeed true. They then completed the initial requirements allowing us to file the I600A.
Yet again we dealt with fingerprints. Can you believe that you must have your fingerprints taken yet again for the I600A process? The governmental departments are separate and don't share with each other. We asked many to pray for us, that we could get the fingerprints done before leaving. The lawyer's aid told us we could probably beg for mercy. We drove near downtown to beg. They wouldn't budge. All we needed was a sheet saying we had filed our application so that we could get our fingerprints taken. We had sent the application by FedEx. They refused, even though we tracked it and knew it was there. We really didn't know what to do. We kept thinking God would surely make a way. We even waited in the office for a while hoping that someone compassionate would help us. Nobody did.
The next day we were due to depart for Bangladesh. We were told not to leave without having the fingerprints taken. We prayed and felt certain that God told us to go. Let me tell you that we were scared and didn't want to go, but we knew this was God's plan all along and not ours, so we obeyed, knowing God had power to help us.
Can you believe that we then got Nadeem's approved fingerprints from the first round? Also the very next day, the day that we left, the governmental department mailed us the form we had begged for the previous day.
Then of course we arrived in Bangladesh with no fingerprint approval. This is when we were originally told repeatedly both by the US Embassy here and the people at home that we had no choice but to leave Kalina here, fly home, have our fingerprints taken, wait for approval, and then fly back. We knew that wasn't God's plan. Sure enough, if you've followed our blog, you know that at last we were able to have our fingerprints taken here. This has never happened in Bangladesh for adoptions. They don't even have the equipment, so our prints were taken on cards, not on the computer. Charles Spry from Senator Isakson's office said that it has been years since his seasoned colleague has seen anything like this.
Now we've learned that our fingerprints have reached their final destination-the processing site in Texas. We're waiting still for approval. The government department hasn't answered any of our calls or emails. We're enormously thankful to the senator's offices for helping us! They have promised to keep us updated. We believe the approval can come any day now. Please keep praying!
It is amazing and frustrating to see the series of mishaps and mess-ups all centered around fingerprints. It's also a bit confusing to us. God could have easily fixed all of this at the beginning of our journey instead of allowing us to stay here for so long. We've seen His hand on our adoption journey over and over. Why not with the fingerprints?
I follow a beautiful blog written by a hero of mine, Adam Tyson. I don't know him personally, but I see his strong faith in his writings, and I've heard him share his story-on my birthday, in fact. His three year old son is in need of God's healing. They've already seen many miracles. Adam adores his son and shares about their experiences and his faith walk. In his recent posting, he kept talking about God's fingerprints. Of course that word caught my eye-fingerprints! At first I thought it meant literal fingerprints. We think about fingerprints a lot, as you can imagine! However, he was talking about signs of God in his life. If you look, you can find them. If not, you might miss them. This really made me think. I believe that our story is about far more than fingerprints in the natural. I pondered what fingerprints are. For us, they'll tell that we're not criminals. Past that, fingerprints are your unique mark, your identification, the way of telling where you've been and what you've done. I believe this adoption journey is filled with the fingerprints of God. He's also allowing us to leave fingerprints-in the lives of the people we meet in Bangladesh, in Kalina's life, and in your lives. I still have way more questions than I have answers. Like all of you, I'd love to know when we're coming home! We don't know, but we do know that God has us in the palm of His hand. I pray that we all see His fingerprints in a fresh, new way.
Hasan's parents are back, and his mom is recovering nicely from her surgery. Thank you for continuing to pray for this kind family.
Many have asked when we're coming home. We don't know. As soon as we get Kalina's visa we'll come! The obstacles in our journey have all centered around fingerprints. Nadeem and I were totally new to the adoption process, and there are no adoption agencies that work in Bangladesh, so we trusted God to guide us and open doors.
The US process for adopting a child domestically or internationally is really tough. We had to have medical exams, a home inspection, repeated interviews with an accredited agency, six written references, mounds of paperwork-and fingerprints. This is where our trouble first started. For the home study you must have fingerprints taken. We were under a tight time frame, but our attorney and an accredited agency told us we could be approved in time, not to worry, just to work fast. We did! We got everything completed, including the fingerprints. Then we waited for the fingerprints to be approved....and waited....and waited...as time ticked by, closer and closer to our departure date. Everything else was set. Nadeem kept calling the agency to find out what the problem was. After much conversation back and forth between the agency who does the home study and the government agency who processes the fingerprints, we were told that Nadeem's fingerprints were lost. We thought this was odd because they were taken on what's called a live scan, which means that the computer reads your fingerprints and electronically transmits them for processing immediately. How could they be lost, especially if mine weren't? We asked if Nadeem should have them taken again. We had more back and forth conversations included a heated conversation with the employee who took the fingerprints who got angry that we said they were lost and hung up the phone in a huff. You can't just walk in and have fingerprints taken. You must have an appointment. While we tried to deal with this situation, the agency called to say that actually the fingerprints weren't lost. Instead what they meant to say was that there was a problem processing them because of Nadeem's amputated fingers on his left hand. This has never been a problem before. He even became a US citizen with fingerprints taken excluding his missing fingers. We asked them to please reconsider or allow us to do the prints again. Meanwhile, time ticked on. We had to have these fingerprints approved before we could file the I600A, the official form asking if we could be adoptive parents in the US. We needed this done before we left. Both the lawyer's aid and the agency told us we couldn't file without the fingerprints being approved by the FBI. I want to also share that we already had obtained state of Georgia clearance-in one day. At the last moment, our friend who recently adopted from Russia told Nadeem that you don't have to have FBI clearance in order to file the paperwork. Nadeem talked to the lawyer's aid and agency who agreed that this was indeed true. They then completed the initial requirements allowing us to file the I600A.
Yet again we dealt with fingerprints. Can you believe that you must have your fingerprints taken yet again for the I600A process? The governmental departments are separate and don't share with each other. We asked many to pray for us, that we could get the fingerprints done before leaving. The lawyer's aid told us we could probably beg for mercy. We drove near downtown to beg. They wouldn't budge. All we needed was a sheet saying we had filed our application so that we could get our fingerprints taken. We had sent the application by FedEx. They refused, even though we tracked it and knew it was there. We really didn't know what to do. We kept thinking God would surely make a way. We even waited in the office for a while hoping that someone compassionate would help us. Nobody did.
The next day we were due to depart for Bangladesh. We were told not to leave without having the fingerprints taken. We prayed and felt certain that God told us to go. Let me tell you that we were scared and didn't want to go, but we knew this was God's plan all along and not ours, so we obeyed, knowing God had power to help us.
Can you believe that we then got Nadeem's approved fingerprints from the first round? Also the very next day, the day that we left, the governmental department mailed us the form we had begged for the previous day.
Then of course we arrived in Bangladesh with no fingerprint approval. This is when we were originally told repeatedly both by the US Embassy here and the people at home that we had no choice but to leave Kalina here, fly home, have our fingerprints taken, wait for approval, and then fly back. We knew that wasn't God's plan. Sure enough, if you've followed our blog, you know that at last we were able to have our fingerprints taken here. This has never happened in Bangladesh for adoptions. They don't even have the equipment, so our prints were taken on cards, not on the computer. Charles Spry from Senator Isakson's office said that it has been years since his seasoned colleague has seen anything like this.
Now we've learned that our fingerprints have reached their final destination-the processing site in Texas. We're waiting still for approval. The government department hasn't answered any of our calls or emails. We're enormously thankful to the senator's offices for helping us! They have promised to keep us updated. We believe the approval can come any day now. Please keep praying!
It is amazing and frustrating to see the series of mishaps and mess-ups all centered around fingerprints. It's also a bit confusing to us. God could have easily fixed all of this at the beginning of our journey instead of allowing us to stay here for so long. We've seen His hand on our adoption journey over and over. Why not with the fingerprints?
I follow a beautiful blog written by a hero of mine, Adam Tyson. I don't know him personally, but I see his strong faith in his writings, and I've heard him share his story-on my birthday, in fact. His three year old son is in need of God's healing. They've already seen many miracles. Adam adores his son and shares about their experiences and his faith walk. In his recent posting, he kept talking about God's fingerprints. Of course that word caught my eye-fingerprints! At first I thought it meant literal fingerprints. We think about fingerprints a lot, as you can imagine! However, he was talking about signs of God in his life. If you look, you can find them. If not, you might miss them. This really made me think. I believe that our story is about far more than fingerprints in the natural. I pondered what fingerprints are. For us, they'll tell that we're not criminals. Past that, fingerprints are your unique mark, your identification, the way of telling where you've been and what you've done. I believe this adoption journey is filled with the fingerprints of God. He's also allowing us to leave fingerprints-in the lives of the people we meet in Bangladesh, in Kalina's life, and in your lives. I still have way more questions than I have answers. Like all of you, I'd love to know when we're coming home! We don't know, but we do know that God has us in the palm of His hand. I pray that we all see His fingerprints in a fresh, new way.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Time
Time has always seemed so strange to me. An hour in the dentist's chair can be agony, but an hour with friends can fly by. Here we're ten hours ahead of you. Nadeem jokingly said that we can tell you what will happen "today" because we've already experienced it. At home it's easier to mark the passage of time. We're active and purposeful, we watch the seasons change, and we have scheduled events and holidays. Here time does not seem to pass. The weather has been the same since we've arrived-hot. The outdoors looks the same. The days have the same basic routine. Nadeem and I have no scheduled events like we do at home. We do not work here, not even around the house. I hear about activites at home, and it sounds so strange, kind of foreign even-football games, plays, trips to the mountains, a talent show, playing tennis, getting ready for Thanksgiving. Our days seem to have no meaning here which leads to the question what matters? We think a lot about what our life will be like when we return to the US. Nadeem will go to work, I'll be at home as a mom, we'll visit loved ones, we'll pet our cats, we'll do fun activities, and so on. My friend Angela who posts our photos told me about the dash in your life-the line between the date of your birth and your death on your gravestone. That dash matters. How are you spending your time here on earth? I'm learning that God sees time so much more differently than we do. He's outside of our time. I've heard it described as though He's watching the parade of life from a hot air balloon. He sees it all. We, however, watch from the ground on the sidelines and see only what's in front of us. We don't have the big picture. Sitting here doing relatively nothing day after day seems meaningless to us. However, God is doing something in us while we're here. I do have a calendar with me, and I chart the days. Do you know where we see time pass? In Kalina! Our little girl is growing and changing. Today Nadeem and I picked her up and noticed how heavy she has become. I struggled to dress her in an outfit that hung off her a few weeks ago. We marvel over what she can do-sit up with our help, grasp toys, and make new sounds. She couldn't do any of this and then suddenly she could! Before our trip Nadeem prayed fervently one day. We were both worried about many things. The message God gave Nadeem was to go to Bangladesh to show Kalina His love and not to get distracted by anything else. While we're here we're "just" taking care of Kalina. Maybe that's the point! What's more important on this earth than love for God and love for others? Maybe at home we'd be too preoccupied to really love God and others. Today for the first time we woke up to cooler weather. Everything has a season and a time. Time does pass by. May we make the most of each day here and at home.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Give Thanks in All Circumstances
I'm continuing to read The Hiding Place, the story of Corrie Ten Boom. God often sends me messages through books. I've actually owned this book and wanted to read it for 5 years, but now at this time He has drawn my attention to it.
In one scene, Corrie and her sister Betsie had been taken to a terrible concentration camp, the worst place they'd been so far. After sleeping outside for days, they were finally given their "beds" inside-filthy, rancid, straw coverd platforms where many women had to squeeze into one bed. Then they discovered to their mounting horror that the "beds" were infested with fleas. Corrie cried out, "How can we live in such a place?" Her sister excitedly responded that God had already provided the answer just that morning as they read the Bible.
I was really excited and hopeful. Just the night before, as I was starting Kalina's middle of the night feeding, I looked down to see ants crawling over her and me in our bed! The mosquitos are finally less bothersome, and now we're plagued with ants! (As an important side note, this is a reflection of this tropical, hot country-not of the housekeeping in this home.) I was so upset and frustrated. Yet another problem! Poor Nadeem had the fun task of killing ants while I tried to feed a hungry baby.
I was particularly interested in hearing what God had told Betsie about living in such a place. She referenced the verse in First Thessalonians that says "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances." She was so happy to share with Corrie that they should give thanks! Inwardly I moaned. You've got to be kidding! This is the great revelation? I don't want to give thanks! She prompted Corrie to start giving thanks. First they gave thanks that they were together. Well, Nadeem and I are here together, so I could give thanks for that. Then they gave thanks that they had their Bible which had remained myseteriously hidden from the guards' eyes during inspection. We have a Bible here. I could give thanks for that. Then Betsie said to give thanks for the fleas. Corrie thought her sister had lost her mind. I did, too. Betsie reminded me of Stephen in the book of Acts, who, as he was being killed, asked God to forgive his killers. Corrie often wrote that her sister was not of this world. I agree!
This passage really made me think-after I finished being mad at the idea of giving thanks. Most days I try to record praises in my journal. I'll sit until I can recall even a simple item for which to give thanks such as a cool breeze or an email from home or fresh fruit. However, I have never given thanks for what I consider hard or unpleasant. I thank God in general that He's using this journey for good and that He'll bring us home, but I haven't thanked Him for ants or mosquitos or vaccines and tears or missing packages; you get the idea. I'm not sure it's in me to give thanks in all circumstances just yet.
Later in the book, much to my surprise, the importance of the fleas was revealed. Each day Betsie was able to host a Bible reading/worship time for many women. Strangely, the guards never investigated their activities but left the ladies to themselves although the guards patrolled the other areas of the camp. One day Betsie discovered why. She overheard a guard saying that she would never go into that flea infested area! I was astounded. It brought to life the verse from Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
This morning I had a couple of different thoughts of what to share on the blog today. I asked God which to share. For the past few days we've been ant free. We prayed against the ants and for God's protection, and in the natural the servant cleaned our room thoroughly. Just then an ant crawled onto my hand. :)
Nadeem and I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and for your thanksgiving. We would like to ask all of you to please pray for our host family here-Someira (suh MY ruh), Ayesha (EYE shah), and Tayeb (TIE eb), and of course Hasan in the US. Hasan's parents return on Saturday evening from their trip to India where his mom had surgery. She is recovering nicely. Please remember all of them in your prayers.
We know that God is working ALL things together for our good! We're one day closer to seeing the victory and coming home!
In one scene, Corrie and her sister Betsie had been taken to a terrible concentration camp, the worst place they'd been so far. After sleeping outside for days, they were finally given their "beds" inside-filthy, rancid, straw coverd platforms where many women had to squeeze into one bed. Then they discovered to their mounting horror that the "beds" were infested with fleas. Corrie cried out, "How can we live in such a place?" Her sister excitedly responded that God had already provided the answer just that morning as they read the Bible.
I was really excited and hopeful. Just the night before, as I was starting Kalina's middle of the night feeding, I looked down to see ants crawling over her and me in our bed! The mosquitos are finally less bothersome, and now we're plagued with ants! (As an important side note, this is a reflection of this tropical, hot country-not of the housekeeping in this home.) I was so upset and frustrated. Yet another problem! Poor Nadeem had the fun task of killing ants while I tried to feed a hungry baby.
I was particularly interested in hearing what God had told Betsie about living in such a place. She referenced the verse in First Thessalonians that says "Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances." She was so happy to share with Corrie that they should give thanks! Inwardly I moaned. You've got to be kidding! This is the great revelation? I don't want to give thanks! She prompted Corrie to start giving thanks. First they gave thanks that they were together. Well, Nadeem and I are here together, so I could give thanks for that. Then they gave thanks that they had their Bible which had remained myseteriously hidden from the guards' eyes during inspection. We have a Bible here. I could give thanks for that. Then Betsie said to give thanks for the fleas. Corrie thought her sister had lost her mind. I did, too. Betsie reminded me of Stephen in the book of Acts, who, as he was being killed, asked God to forgive his killers. Corrie often wrote that her sister was not of this world. I agree!
This passage really made me think-after I finished being mad at the idea of giving thanks. Most days I try to record praises in my journal. I'll sit until I can recall even a simple item for which to give thanks such as a cool breeze or an email from home or fresh fruit. However, I have never given thanks for what I consider hard or unpleasant. I thank God in general that He's using this journey for good and that He'll bring us home, but I haven't thanked Him for ants or mosquitos or vaccines and tears or missing packages; you get the idea. I'm not sure it's in me to give thanks in all circumstances just yet.
Later in the book, much to my surprise, the importance of the fleas was revealed. Each day Betsie was able to host a Bible reading/worship time for many women. Strangely, the guards never investigated their activities but left the ladies to themselves although the guards patrolled the other areas of the camp. One day Betsie discovered why. She overheard a guard saying that she would never go into that flea infested area! I was astounded. It brought to life the verse from Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for the good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
This morning I had a couple of different thoughts of what to share on the blog today. I asked God which to share. For the past few days we've been ant free. We prayed against the ants and for God's protection, and in the natural the servant cleaned our room thoroughly. Just then an ant crawled onto my hand. :)
Nadeem and I would like to thank all of you for your prayers and for your thanksgiving. We would like to ask all of you to please pray for our host family here-Someira (suh MY ruh), Ayesha (EYE shah), and Tayeb (TIE eb), and of course Hasan in the US. Hasan's parents return on Saturday evening from their trip to India where his mom had surgery. She is recovering nicely. Please remember all of them in your prayers.
We know that God is working ALL things together for our good! We're one day closer to seeing the victory and coming home!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Being a Woman in Bangladesh
After being in Bangladesh for seven weeks, I can tell you that it's hard to be a woman here in my opinion. The country is still very traditional. Women must wear either saris or salwar kameezes while men choose their clothing-anything from jeans to shorts to their traditional clothing. Even at the beach the women wear the full salwar kameez, even when playing in the water by the shore. (Most people here don't know how to swim.) There are no cheerleaders for sporting events such as soccer and cricket because they can't wear cheerleader outfits. The women must be properly dressed at all times. At home I would wear shorts and a t-shirt, at least in my own house. Here you're never sure when visitors will arrive, so you must be fully clothed when you leave the bedroom. At night the ladies here even wear long nightgowns. In the apartment here I don't wear the scarf because it's hot and cumbersome to me, but if visitors come or we go out, I quickly throw it on. I do want to point out, though, that the ladies here really love this way of dressing.
Fitness is very difficult here, too. At home I go to Jazzercise (aerobics) classes. Here the women would have trouble moving in their clothing, I would think. I have trouble moving in it! Plus, it's really hot all the time! I've heard it's about 60 degrees at home now. Here it's 91 degrees today. It's a really weird heat. It totally wipes you out and makes you feel kind of sick. It's not like 91 degrees at home. Lastly, trying to go anywhere to exercise would be really difficult. I've already mentioned how bad traffic is. The city is relatively small, but going from one side of town to the other can take hours because you just sit in a perpetual traffic jam. I do workout on occasion here. I brought songs on my ipod, and when I'm able I do a sort of workout in our bedroom here. It's not the same as being at home, though!
I miss doing housework and cooking and making decisions about the household. Here the women have servants to do everything. Part of the wife's job is to hire and manage the servants. The servants usually come from the villages surrounding the city. Many live with the families that hire them. Others live close by. One servant lives here, and two live close by.
Most women do not work outside the home. When a woman gets married, if she wants to work, her husband decides if she can or not.
I especially miss being in Bible study groups with women at home! Here the population is predominately Muslim. The men and women go to separate mosques (their holy place, sort of like a church). For those of you who have a church home or a Bible study group, take a moment and be very thankful!
Women do not go out by themselves here. First of all, I know of no women who drive here. Everyone has a driver, and if he is not able to drive then the men of the house might drive, or you might take a rickshaw or scooter. Also, it's improper for a woman to be out alone. The other day when I went to the mall in the afternoon with Someira, we took a rickshaw on the way home. I stopped to take photos, and Someira noticed that the men were giving us looks. She said it was not a good place and that we should leave right away. This was right outside the mall (the photo you see of the market). Nadeem often escorts the ladies on shopping outings while I take care of Kalina.
At home I love to read. I haven't seen any women reading here. In fact I haven't seen a bookstore or library. They might exist, but I haven't seen any. The pasttimes, as I mentioned before, are shopping, visiting, and watching t.v.
The women here embrace their culture. Hasan's sister has lived both here and in the US, and she loves life in Bangladesh. I think what you're used to plays a big role in your viewpoint. For me, life here is difficult. It makes me appreciate what I have in the US so much more. For these ladies, life here feels like home-because it is for them. They enjoy it.
Thank you for continuing to pray for us! You may be able to tell that we're a bit homesick. We're eager for the appointed time to arrive for God to bring us all home. In the meantime, we're praying that God will direct us and strengthen us each day. Since we're not yet home, we're still here for a reason. God's purpose for us here has not yet been completed, but it will as just the right time.
Fitness is very difficult here, too. At home I go to Jazzercise (aerobics) classes. Here the women would have trouble moving in their clothing, I would think. I have trouble moving in it! Plus, it's really hot all the time! I've heard it's about 60 degrees at home now. Here it's 91 degrees today. It's a really weird heat. It totally wipes you out and makes you feel kind of sick. It's not like 91 degrees at home. Lastly, trying to go anywhere to exercise would be really difficult. I've already mentioned how bad traffic is. The city is relatively small, but going from one side of town to the other can take hours because you just sit in a perpetual traffic jam. I do workout on occasion here. I brought songs on my ipod, and when I'm able I do a sort of workout in our bedroom here. It's not the same as being at home, though!
I miss doing housework and cooking and making decisions about the household. Here the women have servants to do everything. Part of the wife's job is to hire and manage the servants. The servants usually come from the villages surrounding the city. Many live with the families that hire them. Others live close by. One servant lives here, and two live close by.
Most women do not work outside the home. When a woman gets married, if she wants to work, her husband decides if she can or not.
I especially miss being in Bible study groups with women at home! Here the population is predominately Muslim. The men and women go to separate mosques (their holy place, sort of like a church). For those of you who have a church home or a Bible study group, take a moment and be very thankful!
Women do not go out by themselves here. First of all, I know of no women who drive here. Everyone has a driver, and if he is not able to drive then the men of the house might drive, or you might take a rickshaw or scooter. Also, it's improper for a woman to be out alone. The other day when I went to the mall in the afternoon with Someira, we took a rickshaw on the way home. I stopped to take photos, and Someira noticed that the men were giving us looks. She said it was not a good place and that we should leave right away. This was right outside the mall (the photo you see of the market). Nadeem often escorts the ladies on shopping outings while I take care of Kalina.
At home I love to read. I haven't seen any women reading here. In fact I haven't seen a bookstore or library. They might exist, but I haven't seen any. The pasttimes, as I mentioned before, are shopping, visiting, and watching t.v.
The women here embrace their culture. Hasan's sister has lived both here and in the US, and she loves life in Bangladesh. I think what you're used to plays a big role in your viewpoint. For me, life here is difficult. It makes me appreciate what I have in the US so much more. For these ladies, life here feels like home-because it is for them. They enjoy it.
Thank you for continuing to pray for us! You may be able to tell that we're a bit homesick. We're eager for the appointed time to arrive for God to bring us all home. In the meantime, we're praying that God will direct us and strengthen us each day. Since we're not yet home, we're still here for a reason. God's purpose for us here has not yet been completed, but it will as just the right time.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Love Your Neighbor
From Nadeem:
"Love your neighbor as yourself" This message is in the Torah, all over the Bible, and also in the Muslim's Holy Qu'ran. But how can I love my neighbor when I spend all my time in judgement of my neighbor? I have been battling with this sin issue for a long time and have given it up to the Lord, but with no results. Let's be honest. Not only are we constantly judging ourselves but we lose patience with the ones we love the most - me starting with my beautiful, wonderful wife (Hey, it never hurts to score some points) and my pretty new daughter, Kalina, only after one month and a half. "God in Heaven, help me give up myself, let go of my pride, and love my neighbor." I have earnestly been praying that prayer for over a year.
Now God has brought me to a place where this is even harder to do. We are now in a culture where gossiping (gupshup - the one Bengla word I have known since childhood)is the number one activity. It is very hard to not get caught up in all the gupshup. Yes, I am being judgmental of my own people. Why does God seem to make things harder when answering prayers? Could it be because I am so hard headed and easy to forget what I learn?
The first thing Christ has done is work on my pride. I feel like I have no significance here - none. I am in control of nothing. The people don't respect me because I don't speak Bangla. I can maybe understand about 50% of what is said, and the times I do understand 100% is when someone is talking bad about me. What is up with that? Yes, I am turning the other cheek, but hitting walls inside my head and filling up with enough anxiety that I want to throw up. It is a very humbling experience to depend on others for your food, transportation, communication, security, etc. I turn to Ecclesiastes where it says life is meaningless. Of course, without Christ leading your life this is true. I like that old song, "I surrender all". I just wish it was easier to surrender all.
Between 2am and 5am (timing varies) I go into our little bathroom and try to spend some time with God. Of course, I cry for deliverance and ask God why he has forsaken me. I also pray for what I want, but usually I just yell about getting back to the States. Two nights ago the Lord finally quieted me down - Can you believe I complain when Kalina starts crying? God has started teaching me how to love my neighbor. For the first time since I became a Christian, none of my prayers were about me. Instead, all were God directed towards my neighbors. I know these prayers will be answered because they are from God. These are not selfish prayers, but prayers directed towards the healing of others. Actually, it does give me a huge feeling of peace to pray for all my friends and family in the States. I really believe this intercessory prayer must be the most powerful. First, you have to let go of your pride and think of your neighbor first. Start asking God what your neighbor needs instead of asking what you need. Of course, I still think of myself first, but I pray to the Great "I Am" that we can all love our neighbors like ourselves.
For the first time since I have been in Bangladesh, I went out on my own today. I started out with an open heart to love my neighbor and not judge them just because they were not like me. I really had a good outing. First I walked to the pharamacy to get some baby wipes, then to the bok store to get some paper and pens and finally to a restaurant to pick up some grilled chicken. Of course, everybody knew I was a foreigner, but treated me really nice and smiled back at me as I tried to figure out how much money I was giving out. God is with you. Peace!
"Love your neighbor as yourself" This message is in the Torah, all over the Bible, and also in the Muslim's Holy Qu'ran. But how can I love my neighbor when I spend all my time in judgement of my neighbor? I have been battling with this sin issue for a long time and have given it up to the Lord, but with no results. Let's be honest. Not only are we constantly judging ourselves but we lose patience with the ones we love the most - me starting with my beautiful, wonderful wife (Hey, it never hurts to score some points) and my pretty new daughter, Kalina, only after one month and a half. "God in Heaven, help me give up myself, let go of my pride, and love my neighbor." I have earnestly been praying that prayer for over a year.
Now God has brought me to a place where this is even harder to do. We are now in a culture where gossiping (gupshup - the one Bengla word I have known since childhood)is the number one activity. It is very hard to not get caught up in all the gupshup. Yes, I am being judgmental of my own people. Why does God seem to make things harder when answering prayers? Could it be because I am so hard headed and easy to forget what I learn?
The first thing Christ has done is work on my pride. I feel like I have no significance here - none. I am in control of nothing. The people don't respect me because I don't speak Bangla. I can maybe understand about 50% of what is said, and the times I do understand 100% is when someone is talking bad about me. What is up with that? Yes, I am turning the other cheek, but hitting walls inside my head and filling up with enough anxiety that I want to throw up. It is a very humbling experience to depend on others for your food, transportation, communication, security, etc. I turn to Ecclesiastes where it says life is meaningless. Of course, without Christ leading your life this is true. I like that old song, "I surrender all". I just wish it was easier to surrender all.
Between 2am and 5am (timing varies) I go into our little bathroom and try to spend some time with God. Of course, I cry for deliverance and ask God why he has forsaken me. I also pray for what I want, but usually I just yell about getting back to the States. Two nights ago the Lord finally quieted me down - Can you believe I complain when Kalina starts crying? God has started teaching me how to love my neighbor. For the first time since I became a Christian, none of my prayers were about me. Instead, all were God directed towards my neighbors. I know these prayers will be answered because they are from God. These are not selfish prayers, but prayers directed towards the healing of others. Actually, it does give me a huge feeling of peace to pray for all my friends and family in the States. I really believe this intercessory prayer must be the most powerful. First, you have to let go of your pride and think of your neighbor first. Start asking God what your neighbor needs instead of asking what you need. Of course, I still think of myself first, but I pray to the Great "I Am" that we can all love our neighbors like ourselves.
For the first time since I have been in Bangladesh, I went out on my own today. I started out with an open heart to love my neighbor and not judge them just because they were not like me. I really had a good outing. First I walked to the pharamacy to get some baby wipes, then to the bok store to get some paper and pens and finally to a restaurant to pick up some grilled chicken. Of course, everybody knew I was a foreigner, but treated me really nice and smiled back at me as I tried to figure out how much money I was giving out. God is with you. Peace!
The Bigger Picture
I have great news to share-Kalina's package is here! We're thrilled! The story is quite amazing. My mom sent the package through the US postal system. They said it should arrive in 8 days. It didn't come, and nobody could figure out why. Every day we asked Someira if it had arrived and how we would know when it came. Usually the procedure here is that a messenger brings you a notice that a package has arrived for you. Then you go to that place such as FedEx or the post office and pay a large tax to customs, usually about $80 US dollars. Then in a day or so you get the package.
We never even received the notice of this package's arrival. We even called about the package. Nobody could give us help here or in the US to track it. Finally yesterday we got a message that the package was in Bangladesh. We had to go to the post office between 9-10 a.m. today to pay the tax. (They make an appointment time.) Nadeem got up early after having little sleep again last night to go pay the tax. Traveling anywhere here is very stressful due to the heavy, crazy traffic and chaos. When the driver and Nadeem got to the post office, they told Nadeem that the package has been here for days. They actually delivered it to the apartment building, but the guard told them Hasan's dad (whose name is on the box) had gone to America. (In fact he's in India but that's beside the point.) They took the package back to the post office and were preparing to mail it back to America! When Nadeem tried to get it, they argued with him, saying it's not addressed to him. He showed them his business card from home and said that package is from his mom. Finally he was able to pay the tax and take the package with Kalina's supplies. When he arrived, we gave her a bottle of delicious, nutritious milk (Nadeem said I sounded like a commercial.) She gulped it down and cried for more. Hooray!
All of this could seem like a frustrating experience, just something that happened like irritating things happen in life. However, we know that there is a bigger picture. There is more to life than what we see in the physical realm. There is a spiritual world.
Last night we went out to eat at a Thai restaurant called Voot which means ghost in Bangla. During the meal, all the lights went down and this spooky music started to play. Workers there started this eerie chant about a ghost coming. Around the elegant restaurant there are weird paint marks on the walls and gruesome heads to make the place seem haunted. Then a "ghost"-a man in a Halloween costume-came through the restaurant trying to scare everyone. I thought someone had great imagination to create that theme. We then had a discussion about ghosts.
I don't believe in that sort of ghost, but the Bible does talk about demons and evil spirits. There is clearly a battle of good versus evil all through the Bible. Just look around. There is evidence in our world, our stories, our movies, etc. During our journey to adopt Kalina, we have felt that battle like never before.
In regards to the missing package, you could say that packages sometimes get missing. Stuff like this happens in life. Consider another possibility. We know that "the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy." John 10:10 The same verse tells us that Jesus came to give us abundant life. Doesn't this look like the work of the thief, our enemy? Preventing a baby from having her proper formula and supplies and creating doubt and anger in her parents and others following this story doesn't seem like abundant life but more like destruction to me! Please know how important your prayers are. The package could have been returned to America! Instead we have it. What the enemy meant for evil God has used for good.
"He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." -I John 4:4
We never even received the notice of this package's arrival. We even called about the package. Nobody could give us help here or in the US to track it. Finally yesterday we got a message that the package was in Bangladesh. We had to go to the post office between 9-10 a.m. today to pay the tax. (They make an appointment time.) Nadeem got up early after having little sleep again last night to go pay the tax. Traveling anywhere here is very stressful due to the heavy, crazy traffic and chaos. When the driver and Nadeem got to the post office, they told Nadeem that the package has been here for days. They actually delivered it to the apartment building, but the guard told them Hasan's dad (whose name is on the box) had gone to America. (In fact he's in India but that's beside the point.) They took the package back to the post office and were preparing to mail it back to America! When Nadeem tried to get it, they argued with him, saying it's not addressed to him. He showed them his business card from home and said that package is from his mom. Finally he was able to pay the tax and take the package with Kalina's supplies. When he arrived, we gave her a bottle of delicious, nutritious milk (Nadeem said I sounded like a commercial.) She gulped it down and cried for more. Hooray!
All of this could seem like a frustrating experience, just something that happened like irritating things happen in life. However, we know that there is a bigger picture. There is more to life than what we see in the physical realm. There is a spiritual world.
Last night we went out to eat at a Thai restaurant called Voot which means ghost in Bangla. During the meal, all the lights went down and this spooky music started to play. Workers there started this eerie chant about a ghost coming. Around the elegant restaurant there are weird paint marks on the walls and gruesome heads to make the place seem haunted. Then a "ghost"-a man in a Halloween costume-came through the restaurant trying to scare everyone. I thought someone had great imagination to create that theme. We then had a discussion about ghosts.
I don't believe in that sort of ghost, but the Bible does talk about demons and evil spirits. There is clearly a battle of good versus evil all through the Bible. Just look around. There is evidence in our world, our stories, our movies, etc. During our journey to adopt Kalina, we have felt that battle like never before.
In regards to the missing package, you could say that packages sometimes get missing. Stuff like this happens in life. Consider another possibility. We know that "the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy." John 10:10 The same verse tells us that Jesus came to give us abundant life. Doesn't this look like the work of the thief, our enemy? Preventing a baby from having her proper formula and supplies and creating doubt and anger in her parents and others following this story doesn't seem like abundant life but more like destruction to me! Please know how important your prayers are. The package could have been returned to America! Instead we have it. What the enemy meant for evil God has used for good.
"He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." -I John 4:4
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Five Senses in Bangladesh
Being in Bangladesh is such a different experience than being at home in the US. The sights, sounds, tastes, and smells are all new. Dhaka, the capitol city where we are, is very noisy. During the day and night we hear doorbells chiming, cell phones ringing, black crows cawing, prayers chanting, horns beeping, beggars calling, and construction workers pounding. Right outside our window a construction team is demolishing a villa by hand with sledgehammers. We hear this even in the middle of the night.
I will ask Angela to post some photos of the city so that you can see the sights for yourself. Sometimes you don't see temporarily becausae of the power outage. Yesterday at the grocery store the power went off. Everyone has generators so you still get some light and fans.
The streets often smell like garbage or animals. There are markets with live chickens, and we've seen goats and dogs on the streets. Homes smell like spices from cooking.
The food here is quite different from ours at home. For breakfast, people generally eat some sort of bread or rice with tea. They often have sweets at the end of the meal, usually sweetened yogurt or a rice pudding. For lunch, the servants prepare a full hot meal. The most popular meat here is fresh fish, but the Bangla people also enjoy chicken and mutton. Rice is usually served with every meal along with dahl, a yellow sauce made with lentils. Often a flat bread is also served. The cooked vegetables include spinach, potatoes, okra (called lady's fingers here), and a guord type of vegetable unique to this area. Raw cucumber is often served. Dinner is very similar to lunch. Kebabs are very popular. This is spicy chicken or beef prepared wtih yogurt. Some people like to squeeze fresh lime juice onto their food. In the afternoons people enjoy tea and a snack such as cookies, crackers, other sweets, or kebabs. Visitors are offered this same sort of snack when they come. Fresh fruits and vegetables are not very common in my experience. I've had to request them for my meals. The people here prepare a delicious fruit salad made with any fresh fruits such as banana, mango, papaya, grapes, apples, and pomegranate. They then season it with pepper and a spicy salt plus a little sugar. It has a very unique flavor. Most of the foods here are quite spicy. The people here usually eat with their hands. They fill the plate wiht rice and use their hand to mix all the other sauces and foods. By the end of the meal the plate is totally clean. There is always a box of tissue on the table for you to wipe your hands. (I always use a fork, but sometimes I have to ask for one.) Beside each dinner plate there is usually a smaller plate to place the bones from the meat. For meals, people drink plain (room temperature) or cold water. For special times they drink Pepsi or 7Up or a spicy yogurt drink. I've only seen Coke here a few times. When you go to a home for dinner, you sit at the table and eat first while the host family stands around the table to serve you.
People don't go out to eat that often. We've been out many times since we've been here. So far we've had almost no American food. It's mainly the same foods I described above. Buffets were popular during the Ramadan period. Now you order off menus. The American restaurants are KFC and Pizza Hut. We've eaten the breakfast and dinner buffets at the Sheraton Hotel which has some American foods along with the Bangla foods. There is a Swiss ice cream place here, too, which tastes like home. My favorite place to eat is called Cafe Mango. It's a cute cafe by Someira's university. It has a slight American feel, and it reminds me of some of the restaurants in downtown Athens at the University of Georgia. We've been there twice, and I've had a cashew chicken salad, fresh yogurt with fruit, and chicken kebabs wrapped in bread. I've even seen a few Americans there. It's near the embassy where many foreigners live including our missionary friends from America. Yesterday we learned of a new tradition-getting tea from stalls on the side of the road. Young boys bring tea in cute porcelain type tea cups to you. You stand and visit, return the cup, and then leave.
Many American foods do not seem to be available here such as our baby supplies, broccoli, celery, zucchini, chocolates, and many name brand items. Someira explained that the name brand items you do see are not actually from the US but from a plant in Dubai or other nearby area. They are not the same quality as what you get in the US.
We'll be excited to return to our familiar home and also be able to share our experiences here with Kalina and all of you!
Please continue to pray for us. We're waiting again-this time for Kalina's supplies to arrive from America (the package is still missing) and for the fingerprints to be processed. Thank you!
P.S. I've heard that some are having difficulty posting on the blog. We do have some email access here. The computer is just slow and sometimes we lose power. If you can't reach us, we know we'll talk to you when we return. We feel your prayers and thank you for your love!
I will ask Angela to post some photos of the city so that you can see the sights for yourself. Sometimes you don't see temporarily becausae of the power outage. Yesterday at the grocery store the power went off. Everyone has generators so you still get some light and fans.
The streets often smell like garbage or animals. There are markets with live chickens, and we've seen goats and dogs on the streets. Homes smell like spices from cooking.
The food here is quite different from ours at home. For breakfast, people generally eat some sort of bread or rice with tea. They often have sweets at the end of the meal, usually sweetened yogurt or a rice pudding. For lunch, the servants prepare a full hot meal. The most popular meat here is fresh fish, but the Bangla people also enjoy chicken and mutton. Rice is usually served with every meal along with dahl, a yellow sauce made with lentils. Often a flat bread is also served. The cooked vegetables include spinach, potatoes, okra (called lady's fingers here), and a guord type of vegetable unique to this area. Raw cucumber is often served. Dinner is very similar to lunch. Kebabs are very popular. This is spicy chicken or beef prepared wtih yogurt. Some people like to squeeze fresh lime juice onto their food. In the afternoons people enjoy tea and a snack such as cookies, crackers, other sweets, or kebabs. Visitors are offered this same sort of snack when they come. Fresh fruits and vegetables are not very common in my experience. I've had to request them for my meals. The people here prepare a delicious fruit salad made with any fresh fruits such as banana, mango, papaya, grapes, apples, and pomegranate. They then season it with pepper and a spicy salt plus a little sugar. It has a very unique flavor. Most of the foods here are quite spicy. The people here usually eat with their hands. They fill the plate wiht rice and use their hand to mix all the other sauces and foods. By the end of the meal the plate is totally clean. There is always a box of tissue on the table for you to wipe your hands. (I always use a fork, but sometimes I have to ask for one.) Beside each dinner plate there is usually a smaller plate to place the bones from the meat. For meals, people drink plain (room temperature) or cold water. For special times they drink Pepsi or 7Up or a spicy yogurt drink. I've only seen Coke here a few times. When you go to a home for dinner, you sit at the table and eat first while the host family stands around the table to serve you.
People don't go out to eat that often. We've been out many times since we've been here. So far we've had almost no American food. It's mainly the same foods I described above. Buffets were popular during the Ramadan period. Now you order off menus. The American restaurants are KFC and Pizza Hut. We've eaten the breakfast and dinner buffets at the Sheraton Hotel which has some American foods along with the Bangla foods. There is a Swiss ice cream place here, too, which tastes like home. My favorite place to eat is called Cafe Mango. It's a cute cafe by Someira's university. It has a slight American feel, and it reminds me of some of the restaurants in downtown Athens at the University of Georgia. We've been there twice, and I've had a cashew chicken salad, fresh yogurt with fruit, and chicken kebabs wrapped in bread. I've even seen a few Americans there. It's near the embassy where many foreigners live including our missionary friends from America. Yesterday we learned of a new tradition-getting tea from stalls on the side of the road. Young boys bring tea in cute porcelain type tea cups to you. You stand and visit, return the cup, and then leave.
Many American foods do not seem to be available here such as our baby supplies, broccoli, celery, zucchini, chocolates, and many name brand items. Someira explained that the name brand items you do see are not actually from the US but from a plant in Dubai or other nearby area. They are not the same quality as what you get in the US.
We'll be excited to return to our familiar home and also be able to share our experiences here with Kalina and all of you!
Please continue to pray for us. We're waiting again-this time for Kalina's supplies to arrive from America (the package is still missing) and for the fingerprints to be processed. Thank you!
P.S. I've heard that some are having difficulty posting on the blog. We do have some email access here. The computer is just slow and sometimes we lose power. If you can't reach us, we know we'll talk to you when we return. We feel your prayers and thank you for your love!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Suffering
Nadeem and I spend time alone and together asking God what is the point of us being here and enduring this suffering. I'd love to say that we're like the apostle Paul and have learned to be content in all circumstances through Christ's strength, but we're not there yet!
I'm reading Corrie Ten Boom's true story of her experience in a prison and concentration camp as a result of hiding Jewish people in her family's home during the Holocaust. She's quite amazing to me-her whole attitude during suffering. Believe me, our experience pales in comparison to hers! In one part of the book, she describes the experience she and her sister had in the worst concentration camp. They were forced to sleep on the ground outside in the rain even though her sister was ill. They had to wake up at 4 a.m. and stand like soldiers in a line for hours on end. They barely got any food. Some people there were tortured in front of them. They had lice all over their bodies even though they had cut off all their hair. Then they were forced to walk naked in front of jeering guards so that they could have medical exams and a group shower with 50 women.
As they walked, Corrie had a revelation. She leaned forward and whispered to her sister that Jesus had hung naked on the cross in front of jeering people. As I read this, I too had a revelation. As I read Corrie's story I was horrified, my eyes glued to the page. It suddenly hit me in a new way that Jesus went through so much more suffering than Corrie and certainly than me, more so than anyone on the face of the earth-all because He loves us so much. If Jesus could endure so much suffering for me, and I'm following Him, then surely I can endure suffering out of love for Kalina. I saw God in a new light-full of love and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, not as some distant God who has abandoned us here in this land of suffering.
Of course, right after I had this revelation I was tested in this area. Kalina is out of formula and diapers again. The package is two days late. Nobody knows where it is or when it will arrive. She hates the weak formula we purchase for her here. Lsat night she tossed and turned all night, keeping us awake. She would wake up, take a sip of the bottle, and return to a fitful sleep. This morning Nadem and I were exhausted and frustrated. Have you ever noticed that everything seems worse when you're really tired? I was mad to still be here, mad to have to wait for approval from a system, mad to have no sleep, mad that Kalina has no proper supplies, and even mad that the servants cooked my eggs wrong this morning-one small pleasure I look forward to every day. Hmmm....yesterday I was delighted to participate to some small degree in the sufferings of Christ to show my love to Kalina, and today it's all about me again. I'm thankful that God's love does not depend on His mood. He never gets tired. His love is perfect.
Today I'm thankful also for Michael Crowther who is working to post a counter on our blog so we can see how many people are able to read our story. We pray all the time that God will use our story to bless you, that you will see God's love and power. I'm also thankful for Pastor Dennis Rouse of Victory World Church in Norcross, Georgia. God has used his sermons to inspire and transform us so that we were better prepared for this faith journey.
Thank you all for continuing to pray for us!
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God...in this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him....Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
-I John 4:7,9,11
I'm reading Corrie Ten Boom's true story of her experience in a prison and concentration camp as a result of hiding Jewish people in her family's home during the Holocaust. She's quite amazing to me-her whole attitude during suffering. Believe me, our experience pales in comparison to hers! In one part of the book, she describes the experience she and her sister had in the worst concentration camp. They were forced to sleep on the ground outside in the rain even though her sister was ill. They had to wake up at 4 a.m. and stand like soldiers in a line for hours on end. They barely got any food. Some people there were tortured in front of them. They had lice all over their bodies even though they had cut off all their hair. Then they were forced to walk naked in front of jeering guards so that they could have medical exams and a group shower with 50 women.
As they walked, Corrie had a revelation. She leaned forward and whispered to her sister that Jesus had hung naked on the cross in front of jeering people. As I read this, I too had a revelation. As I read Corrie's story I was horrified, my eyes glued to the page. It suddenly hit me in a new way that Jesus went through so much more suffering than Corrie and certainly than me, more so than anyone on the face of the earth-all because He loves us so much. If Jesus could endure so much suffering for me, and I'm following Him, then surely I can endure suffering out of love for Kalina. I saw God in a new light-full of love and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, not as some distant God who has abandoned us here in this land of suffering.
Of course, right after I had this revelation I was tested in this area. Kalina is out of formula and diapers again. The package is two days late. Nobody knows where it is or when it will arrive. She hates the weak formula we purchase for her here. Lsat night she tossed and turned all night, keeping us awake. She would wake up, take a sip of the bottle, and return to a fitful sleep. This morning Nadem and I were exhausted and frustrated. Have you ever noticed that everything seems worse when you're really tired? I was mad to still be here, mad to have to wait for approval from a system, mad to have no sleep, mad that Kalina has no proper supplies, and even mad that the servants cooked my eggs wrong this morning-one small pleasure I look forward to every day. Hmmm....yesterday I was delighted to participate to some small degree in the sufferings of Christ to show my love to Kalina, and today it's all about me again. I'm thankful that God's love does not depend on His mood. He never gets tired. His love is perfect.
Today I'm thankful also for Michael Crowther who is working to post a counter on our blog so we can see how many people are able to read our story. We pray all the time that God will use our story to bless you, that you will see God's love and power. I'm also thankful for Pastor Dennis Rouse of Victory World Church in Norcross, Georgia. God has used his sermons to inspire and transform us so that we were better prepared for this faith journey.
Thank you all for continuing to pray for us!
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God...in this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him....Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
-I John 4:7,9,11
Friday, October 17, 2008
Tears of Joy
Our fingerprints have arrived safely in Atlanta at the USCIS as of Friday! Our wonderful friend Charles at Senator Isakson's office emailed us the great news. I sat and cried tears of joy. I guess by the time we get Kalina's visa to come home I'll fall on the floor of the embassy and sob! We're clearly getting closer to coming home. Praise God!
This morning as I spent time with God I came to Him with a troubled and downcast heart. Being here brings so many questions and so much turmoil. In the middle of all this, I need to stop and remember that God has answered the cry of our hearts for many, many years. We are parents! We have a daughter that God has given us! Yes, we're in this foreign land with no knowledge of how or when we'll get home. However, God is faithful! I must continue to focus on what He has done and what He has promised. Everything I read about following God involves waiting and suffering. In today's devotional that I read, there was this verse from Genesis 15-"Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and they will be mistreated for four hundred years but afterward they will come out with great possessions." We certainly are strangers in a county not our own. We are lookng forward to coming out with great possessions. We are coming out with Kalina-a child chosen by God! We are coming out with much more, most likely great possessions that won't be realized until sometime in the future. If following God only involved waiting and suffering, nobody would follow Him. However, Jesus came to give us abundant life. When we follow God, we begin to know His indescribable love. That's surely the greatest treasure-to know Him more!
This morning as I spent time with God I came to Him with a troubled and downcast heart. Being here brings so many questions and so much turmoil. In the middle of all this, I need to stop and remember that God has answered the cry of our hearts for many, many years. We are parents! We have a daughter that God has given us! Yes, we're in this foreign land with no knowledge of how or when we'll get home. However, God is faithful! I must continue to focus on what He has done and what He has promised. Everything I read about following God involves waiting and suffering. In today's devotional that I read, there was this verse from Genesis 15-"Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and they will be mistreated for four hundred years but afterward they will come out with great possessions." We certainly are strangers in a county not our own. We are lookng forward to coming out with great possessions. We are coming out with Kalina-a child chosen by God! We are coming out with much more, most likely great possessions that won't be realized until sometime in the future. If following God only involved waiting and suffering, nobody would follow Him. However, Jesus came to give us abundant life. When we follow God, we begin to know His indescribable love. That's surely the greatest treasure-to know Him more!
Bangladesh Tidbits
Here are some random pieces of information about Bangladesh, some in response to questions we've received from some of you back home.
WEATHER-This is a tropical environment. Most of the year it is very hot and humid. Right now the temperature is in the high 80's during the day, but we still feel hot and sticky. Monsoon season is in the spring. In the "winter" people might wear light sweaters and not use fans or AC at night. The other day the servant took some yogurt out of the freezer for part of our lunch. Within 10 minutes of sitting on the table, it had defrosted and was ready to eat. Nadeem and Someira went to pick up ice cream the other night. It arrived home as a milkshake!
CLOTHING-The women here only wear the burkas if they are extremely devout Muslims. We have seen a handful of these, but most women do not wear them. Those who do wear them on top of their other clothing. Women dress very conservatively here. Some younger girls wear jeans with their Bangla tops, but usually the women wear the salwar kameezes (pajama style bottoms with long tops and a scarf). The saris are only worn for celebrations. Women do not have to cover their heads. Men and children dress like we do in the US usually.
BABIES-Most women have Caesarean sections to give birth. Only the poorer women give birth naturally here. As part of their religion, the people here shave the babies' heads and put a black mark on their foreheads to ward off evil. By shaving their heads, the parents also feel this will result in a thick head of hair. Kalina came to us with a black mark which I just washed off. She did not have her head shaved since we don't hold that belief. Mothers are not supposed to look their babies in the eyes much since that also could attract evil. The upper class have servants to take care of their babies and children. We have a teenage servant here to take care of Kalina, but I take care of her myself, much to the servant's sadness. She frequently tries to take her from me, but I shake my head. Adopting a baby is looked down upon here. It's a sign that God has not blessed you. Most women leave to adopt secretly and then return acting as if the baby is their biological child. The children are never told that they are adopted. On the streets we sometimes see mothers who are beggars holding their naked babies. This we've learned is a trick to make people feel sorry for them. The mothers are always fully dressed. Babies here drink bottles of water to give them nice skin. This is in addition to milk/formula. This evening we are going to a naming ceremony. When a baby is born, the selection of the name is very important. Unlike in the US where a whole family has the same last name, here for each child a first, middle, and last name is selected. Often the grandparents name the baby. The baby is also given a nickname that only close family members use. At the naming ceremony, guests eat goat meat from newly slaughtered goats. It's a time to eat and rejoice over the baby and hear the meaning of his/her name. Several people have asked us the meaning of Kalina's name.
When we return, we plan to have many celebrations over Kalina! However, don't expect goat meat! We hope to see you soon!
WEATHER-This is a tropical environment. Most of the year it is very hot and humid. Right now the temperature is in the high 80's during the day, but we still feel hot and sticky. Monsoon season is in the spring. In the "winter" people might wear light sweaters and not use fans or AC at night. The other day the servant took some yogurt out of the freezer for part of our lunch. Within 10 minutes of sitting on the table, it had defrosted and was ready to eat. Nadeem and Someira went to pick up ice cream the other night. It arrived home as a milkshake!
CLOTHING-The women here only wear the burkas if they are extremely devout Muslims. We have seen a handful of these, but most women do not wear them. Those who do wear them on top of their other clothing. Women dress very conservatively here. Some younger girls wear jeans with their Bangla tops, but usually the women wear the salwar kameezes (pajama style bottoms with long tops and a scarf). The saris are only worn for celebrations. Women do not have to cover their heads. Men and children dress like we do in the US usually.
BABIES-Most women have Caesarean sections to give birth. Only the poorer women give birth naturally here. As part of their religion, the people here shave the babies' heads and put a black mark on their foreheads to ward off evil. By shaving their heads, the parents also feel this will result in a thick head of hair. Kalina came to us with a black mark which I just washed off. She did not have her head shaved since we don't hold that belief. Mothers are not supposed to look their babies in the eyes much since that also could attract evil. The upper class have servants to take care of their babies and children. We have a teenage servant here to take care of Kalina, but I take care of her myself, much to the servant's sadness. She frequently tries to take her from me, but I shake my head. Adopting a baby is looked down upon here. It's a sign that God has not blessed you. Most women leave to adopt secretly and then return acting as if the baby is their biological child. The children are never told that they are adopted. On the streets we sometimes see mothers who are beggars holding their naked babies. This we've learned is a trick to make people feel sorry for them. The mothers are always fully dressed. Babies here drink bottles of water to give them nice skin. This is in addition to milk/formula. This evening we are going to a naming ceremony. When a baby is born, the selection of the name is very important. Unlike in the US where a whole family has the same last name, here for each child a first, middle, and last name is selected. Often the grandparents name the baby. The baby is also given a nickname that only close family members use. At the naming ceremony, guests eat goat meat from newly slaughtered goats. It's a time to eat and rejoice over the baby and hear the meaning of his/her name. Several people have asked us the meaning of Kalina's name.
When we return, we plan to have many celebrations over Kalina! However, don't expect goat meat! We hope to see you soon!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Entertainment in Bangladesh
We're in waiting mode again. Now we're waiting for the USCIS to receive and process our fingerprints. Our wonderful advocates from the senators' offices have already contacted the USCIS to follow up on this. Thanks, Charles and Jennifer!
I thougth I'd share a little about entertainment here. It's quite different from the US. The main sources of fun for the people of Bangladesh are shopping, visiting, and watching t.v.
Probably the favorite pasttime is visiting. Most people live in apartment buildings, so you have easy access to visitors. Every home has a formal living room for entertaining guests. Whenever guests come, the servants turn on the fans or air conditioning units in the living room and prepare snacks. Typically guests have tea and sweets. You always accept something to eat or drink. Then you sit and talk with each other. If guests arrive during a mealtime, they are invited to join you. The servants always are ready to make more food. Guests rarely call in advance. When the doorbell rings, you never know who it might be.
Shopping is very popular as well. There are malls and markets. The women enjoy fashion. The downside to shopping is the traffic. Plus, you're exposed to noise, pollution, and chaos. In the shopping malls, you must go through a security check like at the airport.
People also enjoy watching t.v. Popular shows include Indian soap operas, Indian Idol (yes, a take off on our show), Indian dance shows, Indian movies, CNN, and cricket matches.
Nadeem and I have purchased some games to play with Hasan's family. One game is called Ludo (loo doo). Nadeem remembers it from his childhood. It's a board game a little like Sorry. We also bought an English version of Monopoly.
Right now my favorite activity of the day is going to sleep! Kalina is finally resting, so I'm going to bed, too! Thanks for reading our blog and praying for us!
I thougth I'd share a little about entertainment here. It's quite different from the US. The main sources of fun for the people of Bangladesh are shopping, visiting, and watching t.v.
Probably the favorite pasttime is visiting. Most people live in apartment buildings, so you have easy access to visitors. Every home has a formal living room for entertaining guests. Whenever guests come, the servants turn on the fans or air conditioning units in the living room and prepare snacks. Typically guests have tea and sweets. You always accept something to eat or drink. Then you sit and talk with each other. If guests arrive during a mealtime, they are invited to join you. The servants always are ready to make more food. Guests rarely call in advance. When the doorbell rings, you never know who it might be.
Shopping is very popular as well. There are malls and markets. The women enjoy fashion. The downside to shopping is the traffic. Plus, you're exposed to noise, pollution, and chaos. In the shopping malls, you must go through a security check like at the airport.
People also enjoy watching t.v. Popular shows include Indian soap operas, Indian Idol (yes, a take off on our show), Indian dance shows, Indian movies, CNN, and cricket matches.
Nadeem and I have purchased some games to play with Hasan's family. One game is called Ludo (loo doo). Nadeem remembers it from his childhood. It's a board game a little like Sorry. We also bought an English version of Monopoly.
Right now my favorite activity of the day is going to sleep! Kalina is finally resting, so I'm going to bed, too! Thanks for reading our blog and praying for us!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Making some progress
Today was an eventful day. First, Nadeem called the US Embassy early this morning. Communication is usually very poor here. Typically we send emails and make phone calls with no answer. Today, however, Nadeem was able to immediately speak to Ariel, one of the ladies who helped us get our fingerprints taken last week. He gave her the address in Atlanta where she should send hte fingerprints, and she promised to FedEx them today! A big praise!
When we went to the Embassy last week, we asked what their requirements are for our final approval here. At first they said it's not time for that and that they would mail us a package explaining it all when the time came. I asked them to please give us the information now so that we'd be prepared. We had to wait some more, of course, but then they gave us some information. We learned that Kalina would need a medical exam and passport sized photos made. We were thankful to learn this now so that we can get prepared!
Today we went to one of the approved doctors. All I can say is that we're in a war here of good versus evil. For every blessing that comes our way, there is another trial. The doctor's visit wasn't pleasant. The end result was good. He'll have our medical report completed by tomorrow. The Embassy said it could take more than 7 days. Kalina is in good health. However, the whole experience was traumatic for all of us, including Hasan's 20 year old sister Someira who accompanied us. We're in a strange land dealing with a challenging system.
Thank you for continuing to pray for us! We can't wait to see you all!
When we went to the Embassy last week, we asked what their requirements are for our final approval here. At first they said it's not time for that and that they would mail us a package explaining it all when the time came. I asked them to please give us the information now so that we'd be prepared. We had to wait some more, of course, but then they gave us some information. We learned that Kalina would need a medical exam and passport sized photos made. We were thankful to learn this now so that we can get prepared!
Today we went to one of the approved doctors. All I can say is that we're in a war here of good versus evil. For every blessing that comes our way, there is another trial. The doctor's visit wasn't pleasant. The end result was good. He'll have our medical report completed by tomorrow. The Embassy said it could take more than 7 days. Kalina is in good health. However, the whole experience was traumatic for all of us, including Hasan's 20 year old sister Someira who accompanied us. We're in a strange land dealing with a challenging system.
Thank you for continuing to pray for us! We can't wait to see you all!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Wedding Festivities in Bangladesh
Lsat night we went with Hasan's family to a Bangladesh wedding reception. Weddings are a really big deal here. This reception was held in a community center on the military base. The whole base was one of the nicest parts of Dhaka that we've seen. As we approached the site of the reception, the road was lined with lights. It reminded me of the Magical Night of Lights at Lake Lanier at Christmas time. The reception was held in a giant room that had seating for a few hundred people around round tables draped in white cloths-very similar to receptions in the US. There was a band, but they played instruments I didn't recognize and Bangla music. Nobody danced. I've asked Angela to post a photo for us. You'll notice that brides here wear red. In addition, they paint their hands and arms with the henna that we used for the Eid holiday. They wear lots of jewelry and make-up. Normally the groom wears traditional clothing, but this groom wore a suit. You'll see Hasan's parents, sister, Nadeem, and me also in the photo.
I felt like I had stepped into My Fair Lady or the Princess Diaries. The women here dress way up for weddings and other celebrations. I felt like I had my own beauty parlor. One of the servants came in to dress me in a sari that I borrowed from Hasan's sister, Someira. I have a new respect for women in saris! It made me think of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. First the servant made me wear a sort of plain skirt as an undergarment. It had a drawstring waist, and she pulled with all her might to make it as tight as possible. I could see where this was going, so I pushed out my stomach. She didn't fall for that. She gestured for me to suck my stomach in so that she could pull the skirt even tighter. It hurt!! By the end of the evening I had red marks all around my waist. We had barely gotten started. I also had to wear a tightly fitting cropped blouse that showed my stomach. Then she proceeded to wrap the sari material around me. This is a 12 foot rectangular piece of highly decorated fabric. She had to stuff the thick fabric into the waist band of the skirt. The skirt was already so tight I couldn't imagine anything else fitting, but the servant is an expert at sari wrapping. The women here put on their own saris, but believe me, it's too complicated for this American! Then we still weren't finished. I was quite fine with doing my own hair, but the servant insisted that I sit down for a full beauty treatment. She did my hair, Someira did my make-up, and then I put on fancy jewelry. The earrings wrap around your ears (more pain!).
At the reception, we first went on a large stage to greet the bride and groom where they were seated on a fancy sort of couch. You'll see it in the photo. Then we sat at a table where waiters served us dinner. I mean they literally brought each dish to us and put food onto our plates. They stood by us the whole meal to see when we needed more food. We had flavored rice with mutton, chicken, salad with no lettuce but carrots, tomatoes, and cucumber, a spicy yogurt drink, and a rice pudding for dessert (no wedding cakes here). After we ate, we went outside where there was a coffee station. Surprisingly, the people all just threw their cups onto the beautiful grass afterwards. There is a huge problem with pollution here. At the end of the night, we saw workers cleaning up everything. Then we went inside to watch the bride and groom eat their dinner. Finally we said good-bye and returned home. The entire wedding takes many days. We just participated in the reception at the end.
Marriages here are nearly always arranged by the families. In the past, women got married at a young age, even as young as nine years old only two generations ago. Now women wait until their 20's usually, and they have a little more say-so in selecting their husbands.
Hasan's family was very happy to share another Bangladesh tradition with us!
I felt like I had stepped into My Fair Lady or the Princess Diaries. The women here dress way up for weddings and other celebrations. I felt like I had my own beauty parlor. One of the servants came in to dress me in a sari that I borrowed from Hasan's sister, Someira. I have a new respect for women in saris! It made me think of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. First the servant made me wear a sort of plain skirt as an undergarment. It had a drawstring waist, and she pulled with all her might to make it as tight as possible. I could see where this was going, so I pushed out my stomach. She didn't fall for that. She gestured for me to suck my stomach in so that she could pull the skirt even tighter. It hurt!! By the end of the evening I had red marks all around my waist. We had barely gotten started. I also had to wear a tightly fitting cropped blouse that showed my stomach. Then she proceeded to wrap the sari material around me. This is a 12 foot rectangular piece of highly decorated fabric. She had to stuff the thick fabric into the waist band of the skirt. The skirt was already so tight I couldn't imagine anything else fitting, but the servant is an expert at sari wrapping. The women here put on their own saris, but believe me, it's too complicated for this American! Then we still weren't finished. I was quite fine with doing my own hair, but the servant insisted that I sit down for a full beauty treatment. She did my hair, Someira did my make-up, and then I put on fancy jewelry. The earrings wrap around your ears (more pain!).
At the reception, we first went on a large stage to greet the bride and groom where they were seated on a fancy sort of couch. You'll see it in the photo. Then we sat at a table where waiters served us dinner. I mean they literally brought each dish to us and put food onto our plates. They stood by us the whole meal to see when we needed more food. We had flavored rice with mutton, chicken, salad with no lettuce but carrots, tomatoes, and cucumber, a spicy yogurt drink, and a rice pudding for dessert (no wedding cakes here). After we ate, we went outside where there was a coffee station. Surprisingly, the people all just threw their cups onto the beautiful grass afterwards. There is a huge problem with pollution here. At the end of the night, we saw workers cleaning up everything. Then we went inside to watch the bride and groom eat their dinner. Finally we said good-bye and returned home. The entire wedding takes many days. We just participated in the reception at the end.
Marriages here are nearly always arranged by the families. In the past, women got married at a young age, even as young as nine years old only two generations ago. Now women wait until their 20's usually, and they have a little more say-so in selecting their husbands.
Hasan's family was very happy to share another Bangladesh tradition with us!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
A Different Perspective
Nearly every day we wonder why we are still here and why God hsan't delivered us yet. I'm sure there are many ersaons, and maybe over time we'll understand more. Recently Nadeem and I have seen a new reason for our delay. Dhaka is the capitol of Bangladesh. Picture New York City or downtown Atlanta, only worse. There is heavy traffic, air pollution, trash, heat, noise, and chaos right outside our apartment building. Kalina has not touched grass or seen flowers growing. Yesterday afternoon Nadeem and I decided to take her on a short walk. We only lasted about 15 minutes. I felt the experience was too much for her-and me! We were weaving in and out of rickshaws, people smoking, cars, potholes, and so on. Kalina loves people and new places, but this was intense for her. for hte longest time, Nadeem and I thought about coming home. We just couldn't wait! How wonderful it will be for Kalina and us! What we didn't thinkn about was the actual journey involved to get home-20 hours of flying around the globe. That's a hard trip for us as adults. What about for a baby? When we got her, she was only 2 1/2 months old and very tiny. In the 3 1/2 weeks we've had her, she has put on weight, gained strength, and improved her health. God looks at the big picture. I think that part of the big picture involves what's best for Kalina. Altough we're so ready to be home, for Kalina she is home now. Home is where her parents are. She doesn't realize there is a permanent physical home waiting for her in the US. She doesn't realize that she has a grandmother waiting to adore her and so many family and friends eager to greet her. God knows what's best for all involved and is working this all together for the good. May we continue to trust Him and praise Him.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Another Step Forward
Today Charles Spry from Senator Isakson's office emailed us and the US Embassy in Bangladesh the address for the fingerprints! Talk about speedy help! Thanks to my mom for calling him. Hopefully when the Embassy opens again on Monday they will FedEx the fingerprints that day with no further confusion. That is our prayer need-for protection over the fingerprint cards as they travel to Atlanta for processing. I have a lovely praise to share-at least for Nadeem and me. Last night for the first time in our 3 weeks of having Kalina, she slept for over 6 hours straight, took a bottle, and then slept for 2 1/2 more hours! Plus, we had no mosquito attacks during the night! Sometimes the little things in life as just as miraculous and valued as the big ones!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
A step in the right direction
Today we got our fingerprints taken. It is a cause for rejoicing, but we still have a ways to go before returning home. We left the apartment at 11:30 a.m. to get to the US Embassy by 1:00 when it opened. Traffic here is so bad. Plus, we had to stop along the way at a roadside store to make copies of our paperwork on an ancient copier. The Embassy is only open daily for 3 hours. When you arrive, it is surrounded by guards carrying large guns. You must show your passport and go through multiple security checks. Then for us we proceed to the back of the building to the American section. There you wait in a line for them to come to a window to check you in. They ask the purpose of your visit, and then you sit in a small waiting area until you are called. Nobody talks or smiles. There is this bizarre game of musical chairs. If someone gets up for any reason, another person waiting sits in their chair. Today we waited for 3 hours. Everyone else waited that long, too. There are two wooden doors in the room. When you are called over the loudspeaker, you proceed to the door they name, either # 9 or 10. In the adjoining room are doors 1-8. When you go through the door, you enter a tiny room about the size of a closet. There you speak to someone through a small window. They speak through a microphone. We showed the lady the email from the Senator's office showing that the USCIS gave us permission to be fingerprinted. Then they told us to wait again. When they called us back they said that they had never taken fingerprints before at this facility and didn't know how to do it. They'd have to contact a USCIS office in India to get some help. They told us to go home, that they'd call when they had more information. The office will be closed for the next 4 days for more holidays. They celebrate Hindu, Muslim, and Christian holidays plus any American holidays. I asked the lady to please take the fingerprints today because we would have no childcare for Kalina after today and I didn't want her stuck in the Embassy waiting with us. They asked us to sit and wait some more. Finally they agreed to take our fingerprints today. Hooray! However, they do not know what to do with the fingerprints, so again we must wait until Monday at the earliest to hear back from them. They are trying to contact a USCIS to get instructions. This Embassy does not have a USCIS representative. Please continue to pray! God has gotten us this far, and He will bring us home.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Preparing for the Fingerprints
Last night was a horrible night. For the past few days, Kalina has woken us up every 3 hours during the night because she's hungry. We're grateful for her appetite and weight gain, but very tired. During the day she rarely naps. Last night Nadeem and I were so exhausted that we felt almost sick. At 11:00 p.m. we tried to put Kalina to bed. I was so tired that I lay down on the bed and thought I couldn't get up if I had to. Well, I had to! Kalina was so wound up from her day that she began to wail and needed much attention to settle down. I truly felt like I was at a breaking point and couldn't take anything else. I snapped at Nadeem and tried to comfort Kalina. Finally at 12:15 a.m. she went to sleep. We slept for our 3 hours and then I woke up to more bad news-Nadeem was terribly sick. He had a fever, intense stomach cramps, a cough, and a headache. In addition, mosquitos which have been plaguing us were flying around his head. I suddenly had to tend to Kalina and Nadeem when I had absolutely no strength. I prayed to God-basically just calling out for Him to please help us! I don't think that I had much faith or hope. I told Him that I'm His child and all I can do is call help. We got through the night, and Nadeem woke up free from the fever and stomach cramps. I thought about the song "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". It was one of those moments when I didn't see Jesus as a friend at all. I mean, all our friends at home would gladly get us home if they could! Here the greatest friend of all seemed to have let me down in a huge way. We're stuck here and now we're running out of health and strength. When we woke this morning, Nadeem prayed a sweet prayer about God always providing for us and thanking Him for healing Nadeem and giving me strength to take care of everyone. I felt mad and ungrateful.
Then today I got a message from our new advocate, Mr. Charles Spry, of Senator Isakson's office. He said that the USCIS has indeed approved our fingerprints to be taken here in Bangladesh. All we need to do is show them the official letter we got in the mail at home (we have a copy here) saying we're ready for fingerprints, and they can take them. I felt cautiously hopeful. Tomorrow we're going to the US Embassy in hopes of having our fingerprints taken. The Embassy will then not be open again until Sunday, and at that point, Hasan's parents will leave for India for 2 weeks. We'll have to take Kalina on any future visits, so we really need the fingerprints done tomorrow. We have our packet prepared. We need favor when we arrive. We're so thankful to Jennifer Hayes at Senator Chambliss' office and Charles Spry at Senator Isakson's office. Both have been instrumental in getting us to this point, and we are extemely grateful.
Today Nadeem received an email from our friend Tim Sparks. He reminded us of what we know but had forgotten. Our journey is not about finding the right person to cut through the red tape. It's about faith and perseverance. For me, I felt guilty to receive the news from Mr. Spry. I had had such mean thoughts towards God, and then we got this news I felt I didn't even deserve. I think perhaps that was God's message to me today-that we don't deserve anything. Even when my faith falters, God loves me so much that He delights in helping His children-in the way only a perfect Father can, not because of what I do or don't do but because of His love. Even when the circumstances make no sense, still Jesus is my friend.
Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Then today I got a message from our new advocate, Mr. Charles Spry, of Senator Isakson's office. He said that the USCIS has indeed approved our fingerprints to be taken here in Bangladesh. All we need to do is show them the official letter we got in the mail at home (we have a copy here) saying we're ready for fingerprints, and they can take them. I felt cautiously hopeful. Tomorrow we're going to the US Embassy in hopes of having our fingerprints taken. The Embassy will then not be open again until Sunday, and at that point, Hasan's parents will leave for India for 2 weeks. We'll have to take Kalina on any future visits, so we really need the fingerprints done tomorrow. We have our packet prepared. We need favor when we arrive. We're so thankful to Jennifer Hayes at Senator Chambliss' office and Charles Spry at Senator Isakson's office. Both have been instrumental in getting us to this point, and we are extemely grateful.
Today Nadeem received an email from our friend Tim Sparks. He reminded us of what we know but had forgotten. Our journey is not about finding the right person to cut through the red tape. It's about faith and perseverance. For me, I felt guilty to receive the news from Mr. Spry. I had had such mean thoughts towards God, and then we got this news I felt I didn't even deserve. I think perhaps that was God's message to me today-that we don't deserve anything. Even when my faith falters, God loves me so much that He delights in helping His children-in the way only a perfect Father can, not because of what I do or don't do but because of His love. Even when the circumstances make no sense, still Jesus is my friend.
Romans 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Communicating in Bangladesh
One of our many challenges has been trying to communicate here in Bangladesh. Neither Nadeem nor I speak the language, Bangla. Nadeem is learning some because this language is similar to one he knew as a child. I, however, am totally lost. Some people speak no English at all; others speak some English but feel much more comfortable speaking Bangla. I have seen CNN and heard a couple of older American songs on the radio, but for the most part, we are surrounded by a language we don't understand. This leads to some comical situations-at least in retrospect. For example, at the magistrate's office, he tried to give Nadeem a crash course in speaking the language, as you may recall. He walked Nadeem through the different questions the judge might ask. In Bangla "gee" means "yes". (I've probably spelled it wrong, but this is how it sounds.) The magistrate asked things like "Did this child come from the Missionaries of Charity orphanage?" "Gee," Nadeem answered. "Is her birthdate June 28" "Gee." This went on and on until suddenly everyone got horrified looks on their faces. We had no idea what had happened. Hasan explained, "Nadeem, the magistrate just asked if you would beat the child, and you said gee!" Obviously at the time we weren't laughing, but it has become a bit of a joke around here now.
Another language barrier occurs between us and the servants. One servant is mute and only uses gestures. The teenage servant only speaks Bangla. The other day I was alone with her and Kalina. I wanted a piece of fruit, so I tried to pantomime an apple. Well, she nodded vigorously, said gee, and returned with a knife! So much for my acting skills! The night we had a salad, I tried to make some small talk and motioned to inquire where the other servant had gone. All of a sudden she grabbed our entire uneaten salad and rushed into the kitchen. Nadeem said, "Why must you try to talk to her?" I quickly ran after her to try to retrieve our salad. Nadeem had his own experience when he pantomimed to her that Kalina was sleeping and to please listen out for her and come get us if she cried. We had issues with this servant because Kalina would sometimes cry a little during her nap. Instead of letting her go back to sleep, the servant would grab her and carry her screaming to us. As soon as Nadeem pantomimed to listen for her, the servant went charging into our bedroom to get the baby. Nadeem gave me a shocked look and charged after her!
We greatly appreciate any attempts for people to communicate in English with us and include us in conversation. I have a precious 11 year old friend named Mottie who lives in this apartment building and who speaks English with me. I still have to talk slowly and sometimes rephrase things, but it feels really good to be able to talk with someone. She and her extremely shy little brother like to come visit Kalina.
It's a helpless feeling to not be able to talk on the phone, talk to shopkeepers, understand conversation, or understand t.v. Even most of Nadeem's relatives speak limited English, so Hasan's mom tries to translate or speak for us. I'd always heard about language immersion programs. I've been here for a month, and I'm still lost! Luckily, love needs no language! A smile communicates a lot. Thanks for all your sweet messages on our blog-in English! :)
Another language barrier occurs between us and the servants. One servant is mute and only uses gestures. The teenage servant only speaks Bangla. The other day I was alone with her and Kalina. I wanted a piece of fruit, so I tried to pantomime an apple. Well, she nodded vigorously, said gee, and returned with a knife! So much for my acting skills! The night we had a salad, I tried to make some small talk and motioned to inquire where the other servant had gone. All of a sudden she grabbed our entire uneaten salad and rushed into the kitchen. Nadeem said, "Why must you try to talk to her?" I quickly ran after her to try to retrieve our salad. Nadeem had his own experience when he pantomimed to her that Kalina was sleeping and to please listen out for her and come get us if she cried. We had issues with this servant because Kalina would sometimes cry a little during her nap. Instead of letting her go back to sleep, the servant would grab her and carry her screaming to us. As soon as Nadeem pantomimed to listen for her, the servant went charging into our bedroom to get the baby. Nadeem gave me a shocked look and charged after her!
We greatly appreciate any attempts for people to communicate in English with us and include us in conversation. I have a precious 11 year old friend named Mottie who lives in this apartment building and who speaks English with me. I still have to talk slowly and sometimes rephrase things, but it feels really good to be able to talk with someone. She and her extremely shy little brother like to come visit Kalina.
It's a helpless feeling to not be able to talk on the phone, talk to shopkeepers, understand conversation, or understand t.v. Even most of Nadeem's relatives speak limited English, so Hasan's mom tries to translate or speak for us. I'd always heard about language immersion programs. I've been here for a month, and I'm still lost! Luckily, love needs no language! A smile communicates a lot. Thanks for all your sweet messages on our blog-in English! :)
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Appointed Time
"Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you." -Genesis 18:14
Since receiving the huge sign of hope last week, I've become much more restless and ready to come home. I didn't allow myself to think of home much prior to this, but now I'm having dreams of home, and during the day thoughts of home sometimes enter my mind. We've now been gone from home for a month, and we still don't know when we'll return. I was disappointed to learn that the US Embassy was closed for many days for the Eid holiday. Now we've learned that the man at the USCIS who will send the letter approving our fingerprints will be out of town until Monday. Monday there is Monday night here. I have to remind myself that our return home is under God's perfect timing. Getting us home is not too hard for Him. At the appointed time He will return to us and bring us home. In the Bible, God's people waited-waited to be delivered from Pharaoh, waited for the Messiah, waited to be released from prison, waited for God to open their wombs and bless them with children, waited to get to the Promised Land, and so on and so on. Clearly waiting is important to God. He could certainly take action immediately in any situation.
"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." -Psalm 27:14
Thanks for continuing to pray for us! Just like when you're a child waiting "forever" for Christmas to come or school to end, the wait will be worth it!
Since receiving the huge sign of hope last week, I've become much more restless and ready to come home. I didn't allow myself to think of home much prior to this, but now I'm having dreams of home, and during the day thoughts of home sometimes enter my mind. We've now been gone from home for a month, and we still don't know when we'll return. I was disappointed to learn that the US Embassy was closed for many days for the Eid holiday. Now we've learned that the man at the USCIS who will send the letter approving our fingerprints will be out of town until Monday. Monday there is Monday night here. I have to remind myself that our return home is under God's perfect timing. Getting us home is not too hard for Him. At the appointed time He will return to us and bring us home. In the Bible, God's people waited-waited to be delivered from Pharaoh, waited for the Messiah, waited to be released from prison, waited for God to open their wombs and bless them with children, waited to get to the Promised Land, and so on and so on. Clearly waiting is important to God. He could certainly take action immediately in any situation.
"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord." -Psalm 27:14
Thanks for continuing to pray for us! Just like when you're a child waiting "forever" for Christmas to come or school to end, the wait will be worth it!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Eid Celebration
Today we celebrated Eid. We woke up to a special breakfast with beef kebobs, sweet rice, desserts made with sugar and rice or noodles and milk, mutton, and flat bread. Everyone wore their new clothes with matching accessories for the women (sandals, dangling earrings, and bangles). All of the children received small amounts of money for gifts. They would bow down to your feet three times to show respect. Starting right after breakfast, all the neighbors briefly visited each other's homes. In each home, you ate more food. To not do so would be considered rude. If we had totally understood this, we wouldn't have eaten so much food at breakfast! After this time of visiting, everyone visited family members and friends for the rest of the day. We visited Hasan's mom's family this afternoon. Tonight Nadeem and I are having a sort of "date night." We have some quiet time alone here while everyone is continuing the visiting. It's hard for us to go out so much with a baby. So far we've had a wonderful salad for dinner. Nadeem shopped for fresh vegetables for us, and I think we totally confused the poor young servant. I guess they don't eat salads here much! We've hung out with Kalina and just enjoyed a quiet evening.
We have no new news concerning our US approval to return home. The US Embassy is closed here until Sunday due to the Eid holiday. Thanks for continuing to pray for us!
We have no new news concerning our US approval to return home. The US Embassy is closed here until Sunday due to the Eid holiday. Thanks for continuing to pray for us!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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