Oorah Boorah

This week I learned a new Bangladeshi term, Oorah Boorah. I couldn't get an exact translation, but it apparently means something like "stupid" or "lame". Our host family has had issues with some servants and some repairmen this week. Here is the term used in context: "Because of these oorah boorah repairmen, my whole day was wasted because I had to stay home and deal with them!" I find this term to be very fun to say. Oorah Boorah.
My mother faithfully mails packages of Kalina's supplies, and once again with two packages in transit, we have not received either one. We have had to give Kalina the weak formula again, much to my distress. The Bangladeshi Sunday or weekend/religious day is on Friday here. Therefore, the post office was closed on Friday. We have no phone number for the post office and no way of getting one, so someone has to go in person to inquire about packages. The driver's five year old daughter has had typhoid fever. Luckily she is recovering, but he had to go to the village where his family lives to take care of her. We had no car. Hasan's mom called a friend to ask if they could go to the post office which is near their house and ask about our package. Here's the news. The man who delivers and distributes packages had the day off. In his absence, the other workers couldn't give us our package because we had no tracking number. They said they wouldn't look for it based on our address and the fact that it's surely the only box that has just arrived from the US. Oorah Boorah postal workers!!!
We have encountered more than our share of oorah boorah people on our journey. My mom sent me word today that people entering the US carrying organic chocolates and natural soaps and deodorants are being detained and worse. Amazing! She told us to leave our natural and organic products behind when we return home. Oorah Boorah!
In our spiritual journey, there is a challenge of surrendering to God and still keeping faith and hope. My friend Angela has told me several times since we've been gone that the message God is giving her is "childlike faith." As a child, it's easy to trust your parents. Kalina trusts us and has faith that we'll take care of her. However, even at her young age, she has had some scary experiences that have broken her trust and told her that the world is not always safe-strangers grabbing her and making her cry and being scared by the ghost show at a restaurant. As her mom, it's really hard to watch her become scared. She remembers, too! When faced with the same situation, she becomes scared all over again. She's only 5 months old! By the time we're older, we've had plenty of situations that have told us that the world and people cannot always be trusted. You bring all of this to your relationship with God. God says "Trust me. Have faith. Surrender everything to me." Starting with something small, Kalina's package, is hard enough. I say that I trust God to deliver the package, yet not my will but God's be done. Then the package doesn't arrive, and my faith is hurt. The challenge, I believe, is to still see God as He truly is-good and loving and faithful.
We've heard from a reliable source that good news is coming this week. I'd love to say that we're filled with hope, but in reality we've faced "the boy who cried wolf" over and over. It's really hard to get excited and then get let down. We do know and believe that God is working, He will deliver us, and He will use this all for good. However, the human part of us cries that we're tired of the oorah boorah nonsense! Yuck! We're ready to come home! The great part about following God is that He doesn't expect us to be perfect or to always rejoice. He picks us up. He knows we're weak. He knows that we must have His strength to keep having faith and hope and surrendering. None of this comes naturally!
I like the verses in the book of Luke when Jesus talks to Peter and tells him that Satan has asked to "sift him as wheat." Then here's the part I like! Jesus tells Peter that He's praying for him, that his faith would not fail! I think that's so cool! In addition to all of you praying, Jesus cares about us! He's talking to His Father and saying, "may their faith not fail!"
We're hoping for some good news this week, but more importantly, we're praying that God will help us to keep the faith, no matter what the week brings.
Thanks for praying!