World Kindness Day

For those who didn't know, Friday was World Kindness Day. Earlier in the week I recieved an email from a friend about the little boy Noah and his Chistmas wish. So on Friday, I had my kids make him lots and lots of Christmas cards! They did a good job. It was really funny to read some of them. Their writing skills are not the best, but their intent was evident. My 6th graders asked me to include a letter to Noah inviting him to write back :) I hope Noah is blessed by our huge envelope of Christmas cards from Morocco!

Being welcomed home...

One funny detail I forgot to add...When Sarah and I returned from Tangier, there was a little bird in our apartment! Getting it out was an adventure ;) And it had conveniently left it's markings ALL OVER our apartment :)

Tangier

This weekend's adventure...Tangier! Since Friday was a Moroccan national holiday, Sarah and I decided to take advantage of the extra day off from school :)
After a seven hour train ride, we finally arrived in Tangier. Our afternoon was spend at the home of Morgan and Bruce (a contact Sarah had recieved). We had such a good time. It was so nice to be around people who understand us! They were a sweet couple and very fun to be around.
Saturday morning we met John (another contact) at the Cafe de Paris (where Bourne Ultimatum was filmed!!!), got some food, and headed out for our hike. The climb was refreshing. It was really nice to be away from the city and enjoy clean air. The view from the mountain was gorgeous! We could see all the way across to Spain. On our way up the Rif Mountains, we came across a herd of sheep and goats. We even saw a baby lamb that had just been born! As we continued to climb, we were engulfed by a cloud. It was like we were in our own world.
When we got back to town, we grabbed dinner and headed to the carnival :) Riding the Pirate swing, we felt like kids...it was great! What a wonderful day!!! New friends, new sights, new experiences...

Am I really old enough to be a chaperone?

Yesterday was AAC's first Halloween dance! As the "cool young teachers", Sarah and I were drafted as chaperones :) We also volunteered to help set up for the dance. This was a bit frustrating, however. The girls had great plans but didn't know how to put them into play. The result...guess who did all the work? Yup...us! Instead of completing a task and moving on to something else that needed to be done, they just stood around, talked, and figured out what to wear!!! Every time we asked them to do something, they would agree and disapear. This, unfortunately, is due in-part to their wealth and having maids that do everything for them. I think this was a good learning experience for them and for us. Next time, we will be sure there is someone in charge and specific tasks are assigned :) In the end, though, everything looked GREAT!
The dance itself was a whole other experience. Beginning with our own chaperone dance party (because none of the kids were there yet), the evening was a lot of fun! One interesting thing about teaching overseas, is that it isn't weird to "hang out" with your students on the weekend. So, my students repeatedly asked me to come dance with them. I did...but it was a little strange. I didn't really feel like their teacher...it made our age difference feel even smaller :) We had fun though; and the kids really enjoyed themselves!

Islam classes and new friends

Tuesday, Sarah and I went to the first of four classes on Islam held at our pastor's house. The classes are to help us get a better understanding of the culture we are now living in. It was interesting and very informational. I'm excited to see what the next few weeks hold!
Our trip there was a great reminder of the wonderful people who live in this country. Our first taxi driver spoke a little English and was very nice. He asked a woman who was riding with us to help us get our next taxi! People here really are nice...there are wierdos but we have them in the states too :)
The best part of the evening was meeting five other young women. I have really missed having good Christian girlfriends to talk with. One of the girls invited us over to their apartment after church on Sunday for a "Bring and Share". I am hopeful that these could be some really good (non-school) friends!

Rabat

This weekend Sarah and I embarked on our first solo adventure! We got up early on Friday morning and packed our backpacks so we could leave right from school. It took us a while to find a taxi that would bring us to the train station but we finally made it, got our tickets, and ran to catch the train. Since we were some of the last to board we got to stand for the entire ride! We began in the back (Sarah got stuck in the doorway of the bathroom!). Later we moved to the hallway...which had a better view.
Our plan was to stay in a small family run motel in the medina. However, we found out that our dinner destination was not open yet and right next to it was a big, nice hotel called Hotel Balima. We decided, for convenience and because it was getting dark, to stay there instead. We settled in, ate dinner, and called it a night.
Saturday began with breakfast at the hotel; putting on our backpacks, chacos, and sunglasses; and heading out with cameras to be tourists! Walking down Ave. Mohammad V, we had to laugh when a man came skipping by us shouting and giggling, "I love U.S.A." What a way to start the day :) First stop...the medina. Now medinas are where most tourists get lost. I wouldn't say we were completely lost, but we weren't exactly sure where we were either :) But, we made it out alright and with a few purchases as well!
Next stop...the kasbah. This is the oldest part of Rabat (the original "ribat"). Much like the medina, the kasbah had the narrow winding alleys. The difference though was the peaceful nature. So different from the hussle and bussle of the medina, I felt like I was in a new world. We made our way through the winding streets to the Andalusian Gardens. It was so nice to be surrounded by so many green things! In my lovely, dirty home of Casablanca (with white contrete buildings...casa - house, blanca - white), I miss the trees and grass and flowers.
On to Le Tour Hassan and Mausoleum of Mohammed V... Le Tour Hassan would have been the second largest mosque of its time (if it had been completed). Unfortunately the sultan died before it was complete and later an earthquake hit, leaving only the unfinished minaret and a forest of pillars. The Mausoleum is where the coffin of Mohammed V is kept. This building was amazing on the inside...intricate tile work, carvings, gold everywhere...it was incredible!
We ended our day with the Mega Mall :) Although it was not so "mega", it was nice to go to a mall. We walked around, got some ice cream, and called it a day. We were tired, but we had fun!!!

*** I put pictures from this weekend on my Picasa album...just so you know :)

Building Relationships

Last weekend I had two opportunities to make new friends! First, I went out for lunch with a young family. We had a great time learning more about each other and God's calling on our lives. They were such a neat couple and their kids were adorable! It was so nice to be with a family (even though it wasn't my own). I loved it!
Later that afternoon, Sarah and I went to the church soccer game...kind of like church softball except these guys are professionals :) If I'm honest, I hardly watched the game. The pastor and his wife were there as well as another couple from the church. It was really nice to talk in a relaxed setting (without responsibilities, or other people) As we began talking, it came out that one of the women went to CALVIN!!! We were the bigger people and continued talking :) Also at the game was a local Moroccan woman. She was so friendly and offered to help Sarah and I with our Arabic!

I am so lucky to have so many people who care about me! I miss everyone from home, but I have also been blessed to find a number of friends here. "Starting over" is not easy, and sometimes I wish I could just go out for coffee with my best friends. Yet what a cool thing that I get to build friendships with so many different types of people.