My Hope

  Learning language and culture has a way of keeping one humble.  If you struggle with pride, I highly recommend giving it a try.  The smartest person can quickly be reduced to a vocabulary on level with a toddler.   We knew we'd make some mistakes and thought we'd share so you could get a chuckle too.   Tommy started having a conversation in the elevator with a neighbor and they asked where he worked.  He shared that he works for the 'kersay'.  Seeing a puzzled look on his face he attempted to say it again more clearly.  Finally our neighbor asked if he could please just tell him in English and chuckled as Tommy told him he works for the church.  It was then that Tommy realized 'kersay' is an upholstered chair; 'keneesay' is church. I was having a conversation with a group of women from Horizons and thought I heard one of them say to the other 'Happy Birthday'.  While there is an Arabic phrase, many people just use English and sing the ...

  We feel blessed to have had our first visitors here in Lebanon!    My (Rebekah’s) parents came and we had an amazing time together!    While they were here, we took some time to join them as tourists and saw some of Lebanon that we hadn’t seen before.    I was amazed by all the history surrounding us that is easy to overlook if one’s view is just out from our apartment.    We can see the effects of the more recent history that has shaped our neighborhood with both Lebanon’s civil war and now Syria’s.    Buildings that were battered from bomb shells and bullet holes are now crowded with refugees who have fled the bombs and bullets in their homeland.    The ruins go back much farther than that though.    We walked through ancient Roman ruins that were astounding.    While much had crumbled, a lot was still intact.    The size and scope of the stonework is a marvel but especially so without the...

  It's summer time.  My facebook newsfeed has been plastered with pictures of awards ceremonies, graduations, and general end of the year posts.  I wish I could be there to celebrate in some of these milestones with you!  Since we had time off mid-year with our move, we've still got a little ways before we finish our math & language arts curriculum.  We taking mini summer break while family is in town.   Even though I'm a homeschool mom, sometimes I am still ready for summer to end and school to begin again.  Not because I don't enjoy spending the time with the kids, but I also crave the routine and structure.   Today I visited a family without access to school, but could tell the kids crave the routine and structure that would come from classes.  They are eager to learn, but have never been formally taught.  They want knowledge and understanding... but they don't have that luxury.   Almost every week a group has gone out to sha...