Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope that your holiday season was filled with family, fun, warm memories, and good food! I'm sorry that it's been a while between posts. December was a packed month.
We finished school on Dec. 16, and 3 days later I was on a plane to Paris with 2 other teachers. (This is just one of the many blessings I've received here. One reason I love teaching here is because of the friendships I've made with other teachers. I feel that if I was teaching in America, I wouldn't be as close with colleagues as I am here. Because there are only so many ex-pats here, we tend to stick together. It really is fun to work, play, live, and eat together. We know so much about each other, help each other with problems in and out of the classroom, and are each others' support system here. I am so blessed that I have not only good colleagues, but GREAT friends because of my job here! But I digress. . . ) We stayed there a week, and I don't think I've ever had such a fun vacation! My feet and back were killing me daily by 6p.m. due to the amount of walking we did, but we saw the Louvre and D'Orsay museums, the Eiffel tower more than once, Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, Versailles Palace and Marie Antoinette's private escape, and spent Christmas Eve at not one but TWO services at Notre Dame cathedral! (The actual plan was to go for the midnight service, but we got there at 6 to have a seat and ended up sitting through 2 masses in French. Thus, we decided that was enough. :) ) We ate crepes, Indian food, had an American style breakfast at a diner, and cooked ham, potatoes, and green beans for Christmas Day lunch. It was lovely just walking along the Parisian streets, soaking up the holiday spirit in the air, pretending as if we belonged in the beautiful city. Even though the skies were gray most of the time, the air was crisp and wintery--it was so fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed having a warm radiator to turn on indoors, and feeling the need to take off my coat once inside (seeing as it wasn't colder indoors than out). The trip to Paris was one for the books!
We finished school on Dec. 16, and 3 days later I was on a plane to Paris with 2 other teachers. (This is just one of the many blessings I've received here. One reason I love teaching here is because of the friendships I've made with other teachers. I feel that if I was teaching in America, I wouldn't be as close with colleagues as I am here. Because there are only so many ex-pats here, we tend to stick together. It really is fun to work, play, live, and eat together. We know so much about each other, help each other with problems in and out of the classroom, and are each others' support system here. I am so blessed that I have not only good colleagues, but GREAT friends because of my job here! But I digress. . . ) We stayed there a week, and I don't think I've ever had such a fun vacation! My feet and back were killing me daily by 6p.m. due to the amount of walking we did, but we saw the Louvre and D'Orsay museums, the Eiffel tower more than once, Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, Versailles Palace and Marie Antoinette's private escape, and spent Christmas Eve at not one but TWO services at Notre Dame cathedral! (The actual plan was to go for the midnight service, but we got there at 6 to have a seat and ended up sitting through 2 masses in French. Thus, we decided that was enough. :) ) We ate crepes, Indian food, had an American style breakfast at a diner, and cooked ham, potatoes, and green beans for Christmas Day lunch. It was lovely just walking along the Parisian streets, soaking up the holiday spirit in the air, pretending as if we belonged in the beautiful city. Even though the skies were gray most of the time, the air was crisp and wintery--it was so fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed having a warm radiator to turn on indoors, and feeling the need to take off my coat once inside (seeing as it wasn't colder indoors than out). The trip to Paris was one for the books!
Outside the Louvre Museum
Marcy, Katie, and Me near the Eiffel Tower
Although it was hard to think of returning to Morocco, the fact that my parents would be here upon my arrival made the transition much easier. Mark picked us all up from the Tangier airport, and we were busy, busy their entire trip. When you only have 4 days in the country, you pack as much in as possible! A slight (or major) water leak in my apartment kept us busy as soon as they arrived, but we were able to go have dinner at Amicitia's founder's home their first night--beef & prune tagine. Yummmm! (Dad's favorite too :) ) Wednesday morning we unpacked everything they brought. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your generous gifts and notes. It was like unpacking a piece of home. You all were so thoughtful, and it helped me feel not so far away for a moment. After a yummy lunch with Mark and Amy, we headed into the medina for a bit of shopping. Of course, we couldn't fit everything mom wanted, so Thursday we went back sans a fluent Arabic speaker. I had the "honor" of being guide and translator for my parents. My limited abilities got us through asking for specific colors and prices. However, I'm not a haggler, so we probably overpaid for everything we bought! Lebanese food was on the menu that night, and if nothing else, mom and dad can say they were well fed during their time here! Friday morning we headed to Tangier with Mark, Amy, and the boys, making a short pit-stop at Volubilis. It's a Roman ruin from the 3rd or 4th century! Very amazing to see these stone ruins that used to be a fairly large city & think about how much has changed since then. In Tangier, we went to the beach, drove in ridiculously bumper to bumper traffic, had lots of laughs, and finally said goodbye to mom and dad on Sunday. I was so blessed to have them here, even if it was for a short time. Their presents and their presence (not necessarily in that order) warmed my heart and gave my spirit a lift. It will definitely be hard to not see them again for 6 months.
Dad makes his driving debut in Morocco!
At the Volubilis Roman ruins
The first day of the 2012 school year starts tomorrow. It's hard to believe that Christmas and New Years are over. I've been told that January and February will be the hardest months here. Partially because of the weather, partially because we won't have many breaks or days off, partially because we're still adjusting to living in Morocco. I'm praying that my spirits will continually be lifted by His spirit, and that these next two months will actually be the best months yet!
I just wanted to leave you with a well-known verse that's so appropriate for the beginning of a new year: "For I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."(Jer. 29:11). I know so many people make resolutions at the end of December and beginning of January, but I tend to find that I don't keep them and then feel uber guilty for not following through with whatever workout plan or reading schedule. This year, I am only making one resolution: I resolve to not workout or read my Bible X hours a day; instead, I just want to draw nearer to the Father and learn more about His heart and His plan for me. 2011 was a GREAT year. It was filled with new adventures, new friends, and trips around the world. Yeah, lots of it was scary; yeah, lots of it involved leaps of faith (and not jump over the trickle of water leaps, but jump over the massive river/ocean leaps). But however awesome 2011 was, I'm hoping for even more in 2012. Sure, I'll be taking trips to other countries over spring break, and I'll hopefully be back in the States during the summer, but I'm hoping for more in relationships as well. I'm praying that He will do a major work in my heart & help continue relationships in Morocco. I'm praying that He will make my path clear (at least for this calendar year), and I'll see more of Him than I ever have. I can't wait for what will happen in the next 12 months, and I hope that you're just as excited for all the new possibilities, trials, experiences, and adventures this year!
Sending much love to you all! xoxoxo
