On the Fridge

Little Friends...

2008-06-20T16:35:00.005+02:00

I have recently gained the trust of two little friends. We see each other every week and spend a little time together. They each have one parent from Egypt and one parent from Syria (although the children are not related). I love to see these precious faces. They are getting close to 3 years old and learning how to greet people by giving the traditional kiss on the cheek. Each time I see them, they come running with a smile on their faces and I lean down and they give me a "bisou". What a joy!!

Dinner for 15...

2008-06-20T16:29:00.006+02:00

One Sunday evening I had 3 other couples and their children over for dinner. We never have enough time together when we see each other so it was good to relax and eat for a while and the kids had plenty of fun together. Someone did a count during dinner and 8 nationalities were represented in our group of 15. It was a great evening...we all ate together, laughed together, had dessert and coffee together, and washed dishes together. Friends in the kitchen are much better than a dish washer!

Middle Eastern Cuisine...

2008-06-20T16:26:00.005+02:00

I set the table with Middle Eastern food that I had prepared. I made "meshi" (stuffed grape leaves and vegetables) along with homemade falafel and seseme puree sauce. Then I added in all kinds of vegetables and toppings for falafel sandwiches. People ate and ate...and many said I cooked Arabic food better than an Arab! That is quite a compliment!!!

Couples Night Out...

2008-06-20T16:21:00.003+02:00

These are our good friends who are newlyweds. He is from Morocco and she was born here but her father is from Guadalupe. Because of her similar features, everyone thinks she is Moroccan as well...until she opens her mouth and tries to speak Arabic! We are studying together!! This couple and Hary and I have enjoyed our friendship and have also worked together visiting people and helping when possible. It has been a joy for us to spend time together and enourage one another in this new venture of engaged/married life in Belgium!

Happy Birthday....

2008-06-20T16:17:00.003+02:00

Hary and I celebrated his birthday in the beginning of June. I asked if he wanted a party but he decided that something low-key was better. We went to a nearby park and I packed a basket full of his favorite things...and prayed for sun. Growing accustomed to American things, his favorite dessert is brownies. And early on in the year he watched Disney's Ratatoulli and loved it. He thinks the "rat" is great. So I decorated his birthday brownie with his new friend Remy!

Saturday Gathering...

2008-06-05T17:35:00.003+02:00

This is the Saturday night we spent with Hary's friend from Sweden. People gathered before the meeting to eat Syrian sandwiches and just have time togehter. It had been a long time since some of us had seen one another. Then after we had live Arabic music...which is always lively and was nice and authentic with the lute, guitar, saz, and drum. Then the man visiting from Sweden spoke to the group. It was a nice evening together.

Antwerp Zoo...

2008-06-05T17:26:00.003+02:00

A few weeks ago Hary and I took advantage of a sunny Saturday in Belgium and went to the Antwerp Zoo for the first time. It was established in 1843 and is known as one of the world's oldest zoos. It was actually very beautiful as all the flowers were in bloom. It was the first time Hary had ever been to a zoo so it was a lot of fun introducing him to my African friends. He walked around like a child thrilled and amazed to see the lions, gorillas, giraffes, zebras and so many more animals. We talked about the wonderous detail God added in each of these.

First Gifts...

2008-06-05T17:17:00.002+02:00

This is our new table and chairs. It is the first wedding gift we have received!! We have friends in the States who knew that a large table would help us in the future as we invite people into our home for meals. In the past I have had to use the classroom for more than 2 guests. Now we have the table that seats 6 when it is like the picture and it opens with 2 leaves to seat up to 12. So thank you so much for the table and chairs!!!! And I am sure all those who have eaten around it and will in the future also say THANK YOU!

Moroccan Night at the Centre...

2008-06-05T17:12:00.003+02:00

This is my mother/daughter team of English students. I have had them in classes for the last year and it turns out that they live right down the street from me. They are fun to have in class and add so much laughter. They are now in the conversation class or level 4. So we finished up our time together for this term on Tuesday night. I had 7 faithful students this whole term which made conversation class easy to plan for. Together they made a huge bowl of couscous and a chocolate cake and our whole class had a wonderful Moroccan dinner together before we said good-bye for the summer.

Springtime...

2008-06-05T17:01:00.002+02:00

I decided to add some life and color to the roof outside the kitchen window. It certainly helps to add some sunshine to rainy days. I also have planted a little herd area with fresh mint, basil, parsley, and dill. And someone gave me some strawberries to plant and a blackberry start. It has been nice therapy to plant and dig around in the dirt. So I am beginning to see if my thumb can be green after all!

Making Spaghetti...

2008-04-23T16:47:00.002+02:00

My lifelong Italian student decided he wanted to share a little of his culture with the class. One night he made spaghetti for everyone. I thought he was going to share his ancient family secret for the sauce, but as it turns out...that secret comes right out of a jar!

The Brownies are Coming....

2008-04-23T16:43:00.002+02:00

Yes, the brownies are coming...and I have already started baking. Thank you to all the people who stuck some brownies in the mail. You are a blessing! Over and over from students and friends I hear people tell me their favorite desert is the American brownie. So thank you for helping me to continue baking and giving!

New Instruments...

2008-04-23T16:36:00.002+02:00

I have started learning a new instrument. This is used in Middle Eastern music and is sometimes called a saz. The problem is that very little information is out there about it and no written instruction or music can be found. Most people who play it have no knowledge of music and simply play by ear. So a friend and I have started writing down and compiling some of the familiar Arabic songs. I am now teaching my self to play the instrument using the written music. It is somewhat of a challenge but I am up for it!

Friends...

2008-04-23T16:24:00.003+02:00

These are two of my friends. The one on the left is from Syria. She is having a baby boy next month. And the other friend is from Morocco. She has been terribly sick with an allergic reaction. This reaction has caused her eyes to swell and turn red and has caused burn-like blisters all over her arms. The doctors gave her shots that did not help, so her condition has lasted over a month. In times like these Hary and I have been making visits, fixing brownies, and praying.

The Ever Changing Weather...

2008-04-23T16:17:00.003+02:00

I went down to the Grand Place not too long ago. The morning began nice and sunny and the weather didn't seem too cold. But the afternoon the snow was falling and people were running for shelter. After a small blizzard the weather turned nice again. As they say in Brussels...if you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes!

Hands...

2008-03-14T13:53:00.007+01:00

I have been in process of seeing if I could become a non-profit organization. I have no idea how it will all play out, but I decided on a name of the non-profit...HANDS (helping, assisting, nurturing, developing & sharing). In the midst of finding this name, my mom sent me a card. The saying on the front has quickly become one of my favorit.

"If only all the hands that reach could touch."

If we all reach together, I am sure we could touch the whole world!!

Craving America...

2008-03-14T13:27:00.004+01:00

We are in the midst of planning for a wedding at the moment. This is not always an easy process...finding a hall

big enough to seat over 300 people, making cultural decisions about music and food. Then there are the government papers to process and decorations to find. And if this wasn't enough, a woman always has to lose weight for the big day. And as I have changed the way I eat, I have found that that these are the strange items I crave and cannot buy here. They were the same when I lived in Africa. And I ask you what would life be without these precious American foods. :) I guess we never outgrow the cravings of home.

Sunny Times in the Park...

2008-03-14T13:08:00.003+01:00

FINALLY...we have just started to have some sunny days (at least sunny mornings) and we are all anxiously waiting for Spring to officially arrive. I have flowers planted out the kitchen window who are also adding a little color in anticipation of warmer days. But a sure sign Spring is on its way is when the ladies line up on the wall and the kids come to the park just outside my home and the Centre Oasis. They are the indicator that Spring has almost sprung!!

Friends Who are Like Family...

2008-03-14T12:59:00.003+01:00

This is a picture of some good friends. She is from Morocco (and also one of my students now) and he is from Italy (and like a surrogate father for my fiance). They are quite funny to be around. They welcome us into their home many times and give us advice...whether we want it or not! :) They are a joy.

Good Friends...

2008-03-14T12:52:00.002+01:00

This is a good friend of mine. She is from Morocco. I have pictures of faces and places on my fridge in Belgium. When people come over they always ask about the people I know. It is always a good conversation starter. But many others come into my home and look to see if they "made" it on the fridge. After asking and asking why she hadn't "made" it yet, we finally took a decent picture and she is officially on the fridge.

Churros...

2008-03-14T12:41:00.002+01:00

In Spain, we visited a morning market. Our host family's tradition is to eat churros dipped in chocolate sauce before they start their shopping. Although I couldn't eat a bite (because they are filled with gluten) I enjoyed watching the woman make them and she was nice enough to let me take her picutre.

Spain....

2008-03-14T12:33:00.002+01:00

I had a meeting in Spain last month. The hotel was next to the Sea and the mountains were to the other side. It was a nice time for me to see the sun and shed the heavy coat after a long Belgian winter.

So This Is Love...

2008-01-31T16:07:00.000+01:00

We had a formal engagement dinner on December 26th. Here we are after the dinner. It is official...I am now an engaged woman. And I am engaged to the kindest man I know. I prayed for many years for a man like this and thought this day would never come for me. So when the moments are sweet and gentle, I often think to myself...so this is love!

Enjoying the Market...

2008-01-31T15:59:00.000+01:00

While my parents were here for the holidays, we took them to the Christmas market in Brussels. We enjoyed the nice cool day and a ride in the ferris wheel.

Quite a Pair...

2008-01-31T15:44:00.000+01:00

One very important thing to me in life is laughter. The evening of our fiance dinner, we went out for coffee with my parents. After an evening of being "proper" we were able to be goofy and have a good time. Both of us can be a little sarcastic and just silly at times...so we don't have a problem making the other one laugh. I am sure in this case, we made a few other people laugh too.