Tim and Jeni

Easter Reading

>> Tuesday, April 23, 2013

The Saturday after Easter we had an "Easter Reading" for ladies and children from our village. We also invited other Arab friends, so it was a mixed group.

Gathering to sit and listen to a "reading" is normal for our Muslim friends. This wasn't strange at all for them. I had practiced reading Mark 15:42-16:14 in Arabic for a couple of weeks leading up to this event.

Before We sat down for the reading, we colored eggs and gave out Easter Baskets. The children found eggs that we had hidden in the yard! It was such a fun, memorable time!

Celebrating Easter

>> Monday, April 22, 2013

The true reason for celebrating Easter, the resurrection of Jesus, is the foundation of who we are! It's the most important thing that we celebrate!

It wasn't difficult for us to explain to our kids that Easter Eggs represent the new life that we have through Christ. Dyeing eggs and having an egg hunt were so much fun!

Leading up to Easter we talked so much about why Jesus had to die. If you ask our kids they'll say "he died for our sins." We also talked about how Jesus is God and he has power over death. It was such a delight to sing Easter hymns together. There's nothing like hearing Joseph and Faith's sweet voices singing, "Alive, alive, alive forevermore! My Jesus is alive, alive forevermore!"

Joseph and Faith are familiar with the details of the Easter story. They watched a cartoon version of the story over and over and memorized it. They wouldn't stop talking about it. Of course they were ready to celebrate this foundation of our faith!

Village Events

>> Thursday, April 18, 2013

Sometimes I join my friends for religious readings or religious weddings in the village. Joseph has gotten too big to be with the ladies, but Faith still loves to come with me! She loves to drink tea and eat treats! She's gotten really good at greeting the ladies and they love it!

Ethiopian Salon

Faith has been going to the same Ethiopian Salon since she was about a year old. Click here to read a blog about her first salon experience. The ladies are so sweet! They've enjoyed seeing her come in and this time they were all commenting about how much she's grown!

Faith's Ethiopian name, which is now her middle name, is Betelehem. Her nickname in the orphanage was Baytie. It's the same name that these ladies call her when they see her. "Here comes Baytie!" Faith doesn't seem to understand, but I think it's so sweet!

Visiting Daddy at Work

>> Wednesday, April 3, 2013

A few weeks ago when Tim was tutoring at work in the evening we stopped by to hang out with him. We stayed long enough to have a little fun and meet his student.

Birthday Celebration

>> Tuesday, April 2, 2013

My birthday is March 10th and we had a great time celebrating with our small family! I am so blessed by such a wonderful husband and great kids!

The kids were really sweet to make me feel special on my birthday, which was nice! Tim helped them make me a sweet card and sing happy birthday ...what a wonderful husband!

February and March were intense months in our country and especially in our village. These months are the anniversary of when the revolution here started. There was a lot of protesting and remembering. We stayed alert and aware of what was happening in order to stay out of the action. There was added stress in our lives because of this, but we're so thankful that God has been taking care of us! He continues to show us his comfort and grace in the midst of all of this. We're thankful that God is our Father!

Because of this I've gotten behind in blogging. I feel like I've been in a fog and now it's lifting.
♪♫"I can see clearly now the rain is gone..."♫♪

Trip to the Wildlife Park

>> Monday, February 11, 2013

The kids had a two and a half week break from school. I called it their Christmas break, since they didn't get a break at that time. ;) We were thankful for the time together and had a lot of fun! Since the rest of the village was also on break we arranged to go together to the "wildlife park." (It's not as nice as a zoo.) It's about a 45 minute drive away.

So we packed up our lunches and crammed into the van together! This picture was taken before 3 more kids and another mom joined us. We had a total of 8 kids and 3 moms in the van together. We had another friend following us with her three small children.

Tim Teaching Nov/Dec

>> Sunday, January 27, 2013

Since it's the end of January, I should catch up on last year's happenings with Tim at work. He was very busy at work because the director was in the States and so he took on some of her responsibilities in addition to teaching.

He did really well with doing some of the director role!

January Christmas Party

>> Friday, January 25, 2013

Christmas was extended in our house because I wanted to have a Christmas party for the ladies in the village. But, we couldn't have a Christmas party until their mourning time was finished. We had to wait until the middle of January! So, I kept my tree up and put my plans aside until after the New Year.

It was a crazy party to plan because Arabs think and plan very differently than I do. I wasn't honestly sure what was going to happen...if anyone was going to come or not. They were nervous to come to my house because they didn't know what to expect at a Christian's house.

I tried to do things that my Arab friends would be familiar with so that it wouldn't be so weird for them. I was thankful to have my "sisters" come help me with this party. I couldn't have done it without their help!

NYE in Dubai

>> Thursday, January 3, 2013

For Christmas, Tim and I gave each other a trip to Dubai for New Years Eve! I have been wanting to be there for NYE for a long time. It was good timing for us to get away, so we jumped at the opportunity.

This year, Dubai was boasting about their fireworks display from the Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world. That made us excited!

We really enjoyed spending time together without the kids. They stayed at Keith & Carie's house. Even though Faith just got stitches, I knew she was in good hands with Carie, a former nurse.

Christmas

>> Friday, December 28, 2012

Christmas this year was really special! We did a lot of preparation for Christmas at our house. We did a Jesse Tree for the first time this year. We enjoyed doing it and we'd like to continue this tradition! As our kids get older it's fun to see them grasp the reason why we celebrate Christmas. They seem to understand that Jesus' birth was the most important birth and worthy of a big celebration!!

Month of Mourning

>> Wednesday, December 12, 2012

We are almost through the month of mourning that our Shia friends have each year. We've spent time being in our village and sitting with our friends during this time of mourning. We wore black out of respect for them.

Filled with Thankfulness

>> Friday, November 30, 2012

The end of November has flown by and there were so many more posts floating around in my head. I'm going to let them go and finish off the Thankfulness blog posts. But, I won't forget to be thankful. I know that I'm blessed in so many ways! God is so good to me!

In this season of my life, I am mostly thankful for this time I have with my family. Being able to spend time together is something I'm so grateful for. Especially as I see other families watch their children leave the nest.

Thankfulness for Carie

>> Monday, November 26, 2012

I have so many reasons to be thankful for my wonderful friend Carie! The reason that she gets a special post is because she is always so faithful to make sweet comments on my blog...and it means so much to me.

I met her when I moved overseas in 2006. I've got so many memories with her! Most of my memories include being really dorky and laughing together. Sometimes we can get serious, though, and talk about deep things! I really appreciate how well she listens and gives honest feedback.

This picture of us was taken when we took a trip to Jordan together in April, 2007. So much has happened in both of our lives since then! That was before she had teenagers and before I had kids.

Thankfulness for symbolism

>> Saturday, November 24, 2012

I just read The Legend of the Three Trees to Joseph and Faith. I'm thankful that so many things point to Christ! I love this story about how 3 trees were used in Christ's life in different ways!

As we prepare to put up our Christmas tree I was touched especially by how the pine tree dreamed of pointing people to God. In the end this tree was used to make the cross that Jesus died on. The cross is an amazing symbol of God's great love in sacrificing His son to die in our place.

During the Christmas season we celebrate Christ's birth and His life. But, ultimately, he came to die to pay for our sins and be raised again to make us right with God. (Rom 4:25)

Thankfulness that my kids love books

>> Friday, November 16, 2012

This morning just before leaving for church I peeked into my kids' room and I saw them looking at their books. I love this scene! I'm thankful that that they love books!

When I fist started teaching elementary school I fell in love with teaching reading! I think it's awesome to watch kids make connections and become independent readers! Once they can read, a whole new world is open to them for learning all kids of things.

Thankfulness for an Ethiopian Salon

>> Thursday, November 15, 2012

A couple days ago Faith and I went to get her hair braided. As we were walking in, I realized how thankful I am to have an Ethiopian salon! What a blessing it is to have the opportunity to have Ethiopian ladies braid Faith's hair!

Every time we walk in Faith greets them with the one Ethiopian greeting that we remember. The ladies have known her since she was 10 months old and they always comment about how much she has grown!

They call Faith by the same nickname the nannies in Ethiopia called her: "Baity." It's short for Betelehem (which is translated Bethlehem). This is her Ethiopian name that we've kept as her middle name. We call her Faith Bethlehem a lot!

Thankfulness for my kids

>> Tuesday, November 13, 2012

I love kids! I always have! When I was 13 I started babysitting and I loved it. As soon as I turned 16 I got a job working at a preschool and worked there until I graduated from college. (I worked there when I was home for the summers.) During college I worked at a preschool and a daycare. After college I taught for 6 years in elementary school. I haven't been able to stay away from kids!

Thankfulness for my husband

>> Sunday, November 11, 2012

It's not easy to put into words how much Tim means to me. I couldn't have dreamed up a better husband. I often sit back and marvel at how well we go together! Though we're different in so many ways, his strengths fill my weaknesses! He's such a good listener and helps me to process things that happen. He helps me to see things from a different perspective.

I love to laugh with Tim! He accepts me for who I am and I can be totally silly around him. I love to see him having fun with Joseph and Faith too! He's not afraid to wrestle with Joseph and be rough. Faith is his princess and she loves it when her daddy says, "You're a pretty girl!"

It's been such a blessing to watch him grow spiritually over the years! He's definitely the spiritual leader in our family and it's not hard for me to submit to him. His meekness and his fierce commitment to God are inspiring. He never hesitates to obey God and do exactly what He feels like God is leading him to do, even when it's not easy.

There are times when I feel down and he's quick to come alongside me and encourage me. He's so good at telling me just what I need to hear. It means so much to me when he says things like "I'm so glad that you're my wife." or "You're so beautiful!"

He's incredibly good to me. The way that he takes care of me when I'm in pain is amazing! He's so selfless and goes above and beyond what I would expect him to do.

I love walking through life with Tim! It's awesome to be able to look back and see our history together. It's also exciting to look ahead and think about our future together. I couldn't have chosen a better one to grow old with!

Thankfulness for my history with God

>> Thursday, November 8, 2012

This morning when I woke up, I felt like God was reminding me of His faithfulness in my life. I love it when He does this! When I look back and see how God has been so faithful to me through the years, it helps me to know that He will be faithful today and in the future. I can trust Him for today because I have trusted him in the past!

I became a Christian when I was 13 years old. (In this picture of me, I'm a little younger than 13.) My dad had become a Christian a few years before that and I watched him change.

Thankfulness for church

>> Wednesday, November 7, 2012

I've had a lot of thoughts about this topic today and I'm not quite sure where to start. First of all, I want to say how thankful I am that through church I learned about Jesus and about following him.

I'm thankful that church is so much bigger than a building. Growing up my dad used to say, "You can't go to church, because the church is you!" He got that line from a song by Acapella Vocal Band. I found a youtube of it here.

Thankfulness for discipline

>> Monday, November 5, 2012

This morning I woke up in pain with another headache. I have to admit that my first response is frustration, not a humble submission to God's sovereignty in my life. There's something humiliating about having chronic headaches. I end up being so dependent on Tim to take care of me and the kids. I like to be independent and I love taking care of my kids. Laying on the couch, flat on my back, isn't the way that I want to spend my day.

Thankfulness for the time when my kids were little

>> Sunday, November 4, 2012

Tonight we were looking at pictures and videos of our kids when they were little. We are so glad to have videos and pictures to help us remember how sweet that time was. It's been such a joy to be able to watch them go from crawling to walking to running! It's so sweet to hear their giggles in the videos! The memories of Joseph and Faith learning to say their first words are so precious. I am so thankful that we have had these precious kids from such a young age!

Thankfulness for Adoption

>> Saturday, November 3, 2012

I really love the fact that November is National Adoption Month! For me, adoption and thankfulness go hand in hand. I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunities that Tim and I have had to be able to adopt Joseph and Faith!

This picture is our first picture as a family of four...every time I see it, I'm filled with gratefulness for the perfect way that God has built our family!

Thankfulness for Eid

>> Friday, November 2, 2012

I'm thankful to be able to participate in the Eid celebrations in our village! There are two main holidays that our Muslim friends celebrate. One is right after Ramadan. Which took place in August. I blogged about it here.

The other is right after Hajj. Both Eids include getting dressed up and enjoying special food, much like we do for our holidays! There's lots of visiting going on during this time!

Thankfulness for our home

>> Thursday, November 1, 2012

We have passed a full year of living in our home and it feels SO good! We don't have plans of moving. God has even confirmed to us in several ways that He wants us to become more deeply rooted in this community. Having our kids go to the local preschool has already allowed us to deepen some friendships. Our kids are making friends and that makes us so happy for them.

Filled with Thankfulness

“My heart is filled with thankfulness” that's going to be the theme of my thankful blogs this November. I did this last year. Only this time I am not setting the goal of writing a blog each day during November. I'll just do as many as I can. It's so good for me to reflect on God's goodness to me. And, maybe, it can bless you too!

seeing Tim's work

>> Friday, October 5, 2012

I have had the privilege of taking pictures at the institute where Tim teaches English. I love to meet the students and see the teachers in action! I love to talk with the office staff and the director!

I am so impressed with Tim as a teacher! He is good at building a rapport with his students. They obviously like being in his class! He learned some great skills at the CELTA training, which I know he's thankful for!

Studying Arabic...again!

I have started taking Arabic classes at an institute in our city. Now that the kids are in preschool I feel a little more free to put some of my time and energy into improving my Arabic. This bit of extra time is limited because I'll be homeschooling Joseph next year.

This time is a gift and I need to make the most of it. Even though I know this in my head, it doesn't make learning Arabic any easier. This is such a hard language!

I've been thankful for God's grace as I've started studying again. I continue to pray that He will help me to love this language. When I'm really enjoying it, I'm more motivated to work at it!

we're under construction

Our village is under construction right now. Over the last few weeks it seems like the construction company has decided to dig in the most inconvenient places possible. The scene in this picture (that I posted on instagram) is right outside the kids' preschool.

Every time I see the construction signs I feel like God reminds me that I'm also under construction. I am always so grateful that God isn't finished working on me. He promises to complete His work in me. The construction process isn't pretty, but I'm thankful to know that he's working everything out for His glory and my good!

Bowling for Tim's Birthday!

>> Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Yesterday was Tim's Birthday! It's so much different celebrating adult birthdays compared to kids' birthdays. Especially having celebrated Joseph's 5th birthday last week. But, we still wanted to make Tim's birthday special! So, we invited all of our American friends to go bowling with us! It was a fun time!

Jordan

>> Thursday, September 6, 2012

Last weekend I (Jeni) took a quick trip to Jordan! I was gone for three days and it was a nice get-away!

Jordan is still the Middle East, but it has a different feel than the Gulf. Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Palestine are all considered a part of the Levant Region of the Middle East.

The plane ride was a little less than 3 hours long. It is amazing how relaxing it is to travel without kids! I enjoyed reading and journaling on the trip!

2 Parties in 1 Week

>> Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Last week we had two parties, it was a fun & crazy time! Carie was the one who hosted both of them....she's so awesome!!

Hummus

>> Monday, September 3, 2012

I'm embarrassed to say that I've lived in the Middle East for 6 years and have only recently decided to start making hummus! I got a recipe when I got to know Victoria in language school.

I don't know why I didn't make it earlier because it's one of Joseph's favorite foods. (He has many favorite foods, though.) My one excuse is that until last year I didn't have a blender.

A Quilt for Megan

I haven't been sure how to start this post about Megan. I love that girl so much and she's such a part of our family here that I don't want to admit that she's moving away from us.

She is going to boarding school and I know she'll love it there! She's going to have so much fun living with a bunch of girls her age!

Eid Visiting

>> Saturday, August 25, 2012

There is a holiday after Ramadan called "Eid Al Fitr." Eid means holiday...the word is not a religious word unless you're celebrating something religious.

Eid is a very big deal for our Muslim friends because there are only two each year. It's as big as Christmas is for us. So, they spend a lot of time preparing for this holiday. They have a lot of shopping to do for special food and for new clothes. It's very important to wear new clothes for the holidays and for the little girls to be matching! Very fun!

The women visit with the women; and the men visit with the men. There isn't any mixed gender visiting. So, the kids and I got dressed up and went visiting without Tim.

The kids enjoyed saying, "Eid Mubarak" because when they did people would hand them money!

Garga'oon

>> Sunday, August 5, 2012

Friday night was Garga'oon (قرقاعون) also called Nasifa (ناصفة), which is the half-way mark of Ramadan. Not all Muslim countries celebrate this.

Fixing our eyes on Christ

>> Monday, July 16, 2012

In the last couple of weeks God has been refining our family. God is so good to walk through both the good times and the difficult times with us. Having our faith tested and purified is so hard. But, in the end, it's so worth it.

Trip to Dubai

>> Sunday, July 8, 2012

Last weekend we took a trip to Dubai! It was a nice time get-away! We flew there with our friend Melissa. She spent her time on the beach, relaxing and soaking in the sun. We, on the other hand, went to the malls and found lots of fun things to do! We went on separate vacations together. That's something, I thought I'd never say.

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