Who's Holding the Door?

 

Proposed to be the oldest door in Kabul,
in the restored Mirad Khane project...old town.

From Jon,

"The gentleman holds the door open for the lady."
That's what I was taught.  That's my comfortable
behavior.  Truthfully, it's the polite standard to open
the door for anyone.  Not so here in Afghanistan where the door is held for the honored one -  in this case, me  -  as both the Director and the elder...oh, and also male!  Here the expectation is that women, with downward gaze, always go    

                                                                      last!

Bill and Jan leaving thru our gate

So, at the hospital,when I'm first to the door, standing, holding it for others, including women, to pass through as I wait......it doesn't work so well.  The line piles up waiting for me to lead the way.

I'm starting to figure out, when a meeting is over that part of the delay in exiting the room is not just the friendly custom of talking with each other, but, in some measure, is the polite way of honoring
me, waiting for me to leave first.  Recognizing that, the room empties much faster!

" Do you understand what I have done for you?" Jesus asked
after washing their feet, or in this case, holding open the door.
The creator God, the most honored of the honored,
        "Lord of the Worlds,
          the Lord of Mercy,
          the Giver of Mercy,
          Master of the Day of Judgment" (Qur'an, Sura 1:2-4)
holds the door, even truer, IS the door, to the joy of life for me....for ALL....and certainly for my AFghan friends and
associates who dutifully defer to the honored one, unaware the
Honored One is deferring to them.

The Honored One honors us in love,

               The Highly Esteemed holds us in high esteem,

that we might be one together, forgiven and reconciled friends

   of God, inviting all to enter thru the door to holy hospitality.

More of it.....

 From Kabul...


Jon awoke to a pile of snow one day last week.   Musa's car could not make the final ascent to the hospital, so the 
occupants 'footed' it the rest of the way.  Another resident happened by and took mercy on Dr. Jon. , giving him a lift. 

There was evidently time in the day to go to the roof of the hospital and toss a bit of snow around.  Wonder who suggested that?  Must have been a light day at the office!  They do look like they are having fun, though.

Walking further down the street we live on.....

Jon goes home at night to a dark, cold        house.  If the electricity is on, he turns on the electric heater to raise the temp from the 40's to the 50's in his room. Meanwhile, he turns on the kerosene 'bukharee' in the adjoining room...which has now become the all-purpose room for whomever is living there. 


For a couple weeks, Jon was alone in the house. Two housemates have returned and he has someone to talk to and shiver with of evenings.  Their rooms seem to be in the 20's and 30's without electricity, so Steve slept behind the stove his first night back.  Jon appreciates his hot water bottles.














From Snohomish.....

Tis interesting that Marita is experiencing extreme snowfall on the other side of the globe!  Washington state has set a record for snowfall just this week.  Tomorrow is Ice over it all, and then it's days of rain.  THEN we have the potential of flooding in the valley as rivers rise.  One thing leads to another!

Marita spent last weekend, Martin Luther King holiday here, at our cabin with the Millers who are co-owners with us.  We watched Jessica and friends make the most of the outdoor recreation....sledding down the hill onto the frozen river and ice-skating on Fish Lake.  Heather, Scott and I enjoyed the warmth of the wood fire while working on a jigsaw puzzle, reading, snoozing and visiting.  We skyped Jon and showed him our snow. It was a restful time together....my third visit to the cabin while home from Kabul!

My surgeon has given me a timeline to work from, as of Monday.  Feb. 1,  I can shed the brace and start physical therapy.  A week later the walker can be retired but I'll have to use a cane til I feel comfortable unassisted.  I've been driving since last week.  My first trip was to get a pedicure.  It felt so good to have someone rub my feet, which I haven't been allowed to bend over to even touch!  And my toes look pretty, too.  So I'm feeling a bit of freedom.....until  nearly a foot of snow fell this week!

 Jon and I are looking at the middle of February for my return to Afghanistan.  I can't believe I've been home so long......two months!  We are grateful for the love and care friends and family have given us
during this unexpected 'furlough.' I've enjoyed the luxury of life here in the U.S.....safety, order, cleanliness, Starbucks, Pork, freedom of worship, plumbing that works, familiar clothing, heat, mail, cultural events, movies....TV!

 HOME is confusing to me, as this should feel like home....but Kabul is also home.  Another reminder that HOME is where the heart is.....and my heart has been lots of places and stretched to encompass them all.   We are blessed to have  been embraced by those we've met along the way!

Barf....here and there!

Winterized back yard

Hi all,

I was surprised this morning when I opened the drapes and found barf (Dari for snow) all over.  Tonight it continues to barf but it is very wet and heavy.  Not so good on flat roofs made of mud.  It covers up the ugly browns and stacks of debris and clears the air, but turns the roads into slippery mudways.  Nevertheless is a delightful change.

                                                                 Jon

  

Driver Musa waits to take me to work....Guard Baroli stands by

On the way to the hospital

On THIS side of the world, our family experienced the 'barf' also!

                                               

  To pronounce this word, give the 'ar' a healthy roll of the tongue.....more exotic that way!  Less barfy too.