This past weekend two friends and I went south towards the Sahara. Before going that far, we drove up into the Atlas Mountains towards a small town with a retreat center. We were there to provide crafts, stories, and games for the children of the adults attending the retreat. It was definitely one of the most "local" cities I've seen. Dirt streets turned into gullies of water when it rained, and it had a very conservative atmosphere. The retreat center wasn't lavish; we couldn't even flush our toilet paper! But it is amazing how God refreshed me on a weekend where I thought I'd be exhausted by the end. Even traveling four hours there and back, helping take care of children, and staying up late didn't completely wear me out. He refreshed me and gave me some wonderful time getting to know two other girls. I'm so thankful for that. Ramadan did officially begin while we were there. I knew this because I heard the trumpet sounds at three in the morning when the man walked around the streets blasting the trumpet to wake the locals up so they could eat before the sun rose. It was a very neat experience!
View of the Atlas mountains
The mosque in the foreground
Local men and sheep in the street
Typical North African light fixture
Us with the kids -- our goofy pose
8 worthy responses:
NICE facial expression! I'm glad you had a good time. The mountains look beautiful!
Lucinda
Oh my gosh, I'm so jealous...but excited for you! :) I can't wait to come! I might be coming with mom...and we talked about Italy for Christmas next year! WOOOHOO!!!
Neat experience...you pose an interesting question for me...would I rather be starving all day and sleep at night, or wake up at an ungodly hour to keep from passing out from hunger????
Guess you can't know until you've actually done it, huh?
Shannon! How cool is your life right now? I am so excited for you. I love that you are getting to do all these things.
Miss you though. Very much.
very cool pictures, shannon! i love the light fixture!
Why do goofy poses tend to involve sticking one's tongue out?
It's refreshing to hear you mention waking up in the middle of the night as a "neat" experience :)
PS - My word this time is "ickoeqqi."
PPS - Does that period go inside or outside the quotation marks? I can never decide.
I really can't believe the life you are living. =)
Shannon, You are really having some great experiences. I hope you are keeping a journal. When you get home you should really think about writing a book about this very unique time in your life. We love you and miss you. TQM
Post a Comment