Get your Kurdi on...

So, today was really fun! We went to the University and were hanging out with some friends we met at the dorm. They asked me if I had been to the bazar and found clothes that I liked there... Well, honestly - no way! Not digging the fashion here, but I couldn't say that, so instead I said 'oh yes! I love the Cili Kurdi' meaning - I love these crazy, fancy, kurdish dresses you wear to special occasions. So, then they insisted that I try one on and before I knew what was going on there were girls taking my clothes off and dressing me in one of these outfits and because Elyse is my twin - she had to do it too! Here are some pics of the event:

This is one of my friends dressing me with with jewelry and all!


dressing Elyse - she however refused to take off her clothes, whereas it all happened so fast I didn't really get a choice.


This is the wonder of the Kurdi!! It consists of genie in a bottle pants, a little dress that matches the pants, a long see through dress with beads and sequins and some sequiny belts and things.


These girls are all sisters that let us wear their Kurdies! They are so sweet!

It was really fun and we got some great pictures but the moral of the story is don't say 'I love Cili Kurdi' unless you are willing to put one on - right then.

we're here!

Here are some pictures from our time in the Rock so far...



This is me and michelle in front of our house


This is me and Elyse at the site of the women's center


This is all of the girls at the girls dorm at the university


This is me and Emma playing at the park!

We're having a great time - minus the ridiculous heat! Thank God for your air conditioners today, no really - do it. =o)

recommended reading

I have a series of blogs I check almost daily and this is one of them. It is Jim Wallis's blog, the director of Sojourners and author of 'God's Politics'. This article articulated the 'UGHHHH' I've been feeling inside, for lack of a better way to articulate that. Check it out... and also notice how the author has 22 children - that is cuh-razy. So here's the article...



Also, I am reading this book by the director of International Justice Mission, it is called 'Terrify No More' and is all about sex trafficking in Cambodia and their rescue operations. Reading about what goes into rescuing these victims makes me think, 'THAT, that is exactly what I would love to do!' It just stirs my heart to hear about people who have the opportunity to go into the darkest, ugliest, most horrifying acts of injustice and to be able to bring children out of it - that is such a picture of God's heart. This passage was chosen for the title of the book and I LOVE IT:

You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. Psalm 10

It is difficult to read about the horrendous crimes committed against children all over the world but it has been really valuable for me to understand the huge scale on which this is occurring everyday and it gives me hope to hear about how people are standing up for Jesus and risking their lives to rescue these girls. Read this book! (Team I'll bring it with me when I come so you can pass it around)