delays delays

I am supposed to be in an airplane over the Atlantic Ocean right now, but instead that plane is broken and I am still in Bahrain. InshAllah, I will be arriving 24 hours later than I planned. In the mean time, here is a fun little info-graphic:

photo courtesty ilovecharts.tumblr.com

Top Left: common in Oman (especially amongst older women)
Top Right: common in Kuwait & Bahrain
Bottom Left: common in the Gulf, but usually Saudi (not Burqas though, I don't see those often)
Bottom Right: common throughout the Middle East (my preference, unless I'm being lazy and wear it like a Shayla)

Last Month

Since my last update, many new things have transpired. Here's a quick list of changes:

- my team leaders have a new baby girl! born on Father's Day, 7 lbs 2oz

not my hands
photo courtesy Flikr: Henna Sooq

- I visited friends in Oman for a weekend, where I was told that my "Arabic has gotten worse." oops. We got henna together (pictured at right) - an organic skin dye that lasts about 3 weeks
I met a hilarious older Omani woman who told a story about her daughter sneaking off to Dubai to get her license, calling her a fox.

- my Bahraini friend's (in the previous posts) brother was released from prison! They are, of course, very happy to have him back. I dropped by their sister's house for a visit (with a macaroni casserole in hand) and stayed for a few hours. This family is very religious and for some reason, they bring up Judgement Day, a lot. I have no idea why they do that, but it allows for a great conversational segue into Jesus and His sacrifice for us. For maybe 45 minutes, I sat with my dear friend, her parents, her older sister, her brother in law, her brother, and a younger cousin and talked about Jesus. Throughout the whole conversation I was praying for the Lord's words, humbled by this responsibility and my limitations in presenting the message. What an opportunity!

- oh PS, I leave Bahrain next Wednesday night - which means my next 7 days will be crazy with logistical details and friend visits. It's very bittersweet.