It's hard to believe we've been here for over 6 months, as time has definitely flown at times and been a bit slow at other times. It's been about a year since we signed our contracts to work here in Doha, Qatar. It brings back memories of the interview and decision making process. There was a song that spoke to me quite a bit during the decision making process, that was frequently played at E91 while we were making this decision. I have searched for this song on Itunes numerous times, but unfortunately the Aaron Pelsue Band does not sell their songs on there. Luckily, I recently discovered that their songs are posted on Youtube (I can't believe I didn't look there before). So, I often will listen to their playlist on there for a taste of E91 and continue to play my favorite song that lead me to trust in His plan for us here.
I Will Go With You - Aaron Pelsue Band
I truly believe we were brought here for a reason. We have endured several challenges along the way, as it hasn't been easy to adjust to all of the changes and separation from loved ones. Although we've experienced our trials here, I can honestly say our experience overall has been amazing and unforgettable. We can laugh at some of the challenges from when we first got here, especially getting used to grocery shopping/cooking, lack of advancement in certain things/technology (still a struggle at time), orienting ourselves with our neighborhood, and consistently seeing our lives flash before our eyes while in the car (becoming more used to that experience). I wouldn't change any of our challenges though, as we have grown through them together. I've grown to accept that some things we will always miss, especially loved ones. Continued Skype/Facetime chats, e-mails, and text messaging has helped.
Although we've experienced hardships, we've experienced such joy here as well. Our classroom experiences have been quite different, but my class truly brightens my day and reminds me as to why I became a teacher. Other than our work experiences, we have met some amazing people. I have enjoyed getting to know people from all over the world and learning about their childhood and culture.
Through the getting to know process, I have come to find a deep appreciation/respect for those who are here for work and are separate from their wives and kids. I honestly do not know how they do it, as I can't imagine living separately from Mark. One person in particular is our friend, BK, who is from Nepal. He has been here for 10 years and works so hard to send home just about everything he makes to help support his family, who he only sees once every two years. He has made quite an impression/impact on Mark and I and we are blessed to have him in our lives. BK is one of thousands who are here separate from their families, and I have found such a soft spot for many of those people.
There have been people we've met and various moments where I can see why we are here. Although I see those things, I also feel like there are still further plans HE has for us here and ask for you to pray for those to become clear to us. This is a wonderful opportunity we have here and want to follow HIS purpose for us.
We are truly blessed to be here. We are grateful for the friendships we are building and the opportunities to experience things we never would have if we would've stayed in the States. I still sometimes take a step back and just smile and laugh to myself thinking about where we are in the world and remember saying at the beginning, "We will go just about anywhere, but the Middle East". He clearly had another plan for us and am thankful that we are here.
Love,
Kristin
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