Every time that I start to feel guilt about not writing for more a significant period of time I remember that everybody else does the same. I remember when blogs were "in" and people would post every other day...I guess familiarity breeds contempt and laziness.
Anyway, things have been going really well the last few weeks. The language classes have not gotten much better, that is OK. I have been able to spend time studying on my own, or finding friends who are knowledgeable enough to help me out. I have been able to really notice improvement in my ability to speak the local dialect, which kinda sets me apart from the other foreigners around the university. Most of them spend their free time with people from their own country, but I for the most part avoid americans. Consequently I am able to hang out with the arab students and they can feel relaxed not having to speak Formal Arabic with me. The other day I was in the physics department talking to a couple of doctors there, and they thought I was an Arab grad student (albeit only for a minute or so), but nevertheless it made me really happy. I am still a long ways from fluency, but I am confident I will get there eventually, even if not as quickly as I had hoped.
It seems like each week I feel a little more accustomed to living here. Each new person I am able to meet, each new place I get to see, each conversation I am have, each new experience (the good and the bad) makes me love the people here more and feel as though I could live here all my days. It is a very strange feeling, because at the same time I feel my love for this place grow my love for where I came from also grows. I don't know how a person can love two places and long to be in both of them...and yet at the same time not feel like either of them are really Home. I suppose it has something to do with being a "strangers and pilgrims and the earth". I guess I would describe it as feeling that no matter what happens in this life I feel I could be content and happy; if I wandered this world, never having any certain dwelling place, or place I could call home, I would be content and satisfied as long as I am in His service.
Spring is here in Jordan, the weather has been around 60 or 70 last week, and things are starting to turn green. It is nice...not to rub it in for all your alaskans who are still mucking through sub-zero temperatures. Take solace in the fact you have more daylight than we do. Hope you are all doing well,
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6 comments:
Noah,
I am so glad to hear you are doing good. We are all doing good here. I am getting bigger which is expected and the boys are all growing like crazy. Can't wait to see you. Love The McBrooms
Hey Noah,
Tyler was asking when you are coming home for a visit? Please reply.
Kim
I should be arriving towards the end of May
Thats great Noah!
Everyone is exited to see you.
Thanks for the update.
Your in our prayers,
Tori
Hey my brother,
Just wanted to say I am praying for you and hope you are doing well. We miss you, but we are so excited about you serving the Lord over there. Keep after it! Love you, brother.
Phil
hey Noah,, it sounds like you are becoming a "TCK" (Third Culture Kid... but you aren't exactly a kid so I'll say,, guy..."TCG"). It's where you miss another place,, another culture,, but if you were to leave where you are at,, you'd miss that place too. It's like you're kinda "out of place" no matter where you are. You will never be completely Arab because of your up-bringing and American born nationality,, but yet you have changed and grown to love the Arabs (like family in some ways),,, and when you come back to where you lived before (Alaska), you bring with you your new experiences and discoveries of a new culture and way of doing things.
Just wait til you have lived "overseas" for a while,,,(a few years) then you will have a hard time answering the question... "Where are you from? or Where's home?" and your answer will depend on who is asking it and which country you are currently in.
Anways Noah,, we can identify with some of your feelings. Culture shock is a REAL thing and brace yourself now,, you WILL experience it.
We miss you and can hardly wait to see you and talk to you in person! You're welcome at our house -- love in Christ, Laurel and Travis
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