I don’t have too much to speak about. Things have been kind of slow for the last week or two. Not because I have a lack of things I could be doing, but because I have been restricted to limited activity (some of which is self-imposed). As a consequence I have had more time to read, pray, and think, which has been very good. I am reading a book called In His Steps, the first English book I’ve read for 6 months. It is a good book, quite challenging. I would recommend it to anyone. Also, living with the kids here at the orphanage has been good for my Arabic. Lebanese dialect is similar to Jordanian/Palestinian, but with enough differences that you have to spend a bit of time adjusting, especially with kids. Nobody except the director here speaks English so I am forced to learn and adjust. I still have a hard time with some things, especially when the kids are arguing and all speaking at once. There are days when I feel like I actually have a good grasp on the language and then there are days when I feel like I don’t understand anything. Anyway, I feel like I am still making progress…it’s just never as fast as I want.
Ironically, that is the same situation as my back. Some days it feels pretty good and some days it feels terrible, like the other day we went to church (me and some of the older kids), and after the service I went to stand up and the pain was so sharp and so strong that I couldn’t stand up and I fell on my knees. I have been taking IB profen to try and take down the swelling (and thus the sciatic nerve pain), but I think it is a waste of time and money. I am up to taking between 2400 and 3000 mg a day, which is more than twice the recommended dosage. What is more, is that I don’t feel like it makes any difference. I went to the chiropractor for two weeks and didn’t feel like that was making a noticeable difference so I quit that as well. I am trying to just rest and stretch a lot. If I don’t get noticeable better in two weeks I am going to get an MRI. I met a person here in Lebanon who said she had the same sciatic pain after having her first child. She said it lasted for around two months and has never come back. I am hoping for something like that.
Anyway, life goes on. Hopefully it doesn’t sound like I am complaining. I am actually doing quite well. God is good, and continues to bless me with His goodness and grace. We are planning on making a big easter service in one of the refugee camps in Tyre on Monday. I really like going to the camps. The people are so...I don’t the word, Simple perhaps. I enjoy so much going to a place where people have next to nothing: no cars, no cell phones, no trips to the mall, no suits or fancy clothes…their concerns are whether they will have food and shelter for their family. To me, there is something relaxing, even attractive about being like that. Plus the refugee camp is right on the beach, which makes it even more amazing. Anyway, the plan is to distribute food and clothes and bibles, then have hymns and a sermon, then have activities for the kids and bible study/lessons with any of the families who are interested. I am looking forward to it, and praying that the weather and my back will cooperate.
I will try to take some pictures of it all and post it when I can.
Ironically, that is the same situation as my back. Some days it feels pretty good and some days it feels terrible, like the other day we went to church (me and some of the older kids), and after the service I went to stand up and the pain was so sharp and so strong that I couldn’t stand up and I fell on my knees. I have been taking IB profen to try and take down the swelling (and thus the sciatic nerve pain), but I think it is a waste of time and money. I am up to taking between 2400 and 3000 mg a day, which is more than twice the recommended dosage. What is more, is that I don’t feel like it makes any difference. I went to the chiropractor for two weeks and didn’t feel like that was making a noticeable difference so I quit that as well. I am trying to just rest and stretch a lot. If I don’t get noticeable better in two weeks I am going to get an MRI. I met a person here in Lebanon who said she had the same sciatic pain after having her first child. She said it lasted for around two months and has never come back. I am hoping for something like that.
Anyway, life goes on. Hopefully it doesn’t sound like I am complaining. I am actually doing quite well. God is good, and continues to bless me with His goodness and grace. We are planning on making a big easter service in one of the refugee camps in Tyre on Monday. I really like going to the camps. The people are so...I don’t the word, Simple perhaps. I enjoy so much going to a place where people have next to nothing: no cars, no cell phones, no trips to the mall, no suits or fancy clothes…their concerns are whether they will have food and shelter for their family. To me, there is something relaxing, even attractive about being like that. Plus the refugee camp is right on the beach, which makes it even more amazing. Anyway, the plan is to distribute food and clothes and bibles, then have hymns and a sermon, then have activities for the kids and bible study/lessons with any of the families who are interested. I am looking forward to it, and praying that the weather and my back will cooperate.
I will try to take some pictures of it all and post it when I can.
This is a picture of southern Beirut from the orphanage at sunset
