Ramadan Prayers Day 6

Pray for my colleague S. He is very good with people and understands flexibility in relationships more than most people I have met. He group up in a Western country, but is proud of his Arab heritage. Whenever I have a question about a regional custom, I feel very comfortable asking him because he is never offended. He loves to explain his faith and we have had several conversations about that. Pray that men come into his life that are respectful, honorable, and challenge his view of J.

Ramadan Prayers Day 5

Pray for my Palestinian colleague Q. She talks like an American, but is living within her family’s rigid expectations for her life and is modestly trying to push the boundaries. She has a persevering spirit. Pray that she and my believing colleague will continue to have honest conversations about faith, grace, life.

Ramadan Prayers Day 4

Pray for my Syrian colleague. He is very devout. I think that he and my uncle are very similar--they even have similar jobs--so I feel empathy towards him. Once, I asked him about his extended family that are in Syria. They are still safe, and the violence seems to be in pockets of the country. Nevertheless, innocent people and children are being swept away in violence and senseless bloodshed. I told him that I feel guilty about not knowing more about the war. It’s so confusing and I don’t even understand the newspaper articles. It was helpful to have his insight. We both agreed that God will bring justice to the persecuted. Pray that this will come quickly.

Ramadan Prayers Day 3: Iftar!

I’ve been studying Romans--it’s very clear that humans are not able to achieve right standing with God through following the law. And that the sacrifice of his son was necessary for our peace with God. Human sacrifice is difficult to think about. Today I’m going to my first Iftar with a few colleagues from work. Iftar is a breaking of the fast meal that happens after sunset. I am honored to be invited. Pray that our conversation will be infused with Truth.

Ramadan Prayers Day 2

Pray for my believing colleague F. She is a dear sister, a deep thinker, and speaks carefully and wisely. Pray particularly that her spirit will be refreshed and encouraged.

Ramadan Kareem!

Ramadan kareem, friends! It’s the official first day of Ramadan here, so that means for next 30 days my Muslim friends will be abstaining from all food and drinks during the daylight hours. For the rest of us, we just won’t be doing those things in public. I’m excited to experience this month! One friend said she enjoys the slower pace of life and always finds it refreshing because she has more time to pray, read, and journal. My mom doesn’t like it because she feels like everyone is somber and reserved. Pray that our new brothers and sisters in the region will hold fast to their faith and find freedom in J.

Work - Life Balance

A proper update has been long overdue.

The English teaching course that I had planned on taking kept falling through, and is currently postponed until July. After talking to other English teachers in the region, I have serious doubts about the course ever running. A couple of people moved specifically to Dubai to attend this course, but ended up taking the course through a different institution because the administration never followed up. Unlike them, my scholarship is very specific and I cannot just go anywhere.

In lieu of the teaching certification, I decided the next best option was a job. A lady from my small group works at an advertising agency here, and she said that there is an opening for someone with my qualifications. I working there would be an answer to a prayer that she has had for quite some time (in-office accountability from another C), and the position is something that I was interested in anyways.

So, now I’m working as a social media manager in an office of about 20 people from all over the world. Lots of you know that I wasn’t happy with my last job at an advertising agency, and at first I was sceptical that I would like my new job. Over all, I am happy with my position and enjoy my co-workers (especially the ones I work closest with) and my clients. I feel supported as I’m developing my writing and strategic planning (two things that I’ve wanted to dabble in but never had the chance).  Career-wise, there is lots of room to grow both in the company and in the regional market. 

I’ve had two big challenges in the past six weeks:

1. Remembering that relationships are more important than job performance.

2. Learning to balance personal life and work life.

Every week when my small group meets, I am so thankful that God has answered my prayers in providing a group of people that are focused, loving, committed, healthy, and missionally minded. There’s a mix of new and mature believers. There are Asian, African, and Western cultural differences to work through. It does look different than what I imagined before I moved here. And, it has taken about five months to become what it is today. 

Now that I’m working, the main difference between my life here and in the US is that I am more intentional with how I spend my time. I have to fight for spiritual peace (which comes through fiercely guarding my time), be disciplined to put on my running shoes the minute my alarm goes off in the morning, pursue ‘hanging out’ with friends and thinking up thought-provoking conversation starters before we meet, and always carry a book on the metro (those conversation starters have to come from somewhere!). 

It’s not like I got off the plane and became this person overnight. I have been sensitive and learned that everything is connected and if one thing is out of alignment it puts everything else out of alignment as well. When I think of some of my role models, I know I have a long way to go in how I pursue relationships and spend my time. But, I want to be the servant who invests the talents the master has given her well.