Sisters

These two sisters are very special friends of ours. I wrote about Fatima Zahara (left) last year and again at her wedding in August. She married a Moroccan man who lives in Germany. Hoping to join him two weeks after the wedding, she just found out she has to pass a German language fluency test before she can enter Germany even though her paperwork started long before this law. So she has moved to Rabat to take an expensive German course and test with the hopes of being reunited with her new groom in a few months.

Fatima Zahara's older sister, Rachida is the one holding Kendra and her watermelon. In her late teens, Rachida was diagnosed with severe crones. Twelve major surgeries later, she is left with massive scars and some ongoing health issues - but miraculously alive. Her repeated brushes with death have given her an immense joy simply to be alive. Vibrant and beautiful, her energy and love are obvious to everyone she meets. She is fabulous with children and the girls are crazy about her.

Now 28, she continues to gain strength - but can't help dreaming about what could have been. Three proposals of marriage all turned sour when the man or his parents found out she cannot have children. Adoption, which she is open to, is almost unheard of here - and certainly not an option for a man when considering a bride. She dreams of getting to Europe or the States where she can have a surgery that would enable her to return here, be married and have children. But paperwork getting into the either place is terribly complicated - especially with the post 9-11 paranoia about Arabs/Muslims. She also dreams of working with people with handicaps. People here are shocked to see what a normal life she is able to lead and she wishes to spread a message of hope and opportunity to those who have given up. This is something we are trying to work out with various organizations here, but things are moving very slowly.

The week after Fatima Zahara's wedding last month, several immediate family members were in a car crash. No one was seriously hurt, but the car was totaled. The next week, her brother (who had come from Germany for the wedding) was violently robbed of his car at knife point. Delayed a month because his passport was in the car, he and his family just recently returned to Germany. In the midst of all this, Rachida's dearest of friends - Wendy, moved from here back to Texas. So Rachida (and we - sniff, sniff) had to say goodbye to this wonderful family. Then Fatima Zahara found out about the German fluency requirement and has just moved to Rabat. Add to all this the month of fasting which is hard on her fragile body, even though she doesn't ever complain.

The fact that Rachida has no where to go becomes more and more painfully obvious as each person she loves leaves the house or the country. Only her parents, little brother, and an evil cat (formerly ours) will remain in Morocco out of their family of 7. There have been many tears shed and it seems things are just not getting any easier. In spite of it all, Rachida remains amazingly spunky and full of life. But I am concerned about her and ask that you pray for her.