Never Boring

The much lesser-known not-so-triumphal-entry

Churning butter at Tarmelot - they say one cow gives milk that becomes butter much faster than the other cow!

Buttermilk poured out then butter scraped off top - over an hour of work just to give us butter with our snack!

Have you ever had a time you dreamed of a boring week?

Here’s a run-down of what’s been happening here and afar -

- Gerald’s Mom had eye surgery yesterday and we are awaiting the results
- Gerald’s Dad has developed some heart issues which are being checked out
- The large, Christian-run school in Casa has had a month of lawsuits, threats, 5 deportations, and a defamation website
- The Children’s Home near us had almost daily visits and questionings from police for several weeks. Things have calmed down now.
- The handicap center near us which employs a friend has been shut down because the boss was not allowed in the country a few weeks ago. Plans for a future center near us have been stopped.
- We estimate about 70 Ch. expats have either been deported or denied entry into the country since March 6 - none with any charges being pressed - the actual number of people affected is far greater because this does not include families or businesses shut down as a result.

- We receive discouraging news almost daily.
- The press has mostly been full of lies, but several articles critical of what is going on written by brave journalists have come out as well.
- Moroccan Christians have released a statement asking for rights to meet and be officially recognized - and saying they were never coerced or paid to believe what they do (contrary to popular opinion). Think Civil Rights movement.
- The Children’s home whose parents were deported continues to be treated as a crime scene and we are not allowed to visit. The first week the kids were sick and crying all the time and had to be given tranquilizers to sleep, the next week came the rebellion. Our little friend 'Abby' was moved back to the orphanage where she came from and we are waiting to get permission to see her. I can’t really say more than that, but we are in tears over the condition of those on site.
- The same neighbor who had basically imprisoned a maid in the fall did it again just now to a Pilipino woman. To understand the process the university officials had to go through to get the starved, locked-up woman out of there, think "James Bond" crossed with "Days of our Lives" as one friend suggested. The dear woman is now in a safe place and I actually got to meet her last night. When I asked to pray with her, she burst into tears, threw her arms around me, and said, “You are a Christian? I am not alone! I am not alone - thank God, I am not alone!” It was one of those moments when I realized again that our Family is so wonderful - so close - even never having met before - and so beautiful. When we gave her a Bible (hers was taken away), she kissed it and wept. We are so thankful for amazing Moroccan friends who made her freedom possible.

So, do you think it’s OK to pray for a boring week?