Life in IraqiKurdistan.Hospital

We knew it was going to happen sometime while we were here. A Hospital visit!

Zander started getting little bumps on his back around his birthday (May 26) after having a wicked stomach virus. Our doc. in Iowa City said that they were Mollescum and they would go away within a year, but to keep on eye on them. 7 months later, I have noticed that they are NOT going away and in the last week actually spreading quite rapidly to his chest. Then a couple days ago a woman was playing with him (like everyone does here) picking him up, squeezing his cheeks, etc. Then she noticed his back, and just like that as if he had leprosy, wanted NOTHING to do with him. Set him down on the ground and turned her back :( Talk about breaking a mama's heart!

Anyway... we know a pediatrician here who we showed Zander to, and she directed us to a dermatologist that is actually a mom of one of the students at CSM. Which was a huge blessing. We wanted to share about this experience. Mainly, so you would see (Grandma's especially) that the care here is wonderful! So we took our little sweetie love buns to Azadi Hospital.

A very nice man showed us the way. No English just implied "This way" with a head nod. We went through the security gate, and the check-in procedure. Which was much easier than in America. Basically "Oh your boy needs to be seen, give me the equivalent of $.50 (500 Iraqi Dinar) and go to the skin clinic." So we proceeded down the crowded hallway each person rushing to get to their clinic to get in line to be seen. We finally arrived at the Skin Clinic! Thank you to the kind man who got us here, for without him, we would not have found it :)

We were the first ones to get to the skin clinic (meanwhile the eye clinic was bustling with people trying to nudge their way to the front of the line in order to be seen first.

We sat down and within 15 seconds the dermatologist came out and said "Mr. Andy?" Implying she knew we were coming because of the connection we had with CSM. "Come in"

She looked at his back and knew without question what it was. "Unfortunately at his age we don't like to do anything for treatment because its a painful treatment especially with so many lesions for a child. But I will ask the Senior dermatologist what he thinks. Please wait."

-----5 minutes later.

A very nice man with about 5 students following him asks us to come in. (Azadi is a teaching hospital just like U of Iowa)

We showed him and again, very confidently told us the same thing. But added that if they are left alone there would be no scarring because the lesion is only on the top layer of skin, if they were to do the procedure (basically cut and remove the bump) they could cause scarring so it's best to leave the virus heal on it's own.) He was a very kind man, spoke English (even to his bright students) and said if we had any more questions or concerns to let him know. He suggested doing some research online.

So even though no medical treatment, ointment, etc was given. I have confirmation knowing that we just need to do our best treating it (wash clothes more often, less baths/showers, rough housing or anything else that would cause them to break open and spread.) and wait for the virus to pass. But I know that if we need anything, where we can go to get seen and cared for and believe it or not, pretty quickly, and cheap. (First thing that seems to take LESS time in Kurdistan than in America)

*** Please pray that these will NOT spread anymore, and they will start to heal.

Lov'n Duhok

Sure there are many things that are different and hard to get used to in here in Kurdistan. But there are some pretty sweet things too! In the last 24 hours we set up our volleyball net in our "garden" (Which we have come to realize that we were crazy for wanting to look else where, this garden is VERY hard to come by around here!)

So we invited our some neighborhood kids and enjoyed some friendly competetion:

Also, this week we did some major cleaning on our rooftop so we could enjoy playing up there on the nice days. When the sun is close to setting is our favorite time to chill up there. (about 5-6 pm)

We got some plastic chairs and a table so know we can enjoy meals outside, socializing, and quiet times. This morning we whipped out sweatshirts! It was just over 60 degrees!!!!!! I mean come on, how sweet is this setting!

I love my boys. I love the mountains. I love my coffee with some egg bake. I love cooler weather. Ahhhhh how refreshing! God is good!

First Day of School

Sunday, Sept. 19.

I didn't have to teach on the first day and Andy didn't teach until 1pm that day, but we wanted to get to the school as the students were arriving to WELCOME them to the first day of school! They needed to have a chance to meet Zander too! So off we went!!!!!!
We arrived at our new classroom! (Because they have been adding a grade each year, they needed to add on to the school). We both teach the oldest kids (7th Graders) so we got to have one of the new classrooms! So spiffy and white! Just wait until "The Art Teacher" gets crAzY! This room won't be so white at the end of the year. We wished the air worked in here though, or at least hang a fan where the cords are hanging from the ceiling! (not pictured) :)

Pretty soon, everyone started piling in! Students and families all ready for the first day of school in their new backpacks. Can anyone spot Andy in this photo? He looks very tall next to the guys behind him, huh? (FYI- We don't always feel like giants:)

The students and staff met in "the garden" for a school wide assembly. It was a pretty sweet moment, looking at all the students, their families, teachers, and staff with the mountains in the background, listening to the principal give them a "pep talk" that we couldn't understand because it was in Kurdish, but it was still cool none the less. I just enjoyed watching, and chasing Zander around the garden too!

Mr. John and Ms. Mary are meeting their students for the first time, trying to corrale them in!

And they are off to their classrooms. Eager to have an opportunity to learn!

**We have already come across many differences between the school system in America and here. We are trying to not focus on them. :) maybe more on this later, as I'm sure many of you are curious!

Pray for this year: Us, the students, and the school.

Life in IraqiKurdistan.Food1

Many people have asked us, "What kind of food are you eating there?"

It all depends on if we are being served a traditional meal with the nationals here, going out to eat at a local restaurant, or if we are cooking for ourselves at home. I'm going to just focus on our meals at home since I can't remember the names of the dishes that we have been served. I'm still learning!

MANY things are different in Duhok than what we are used to, I wasn't no Martha Stewart back in Iowa, but I usually didn't have a hard time coming up with a menu for the week. Here... a daily challenge! Most days I love this challenge, but on days where I have a teething one-year old, a hot kitchen and food is burning on the stove- I could use some extra grace and a glass of wine while I'm cooking!

Methods-

1. No microwave- The bishop's be lovin' em some leftovers, and no microwave is something to get used to. We miss popping something in there to get evenly cooked, or to freshen up some bread, or not worrying about heatin up the whole kitchen.

2. Gas stove- This took some getting used to at first, but not that big of a change, except when one day you don't have any gas, so you need to call the propane man! Help!

3. Oven- works good, but it gets tricky because you don't have anyway to "set" the tempature. You just kinda guess on the dial that's numbers 1-6. Slowly turn up or down. Crazy enough...I managed to make banana bread work.

Ingredeiants:

1. Veggies- Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Potatoes, and Onions are REALLY easy to get here and pretty cheap. The local mini-markets all have them. But I really miss a head of broccoli, or a bag of baby carrots, or some spinach, or some fresh mushrooms. But I enjoy this "common" salad in our fridge.

2. Fruits- Are GREAT here. Nothing is seedless of course, but our favorites are grapes, bananas, watermellon, and nectarines. Again, all pretty cheap! Bonus: We have a pomegranate and fig tree in our yard! The figs are awesome but we have only had about 5 good ones since we have been here. But cool none the less! The pomegranates are ok, We just give a chunk to Z and he picks them out all by himself (such a big boy!) :)

3. Meat- I haven't mastered this yet. I'm pretty sure we found ground beef for $5,000 a kilo which is like 2.50 a lb. Not common though and you get some bone chunks in there. Whole chickens, I'm working on, but find it a pain and a bit nasty to work around the bones, fat, skin... eek. Boneless chicken you can get in 2 piece pkgs. and it's even tyson! However, it just doesn't taste or cook the same, it is SO tough. Kinda disappointing. :( Here's something that tasted good and easy. Whole chicken, veggies, and celery leaves (I think that's what they were anyway?)

4. Vegetarian: We hope to start eating less meat than what we are used to in the states so I've been using chickpeas quite a bit, but I'm not satisfied with the turnout so far. Felt dry and crumbly. I want to master the dried chickpea, just need some work! Since then I'm just using canned chickpeas. Made some yummy falafel yesterday! Bulgar where have you been all my life! I love this stuff! We like this recipe Chicken Bulgur Skillet, we just make it without the chicken!

Lentils, rice, dry beans are all pretty common here and again good prices! Just not used to cooking with them, or reading them in this or that language!

5. Dairy: They have cows milk here (skim,low fat, and full fat) so that's nice! Cheese on the other hand is a little slim picking. I miss a bag of shredded cheddar! But they have these little triangle soft cheeses here, which taste good with bread!

6. Drinks: Ohhhhh how I miss LATTES and my magic bullet! Java House Peanut Butter mocha, Starbucks pumpkin spice lattee... I'm trying not to think about it :) Nescafe (instant coffee) worked our first month here, and now we got a french press with the real deal coffee :) But we are turning into tea drinkers! We aren't getting any skinnier though, because they mix their tea with about half sugar. Ahhhh it's good though! :)

7. Dessert:

two words- ICE CREAM! It's about the only thing they have billboards for in this country! Great marketing, especially since it was SO hot here when we first arrived. So as we were walking... We're hot, tired, and we see this sign,

We can't resist! Plus, We're the Bishop's, sooooooo we just LOVE ice cream. This is the one thing that they have options with for groceries! Seriously, you go in a market, and they have 3 coolers with ice cream, and only one for all the meat, veggies, etc. combined Not helping the waist-line! We walk most places so that's our excuse :)

Staples:

1. Pasta- There is regular pasta here for like $1, but if you want whole wheat pasta it's about $4-5. Which is ridiculus! Also jarred pasta sauce is around $3-4 for just being OK stuff. I've been making my own.

2. Bread is AMAZING here! Less than .25 for a BIG piece Oh so yummy! Bad thing is because its fresh it only lasts 2 days! :(

3. Canned veggies- not common and more expensive

4. Spices- VERY limited! And I don't know what any of them are!

5. Ceral- Only options are Cheerios, Corn Flakes, and Coco puffs. All round $3.50 a box. So we are trying to figure out what they eat here for breakfast. Oatmeal is also expensive :(

6. Peanut Butter- There is an awesome market close by that sells peanut butter! Yes, it's about $4.50 a jar. But sorry folks, this is something that is a non-negotiable for me! And great for emergency meals for Z-man! I "try" to stick to the serving size ;)

Shopping:

There are no one stop shops. After I make my list, I probably need to go to 3 different mini-markets in order to get what I need, even then we only get what we can carry home. So we make multiple stops throughout the week. We have been shopping at the stores with price tags or otherwise we think they are trying to rip us off when we ask "Ava Chonde" (How much is this?) because we are American, that makes us "rich". So we are learning how much things cost here. Some things are cheaper, but most is more expensive than in America! Can you believe that!?

Sorry, this was much longer than expected. I hope it wasn't boring. But if so, you probably didn't even finish reading it and therefore aren't reading this right now! :) Those of you who got to the end. Your true friends :)

Today.....

At about 3:30 this afternoon Zander and I were playing outside...

As he walked across the yard I prayed for friends....

At 6:30 tonight, this is what our yard turned into....

God is Good!