Today was a busy day as usual but it was full of laughter and I was blessed by my best friend volunteering to help teach me English. My day started out with teaching Peter Nay English in our little nook. I spend almost 10 minutes today explaining that when I point to something and say "What is this" he does not need to repeat "What is this" before he gives an answer. It is really hard to explain little things like this sometimes. In fact. I still cannot figure out how to explain the word "or" to him and I confuse every student each time I use that word. Peter is growing so much and so wonderfully in his English. Today he proudly proclaimed to my co-workers "I am going home". I was music to my ears.
I then had an unexpected encounter with a man from Sudan named Philip. I teach English to his wife Mary when I am able to. Mary is a sweet sweet girl from Southern Sudan. Unfortunately Mary was rushed straight to the ER the night she arrived in Jacksonville. She, in the last 9 months, has spend the majority of her time in America in the hospital. She had emergency open heart surgery when she was taken to the hospital. While she was there they also discovered that not only did she need a new heart, but she was in full hepatic and renal failure (kidney and liver). She has now been in her home for over a month with out having to be rushed to the ER and only leaves her home for her dialysis appointments. When I was told about Mary and looked over her medical history it didn't take me long to see that she wouldn't live much longer. This broke my heart. The fact that she had to flee her country, live in a refugee camp for years and then she arrives in America only to pass away in a foreign place where no one speaks her language or knows who she is.
After reading through children's books with Divine from the Congo, and taking some new facebook pictures for her, I left for Peter Nay and Paw Wah's home! I actually felt bad because Lo and I intruded on their early supper. Apparently Peter didn't mind seeing how he said 'Teacha- hu" and motioned for me to take a picture of him shoveling a hand full of rice into his mouth. I laughed and took a few pictures of them, and tried pronouncing the foods I could remember in Karen. I do not have much to say about English class because Lo wanted to take over today and did a fabulous job while I entertained the kids who were too young and uninterested in learning (I think I got the better end of the deal).
I then had an unexpected encounter with a man from Sudan named Philip. I teach English to his wife Mary when I am able to. Mary is a sweet sweet girl from Southern Sudan. Unfortunately Mary was rushed straight to the ER the night she arrived in Jacksonville. She, in the last 9 months, has spend the majority of her time in America in the hospital. She had emergency open heart surgery when she was taken to the hospital. While she was there they also discovered that not only did she need a new heart, but she was in full hepatic and renal failure (kidney and liver). She has now been in her home for over a month with out having to be rushed to the ER and only leaves her home for her dialysis appointments. When I was told about Mary and looked over her medical history it didn't take me long to see that she wouldn't live much longer. This broke my heart. The fact that she had to flee her country, live in a refugee camp for years and then she arrives in America only to pass away in a foreign place where no one speaks her language or knows who she is.
The way I teach English to Mary is much different from the way I teach Peter Nay or Divine from the Congo. I teach Peter and Divine for their survival and acclimation process: I teach English to Mary to fill her empty apartment with a voice and sometimes even laughter. I teach her so she can build a relationship here and feel a sense of a friendship. She dose not have the stamina to last long in English class so I try to break up our time by talking about whatever I an remember in Egyptian Arabic (which is not a lot) and she tries to piece together my broken thoughts. We actually have a pretty good system going and get along very well.
When I bumped into her husband at WR we got into a discussion about our lives in Cairo and discovered that not only did we live in the same subsection of Cairo (Maadi), but he played guitar for the church I was really involved in! It was crazy- He said "I knew you looked familiar!". When I asked him how Mary was doing he sweetly said that she was doing well and she is talking, as long as he could have conversations with her he was pleased. I was touched and tried to encourage him and was surprised when he told me that he knows God can provide all things but he was at peace about her coming death. My eyes instantly misted and I struggled to continue our conversation. I knew she was not improving, but thinking about her passing affected me a lot differently now that I knew her and she was not just a case file. I also think it is hard for me to think about her passing because there are similarities we share. For instance, we both love Egypt and love their food, we are both in our young twenties, and both of our men are obsessed with flying airplanes (her husband is an aspiring pilot and drills me about my boyfriends flying). When my best friend and I were sitting in her living room with her we were all sharing our age. She laughed when I told her my friend, Lo, was turning 24 this November and said in Arabic "oh- kabeerah" calling Lo old. Mary is 21, and I know she was joking but I wondered if Mary thought 24 was old because she was not expected to live that long. If you read this blog please join me in prayer for Mary's healing. I know we pray to a big God who loves Mary more then any of us can and I believe healing a liver, kidney and heart is not too difficult for Him.
After reading through children's books with Divine from the Congo, and taking some new facebook pictures for her, I left for Peter Nay and Paw Wah's home! I actually felt bad because Lo and I intruded on their early supper. Apparently Peter didn't mind seeing how he said 'Teacha- hu" and motioned for me to take a picture of him shoveling a hand full of rice into his mouth. I laughed and took a few pictures of them, and tried pronouncing the foods I could remember in Karen. I do not have much to say about English class because Lo wanted to take over today and did a fabulous job while I entertained the kids who were too young and uninterested in learning (I think I got the better end of the deal).
I really want to just take this family everywhere with me! They bring me so much joy.
Lord I pray you continue to bless the Peter's family. I pray their 5 children grow up to love and honor you. I pray I obey you fully and never grow complacent in serving you. I pray for Mary and her body. Please heal her Lord. I pray you fill her home with your spirit and comfort Lord and she can feel your incomparable joy. I pray you show me how to love the people you have put in my life and I am always drawing from your well. Thank you for your grace and mercy given so freely. You say to Mary and Philip in James 1:12 that "Blessed is the one who preservers under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised those who love Him." Thank you for your promises Jesus. *Amen*
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