Many people have commented on how flexible I am to be willing to change plans at the drop of a hat to accommodate what will work for our family this year. To some extent it is true that I have been willing to make and change plans whenever my husband is able to visit with us. But it has not been easy.
Take our trip to Europe, for example. We had planned from the beginning that we would try to meet in Paris before school began. A great way to end the summer and spend a bit of time with dad. The first hurdle was finances. We have been recovering financially from doing a year overseas to see how it would fit our family. My husband heard that the State Department would cover one trip for kids to see their parent on an unaccompanied tour. OK, but they required that he give them the rule in writing. I guess they don't run into people taking advantage of that one very often! After weeks of searching, my husband was finally able to pin it down and get the plane tickets approved. The next hurdle was that my husband's visa only got him into Pakistan one time. He was waiting for his work visa to come through. With 600 people waiting for visas and just a few weeks before we were to leave we were shocked when his was one of 70 that came through. Then with only 5 weeks before school was to begin, he had to request time off, buy tickets, make reservations, and everything else that comes with planning a big trip. So we made the plans and 3 weeks later we were together in France. It may sound easy enough, but what do I do with tentative plans? As the date got closer and we had no idea if we were going, I struggled over filling the calendar with play dates, visiting parents and camping. How much can you tentatively plan?
We were hoping that I would be able to visit Pakistan to spend my husband's birthday with him and go to the Marine's Ball. Once again we had to submit forms for approval of my visit. These were messed up and delayed 3 months. By the time they came we only had 2 1/2 weeks to get my visa. My emotions have been up and down. Am I going or am I not going? The papers came through Fri. evening so I wouldn't be able to contact the Pakistani Consulate to inquire on length of time to acquire my visa. So Sat. night I took my son dress shopping. If I was going to a ball, I was going to need a dress to wear. I was pretty sure that my fairy godmother would not appear at the last moment to turn my rags into a gown. I came home very excited with a gown, shoes and the hope that I would not have to return them. Monday morning the consulate told me I would need a copy of my husband's diplomatic passport and a letter of invitation. With my husband traveling my hope was only hanging on by a thread. He got me those things, but we ended up deciding the timing was too tight to buy a plane ticket and hope that my visa would come before the plane departed.
Three weeks ago my husband was finally able to confirm his time off for Christmas. That meant that we could go ahead and make plans. Fortunately I had done my homework and we were able to book a cruise. We have two months before we leave and it feels so good to have something to look forward to. No last minute, emotionally frantic joy or let down. The kids and I have been talking about it at dinner. We are all excited. We are researching the places we will be stopping. We are looking forward to the time we will have with Dad.
This job requires me to be flexible, but there are times in life when we need to be able to anticipate something. To yearn for it and spend hours of dreaming about how it will be. This is my two months of joy.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Pakistan Flooding
Typically I don't spend a Friday night headed to a cultural awareness event with a group of students I don't know. But last night after sending my kids off to the homecoming football game I decided to forego football plans and head to Grand Valley State University to attend a flood relief fundraiser for the people of Pakistan.
Prior to this year Pakistan has not even been in my vocabulary, but with my husband living there I find that news stories are popping out at me and I have this intense longing to find a way to be connected with what he is experiencing. One story that has greatly affected me is the flooding that has overwhelmed the country. For several weeks every time I turned on the news, another story about the flooding was posted. But not once have I seen an opportunity to donate money or items to help with the relief efforts. This has bothered me. For a nation that seems to open her hands with helping other nations in desperate need, there has been nothing. Many people don't seem to know about the floods and most don't understand the widespread suffering that has occurred.
The flooding began in July following heavy monsoon rains in the Northern areas of the country. Unlike other natural disasters, a flood knows no boundaries. Rain falls, rivers flood, and water flows. 20% of the country was underwater. Homes have been lost, farm land lost and hope has been lost. Over 2,000 people died in the flooding and 20 million people are displaced. These numbers are more than I can comprehend. I have no way to understand the depth of impact this event has had on this country. Sadly, the majority of the people who are affected are the poor of the country. What little they had has been taken away from them. The United Nations has rated the floods as "the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history. More people have been affected in Pakistan than the 2004 South-East Asia tsunami and the recent earthquakes in Kashmir and Haiti COMBINED." Yet I hear nothing about helping these people.
I ask myself "why?" People are suffering and we do nothing? Is it too far away? Are we overwhelmed by all the disasters that have happened in recent years? Are we becoming immune to human suffering? Are we fearful of helping a country such as Pakistan where our only impression is that it is a country of terrorists? Do we not realize that it is the civilian who suffers? Are we just not even aware that a crisis is happening?
I am glad to know that our government has stepped up to provide assistance. U.S. military helicopters rescued and evacuated over 2,000 people and transported 89,000 pounds of relief supplies. 1,100 rolls of plastic sheeting and 17,000 blankets were distributed in heavily-flooded areas. The plastic sheeting will benefit approximately 66,000 people. More than 426,000 halal meals have been provided for Pakistani military and citizens. 6 water filtration units were provided, each providing 10,000 people with clean drinking water. 12 prefabricated bridges were made available. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does show that America has been involved in relief efforts.
The stars have not overlooked the floods. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie, traveled to Pakistan in early Sept. to draw awareness to the devastation. She stated that this is an "economic and social crisis".
After doing a bit of digging I found that most organizations who typically respond to disasters have responded. It is not stated on their home page, in fact trying to get around a few of the websites to find a place to donate took a bit of time, but it was there, hidden in the shadows.
So that is how I found myself at an event sponsored by the Desi Student Union and African Student Council on Fri. night. The food was good, I met a few people and enjoyed the music and overall cultural experience. I learned a lot about a group called "The Citizens Foundation" who build schools in Pakistan and are providing food for families affected by the flood. $30 feeds a family of six for a month. Contact your favorite charity and see if they are involved in relief efforts. Do not become immune to the suffering of this world. Whether it is the flooding in Pakistan, the earth quake in Haiti, your local food pantry or your next door neighbor, be aware and willing to help.
Prior to this year Pakistan has not even been in my vocabulary, but with my husband living there I find that news stories are popping out at me and I have this intense longing to find a way to be connected with what he is experiencing. One story that has greatly affected me is the flooding that has overwhelmed the country. For several weeks every time I turned on the news, another story about the flooding was posted. But not once have I seen an opportunity to donate money or items to help with the relief efforts. This has bothered me. For a nation that seems to open her hands with helping other nations in desperate need, there has been nothing. Many people don't seem to know about the floods and most don't understand the widespread suffering that has occurred.
The flooding began in July following heavy monsoon rains in the Northern areas of the country. Unlike other natural disasters, a flood knows no boundaries. Rain falls, rivers flood, and water flows. 20% of the country was underwater. Homes have been lost, farm land lost and hope has been lost. Over 2,000 people died in the flooding and 20 million people are displaced. These numbers are more than I can comprehend. I have no way to understand the depth of impact this event has had on this country. Sadly, the majority of the people who are affected are the poor of the country. What little they had has been taken away from them. The United Nations has rated the floods as "the greatest humanitarian crisis in recent history. More people have been affected in Pakistan than the 2004 South-East Asia tsunami and the recent earthquakes in Kashmir and Haiti COMBINED." Yet I hear nothing about helping these people.
I ask myself "why?" People are suffering and we do nothing? Is it too far away? Are we overwhelmed by all the disasters that have happened in recent years? Are we becoming immune to human suffering? Are we fearful of helping a country such as Pakistan where our only impression is that it is a country of terrorists? Do we not realize that it is the civilian who suffers? Are we just not even aware that a crisis is happening?
I am glad to know that our government has stepped up to provide assistance. U.S. military helicopters rescued and evacuated over 2,000 people and transported 89,000 pounds of relief supplies. 1,100 rolls of plastic sheeting and 17,000 blankets were distributed in heavily-flooded areas. The plastic sheeting will benefit approximately 66,000 people. More than 426,000 halal meals have been provided for Pakistani military and citizens. 6 water filtration units were provided, each providing 10,000 people with clean drinking water. 12 prefabricated bridges were made available. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it does show that America has been involved in relief efforts.
The stars have not overlooked the floods. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie, traveled to Pakistan in early Sept. to draw awareness to the devastation. She stated that this is an "economic and social crisis".
After doing a bit of digging I found that most organizations who typically respond to disasters have responded. It is not stated on their home page, in fact trying to get around a few of the websites to find a place to donate took a bit of time, but it was there, hidden in the shadows.
So that is how I found myself at an event sponsored by the Desi Student Union and African Student Council on Fri. night. The food was good, I met a few people and enjoyed the music and overall cultural experience. I learned a lot about a group called "The Citizens Foundation" who build schools in Pakistan and are providing food for families affected by the flood. $30 feeds a family of six for a month. Contact your favorite charity and see if they are involved in relief efforts. Do not become immune to the suffering of this world. Whether it is the flooding in Pakistan, the earth quake in Haiti, your local food pantry or your next door neighbor, be aware and willing to help.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Daily News
The alarm rings. I reach over, grab my phone, turn it off and hit the app. for my news sites. World news, national news, local news, none of it interests me. I don't watch news programs, I don't really care what is happening in the world around me. Ignorance is bliss. When my husband took this job we made the decision that both of us should be more aware of global issues. We needed to be able to hold our own in a conversation with those who cared deeply about the happenings in the world. So each morning the first thing I do, as I'm still laying in bed attempting to wake up, is read the top headlines for the day. I have two sites I like, CBS news and USA Today. Between these two sites I figure I've got my bases covered.
I've got two big problems with starting my day by reading the headlines. First, "news" typically does not tend to be "good news". Stories of war, murder, thievery, suffering and scandal hit the headlines. We live in a world that is hurting and broken and I tend to want to distance myself from these things and just focus on my small and good little world. Even as I read these headlines I find myself putting up walls and barriers to distance myself. I cannot dwell on these thoughts for too long or they will suck me in. The second problem is that events in Pakistan are likely to make the headlines of the day. This isn't good when my husband is living there. First it was boarder tension in the North near Afghanistan. Then the flooding that has killed thousands and left millions homeless. Now it is the NATO supplies that are being blown up while waiting for the boarders to open into Afghanistan. Although it is top news, I don't hear my friends talking about "what is going on in Pakistan". It is far away and not popular. But it is life for me. "What is going on in Pakistan - today?"
My husband and I talk about these things. Up to this point he has told me that the events don't affect him, but now with the NATO situation he says "it is causing us difficulty". Difficulty - what does he mean by that? I have no grasp on the security situation there. What is it like to travel off the compound? Do you feel the danger lurking around you? Is the danger real and imminent or is it just imagined? I can not comprehend.
Fortunately I have a life line to cling to. My faith in God. God promises me that he is watching out for the ravens giving them food to eat. Ravens? Thank goodness Luke goes on to say how much more valuable we are in God's eyes than mere ravens! Yet that is a promise that I cling to during the day. I know God is watching my husband. I know God will not leave him. Just as God was with David in the caves, protecting him, God is with my husband in Pakistan.
So I read the headlines, pray for my husband's safety and get out of bed. The kids need a strong mom today. Pakistan is far away and I have put the events over there in God's hands, but God expects me to contribute to the events surrounding me today where I can touch someone in encouragement, smile to give them joy and hug them to show they are safe and protected around me.
I've got two big problems with starting my day by reading the headlines. First, "news" typically does not tend to be "good news". Stories of war, murder, thievery, suffering and scandal hit the headlines. We live in a world that is hurting and broken and I tend to want to distance myself from these things and just focus on my small and good little world. Even as I read these headlines I find myself putting up walls and barriers to distance myself. I cannot dwell on these thoughts for too long or they will suck me in. The second problem is that events in Pakistan are likely to make the headlines of the day. This isn't good when my husband is living there. First it was boarder tension in the North near Afghanistan. Then the flooding that has killed thousands and left millions homeless. Now it is the NATO supplies that are being blown up while waiting for the boarders to open into Afghanistan. Although it is top news, I don't hear my friends talking about "what is going on in Pakistan". It is far away and not popular. But it is life for me. "What is going on in Pakistan - today?"
My husband and I talk about these things. Up to this point he has told me that the events don't affect him, but now with the NATO situation he says "it is causing us difficulty". Difficulty - what does he mean by that? I have no grasp on the security situation there. What is it like to travel off the compound? Do you feel the danger lurking around you? Is the danger real and imminent or is it just imagined? I can not comprehend.
Fortunately I have a life line to cling to. My faith in God. God promises me that he is watching out for the ravens giving them food to eat. Ravens? Thank goodness Luke goes on to say how much more valuable we are in God's eyes than mere ravens! Yet that is a promise that I cling to during the day. I know God is watching my husband. I know God will not leave him. Just as God was with David in the caves, protecting him, God is with my husband in Pakistan.
So I read the headlines, pray for my husband's safety and get out of bed. The kids need a strong mom today. Pakistan is far away and I have put the events over there in God's hands, but God expects me to contribute to the events surrounding me today where I can touch someone in encouragement, smile to give them joy and hug them to show they are safe and protected around me.
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