A Trip to Suli!

 In an effort to keep THRIVING, we set out for Suli for a couple of days. We got to spend time with this family...whom we love dearly. They always welcome us with open arms and even let us wear their clothes. I love wearing their beautiful house dresses while I am staying there.

 At night we all crashed in the same room. Leila and I shared the bed and the kids were on the floor. We had fruit right before bed too...i love that tradition the Kurds have. so healthy and yummy. At night is when I really got to share my heart. One sister spotted my Bible and wanted to hear stories from it. I translated a few verses including one from Isaiah about coming to the waters if you are thirsty. Then showed them in the New Testament how Jesus was the fulfillment of that. Late at night as Leila and I lay in bed together we talked for 3 hours about LIFE. It was so fun. I felt like a teenager again. She told me how she loved me and felt that we were different than anyone she had ever known before. Walls are crumbling!!

 After a HUGE dust storm that night we went outside to find EVERYTHING covered in dust. it's really such a weird phenomenon. Nothing in America compares to that. It's so gross. But we found these cute bunnies.

 Gotta love spring!

 Later we all did henna on our hands for fun. Nothing is ever planned with a Kurdish family. Life just happens all around you. It's very refreshing! A little frightening for this highly scheduled Momma...but good for me too!

 We headed out to the big city and found this beautiful little park with a river and pretty bridges and playgrounds to play on.

 one of the prettiest spots we have found around here.

 thanks to our jungle gym, Toby is now an expert monkey bar-er!

 Us big girls enjoyed the slide too!

 Next we went to the "zoo." not really sure that it would qualify as a zoo...you can imagine the pitiful little creatures and the living conditions.

 Isn't Banoush beautiful? the little goat is adorable too. 

 Annie loves animals. I mean LOVES them. she was seriously trying to figure out a way to bring this guy home.

 Toby was taming the Mama and babies like a pro.

 Jesse was hardly bigger than the babies! 

 they really were so sweet.

 the goats were the highlight of the zoo though...the other animals included these cocker spaniels, a big, white, fluffy cat, 3 lap dogs, a mongrel type dog, some peacocks and flamingos, a random bear, a fox and some kind of lynx or something. Seriously...someone who is an animal activist needs to come here and set all these creatures free.

 There's always time for ice cream.

 they had some crazy rickety rides there too...this slide was SO filthy, and rather slow...but still really fun. We must have gone up and down a dozen times. 

 The kids loved it.

So did the "adults"...we were covered in dirt afterwards, but I haven't laughed like a little girl like that in a long  time. It was such a fun visit. The kids did not want to come home. I am so thankful for this time. We would never have done it if Tim hadn't left. It was wearing, but a great work out for my Kurdish. Can't believe that I can lay in bed with someone and speak Kurdish for 3 hours. I have come a LONG way...Paul Faya would be proud of me! I definitely got my hours in this week...