It has been sixteen days since my last post about "A Day in Buffalo Visiting Jesus and His Mom." But another date is ever present on my mind as I write to you today. It was exactly one month ago today that Kathy and I left the city of Ankawa, Kurdistan, Iraq to return to America. Upon our return we visited with Kathy's family in New York State till September 11, 2012. Then on 9/11 we flew home to Texas. Since returning home, we have encountered unexpected challenges to our lives, spiritual as well as physical.
Recently at a small gathering of brothers and sisters in the Lord, I was asked to give a brief sharing of our experience in Iraq. After doing so, I was encouraged to write down these thoughts that were on my mind and in my heart. What follows will be my humble attempt to do so. Please read with an open mind. Please do not take offense with the words I write for they are the thoughts that Kathy and I believe pertain to us, although they may indeed have meaning for you, the reader.
Kathy and I were in Iraq for exactly seven weeks. During that time we had to make several adjustments in how we coped with living day to day. Most of the time in Iraq, our meals were prepared for us and the other expats by a Christian family who had volunteeered to do so before we arrived. Mohaned and his wife Fadia, and their friend Anita prepared many, many meals of delicious and healthy food for us. They were not extravagant meals but meals that represented a more simple lifestyle. At almost every evening meal, we were served some type of bulgur wheat or rice dish. A simple salad consisting of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and onions would always be on the table. Beef and fish were rarities. Dishes of chicken and lamb were served, but usually only one serving portion per person present. Sweet desserts were rarely served, but fresh fruit was offered at every meal. Our diet was consistent with the rest of the Iraqi population. One observation made by Kathy and I, as well as most of the expats that we were living with, is that Iraq did not have an obesity problem.
When Kathy and I would venture to the markets, we found a narrow selection (in comparison to American shops) on the shelves from which to make our choice. At times, we would have to shop at multiple small shops in order to purchase the items that we required. Quite often we could not find what we were looking for, so we looked for suitable substitutes or just made do with what we had. Since all of the expats were on a limited income, we shared whatever we had in common. We took care of one another as opportunities arose. Also to consider is that to get to the shops we either had to take a taxi or walk, as we had no car of our own. Initially we would hail taxis to deliver us to our destinations. However, as our time in Ankawa lengthened, we frequently opted to walk to our destination.
Another aspect to life in Iraq was the lack of background noise. Kathy and I were not constantly bombarded by the background noise of ever present TVs or radios. Much of our free time was not filled with these distractions. The whispering voice of God was more easily heard. Free time was spent by reading or in written correspondence to family and friends. Being without TV or radio had another positive effect on our lives: we were not constantly peppered with advertisements to buy the newest, biggest, greatest whatever to somehow "enhance our lives and make our selves happier." We were quite content with what we had. St. Paul's words to the Hebrews frequently came to mind:
"Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for He has said, 'I will never forsake you or abandon you." chapter13:5
The above thoughts are a few examples of aspects of daily life for us in Ankawa. Some of you might think that we were enduring difficult, daily sacrifices. Quite the contrary is true. We grew accustomed to the freedom of doing with less materialism. We were very happy with the lifestyle that we had adjusted to.
Our arrival to America was in the late night hours of August 25/26. Although we had just endured an eleven hour trans-Atlantic flight, I was unable to get to sleep. Our 20th floor hotel room overlooked several New York City skyscrapers. America's wealth was before my eyes. The "newest, biggest, and greatest" whatever was all around me. It seemed that Americans were missing the happiness to be content in what they had. Tears streamed down my cheeks for quite a while. I was already missing the simplicity I had come to understand and enjoy. I was finally able to get to sleep. Kathy and I woke in time to attend Mass, around the corner from the hotel, at St. Francis of Assisi Church. Liturgy was in English- hooray! After Mass, we spent the rest of the day walking in mid-town Manhattan. The masses of people, on a Sunday afternnoon, pursuing the quest for the best deal on the "newest, biggest, and greatest" whatever only served to make Kathy and I long more so for the life we had left in Kurdistan.
When we finally flew home, the heat of Texas that welcomed us reminded us of a typical day in Ankawa. The morning following our arrival, I arose early enough to go to Mass at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Garland, our home parish. It was good to see and be welcomed home by brothers and sisters in the Lord. Afterwards, a quick trip to the supermarket was required to replenish a few items needed at home. First item on the short list was a loaf of bread. I was overwhelmed by the selection of some 30+ types of bread from which to choose from. In Ankawa I might have had two, or three at the most, to choose from. Then it was to the breakfast cereal aisle to get some oatmeal for Kathy. Again I was met by a cornucopia of choices of oatmeal, not to mention an entire aisle devoted to breakfast cereal. In Ankawa, I would have had one choice of oatmeal; choices of boxed cereal would have included corn flakes, frosted corn flakes, some type of chocolate puffed cereal, some type of Cheerio oat cereal, shredded wheat, and frosted shredded wheat. Last on my list was coffee. In Ankawa, my choices would have been one or two types of instant coffee. I was shopping for ground coffee. Before me was a selection of at least 30 different types of coffee to choose from. Strange as this may sound to you, the reader, but all of the choices that I had encountered somehow had made life more complicated. The lack of choices in Ankawa had helped to simplify life.
All of the above is to help you understand our ardent desire to live more simply. Since our return, we have ended our telephone land line and cable TV service. We have both acknowledged that we own too many things that will never bring us happiness, but only deprive us of the freedom of doing with less. Therefore, we have begun a process of examining everything that we possess in order to sell or give away items that we don't need.
Before writing today's blog post, I visited one of my favorite web sites : Spirit Daily. One of today's headlines is Seer Denounces Materialism. The story is about a September 22, 2012 event in northern Italy where Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti, one of the Medjugorje visionaries, spoke to a large crowd.
Materialism and consumerism are fruits of atheism, and must be replaced by putting God first through living the Christian faith actively and daily, Medjugorje visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti told more than 4,000 attendees at a prayer meeting in Cassola, Italy, on Saturday.
“The Madonna asks us to escape
from the materialism, consumerism and atheism that modern man is bringing with
him” Marija told the crowd at the local football stadium, according to the
regional news portal Bassano Net.
Later, I returned to Spirit Daily to see that the following had been posted:
Our Lady’s September 2012 message to Marija
Dear children! When in nature you look at the richness
of the colours which the Most High gives to you, open your heart and pray with
gratitude for all the good that you have and say: “I am here created for
eternity” – and yearn for heavenly things because God loves you with
immeasurable love. This is why he also gave me to you to tell you: “Only in God
is your peace and hope, dear children”. Thank you for having responded to my
call.
Kathy and I hope to return to Kurdistan someday, or wherever the Lord may lead. We view our time back in America as a time to get our personal affairs in order and to also be better prepared for the next time the Lord calls. Our desire is to "escape from the materialism, consumerism, and atheism that modern man is bringing with him" wherever we may reside. In closing, dear brothers and sisters, I offer you the following verses from St. Paul's letter to the Colossians (emphasis mine) :
If then you were raised with Christ, seek then what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
jw
If then you were raised with Christ, seek then what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
jw
