the Sunday that topped them all

This past Sunday was a crazy day.
1) We started exam week with the HS students, which means tomorrow is the last day.
2) I thought I lost the car keys, so I was 20 minutes late for work (1st time ever).
3) I drew a fun sketch of my friends as birds while I was proctoring an exam.
4) I went to an amazing church service.

Here are some explanations, but first, here's a picture that I had to have taken covered for a visa. In this part of the world, the head scarf is called a hijab, so I was "hejba," or "covered," for the picture. The resolution isn't great, but you get the idea!

Sunday:
1)+ 3) The students come in and take one or two exams everyday, depending on the subject. Because Sunday was a two-part religion exam, the second part being Qur'an recitation (obviously I don't speak fluent Arabic or read much of the Qur'an), one of the religion teachers was in the same room as me conducting the process. That allowed my friend Kristen and I to talk and doodle...ahem...supervise. Afterward, some of the other teachers came up to our room because we were in the canteen, where students go for their break between exams. Now, before you think I'm a real artist like Jan McK or JJ A., I learned how to draw this through a 3-D practice book:


2) The evening before, Chris and I were out. When we got home, he threw his keys on the coffee table and they fell off. (Not so exciting so far, right?) To be funny, I did a hockey-type movie sending them across the floor and under a chair, which I did not remember until I had been looking for them for a solid 15 minutes the next morning. Usually, I get a ride with others from work, but because I ALSO FORGOT TO SET MY ALARM, I didn't wake up on time and the downward spiral toward being late began...My parents will tell you that punctuality has never been my strong point, but there's something about marriage that can change all that!

4) Occasionally, our church will do a combined service on Sunday nights when there are significant holidays, like Easter or Christmas. You may think that's not uncommon, but when you gather people from more than 20 different services in one place, that makes for a lot of worshippers! Now, picture that the congregation has to make an "L" shape, with the worship team and pastors in the middle so that everyone can see, half of the people being outside in the 100degree heat and the other half inside...in the 90degree heat because the A/C is on but the doors are open. That's how we celebrated Pentecost Sunday, and it was awesome.

The service lasted about two hours, which is not unusual, but I was especially drawn to one part of it, where one of the Arab pastors was praying for the country. He decided to use a translator so that he could speak more quickly, even though he is fluent in English. The whole thing was so amazing- back and forth, Arabic and English, interceding for the country- that I just wept. God used it to renew and refresh my love for these people.