One Hope

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6)

Dan and I are so blessed to walk with these incredible people. They've taught us more about this verse in Ephesians. We've been through a lot of ups and downs together in just a few short months -- thanks be to God who gifts us with unity that is only of His Spirit, who calls us to One Hope, and who gives us the grace to bear with one another in love.

(Stacy isn't pictured here -- we're very thankful for her, too!)

Roof Days

Spring is here! *Praise God* Mornings are still a little cool, but the sun is bright and warm. Our roof is a great hangout spot these days (for our clothes and for us). We love being able to enjoy our morning breakfast and coffee where the air is fresh and the sun is bright. And the mountains (and yes, the power lines) are in full view.

First picture

11 weeks and counting! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Girl Time

I'm blessed to be surrounded by some wonderful women - both on my team and in a fellowship we're a part of. Through the years, God has shown Himself to be so faithful to bring the right people into my life at the right time.

The other day a few of us took a little 45 minute trip to Zakho to do some major damage. (And to find some great deals!) This is the closest thing we have to a Wal-Mart: City Centre!

Celebrating a teammate's birthday.

Praise God for these ladies!

Dohuk Weather

This winter, we've had a strange mix of weather patterns. (Reminds me a bit of Nashville!) But we can see Spring on the horizon, and we are so excited to start digging in the garden again.

The snow we had in January made Dohuk's mountains look so beautiful.

A dust storm paints everything orange. (And makes your house nice and dirty.)

This was from a hail storm a few weeks ago!

Thankfully, signs of Spring are everywhere, including this little Flower Girl from across the street. (She comes to our gate often and says, "Julie, mala wa?" / "Can I come to your house?" I've learned that kids are some of the best teachers of Kurdish because they will fearlessly tell you how wrong you're saying something!)

2 Years

Dan and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary last week. 2 years - it's hard to fathom!

I came home from school and my good man had the table set and a meal cooked. He sure knows how to make my heart smile.

And since it was such a beautiful, sunny day, we ventured onto the roof and had affogatos. Yes, we do love our coffee. And ice cream. (Why not mix 'em together?)

Mardin, Turkey

We went to Mardin, Turkey over the Christmas holiday to visit some friends. Dan and Alex went to the Citadel together, and now they live just a few hours apart in the Middle East!

Alex and his wife Jamie and their beautiful girls Abigail and Elisa were such fun. Our time with them was relaxing and refreshing - a wonderful vacation. I didn't know them before this trip, but it was like being with old friends.

Side note: Even though it's only a 3 hour distance, it took 10 hours to get there! Border patrol is pretty rigorous. (Also, they were on lunch break when we got there. Lunch is a serious matter.) The bright side: I caught up on my reading.

Right across the street from Alex and Jamie's apartment, there is an actual coffee shop serving actual coffee. Yes, that's a chocolate spoon!

In the market

At the Sultan Isa Madressi. Breathtaking view!

Overlooking the plains of northern Syria

The top of the mountain

The Deyrul Zafaran Monastery - a Syrian Orthodox Church built in the 5th century AD

Great architecture

Beautiful family!

Elisa and me

A pool of water next to a beautiful courtyard.

This one of Alex and Jamie is adorable.

The view was amazing.

Two Citadel boys and their rings of power

Also, here's a Red Bull commercial shot in Mardin. The spot where the guy does a flip at 2:30 is where we took the pictures at the pool of water. Pretty cool!