Sleep is Overrated

Sleep is Overrated

It’s been quite some time since I’ve written one of these things myself. As I predicted earlier, life got very busy, and sometimes I hardly had time to write my own wife, let alone anything else. Some of this will be recycled from personal letters, so if you got the letters this came from, sorry it’s not new.

I am in a place that is great for making one appreciate everything in life. The circumstances have allowed me to go to services only three times in two months, but I have managed. I have been building a friendship with another believer that lives in the next building over. God has blessed me with his presence and fellowship. I don’t know how I could cope here without God. There are so many things that one could be depressed or hopeless about here. I see it all around me. As long as I rely on the one who is higher than I, I will be fine. If I rely on myself, I’ll be in trouble. I am completely at peace with the trials and dangers and trusting God to do as he sees fit. Don’t worry about me.

The weather here has been very hot, but not so bad as some places in the states have been recently. I’ve been fortunate to not be a heat casualty yet. Our trucks have a/c, but it does not work well. One of the other systems that is essential to our safety is unfortunately located in the cab near the a/c vents, and it sucks in all the cold air and turns it into warm air. I have an ice chest on my truck, and keep it stocked with cold drinks to help with the heat.

About a week ago I had the opportunity to drive somewhere I’ve never been before, something I always enjoy. I got to take a short trip through the north end of the capital city. It was fascinating. I wish I could come back and explore under different circumstances. It was crowded and an intriguing mix of the old and modern. More often I’m driving through less urban areas. Anywhere I go, I love to see new things and learn about the culture.

The food here is still top quality for what it is, but the longer I’m away the more I miss my wife and mom’s cooking. Today a friend said that he’d never met a vegetable that he liked. I replied and told him it’s because he’s never had my wife’s cooking.

A few days ago I tried a black and green olive salad that was delicious. It had a perfect mix of spices and seasonings. My friend thought it was repulsive.

We’ve been pretty busy for the past few days, but it looks like things will be slowing down a get soon. I think I’ve been getting enough free time to stay well. God has been good to us, and everything has happened safely. I recently bought a lamp and plastic 3 drawer chest/nightstand for my space, and it has made it much more livable. They are now offering wireless internet, and I’m probably going to get it in a few days. It will be nice to have access all the time. Perhaps you will see me on Myspace messenger in the future. I am most likely to be on between 9am and 1 pm PST. I even have real blankets, sheets and a pillow now, with a great looking pillow case. The other day we got a refrigerator too.

I do not want to post a lot of pictures here, but if you would like some you can contact my wife.

I’ll end here with some comments on future resupply packages. First off, there are very few things that I cannot get from the store here if I want. So I do not need care packages. If you do want to send them, then feel to do so, they are always appreciated. Here are some things that I like or could use.

-I have plenty of hard candy, tea, gum, stationary and hygiene items. Thank you for what’s been sent, it will be put to use, but I do not need more.

-Here are some of my favorite candys. Hot tamales, skittles and starburst (any kind of both), sour candy, red vines (can’t get them here), reeses, snickers, milky way,

- I also like beef jerky, but it’s expensive, and I can get it here. So don’t get it unless you want to.

- Chocolate or chocolate cookies in small packages.

I would also request that those of you that pray, pray for the following.

- Continued safety

- Rest and peace for both me and my family

- A new job for me.

Psalm 68:19-20

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Our God is a God who saves,
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Excerpts from John's letters to Me;)

“Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” Pr 25:25

Here in the desert, cold water is hard to find. Water left out in the daytime will heat to air temperature, about 110 degree. That makes in great for coffee, but horrible for quenching thirst. Often it is just too hot to drink if it is left in the sun. Sodas will evaporate and bend the cans. I don’t know how people got by without a/c here for 4000 years. I work out in the sun most days, and a bottle of cold or even room temperature water can make a huge difference, between heat exhaustion and health.

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I also met about 10-15 Iraqis today. Mostly children and young adults, but two older men. The women and girls almost never come to us. Most spoke little English. This country is an amazing blend of a modern third world. I’ve seen many Mud homes with satellite dishes on top. I’ve seen many people herding sheep and goats along the highway. One teenager wanted to arm wrestle me, so I let him win, and he was very proud of himself. Everyone was happy we were there. It was fun and I wish I knew more Arabic and could have stayed longer.

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Many of the Iraqis that we meet are friendly. I’ve only seen a small few who were not, and we saw them from a distance. It’s always interesting to try to get around the language barrier.I love the ways that we help people with the cargo we carry. There’s a lot of satisfaction in bringing needed supplies to those that need them. I’ve seen more of the country and people in the last two weeks than I did in a year. I enjoy seeing another country up close. I enjoy meeting the people. I have met many Iraqi soldiers, police and kids. The kids are surprising. They remember a lot. I went to a place yesterday and one of the kids remembered that the last time I was there I was in a different vehicle. I wish I could learn more Arabic and talk to the people.
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