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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