America- land of free toilet paper

Ah, home sweet 52* and pouring rain home… Seriously, America is COLD!

I got home safely after 22 hours of travel. My bags decided to have a sleepover in New York, but thankfully I am back where there’s clean underwear for such events!

Some things that I’ve been shockingly reminded of regarding the States:

-There’s toilet paper in public bathrooms… and you don’t even have to pay for it! Did I mention you also get to flush it instead of throwing it away in the garbage?! Simply amazing!

-People wear tank tops and short skirts. Out in public. And no one looks at them. Except for me, ‘cause they look pretty darn naked after seeing such…”fully dressed”… women in Morocco

-I went to Starbucks today (personal high-five!), and there were women sitting in there. Not only were they eating and drinking in public, but they were sitting in the café enjoying themselves. Such a shock after seeing so many cafes full of only men, all facing the road and ready and rearing to gossip about whatever passes.

-Cars, somehow by something of a miracle, actually stay in their lanes. They don’t travel to and from one lane to the other, don’t form additional lanes that don’t exist, and policemen actually pull people over for not wearing seatbelts. By the time I was in a car for the third time today, I even remembered to wear my seatbelt (another personal high-five!)!

-While I saw more fights in Morocco than I’ve ever seen, Moroccans are definitely friendlier than Americans are. There isn’t an unwritten rule that you don’t talk to strangers; everyone seems to talk to everyone and it was a shock to get to America and realize that here people have these invisible bubbles that they don’t really want popped.

So that’s the crazy stuff. I don’t mean it as a bash toward Morocco by any means; it’s just a different way of living. I’ve got so much going through my head and so much to process that I know it will be days if not weeks before I have my bearings again. I woke up at 3:00 AM this morning pondering life’s biggest questions and unable to sleep with questions like, “How do I come back without forgetting?” and, “Why is it that some people are blessed with opportunities that others never even get the chance to see?” You know, the little stuff.

I went to church this morning, which was something that I really missed when I was gone. Pastor Ryan spoke about going all in when sharing your beliefs. He mentioned the question, “What does your life say about you? What is its message?” It would be so easy for me to write off volunteering due to my busy schedule of work and school. But that’s where my passion is, and that’s what I believe God wants me to be doing. Ryan also spoke about how easy it is for us to feel like we’re constantly unfulfilled, but that it’s impossible to do so when we rarely empty out what we already have. Like adding water to a water bottle that is already filled to the brim, it’s impossible to gain more when you’re not giving out what you already have.

My goal is to pour out what I have, no matter how big or how small. I have no idea when and if I’ll be able to do another trip like this (although I would in an absolute heartbeat, and already have my mind set on Tanzania!), but my hope is to continue volunteering in ways that I can. I also hope to share Christ’s love through my life, just as He has loved me. Gosh, it’s so much easier said than done, but it is a good goal, right?

So back to reality, mindful of what I’ve learned from a culture unlike anything I’ve experienced. I’m already homesick for Morocco and ready to get back! It was seriously a trip of a lifetime, and I feel so blessed that I was not only able to do this, but that I was able to do it in Morocco with CCS. I couldn’t have been more impressed.

Stay tuned for pictures, and thank you for all of your support!!

B’Salaama :)

A weekend of field trips

Hello! I had a restful weekend here in Rabat and am gearing up for my last week at the orphanage. I can hardly fathom saying goodbye at this point so I need to begin to prepare myself. We went to the medina on Saturday and the Hassan Tower and down to the water on Sunday. It was absolutely gorgeous!

Getting around during Ramadan can be a bit tricky; we've learned the hard way that if you haven't reached your final destination by about 5:30pm, you're going to be hanging out where you are until 8:45pm! Muslims break the fast at sundown and so there's a mad dash to get home and get the food ready for the special meal. Taxis are almost unheard of at that time and the streets become eerily quiet. Last night Mary Fran and I joined Khadjia in her evening walk at 5:30 before breaking the fast. I guess it's super popular to go exercise right before the evening meal in order to keep your mind off of wanting to eat and drink and to lose weight during Ramadan, as well as to curb your hunger so you don't eat a lot. I'm going to bite my tongue on this subject for now!

Instead, let's jump to some pictures:

This is the Hassan Tower, originally intended to be the world's largest mosque in 1195AD

The Mausoleum of Mohammed V, where the tombs of the late king of Morocco and his sons lay

The Moroccan flag in front of the Hassan Tower

My new buddy

The other side of the Atlantic Ocean! A little inlet that is a popular hang out with the locals

Mary Fran and Jin

“The love that lasts the longest is the love that is never returned” ~William Somerset Maugham

Happy Wednesday to you all!

The sun is shining, the wind is blowing, and it’s another beautiful day here in Africa. I have yet to use the sweatshirt and raincoat I brought; never mind the one long sleeve I brought “just in case”. After all, I’m in AFRICA!

Today was another eye-opening day at the orphanage. After feeding some super cute newborns, I made a mad dash down to the toddlers and took two little boys out today. Most of the girls are adopted by the age of 18mos, so it’s just a room full of boys and a few disabled girls. I was put in charge of Speed Racer and Koala Bear, otherwise known as Safeen and Nazir. Safeen spent his time running around watching me chase after him with his buddy on my hip. I was rescued by another volunteer and got to spend some time with my little Koala Bear.

Nazir latches onto you with both hands in a grip that can’t be broken. He has got to be about 15mos and his eyes are half-shut most of the time with the most sorrowful look on his face. The second you sit down, or, heaven forbid, set him down on the ground, he begins to let out this very sad little cry and usually won’t stop until you’re up and swaying again. Today was my first day with him and I decided to rock him sitting down and started singing to him,

“Draw me close to you,
Never let me go…”

His crying slowly dissipated and I continued to sing all the slow paced worship songs that came to mind. He leaned his little head on my chest as I continued to rock and sing. When I stopped he pulled his head back, looked up at me, and put his pointer finger on my lips and slowly opened my mouth again. When I started singing again his eyes locked onto watching my lips move, and then slowly moved his focus onto my eyes. My voice cracked, and tears started coming down my face as I looked into those sorrowful eyes! How I wish I could take all the pain away and lift the burden off of his tiny little shoulders.

“He loves us,
Oh how he loves us…”

It's hard not to get angry and question why such things are happening to such little souls. The only option is to have faith that it will get better for him. That he will be in the small 25% that will be adopted at one point in his childhood, and that someone will love him very very much.

Afterall, that's exactly what faith is; hope in that which we do not see.

"Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever fresh and radiant possibility" ~Kate Douglas Wiggin

Today was Day 2 of my new schedule at the orphanage. It is SO MUCH BETTER than the class of the WWW! Allow me to back up…

The orphanage is an old hospital that is two stories. I’ve been on the first floor with the older children this whole time and was finally able to go upstairs and see the babies yesterday! Mohamed (our Country Director) led me into a large room separated into three smaller areas with…Drum roll, please… 38 newborns. The oldest can’t be more than four or five months old and the youngest are easily preemie and still not yet at their correct birth age (we’re talking days old and some less than 3lbs). I was quickly given a little girl of about 6 weeks and told to feed her a scorching hot bottle (for the moms out there, we’re talking 8oz 4+hours apart at just days old because they don’t have time to feed 40 newborns 2-4oz every 2 hours as we would back home). As she was sucking down her glass bottle with a giant plastic nipple that has an opening as long as the width of my fingernail, I tried to console Mustapha who was having a coronary over not getting his fix first.

It’s crazy. To think about how I ran to the little girl I nanny back home when she was a newborn at every and any random sound or squeak she made, and how there are now 15 newborns around me crying louder and harder than any sane person would ever want to hear… Well, it was a bit much to say the least. These kids don’t have a mom, dad, and nanny to run to their every need. At just days old, it’s already survival of the fittest and a competition. I tried to feed the babes as fast as I could and still give them some personal time before setting them back in their see-through plastic “You’ve just been born” crib before moving on to feed another starving face. After all the babies are fed the nurses shoo us out the door so they can sleep, and we move on to the toddlers down the hallway.

Yesterday I was in charge of a little black her named Iman who is said to be about 2 ½. She is absolutely gorgeous and just a kick to be around! She is one of the few girls left in her age group and I believe she has some sort of mentally disability because she still doesn’t talk at all (her disability means she will never be adopted). She knows what she wants though, and is a fast little bugger as she runs down the forbidden halls, clueless that I’m getting dirty looks and shakes of the finger from all the nurses! Today I was asked to take little Illyas out, who must be about 14 months and is not yet walking. It looks like he had some sort of leg surgery around his upper calf area, and I found a lump on his foot. I’m dying to know- was he given up after they found the lumps, or did he just get dealt a bad hand with being both an orphan and having some sort of illness that causes tumors?

The work continues to be a challenge, and I’m still beyond grateful that I’ve had this opportunity. As I walked into the newborn room, it was as I jumped in a time machine and could picture doing the same thing several years from now as an adoptive mother. I don’t know how it will work, when it will happen, and what the circumstances will be, but I am beyond certain that it WILL happen. There is no way I could ever walk away from what I’ve experienced in just these couple of weeks. I wish I could take the entire clan of 250+ plus at the orphanage home with me, but I will remain hopeful that one day (a long time from now), I will grow to love a similar little soul as my own.

I couldn’t be more excited!

Putting the RAM! in Ramadan (Okay, so I just made that up...)

Salam!

I had a great long weekend despite still being sick with bronchitis and some random stomach thing. As you saw in the last post, I spent a day in Fes, came home early and slept all day to my little heart’s content, and then took the train over to Marrakech where we spent the night checking out the nightlife. I’m definitely on the mend and am ready and rearing to go for a full week at the orphanage!

On Saturday Ramadan started! This is what Wikipedia has to say about Ramadan:

Ramadan (Arabic: رمضان‎) (also written Ramazan, Ramzan, Ramadhan, Ramdan, Ramadaan) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until dusk ^[1] Fasting is meant to teach the Muslim patience, modesty and spirituality. Ramaḍān is a time to fast for the sake of Allah, and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramaḍān, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. As compared to solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving forward about ten days each year. Ramadhan was the month in which the first verses of the Qur'an were revealed^{[Qur'an 2:185]} to the Prophet Muhammad.

I highly recommend you check out the rest of the page! It’s been relatively the same around here except for eating and drinking in public. It’s actually in the constitution that a Moroccan is required by law to fast, and if caught eating without a valid excuse (pregnant women, children, people that are ill), they can be arrested.... Kinda serious stuff!! As foreigners the law doesn’t apply to us but it’s highly recommended that we refrain from eating or drinking in public out of respect for those that are fasting. Many locals have asked me if I’m going to be fasting as well. As much as I would love to and will probably try for one day, it’s the no drinking when it’s over 100* that I’m worried about! So for now I eat and drink as much as I can at home and try to refrain while in public. Some volunteers have decided to continue to eat and drink in public and many have gotten yelled at. There is also no smoking and drinking allowed and we’ve seen a cigarette black market beginning for those who still need a fix.

Today will be the first day in the orphanage during Ramadan. I dressed super conservatively (you're supposed to be extra conservative and not wear make-up) and I won’t be bringing my handy water bottle. After some thought I decided to switch rooms and leave the WWW to her ways. As much as I love those boys and feel bad for leaving them to the misery of the Witch, I had told myself at the beginning that I wanted to experience more than one room. Who knows, I may still get stuck with WWW and her posse, but we shall see where I end up! I feel like I haven’t been at the orphanage in forever and I’m so happy to have a full week there.

Hope all is well back home! I was going to leave you with the call to Prayer over the Jama F’na Square in Marrakech, but after 2hrs it still hasn't uploaded. We hear the call five times a day beginning at around 5am and ending at 9:45pm. It’s called from each Mosque by a guy called an imam, signaling that it’s time to recite the Koran at prayer. I occasionally wake up at the 4-5am one because it’s super loud and the guard dogs around us all howl. However, as I’ve said before- if you’re exhausted, you will sleep through anything!

Off to the orphanage!

Self entertaining on the 5 hour train ride to Marrakesh (Sock puppets not pictured)

The view from dinner. Bread is considered holy and sacred and it's against their beliefs to throw it out. Instead, it's fed to the stray animals and birds (and let me tell you- we eat a LOT of bread!!!)

The door to our Riad. Apparently people were shorter hundreds of years ago?

The Square in Marrakesh. There are dozens of these fresh orange juice stands- so yummy!

The evening view from dinner. If you look closely, you will see the black speakers on the middle to top right corner that the Imam's call to prayer comes out of

Livin' in the Gap

Ah, so much to do and so little time! I got the majority of my To-Do list crossed off, and now it's just packing and last minute errands.

Yesterday I had a conference call with some of the other volunteers that will be arriving the same day as I am. They're from all over the world, and it was nice to be able to hear a bit more of why everyone was volunteering, figure out some final details, and get additional information on airport arrival. Apparently I'm the only one taking the JFK to Casablanca flight! There will be someone to pick me up there and get be back to Homebase in Rabat an hour or two away. It sounds like I'll be the first volunteer to arrive, as most everyone else is arriving later that afternoon from a Paris connection.

It's all coming together! I have a super nervous stomach, which means it's getting close! I'm very excited and have seemed to already accept it's what's happening, without feeling too anxious about it all. I've had a couple moments of "Oh my gosh! Just kidding! I want to stay home where I'm comfortable, know everything, and have a routine!".... And then I think of cous cous, the Medina, those adorable kiddos craving attention and someone to love on them, new adventures, and new friends. I can totally do this, and I'm pumped. The sermon at church this last week touched a bit on how it's important to focus on the gap between who you are and who you want to become. This requires us to be active and intentional with a plan, and to occasionally take risks.

So here I am, taking a risk and outside of my comfort zone. My goal is to serve in whatever way needed, and I couldn't be more stoked. I'm sure it's not all going to be easy, and I'm up to the challenge.

Now for the first challenge.... Begin packing!

Mom pants, Imodium, and all things necessary

Salaam!
Morocco is approaching quickly. I went out and got some "Ramadan friendly" clothing (shirts that cover the shoulders, very loose fitting, etc. etc.). I can't seem to find loose, lightweight pants that are long enough to save my life. My sister's friend recently visited Iran and she found some at Chico's... Looks like I'll be sporting the dreaded mom pants! I also put together a fantastic First Aid kit complete with Imodium and all things necessary.

I have a conference call meeting on Tuesday, August 4th (I leave the 7th), to go over final details with fellow volunteers and my Program Manager.

I'm also hoping to find out my work placement in the next week or so- keep your fingers crossed! From there I will begin planning for my placement. We are in charge of activities and entertainment for our placements, so if for example I work with children at the local Children's Hospital, it is my job to put together creative art projects and entertainment to keep them busy and distracted from what they're going through. We are not to bring any supplies with us, but only use what is given to us in Morocco to ensure our position is the community is supportive without them becoming dependant on us.

My French class was cancelled due to low enrollment so I'm back to learning French from my Scottish friends on iTunes. I'm also practicing my Moroccan Arabic. I'm not sure if it has to do with my lack of uvula or I'm just not skilled in that area, but I cannot seem to make the words sound even CLOSE to what they sound like on my trusty Moroccan Arabic CD! ::sigh::

That's about it for now! Back to cleaning, unpacking before I start re-packing again, organizing, list-making, language studying, and gearing up!

One Month Away!!

A big thank you to all of my sponsors!! Your support means more to me than words can express. To know that so many people believe in me and the cause that I'm fundraising for is unbelievable and truly inspiring. Thank you!

Exactly one month from now I will officially be high in the sky on my way to Morocco! I cannot WAIT!! I feel like it was just yesterday that I had two months to go before the big day... I have SO much to do before then!

I spoke with Sharon, my Program Manager, on the phone yesterday. She called to check in and see if I had any questions, concerns, etc. It sounds like it's going to be very likely that I will be at the orphanage with my experience with kiddos. She reminded me to pack clothing that I wouldn't mind getting "soiled" from holding babies and playing with toddlers... I have NO idea whatever she may be talking about! :) I assured her that I've experienced just about every body fluid on me possible, and that I'll be just fine. I will find out in two weeks what my work placement is.

She also wanted to talk about Ramadan, and how it's a truly exciting but different experience unlike anything I've been a part of. Apparently I misunderstood and Ramadan isn't likely to begin until August 22nd or around there, which is much later into my trip than I originally thought (the exact date depends on the lunar calendar, so it will be impossible to know exactly what day until you get a bit closer to the date). It's somewhat of a relief that it won't be going on the whole time I am there due to the extreme changes in society that come with it, but I'm also SO glad I get to be a part of it and that I'm staying a week longer than I originally planned for! To be a part of Ramadan in a Muslim country is going to be an experience unlike any other. Sharon said that it's important that I wear baggy clothes during Ramadan, so I need to go on a hunt for some baggy pants... Maybe I should hit up my brother's closet?

I will also be beginning a French Class for Travelers on Saturday. Majority of Moroccans speak a mix of French and Moroccan Arabic, but the latter is virtuously impossible to find classes for here in the West. I'm hoping a little bit of French will help me get around and attempt communication with locals.

That's about it for now! Thank you again for all of your support and encouragement!

That's right. A fit of JOY!

to: Nicole Griswold <nicolegris@gmail.com>
date: Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 2:41 PM
subject: RE: Language Classes

Salaam Nicole!

Great to hear from you... I love that you’re thinking of taking language classes. French will definitely help a lot in getting around. Many people in Rabat speak French and those in the service professions (restaurants, hotels, taxis, trains, etc) largely speak French as well. It would be great if you had some phrases in both French and Arabic.

Now for your question…it’s true that Moroccan Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic are different. For classes taught on Arabic in the US and Canada…it’s usually the case that the Arabic taught is either Egyptian Colloquial Arabic or Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). If you learn some words in either MSA or Egyptian, you’ll be understood, though the pronunciation for those words in Moroccan Arabic may be different. If you’d like to chat more about this, let me know!

As far as work assignments…our Morocco staff will be deciding the work placements about 2 weeks before the program starts. During the month of August, most volunteers have the opportunity to work with the orphanage and/or the Children’s Hospital. Stay tuned!

Cheers,Sharon

********
to: Sharon
date: Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 3:58 PM
subject: Re: Language Classes

Salaam!

Oh my goodness, I think I actually experienced a fit of joy with the news that I might be able to work in a Childrens Hospital while there!!! I volunteer weekly in the Emergency Department of the local Childrens Hospital and ABSOLUTELY love it. My dream is to work there as a nurse one day. Ahhhh, Morocco is just getting more and more exciting.

Thanks for the info regarding language, that is fantastic to know. I just put in an Amazon order for the "Learn Moroccan Arabic" CD, a workbook to learn Arabic script, and other handy books including a phrasebook. I think I'll additionally take that French class for travelers from a local language academy (I've been learning French from a Scottish dude for free on iTunes and while it's entertaining, it's not quite cutting it!)
Okay, all for now.

Thanks, Sharon!
Nicole

Swoosh

Yay! After a stern talking-to from Pops (think Nike slogan), I went with my gut and bought the Wicked Expensive route. It's a lot more money than I was anticipating, but is the most likeliest of the two to get me and my luggage there. If one of my connections on the other flight didn't go through or was delayed, I would have been screwed somewhere between here and goodness knows where!

When I first thought about volunteering overseas I decided to base where I went depending on how cheap it was to fly there. My roommate Emily was very wise in saying that I should go where my heart is leading me, not because it'll save me a couple hundred bucks... I'm (so far) glad I listened to her. Have I mentioned that I'm excited and can't wait?!!!

So here's the info:
SEA to JFK (departs 6:30am, arrives 3:00pm)
JFK to Casablanca (departs 8:20pm, arrives 8:45am)

I will leave August 7th to get there by the 8th, and will be returning September 5/6th.

OH! And I had a revelation. The more I think about my anticipated three week stay, the more I realize how short of a time that is to connect with the community and become involved. Because I'm not spending a day or two in Madrid on the way home as I anticipated and I'm supposed to be coming back the week before Labor Day, I decided to sign up for an additional week to make it a full month. This way I'll be able to spend a full month serving AND still make it home before Labor Day to recuperate a few days before going back at work. It's an additional $355 to stay another week, which will change my overall cost, but I really feel that if I'm going to do this, I want to do it to the best of my abilities. I know that once I look into some of the kiddos eyes over there, I'll know that I made the right decision.