We're headed to Abu Dhabi for the three day UAE International Dialogue of Civilization and Tolerance Conference, followed by Stake Conference. I have to admit, we're leaving with just a tiny bit of anxiety. Experience has taught us that the moment we get more than twenty miles away from our branch, someone will have a heart attack, someone's spouse will disappear, someone's visa will suddenly expire, someone will run out of gas or someone will discover a brand-new medical emergency that apparently couldn't wait until we got back.
But, I am DEFINITELY in need of a break. So we're packing our scriptures, our suitcases, our phones (which will undoubtedly continue to ding) and a healthy measure of faith that Heavenly Father can manage the branch for a few days without us 😉😇🤗. It will be good for them and probably even better for us.
On our way, we made a quick stop at the mall and stumbled across one of the most brilliant ideas ever; a supervised play area where parents can drop off their kids to play while they shop. The children were having the time of their lives and I was wondering why every mall on the earth doesn't have one. Whoever came up with that idea deserves an award! A little later we stopped at what can only be described as a giant thrift store. We needed some cords so Billy wisely went in by himself because it was simply too dangerous for me to cross the threshold. Anyone who knows me understands that once I start treasure hunting, there's no telling when, or if, I'll come back out! Later that evening we found out that Denny's had an all-you-can-eat pancake plate; happy to report the pancakes passed inspection with flying colors. The bottom left picture is an "after" shot from getting a massage ~ just bliss!
We arrived at Las Plaza Hotel and we were so excited, relaxed and ready to be alone. Even though we had planned to attend the three-day International Conference ~ instead we: slept and slept and then slept some more. Each evening we'd wake up, go eat and then go get foot massages before returning to our regularly scheduled hibernation. Apparently the Lord knew exactly what we needed, because we certainly didn't. I had no idea I was capable of sleeping that much! Serving in the branch has been one of the greatest blessings but as we've mentioned before 😜 it has also been more emotionally and physically demanding than we ever imagined.
One afternoon we did manage to sneak away for lunch with Gina and Patriarch Woodhouse. Lunch somehow turned into a wonderful five-hour visit and honestly, it still didn't feel long enough. Every once in a while, you meet people who are just easy to be with; conversation flows effortlessly, there's lots of laughter and you leave feeling happier than when you arrived. The Woodhouse's are simply the kind of people whose company feeds your soul. We came away feeling refreshed, uplifted, and grateful for their friendship.
Even though we missed the International Conference we didn't have time to miss our branch; between the two of us we received 17 texts from our sweet members since being in Abu Dhabi 😂. Poor Teena did reach out but since we were out of town we simply couldn't help. She had asked for money and for a ride to Dubai and to Oman for Gayon but, unfortunately, she had to figure it out on her own and somehow she found a way. I feel it worked out ok because sometimes the most loving thing we can do is step back and let God do the teaching. Tough love isn't easy, but rescuing isn't always helping.
Stake Conference was wonderful! I have to admit, one of my favorite parts was watching the Patriarch's facial expressions on the giant screen the entire time as he was sitting directly to the left of the podium ~ j/k ... mostly 😄! Our Stake President was moving to Nigeria and was being released; we will definitely miss him.
With the Iran/America situation still making headlines, I figured a little geography might be helpful. Turns out, maps tell a much calmer story than the media. We're aware of what's happening around us, we stay informed and we use common sense. But we're also not living in the middle of an action movie. Most importantly, we're trusting the One who already knows tomorrow. Heavenly Father isn't pacing heaven wondering how this is all going to turn out. He's in control and is still our greatest source of peace.
Friday night, the day before Stake Conference we were driving home from a massage and Billy's phone started going ballistic. The Wallentine's (who were volunteering in Dubai but are now in the USA until they can return to the UAE) were reaching out on a group WhatsApp because one of their members needed help getting from one territory to another (the UAE is a single country and it is made up of seven individual territories called emirates; similar to how a country like the United States is made up of states). But because a couple who actually knew the member didn't want to step up and help, we decided we needed another growth opportunity so we happily said, "Of course we'll help!" So we decided to leave Abu Dhabi and go to Dubai instead of back to Al Ain. Our route began in Abu Dhabi, where we set off for a scenic drive to Fujairah. After about 1.5 hours on the road, we stopped in Dubai for lunch before continuing another 1.5 hours toward the east coast. Along the way, we drove through five rock tunnels with a combined length of approximately 8 miles. These pictures don’t fully capture how impressive the landscape was, but it was a fun drive filled with beautiful scenery and a completely new experience for us.
One of the highlights of our travels was staying a couple of nights in Fujairah (where John lived; we're picking him up Monday). Standing along the Gulf of Oman, we could actually see dozens and dozens of empty oil tankers lined up on the horizon waiting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz so they could be filled with oil. There had to be fifty or more ships just sitting there. It was quite a sight and a reminder of how much of the world's commerce can be disrupted so easily.
The only sad thing, or the saddest thing is that I left my red fuzzy hat in Fujairah 🥺 at the Palace Beach Resort in rm #211. I discovered this tragic occurrence when we arrived home. I called and emailed them right away but so far no luck. I started with 7 of these fun hats and I was down to 3 but now only 2 ~ how could I be so careless. Maybe that doesn't seem as big of a travesty as the tankers but it was my all time very favorite beanie hat 😢.
This is our wonderful new convert, John Ssemakula, a 33-year-old from Nigeria, who lived in Fujairah. He recently got a job in Dubai.
John is a great young man, but patience isn't currently listed among his spiritual gifts. At one point he started getting a little confrontational with the employees because there were eight people ahead of him and he felt that finding his work Visa and turning it over to him should only take a minute and he shouldn't have to wait in line. I quietly visited with one of the workers, smiled a lot and somehow John mysteriously moved up four places in line. Proof that smiling occasionally accomplishes what arguing never will.
This was our first stop with him, then another 45 minutes to go to the main work offices and another 45 minutes to get to his housing unit.
What sounded like a simple ride quickly turned into an eight hour UAE road trip (and this was after leaving Fujairah); Billy and I already figured out that this wasn't going to be a quick journey but rather an all day activity so our nerves were ready and calm. The itinerary looked something like this: Fujairah (pick him up) → Sharjah (visa) → Dubai (paperwork) → employment office somewhere farther east → medical fitness testing information → uniform → more paperwork → shuttle information → at different stations. Apparently every office had another office and every form another form.
We also had a nice conversation afterward about using the Lord's name with a little more reverence. Every errand seems to become a teaching opportunity. Could John have done all of this by himself? Yes, of course and eventually. But it probably would have cost a small fortune in taxis ($98 for every hour in the taxi) and taken him about two to three days, plus hotel rooms. But really, no way he could have done this without help. I mean he could have but it would have been a nightmare.
We stayed over in Dubai a couple nights to make sure he didn't need anything else and to also rest again after the 8 hour excursion.
Despite the long drives, constant detours and unexpected adventures, we're grateful to have met John and been able to help. We truly feel that Heavenly Father keeps putting us exactly where we're needed, even when our GPS and our personal plans say otherwise 😉.
We're grateful for the chance to serve these remarkable people. They're teaching us far more than we're teaching them.
Now ~ about those sweet massages; we're thinking they may need to become a mission requirement every couple of months. Purely for spiritual endurance, of course. 😉
And we also celebrated our 47th Anniversary in July!
Forty-seven years; how did that happen? It honestly feels like just yesterday we were running around BYU, planning a wedding on a student budget, packing up for California and dreaming about the family we hoped to build. Somehow, those dreams became our reality and then some.
Who could have imagined that our little adventure would grow into six amazing children and 23 wonderful grandchildren. Through all the ups and downs the greatest blessing has been knowing that the Lord has been with us every step of the way. His guidance, grace and countless blessings have carried us through every season and made our family stronger than we ever could have imagined.
I'm so grateful that I get to walk through this life with Billy, serve missions and enjoy our family together. Im thankful for the 47 years of love, laughter, faith, patience and memories that just keep getting better. Here's to the next chapter of our eternal adventure. I wouldn't choose anyone else to share it with.
