#18 Al Ain ~ Come with Me to Denmark and Norway

This is not a normal thing for those that are out serving all over the world but here in the ME/AN Area (Middle East/Africa North Area) everyone gets to take a 10 day leave from our volunteer service in the summer. This stems from the fact that it is scalding hot in these areas and most of the church leaders, US govt workers and many ward/branch members take off in the summer.  It is just wonderful that we are included in these plans. We wanted to go somewhere we hadn't been and had always thought about! We chose Denmark/Norway; and we were not disappointed! Oh. My. Goodness. ~ it was spectacular and truly a trip of a lifetime!

We arrived in Copenhagen, Denmark, checked into our hotel, rested for a minute and off we went for some fun adventures. In the top pic of me you can see a little arrow pointing to a blue thing; this is my blanket and eye mask from W&G last Christmas and I take it everywhere I go ~ the best ever since I tend to be cold even when living in the desert. Anyhooo, it came in extra handy since this trip the weather was a bit nippy, chilly but soooo refreshing which was such a relief after instant sweating, when walking out the door in Al Ain.

Billy figured out where the subway was and off we went to go for a glorious boat ride!

The boat ride was amazing. Ours was a smaller, shorter boat so we could see everything from both sides. There were all these little tunnels we would go through and our guide would remind us to make sure and sit down, keep our arms/hands inside the boat and not to touch the walls (as they were within inches of us).  The boat drivers are very skilled and had to go through these tunnels with exact precision. You can see in the lower right corner the very crowded 'long' boat (I'm afraid that might have been a bit claustrophobic for me 😉).

We were on one of Copenhagen's harbor/canal sightseeing loops, traveling out through the Inner Harbor (Inderhavnen) toward Holmen/Nyholm, then up toward Langelinie, where the Little Mermaid sits. Holmen was Copenhagen's historic naval base and Nyholm still has naval facilities, which explains all the warships.

The Little Mermaid was written by Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish author. He published the original fairy tale in 1837. I personally don't like the Disney version as there are no consequences for Arials choices, but that topic is for another time. 

We came back through the harbor and canals around Christianshavn before returning to the starting point. The classic tours specifically advertise the Opera House, Amalienborg, Christianshavn and Little Mermaid as part of the loop. And here's the cool geographical bit: when we were out by the Little Mermaid we were getting very close to the open harbor entrance. If our boat had continued north/east instead of turning around, we would eventually leave Copenhagen Harbor and enter the Øresund, the strait between Denmark and Sweden.  We were essentially cruising on saltwater connected directly to the Baltic Sea, not a freshwater river.  

Next we went to Tivoli Gardens ~ Wow! Soooo, fun and beautiful! Tivoli Gardens is one of Copenhagen’s most iconic attractions and it’s much more than a typical amusement park. It combines roller coasters, beautiful gardens, restaurants, live music, theatre and a wonderfully old-fashioned atmosphere right in the center of the city.

It opened in 1843, making it the third-oldest amusement park in the world. Hans Christian Andersen visited Tivoli and was reportedly inspired by it while creating The Nightingale. The little bear in the bottom left corner is Rasmus Klump, a beloved Danish children’s character and Tivoli has created an entire themed area around him (like, Mickey Mouse ~ someone said Walt Disney visited here and got his idea for Disneyland from Tivoli 🤗). The Pancake House sits next to the Rasmus Klump playground, in the heart of Tivoli by the lake. The restaurant itself is designed like a whale’s belly, which fits the playful nautical theme.

Our next stop: Norway! First stop was Geirangerfjord, Geiranger, Sunnmøre! Absolutely gorgeous. I love all the trolls hanging around the town. When you visit us in Alpine you might notice my 3 little monks sitting on the entry side table.  They are the cutest things that I brought back from Thailand.  No one else seems to take my viewpoint on them as they are kind of spooky and ugly looking.  I'm not sure why I am drawn towards them but it's the same reason I love these adorable little trolls. I just think they are the cutest! 

The top middle pic are of houses with grass roofs; they are traditionally called Torvtak and they are surprisingly practical. Traditionally, the roof was built with wooden boards, covered with birch bark for waterproofing and then layers of turf/soil were placed on top. Eventually the grass and plants grew into what looks like a little meadow sitting on the house. The thick turf provided excellent insulation against Norway's cold climate. It also used materials that were readily available locally. The roof eventually becomes part of the landscape. From a distance, an old farm with a turf roof can almost disappear into the hillside. That's especially useful when you're looking at those old farms scattered impossibly high above the fjord.

We took a Fjord Guiding tour which took us out on the Norwegian sea! When you're cruising the fjord there are tiny green terraces way, way up high. You'll sometimes see what looks like one or two little houses surrounded by an impossibly small patch of grass. Those are often former farmsteads. Some of these farms were not connected by a road at all. The fjord was their highway. People would take boats along the water, then climb hundreds of meters up the mountainside to get home. And the reason you still see the buildings today is that many of these farms were occupied until surprisingly recently; some remained in use into the 20th century. The middle top picture by my head: Knivsflå, an historic mountain farm, located beneath the famous Seven Sisters waterfalls. 

Skageflå is probably the most famous farm. It's perched dramatically about 820–980 ft above Geirangerfjord. It was a working farm with several buildings and grazing land. Our guide pointed out all the, surprisingly, many farms built way up on these mountains. Insane!

So as we were cruising through Geirangerfjord, and looking at pretty scenery, we were looking at a landscape where: ⛰️ mountains + 👹 folklore + 🌱 turf roofs + 🐄 farming + 🛥fjord transportation all developed together.

Next day we got on a bus that took us all over the beautiful city of Alesund, Norway and I'm so glad we did. It was stunning. 

This is the open-air museum, Sunnmøre Museum, in Ålesund, where historic buildings from the Sunnmøre region were moved and reconstructed on one site, creating a little historical village. It’s on the island of Nørvøya, just outside central Ålesund, and has old farmhouses, boathouses, barns, and other traditional buildings. It was so fascinating and if I would have figured out how to set up my Fitbit from K&L I would have at least recorded 1 mile of walking here!

They advertise the "Best Fish & Chips in the World" and although I have had Fish & Chips in many places these were very delicious to what I can compare with my limited expertise.

The city was truly beautiful and with the luxury of more Trolls ~ "The Trolls come from very old Scandinavian Norse folklore. Some of the earliest written references appear in medieval literature, including the Edda from around the 1220s. Think of a troll as a way people long ago explained a landscape that was huge, dangerous and mysterious. Imagine living here hundreds of years ago: You're in a tiny wooden farm surrounded by enormous mountains. It's dark for much of the winter. Avalanches can come down the mountains. Rocks fall. Fog rolls into the fjord. You hear strange noises in the forest. You don't have modern geology or meteorology. So perhaps the mountain isn't just a mountain. Perhaps there's a giant sleeping inside it. That is essentially the world of Norwegian folklore. Trolls were generally imagined as powerful, primitive creatures living in mountains, caves and forests. And there's a particularly famous rule: Sunlight turns trolls to stone. That's why Norwegian folklore explains so many strangely shaped rocks and mountains as trolls who were caught outside when the sun came up."

Flam, Norway ~ a wooden viking guardian and the sad wife and child he is leaving behind as he goes out to fight the enemy and protect his homeland. What an amazing life these people and all those that lived in the earlier century's had.  I can't even begin to comprehend the emotions, hardship and sadness they experienced (especially when they had to worry about being trampled or eaten by trolls 😉).

Wow! Wow! Wow! We rode The Flåm Railway, which runs from Flåm up to Myrdal, about 12.5 miles. It climbs roughly 2,840 ft and takes about an hour. Myrdal is a railway junction, so from there you can connect onward toward Bergen or Oslo.

This was the coolest ever ~ I took a video but even that doesn't do justice to the magnificence of the water gushing down the river and the singing/dancing lady, Huldra. She is a mythical Scandinavian forest spirit. At Kjosfossen waterfall, an actress performs as Huldra when the train stops. She’s there because the Flåm Railway turns the old Huldra legend into a short theatrical show at Kjosfossen. In Norwegian folklore, the Huldra is a beautiful, mysterious forest spirit who uses singing and dancing to lure people (especially men) into the mountains. So when you see her dancing by the waterfall, it’s basically Norwegian folklore brought to life for the train passengers. So this mythical creature lures our men into her lair.  Some stories say he never finds his way back or becomes mentally/physically ill but some say that sometimes a man who treats Huldra respectfully is rewarded with good fortune and in some tales she even marries him and becomes human.

Last stop: In Keil, Germany we noticed the “roundabout art” (Kreiselkunst) everywhere. Germany commonly puts sculptures or themed objects in the centers of roundabouts, partly to make otherwise ordinary traffic intersections more distinctive and attractive. This became especially common from the 1990s onward. In Kiel, the particular animals can also have local meaning; for example, the stork is associated with the region and even appears as a symbol/mascot connected with local culture and sports. 

We took a taxi to Laboe where the U-995 sits. It is a real German World War II submarine that you can walk through. It’s a Type VII U-boat, built in 1943, and now preserved as a museum ship on the beach at Laboe.
 This WWII submarine was very cramped and much smaller than any of the other submarines we have been in. The ONLY good thing for me would be that in the downtime we could play a lot of cards 😜. 


Norway captured U-995 at the end of WWII and used it in the Norwegian Navy. After a while Norway had no further military use for it and since Germany requested it back in the 1960s, Norway agreed to return it as a museum ship as a gesture of goodwill to Germany in 1965.

ALL DONE. A very incredible, much needed getaway from our worries and cares.  I was probably better at closing my mind off to the problems back in Al Ain and it helped that I sent this message out to anyone that happened to text me (I had first put it in our Branch WhatsApp feed so they knew we were going to be gone):

Auto Reply:

Hey Everybody, President and 

I will be gone until the middle 

of August ~ so:

1. If you need a ride contact

Louie +971 55 289 8162

2. If you need food contact

Sunshine +971 56 854 3851

3. If you need advice contact

Carla +971 56 135 5896

Anything else?

Wait 10 days or contact

James +971 56 483 3985

or

Brian +971 50 207 5228

😇💙😇💙😇💙😇💙😇

I only got a few texts while in Denmark and after receiving my reply text once, twice, even 3 times, all correspondence ended until I got back. I tried to tell Billy to just let everyone believe we were still gone for a few more days, but with so many little problems awaiting him, we were back in full work mode the next day 😢.

When can we go back . . . 😉?  

💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖🤗💖

Sources: CHATgpt, Wikipedia, V Visit Norway, R riksantikvaren.no, W Wikipedia, M Mynewsdesk, Lille norske leksikon, en.wikipedia.org, B Bobilavisen

#17 ~ Al Ain - Come with us to Jebel Hafeet/little Branch

It wasn’t long after we arrived that we met Teena ~ what a sweet, funny, determined young woman she turned out to be. She had been living in Al Ain for about 5 months by the time we got here. Teena is from Sri Lanka; she married quite young and has a five-year-old daughter. Her husband, Gayon, and their daughter are living with her mother back in Sri Lanka. Gayon didn’t have a job, so they decided he should come to Al Ain and see if he could find work here. At the time, Teena was living in a single room with eight other women. Eight!!  Each woman had her own little section of the room, divided by . . . a sheet . There was a shared kitchen, shared bathroom, shared everything; privacy was a luxury. Sooooo, Teena needed to find a bigger place for her and Gayon. 

Louie helped her find a new place, which, by comparison, must have felt like a palace: one room with a double bed, a dresser and closet cupboard, a  bathroom and a tiny kitchen (< about the same size as the bathroom). But it was hers! We helped move her few belongings over and she got it all fixed up for her and Gayon (pronounced Guy - on).

Finally, Gayon was able to make the journey to Al Ain. They got settled into their cozy new home and before long we decided it was time for a fun adventure.

Off we went to Jebel Hafeet, the spectacular mountain rising out of Al Ain near the Oman border. It’s one of the UAE’s most famous natural landmarks and definitely the kind of place you take someone when you want to say, “Welcome to Al Ain!” 

The views were incredible and the mountain was breathtaking. Jebel Hafeet is one of those places where you can look out toward Oman and feel like you’re practically standing on the edge of two countries; although, technically, the whole mountain belongs to the UAE!

The road winds up the mountain for about 7–7.5 miles with lots of curves and spectacular viewpoints. The drive to the top of Jebel Hafeet was an adventure in itself, a winding road climbing higher and higher, with the desert stretching out below us. It took us about 45 minutes to reach the summit, but naturally, we had to stop along the way to admire the views and pretend we weren’t terrified of the drop-offs! 

Once we reached the top, we grabbed our blankets and headed over to a picnic table. It was such a beautiful spot; quiet, breezy and with an unexpected bonus: cats. Lots and lots of cats. I took a special liking to the youngest one who stayed right beside us the whole time (I did not touch her, as tempting as it was). Some of the bigger cats were downright aggressive. It made me wonder, do people really bring their unwanted cats up here and just leave them? It certainly seemed like it. Whatever their story, they had clearly figured out how to survive and they knew exactly who to approach when a picnic was underway. On the way down we stopped by the Alberni Jebel Hafeet Hotel & Resort. It sits about 3,000 feet up the mountain, with beautiful views over Al Ain. We just drove around the roundabout and enjoyed the view.

After Gayon had been here for a couple weeks, we invited him and Teena over so Billy could confer the Priesthood on him and give him a blessing. Gayon is a convert of many years but somewhere along the way he had fallen between the cracks. We wanted to help him get started again; to work through My Covenant Path and to do English Connect with him. After receiving the Priesthood, Gayon was able to bless and pass the Sacrament to Teena (and to us) for the very first time. It was a pretty special moment and we really hoped this could be a fresh start for both of them.

Then, naturally, we celebrated the only proper way we knew how; with Baskin-Robbins! And yes, I had Pralines ’n Cream; some things never change.

Not too long after that, we got a frantic call from Teena. Gayon’s mother had been put in prison because she had been living in Dubai illegally for the past three years and finally got caught. They needed a ride to Dubai to gather the mother's things from her apartment. We couldn’t go that week, but the following week we made the trip, helped gather everything, grabbed something to eat and took pictures of the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai; which is still the tallest building in the world; it stands 2,716.5 feet tall, more than half a mile straight up! A fun comparison: Jebel Hafeet is about 4,068 feet high, so the mountain itself is considerably taller than the Burj Khalifa but the Burj just happens to be a very impressive building sitting in the desert! 

Then after that we headed back home.

Things seemed to be looking up for a while. Gayon found a dishwashing job, eight hours a day, six days a week and was actually making more money than Teena, who was working 12–14 hours a day, six or seven days a week, without overtime and a smaller paycheck. In a way, this turned out to be a blessing. Teena is so mild and soft-spoken that she had never complained about her situation at work. But with Gayon working and with Sophia (a member who now also works at Grandma’s house) helping to encourage her, Teena finally talked to her boss. Between all of us, she was able to work toward a better work situation and since she was also a senior Bistro, she really should have been getting more pay for that responsibility. So, at least in that area, things were moving in a better direction.

Unfortunately, things between Teena and Gayon were not going nearly as well. His abusive and controlling tendencies began to show and it became a very difficult situation for Teena (email #10). He also couldn’t get a 'work' visa and had to make trips to Oman and Dubai to deal with paperwork. We had been helping them with groceries and rent since he arrived but we didn’t help with those 2 trips. To be honest, by then we were becoming more and more concerned for Teena and secretly (or not so secretly) hoping Gayon would go home. Eventually, Teena (who had finally come to the realization that she was taking on much more of a “mother” role with Gayon than a wife should have to) took care of everything and arranged for him to return home (and yes ~ in our growing eagerness to see him leave, we may have even helped with that airline ticket 😏).

Sometimes helping someone means knowing when to step in and sometimes it means knowing when it’s time to let them go. Somewhere along the way, Teena went from being a young woman we had just met to someone who was finding her own strength and taking some very mature steps for herself.

It has been wonderful (and painful) to watch her grow. She has started Pathways, is preparing to receive her patriarchal blessing and has accepted a calling in the Church. She has always been a strong member and faithfully pays her tithing but over the last few months we saw her become more confident, more independent and more grounded in her faith.

I think Heavenly Father had a hand in bringing Teena into our lives and maybe us into hers. We don’t always understand why people cross our paths but sometimes we get to see a little bit of the reason. Watching Teena find her strength and move forward has been a pretty special blessing for us, too.

I think of the scripture in Ether: “then will I make weak things become strong.” Maybe that is what we have been watching in Teena; not that her trials disappeared, but that through them, she has become stronger and learned to lean more fully on the Lord. 

Below is a quick look at our 

beautiful members/friends

Every one of these members has faced trials and tribulations that I could hardly have imagined until I came here (and Ghana) and witnessed their lives firsthand; my single, divorced  mother raised 3 kids since I was 5 and we were considered 'poor' but compared to other people in all these 2nd and 3rd world countries; I had no idea what poor really meant 🙁. 

And yet, through it all, these beautiful members remain faithful and strong. They rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost and receive comfort and strength as they continue along their journey. It is a privilege to be around them. Their faith, endurance and unwavering trust in the Lord are deeply inspiring. We love them dearly and care for each and every one of them. Their strength through adversity is a beautiful testimony of the power of faith and the enduring love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

Ether 12:27 “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness… then will I make weak things become strong.”

 

President Thomas S. Monson expressed the principle beautifully: "Decisions determine destiny." 

#16 ~ A Day of Friendship, Freedom & Futuristic Wonders

Top left: Jamie, Carla, Sheila and part of Billy

Here in the UAE, the employment rules are that everyone is supposed to have one month off every year. There are also holidays throughout the year when workers sometimes get a day off, but many times, they don't. So when that precious month of leave comes around, it can be a pretty big deal!

Middle pic: Sheila, Carla, Jamie

This was the month that Carla was going home, and she had a very important goal in mind. Ever since she began working here in the UAE, she has been dreaming of bringing her two boys, Ram, 15, and Rob, 12, over to live with her. For now, the boys are living with Carla's parents in the Philippines, while Carla has been saving up her money, little by little, so she can make it possible for her boys to come over and begin a new chapter of their lives with her here in Al Ain. There is so much love and sacrifice wrapped up in that dream.

I can't remember if I've mentioned Sheila before, but she is another special person in this story. Sheila works for a Madam, where she is expected to cook, clean, and watch the children; which is way above what she originally signed up for! It is extremely strenuous and, unfortunately, she doesn't get any time off.

Fortunately, Carla is one of Sheila's very best buddies here, and Carla is an amazing woman; kind, wise, and not afraid to speak her mind when she sees someone she cares about being treated unfairly.

Carla gets especially upset that Sheila won't stand up for herself. She is always encouraging her to work less, set some boundaries and insist on having at least one day off a week. Carla is constantly giving Sheila suggestions about how she might approach her Madam and explain that she needs some time to herself.

Every now and then, Sheila gathers up her courage and gives her Madam a week's notice, telling her that she'd like such-and-such day off. It's a small victory, but an important one. Sometimes having a good friend who believes in you can help you find the courage to believe in yourself.

So when Sheila found out that Carla was heading home for her month of leave, the two of them decided they were going to make a day of it.

Sheila got 'permission' from her Madam and on the morning of Carla's departure, we picked them both up bright and early.

And off we went!

We went to Dubai and our first stop was the Museum of the Future. Now, I had seen pictures of this place before, but pictures really don't do it justice. The building itself is absolutely amazing! It looks like this huge silver ring sitting on top of a green hill and the whole thing is covered with these enormous Arabic letters. It is one of those buildings that makes you stop and stare at it for a while.

There is actually a lot of meaning behind the design, which I thought was pretty cool. The big round ring represents humanity, the green hill represents Earth and the empty space in the middle represents the unknown future. I loved that idea because, really, who knows what is going to be in that empty space someday?

And once we went inside, it wasn't at all what I expected a museum to be. There weren't rows and rows of things sitting behind glass with little signs telling you what they were. Instead, it was more like we had stepped into a movie about the future and somehow we were part of it!

The whole place takes you on a journey into what life might be like in the year 2071. There were all kinds of interactive things, technology, videos, and theatrical experiences. You weren't just standing there looking at something, you were actually experiencing it.

One of the areas was called OSS Hope and we got to imagine what life might be like living on a space station about 600 kilometers above Earth. 

Carla, Sheila, Jamie, Billy

Then we went through the HEAL Institute, which was all about healing and restoring the Earth. There was a digital version of the Amazon and something called the Library of Life, showing all kinds of living things on our planet. It really made you think about how incredible our Earth is and how much there is to take care of.

Another area, Al Waha, was actually a nice change of pace. It was about wellness and getting back in touch with your senses and taking a break from all the digital technology. I found that kind of funny; here we were in this incredibly futuristic museum surrounded by technology and then they were basically telling us to put it all down and reconnect with ourselves!

Then there was Tomorrow Today, which showed all kinds of new technologies that could become part of our everyday lives in the future. Some of the things made me think, “Wow, that's amazing!” while others made me wonder, “Yeah, the 2nd coming will be here before that happens!”

There are five main exhibition floors and apparently the museum changes things around from time to time rather than keeping everything exactly the same. !

It was a pretty amazing place to take Carla and Sheila for their little adventure. And somehow, as we wandered around looking at what the world might be like years from now, I thought about the two of them and the very real futures they were each trying to build for themselves. 

Carla was working and saving so she could bring her two boys, Ram and Rob, to Al Ain. Sheila was trying to find a little more freedom and balance in her own life. And here we were wandering around a building all about possibilities, dreams, and the future.

Top Left: Sheila, Carla, Jamie, Billy

After all that walking around, we stopped for a little snack before taking Carla to the airport. And then, just like that, it was time for the next part of her adventure.

We dropped Carla off at the airport, knowing she was about to head home and spend some much needed quality time with her children and family. I know she was excited to see them and we were all so very happy for her. After everything she has been working and saving for, she was finally going to get that precious time with the people she loves most. 

The ride home was a somber one for us, though. We were happy for Carla, but it was hard saying goodbye after such a fun day together.

And then came the part that was even harder—dropping Sheila off.

As we said goodbye to her, we couldn't help thinking about what she was going back to. We had just spent the day laughing, exploring, dreaming about the future, and enjoying a little freedom together. And now Sheila had to return to the long hours, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children and not knowing when she would get another real break 😢.

It was a bittersweet ending to what had been such a special day.

I really hope Sheila realizes how she deserves a better lifestyle.

Here are two pictures of “Future Dubai” and the one below is the skyline of the city as it looks now. Quite a difference 😂! Looking at the futuristic pictures, I have to say I’m not entirely convinced that Dubai is going to look quite like that by 2071.

Carla's Family in the Philippines

The next picture is Carla with her family in the Philippines. She had such a wonderful time with them. They had lots of family dinners, which I’m sure were filled with plenty of catching up, laughter, and good food. They even took a seven-hour bus ride to the temple! Now that's dedication. But from everything Carla told us, they truly enjoyed their time together, and I know those memories were incredibly special to her.

Billy & I spoke at church

While Carla was gone, Bill and I had the opportunity to speak in Sacrament Meeting. Since our wonderful trip to Ghana and especially the two wonderful days we spent in the temple, those experiences had been on both of our minds, so they naturally became the themes of our talks.

I spoke about covenants, beginning with the covenant I made when I was baptized and then moving into the covenants we make in the temple. This time I decided to use a few pictures in my talk and it was actually so much fun! I think having to do our meetings on Zoom has uncovered a few unexpected advantages 😉! Who knew that having pictures right there to share would make giving a talk more fun?

Bottom Right Pic: Ram, Jamie, Carla, Carol, Rob

I figured you probably didn't want me to leave you in suspense wondering whether Carla was actually able to bring her boys home, soooooo,

YES!!! She did 💖🤗💖!

Carla, Ram and Rob finally arrived and we had them  take a taxi from the Dubai airport. Their arrival was super early in the morning and in all honesty, we thought we'd sleep in 😂!  While they were making their way to Al Ain, we were enjoying a few extra hours of sleep.

It was such a happy moment knowing that Carla's dream was finally happening. After all the saving, planning, and waiting, her two boys were finally here with her. What a wonderful new chapter for all three of them!

The following week, we traveled into Abu Dhabi with Carla and the boys. We dropped Carla and the boys off at the Philippine Embassy while Bill and I ran over to the car dealership. We needed to exchange cars so they could fix our air-conditioning, again 🥵.

And if you look at the picture of all the white cars, you'll understand another little adventure we have here in the UAE. How in the world do you find your car when EVERYONE has a white one 😂 !?! Seriously, you can walk into a parking lot, look around at what seems like hundreds of identical white cars and suddenly realize you have absolutely no idea which one is yours. Finding your car in the UAE is its own little futuristic challenge 😜! 

Oh, and at one of the stops I found that squatty potties still exist here in the UAE, I thought that was only in Asia (upper right corner)! Stopped at Burger King on the way home 😋!

“Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves.”

— 2 Nephi 10:23

#15 Al Ain~ This Week's Adventure: Sleep, Service & a Few Detours

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.

Our itinerary (follow the arrows ^^^): Al Ain-Abu Dhabi < Wed to Sat then: Dubai-Fajairah-Sharjah-Dubai-Work Office-District 284-Dubai. Then home to Al Ain!

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 😉.

Maybe that's the lesson this week: our schedules are flexible, God's purposes aren't.

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.

2 Nephi 31:20 — “Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.”

Matthew 11:28

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

We are so thankful for this little getaway. It was truly needed, even though it wasn’t quite as restful as we thought it would be, we are so very grateful for the time away, the little moments of joy and the Lord’s quiet hand in our lives, giving us renewed strength and peace to begin again.