Friday, 3/13/26 ~ Just wanted to let you know we are safe and sound. Living in Al Ain, which is close to the Oman border, we are far away from both Dubai and Abu Dhabi and we have not had any missiles, hostility, debris or signs of war. There was a missile in Oman but we are 12 hrs away from that landing so we are good. There is a military base here but it is small and Arabic so we are not anticipating any attacks.
It truly is business as usual and we have not had to stay indoors (out of harm's way as they are doing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi). There have been some couples that were closer to Iran that were moved out at the end of January and others who felt more comfortable leaving who have since left. Many are remaining in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. They feel safe and are just taking shelter and using caution each day. The Church News indicates that all of the Senior Service Volunteers have left but there are still many here in the Middle East/Africa North Area. The News media are sending out many old pictures of other situations and AI pics are exaggerating the situation and most of it is just not true.
Let’s first start with Wed, 2/25/26 when we were invited over to Joshua and Kats house for FHE. It was wonderful and Joshua gave a fantastic lesson on families. We watched a short video and had delicious food that we all gobbled up.
In attendance along with Joshua, Kat and their 2 kids, Kahliea & Khyler there was Joshua's cousin and her friend, Victoria & Zoe, Zuri and Jenny and Charm.
Afterwards . . .
There is a market (Mahran Hyper Market) by their home which is now my very, VERY favorite! It is the least expensive and has everything. The cutest and funniest was that Zuri, the 4 1/2 year old, handed me a grape and I popped in into my mouth without even thinking (and it was scrumptious), but as I looked down (lower left hand picture) I noticed that her pocket was full of grapes 🤣🤣🤣. I’m not sure if they were paid for or not but regardless she was very generous giving them out 😜. Before we went home Victoria told us about the Ramadan feast so we decided we'd all go tomorrow night after Primary.
Thurs, 2/26/26 Primary focused on Abraham and Sarah and the reminder that the Lord always keeps His promises. We also talked briefly about the sacrifice Abraham (and Isaac) were willing to make. After waiting so long for the promised son, Isaac, Abraham still showed his willingness to offer him on the altar, trusting completely in the Lord.
We have learned so much about Ramadan and it is truly fascinating. It is such a celebration and the streets are decorated just like ours are at Christmastime. We had such a wonderful time experiencing the spirit of this occasion.
The starting and ending of Ramadan this year was the evening of Tue, Feb 17, 2026 through Thu, Mar 18, 2026 ~ the exact dates are contingent upon the sighting of the moon
We had such a lovely time during Ramadan's 'Break the Fast'. The atmosphere was amazing; it was beautiful, felt peaceful, and was truly a spiritual experience reflecting community spirit. Generosity of the Muslim community is truly astounding, they prepare and feed thousands upon thousands of people each night of Ramadan. The cost is very high but the generosity of time, energy and effort is mind blowing. Muslims and people of different religions gather at sunset and are served a huge box of either lamb, beef or chicken. Bill and I received delicious chicken both times. In our boxes are fruits, scrumptious dates, water, milk & juice, and the best rice I have ever had. The place was filled with love, unity and generosity. It really was so cool. When we went back the 2nd time the guy who was setting the boxes on the plastic tableclothes recognized both Bill and me. He was so nice and welcomed us back. Everyone we sat around greeted us and although the little children were shy the men and women spoke and visited with us.
Left hand bottom picture are some amazing, vacuumed sealed, fresh dates from Joshua; he is always so kind and giving.
We were at the largest mosque in Al Ain ~ the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Mosque (Al Ain Grand Mosque). The Mosque opened in 2021 and can accommodates up to 20,800 worshippers
Islamic Relief Worldwide explains that if someone is unable to fast during Ramadan for a valid reason, they should make up for the missed days by fasting after Ramadan. If a person is physically unable to fast at all, they must instead feed one poor person for each day missed; this is called Fidya, (Charitable compensation). However, if someone deliberately breaks or skips a fast without a valid reason, they may be required to perform Kaffarah, (Penalty) that involves feeding 60 poor people for each day missed.
I need to interject here with an awesome experience. We visited a family whose daughter, Sophia, (20) has been doing pathways but wanted to get a job to help her family. There is a place called Grandma's House (where Teena works) where parents can drop off their kids for $7 an hour for childcare (or $10 an hour if they also want the kids to receive juice and snacks, throughout the day). Anyhooo, we picked up Sophia and took her there for her interview. The boss, Ola, who is from Syria, is very nice. We had met her before, so she knew us and seemed to liked us. She is somehow affiliated with Muslims, and even though she asked about the church, we explained that we couldn’t really discuss religious topics with Muslims because it is against the law here. After Sophia went to the play area with the kids, I sat down in the little café to read and enjoy a thin chocolate shake. A sweet Chinese lady, Courtney, and her husband were sitting nearby. I commented on how cute her little boy was, and before long she pulled her chair over to my table and we started visiting. She had only arrived a couple of months ago, and somehow our conversation turned to her grandfather’s death. She explained that in China many people believe that once you die, that’s it, you’ll never see that person again. As most of you know, that’s not what we believe. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we know there is life after death.
I mostly listened, and then she mentioned that she knew “Mormons” believed she would see her grandfather again. Up to that point she knew I was Christian, but after that comment I smiled and said, “I’m Mormon!” That led to a lively discussion. Billy came in partway through, and we ended up inviting her to join us that evening for the Ramadan's 'Break the Fast' (with the gang). She said she would love to go. There are pics of her below and a shot of just her in the lower right hand corner ~ Courtney Hu.
I’ve talked with a few different Muslims from different countries, and they told me that the details of fasting practices can vary somewhat by region. One woman mentioned that for every day a person is unable to fast, they might give the equivalent of about ten days’ worth of food or money to help others.
Learning about these traditions and experiencing the generosity first hand made our Ramadan visit truly unforgettable. The whole place was filled with love, unity, and generosity. It was honestly such an amazing experience.
Ephesians 2:19
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners,
but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;”
