It's that point where everything is new and wonderful. Morocco is even better than I had imagined and I'm still enjoying the vivid colors of rugs hanging up to dry on balconies, the stale smell of a cramped grand taxi and the way you can see the outskirts of the town and the beginning of the countryside from our roof-top. Our meals are even more savory and much more colorful than my usual entrées in the states.
But all this aside from the apparent romance of the Orient (to make a reference to Flaubert) it is not without it's quirks.
This week I had the opportunity to visit a Hammam . Now, if you just read that, you have a tiny glimpse at the reality. At the truth of the matter, it was a series of chambers structured around a hot hot wood burning fire that heated water for steam. You situate yourself around the edges of the room where there is a kind of canal running excess water around. You grab your bucket, fill it with hot and cold water, and scrub down. Most Moroccans visit the public bath house 1-2 times a week and some swear they don't even need to shower between visits! It's nice, you have your spot, are squatted on the ground on your mat, and can wash your face, hair, and soap up.
The best? part, however, is the scrub down. In my case, in the middle of the large steam chamber sat several large Moroccan women. Their whole purpose is to take very rough scrubbing brushes and get every inch of dead skin off of your body. They will proceed to this goal using whatever physical and emotional violence necessary. I, being the 7 year old girl that I am, laughed histerically. This only made my large, African-American scrubber lady scrub harder and purposely tickle me while chattering off in darija. I was apparently the hit of the hammam, because everybody else joined in laughing at the American girl who couldn't contain her laughter.
The only way to begin to describe my feelings would be to say that I was smack dab in the middle of centuries of Moroccan culture and it was incredible. My room mates and I have decided to make it a weekly ritual. Who knows, maybe I'll impress some woman and she'll arrange a marriage for me to a nice Moroccan man? Insh'allah!
What has been exceptionally great about this week so far has been the new bible study I've begun. I started Beth Moore's book on the Fruits of the Spirit on Monday and intend to use that as my daily "curriculum" for being in the Word. With no local body of believers, I felt the best way to keep myself accountable to my daily Bread was to bring a set out 10-week long study. I began this book many years ago but didn't keep with it for more than a couple of weeks. 3 Days in, though, has already been incredible.
It's started out going through the beginning of Galatians and the foundation for our salvation which is in Christ. It was also an encouragement to read things and discover themes that have been points of struggle for me lately. In Galatians 13, Paul recounts the persecution of the church and the hardships that he faced in ministry but the resiliency of the Gospel to continue to advance and for souls to be won, no matter what was happening socially or politically. I feel especially challenged by that in my present field of mission. But what an encouragement it is that I can not mess up God's plans and that His glory is far beyond anything that I can dirty with my hands!
"But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will e blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet doit with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil." - 1Peter3:14-17
PS- Go listen to Helplessness Blues by the Fleet Foxes.
No comments:
Post a Comment