Embrace Adversity

Today, I decided to try something new in preparation for my fifth graders. They are studying different explorers, and their teacher asked me if they could do something in art in conjunction with their studies. I was excited to be included. I have been paddling so hard this first year; but my dream is to be collaborative with the teachers. (It should go better next year.)


After a restful, napping morning and early afternoon; I am still dragging physically, I went with Jill to school to try to prepare for the next couple of days and make a sample book. First, I madly began cutting out maple leaves to make into American-like turkeys because we do celebrate Thanksgiving here because
I work at an American school.

A field near where I live.

I was thinking today; I sure do miss the Thanksgiving play at my old school, but all good things must come to an end as they say. I used to direct a little first grade play that the children enjoyed so much. 


Tomorrow, I am still going to tell the story of the pilgrims, Squanto and the other Native Americans. I'll hope to recount all the hardships, prayer and rescue on that very first Thanksgiving. It's an amazing story.Since I have different children, I'll tell the story this week and next.


After the leaf cutting, I worked up an accordion book. I can decorate it tomorrow morning in order to make an example for the fifth graders. 

Lambs near my apartment

.....Aside from much art preparation, I listened to a sermon from home and I spent some time praying while walking along the shore. I was walking on the beach thinking about the evidence of Jesus' power and glory, of His miracles and his sensitivity to hurting people. I thought of His love in being the "sacrificial lamb" for us - especially as I see so many lambs being sold for slaughter.


I was remembering back to when I was 19 and really sensed God loved me. He showed me in my own heart that I needed forgiveness, and I asked for it as I asked for Jesus to be my savior.  

I thought of the miracles God has performed in my own life. I took time to think what He has me doing this season in my life; It is pretty amazing I am living, working and praying in Morocco. Many good things have happened, but a disproportionate number of things have gone poorly. In the midst of it all, I have to embrace adversity and see it through to something good and beautiful and true. Please help, Lord.

Lost and Found in Morocco

The four Musketeers.

Today, three of the four musketeers drove our friend, Judy, the fourth musketeer, to the airport. She has flown home to the USA to be with her daughter as she gets married. (OK, we get it; she needs to go home, but we will miss our fourth musketeer.) We had done several practice runs to the airport following others, so we had a bit of confidence going into the event. Bon Courage! as they say around here. Of course we got off track somewhere and got lost in the City. Judy prayed.


Within a few minutes, after driving in various circles, we spotted a gentleman to ask directions. He spoke both English and French, and he was amazingly kind in being careful to review all his directions and make sure we understood. He put his hand to his heart as we thanked him, and I think he said "De rein (it's nothing or better translated, "You're welcome".) We marveled at his patience with us, and I said to Judy, "There's your answer to prayer."

His directions were right on, and we were at the airport in time for Judy to relax before her flight. After dropping her off, we circled around a bit, but eventually found Paul's. Paul's is a french restaurant founded in the late 1800s. It is very French. I practiced my French throughout the ordering process, and I feel like I am making progress, un peu. We commented on how the locals have a French accent that is often enhanced with the growlish throat noises like the arabic language.


I think French is pretty if it is not too throaty, but I know I am prejudiced. I love the Italiano language. It has no throaty sounds at  all, but lots of rolled Rs and pretty endings.

After a lovely breakfast, at a very reasonable price, I might add, we drove right to the frame shop and picked up my artwork that had been framed. Most of it is still in our car, but I wanted to show you the painting I picked up at the shop. It was painted by a Moroccan who was a rising star in the late 1980s. However, he became a drug addict. So, he has basically dropped out of the art scene altogether. I tell ya, those temperamental artists....I'm going to pray for him. I love the vivid colors and lively brushstroke. I am going to try to copy his style.


Then, the real fun began after we left the frame shop. We drove in more circles, rounded more roundabouts, and careened around more donkeys, mopeds and cars than I care to remember, but we had no time limit in returning, so we could laugh about all our efforts at getting to the next stop - the Marjane. It is the local K-Mart. When you go there, plan on 3 or 4 hours because everything seems to take forever here. I got a little electric heater because there is no central heat in my apartment.

Mertle, do you see those crazy red taxis going too fast, again today?

As we headed for home, we spotted the usual cows in the median, and Jill was sure the roughly made sign in the median said, "No cows in the median." I assume she is correct, but no one is paying any attention to that spiffy sign. The last interesting thing we saw on our way home was a variety of stands selling large chunks of charcoal. Everyone buys charcoal with which to roast their slaughtered sheep during Aid. They call it "having a bar-b-que."


Too much fun in Morocco!


Here are the pictures that would not load last night. The charcoal seems to be in long sticks rather than in the usual chunks found in little hole in the wall shops. These are being sold in the city, so maybe they are nicer?

The sign right by the cows.

Charcoal shop.

Moroccan Celebration - El Aid Kaber Just Around the Corner

Today, we had a Moroccan celebration after school. Many of the children were dressed in traditional clothes along with festive hats and party shoes. During the celebration, I had my name written in Arabic by a man who does calligraphy. He also put "God bless her" at the bottom of my special souvenir of the event. I tried traditional cookies made of gum as in "gum arabic". They had an unusual taste, and a friend said to just pretend they were lemon flavored. I always seem to attract friends with vivid imaginations. 

It was fun to hug many of my younger students as they were happy to see me there at the celebration. I had worn a "jellaba" for the event, so I fit right in as I wandered around sipping mint tea and munching non-lemon flavored cookies. The music was arabic and loud. The girls were all dancing, and the boys were all awkwardly standing around or running around. Except, some boys, as well as girls, were getting henna painted on their hands. There were several henna artists available...I guess instead of face painting.

I had just finished another day in art world; I had my classes do lions or pyramids, and I taught my 7th graders how to draw the face and the human body using shapes. It's interesting to see when the older students do break out of their usual drawing habits. I helped one student draw longer arms on her beautiful model type figure. I assured her that she was needing to move the model's hands further away from the waist area.


Back to the Moroccan celebration....

During the Moroccan celebration, a teacher came up to me and said a third grader had said she likes art the best of any subject and that I was her favorite teacher at the school. Thank you, Lord, for gifts of encouragement. I needed that today. 


Speaking of Moroccan celebrations, next Wednesday is El Aid Kaber. It is a favorite holiday among muslims because every family slaughters a lamb, and children have plenty to eat. Rich relations give food to poor relations. I think all sorts of special cookies are made as well. It's one of their biggest, if not biggest holiday of the year. 

Why slaughter a lamb? Well, they are thinking back to when Abraham started to sacrifice his son - they believe the son to be  Ishmael. However, Islamics believe God provided a ram in the bushes for the sacrifice for Abraham's sins. Jews and Christians think it was Isaac that was almost sacrificed. Christians believe Jesus sacrificed His life to make restitution for our sins, so no lamb needs to be slaughtered at this point. That's where my faith lands.


Every family must have a lamb here...good ones go for $2,000 dirham or $250 US dollars. People beg, borrow or steal for this lamb; the end justifies the means. The lamb will die for the stealing sin soon enough. There is a lot of thievery during this week. We were even given a warning as we were leaving school for the weekend: 

Ending the week with great walk at Sunny Beach- of course!

inter-campus missive: Just a quick note to remind you to be careful during the Aid period (a week ahead of El Aid) of theft and pick pockets. (Yikes!)

Now to have a quiet weekend, I hope. Must hold onto my purse! The Moroccan adventure continues!

Today - Hell and back again, even without a phone!

Crayon Resist Watercolor by Marcia Carole

This day was so full of so many activities and adventures, all done without a cell phone. It's really amazing to me that so much can be accomplished without the modern device so beloved by both Americans and Moroccans. 


Let's start with the hell part of my day. I didn't want to go there, but it just happened in H period. I was told today by my sixth graders that the fifth graders took video and photos of me when I wasn't looking during art class last quarter. I guess I am a celebrity of sorts, only they wanted to mock me because I am a new teacher and a "strict" teacher. They said I was mean. If they only knew me.


I keep wondering what my friend Vickie would do. She would look perfect, and she would be loving and kind. She would say just the right thing at just the right time. Why can't I be more like Vickie? Why can't I be pleasant and agreeable? I wish she was here to help me. Why do I have to be passionate and temperamental?


My heart sank when I heard the news because I knew the fifth graders just took the pictures to make fun of me. Did they post them on You Tube or their Facebook pages and have a good howl? Did they enjoy demeaning a teacher who came all the way from Seattle to teach them art and enjoy their God who gave them the gift of art as well as life and new life? 


As the tears fall in the privacy of my little apartment, I think about my nice house in my safe neighborhood, I think of my great school I came from and how much I loved everyone there. I think how they seemed to love me at my former school. Why did I come here?  I think of my grandsons hugs. I think of friends at church who actually like me. I think, I must be crazy to be here.


You know, hell is separation from God, which is not my situation, but hell is also separation from each other. I've experienced hell with my ex-husband when he was entangled with many other women, and I was "separated" from him. It was hell. When one of my daughter's would not speak to me because of the divorce... hell was hounding me. When a friend won't talk, it's hell. When I avert my eyes walking down my neighborhood street so Muslim men won't look at me leeringly, it's hell. I can't candy- coat it. Hell is hell.

I showed my sixth graders how to draw faces well in spite of the hellish news. One wanted to know how to draw a caliph, and one wanted me to draw a "covered" woman. I did it with ease and skill, which surprised me. Thank God I kept going in spite of the sharp, stinging news.


I showed them how to make crayon resist paintings and will show you their finished paintings tomorrow. I kept going. I kept giving to them. I kept reaching out to them and loving them. I gave them each two candies as a treat for working so hard. They didn't know my heart hurt so much.


After school, my new friend, Carol, drove me to an open air market and suggested I buy the blushing pears to paint. She helped me find a new shop to buy little items for Christmas presents for family and friends back home. We laughed about the man who tried to sell us apricots for $8.00, but we didn't bite. (We later found out he is an alcoholic and was trying to get money for a good wine.) We hugged our fresh sliced bacon and thanked God for someone willing to sell pork in a Muslim country. 

Carol and I exchanged stories and encouraged each other to keep on in this journey we call life and new life in Jesus. Carol has been here four years, and she knows the hell of infidelity. But, she brought me back again to grace, relationship and Heaven this afternoon. It feels good to be back. 

Why Make A Fuss?

I am placing here, today, photos from my afternoon walk to the local hnoot, where I bought fresh baked bread with Judy. I am placing them throughout this blog to give you a look at a mother hen trying to hide her chicks from me. A muslim lady shooed the hen so the hen would show her chicks to me; it was very nice of a fellow woman to make such a "fuss" in order for me to see the chicks!


Onto the news of the day.....

My banking issues continue today. With the help of a new friend, I got into the City, and asked for cash from the bulk of my paycheck. Since my debit card doesn't work, I have set up a different banking situation that will remain hush hush. It's Morocco. That's how it goes down here. There are some real third world aspects here that just add to the overall ambience of the place. (And perhaps the general insanity of numerous situations.)

After graciously chatting with one young, Moroccan woman at the bank, she agreed that the pin number sent to me did not go with my shiny, new, blue debit card. No matter. Come back in 3 days for a new pin number. (The standard is 3 days for anything to save face...but NOTHING is ever 3 days.)  I suggest we just all guess what my pin number is, draw one of the guesses out of a hat, and we just may hit on my pin number more easily/quickly than the bank. Hey, my sense of humor is coming back!


It has gotten so ridiculous in some areas of my life here that I often say to myself, "Why make a fuss?" Nothing will change anyway. Get over it. Do what you need to do to make it through today as a sane person. 

Take the art budget for example. I was told in August that there were no monies for elementary art or middle school art supplies. No supplies had come on a supposed ship (Never has. My ship has not come in, once again.) and there wasn't a paintbrush or pencil sharpener in my room. I had a large headache that day, and I tried to secure return plane tickets to Seattle. (I wish I had been so calm.) I actually made a bit of a fuss and asked why I was hired if there was no money to buy any supplies for 500 students. Maybe I was a drama queen that day. (Please forgive me, everyone.)


The previous administrator was blamed, and the high school art teacher gave me some leftover stuff from his coffers. The current principal said I did not have a dime until after the new year. The story continued to ravel and unravel over the past three months. Then, yesterday, (3 months after my initial "fuss") the head of the fine arts department said I had 10,000 dirhams in an elementary and middle school art budget. So, spend away.


I haven't ordered anything yet. I'm waiting three days.

Need some help up that rock?

Pyramids of Morocco

It was a big day of "form" making in art classes today. All the students had an opportunity to experience making a 3-D "form" from a 2-D design. It was really nice to see their excitement when they completed their project. Many didn't quite finish, but they were happy when I finished them up and brought them into their classrooms. I think they enjoy having a completed 3-D object rather than a flat drawing as they make most of the time. 

Cool 2-D to become 3-D

I continued reviewing all we have learned so far using my giant art bulletin board. They now know the meanings and use of: line, shape, color, primary colors, secondary colors, warm colors, cool colors, complementary colors, texture, value and form. They know that each artist has his or her own unique style, and they can make art using elements of art and their amazing imaginations. We put a star on the word "form" on the bulletin board as it is one more word we know!


Also, a gift came my way today. I have a new set of electives students in art the last period of each day. My sixth grade elective class has four students. It was quiet. It was calm. It was peaceful. I could hardly contain myself, I felt so graced, blessed and relieved. I had that kind of joy you just want to tell someone about...but no one is there to share it with that understands. I'm sure you know what I mean. It is hope and peace and thankfulness all wrapped up like a present.

My seventh grade class yesterday was reasonable, so I have had two pleasant days in a row with the middle school students. This is cause for praise and celebration. I invite you to raise a toast in joy for a new chapter during this quarter of the school year. Trust me; it has been a very difficult situation until the changing of the students this quarter. I am smiling. Thanks to anyone and everyone who was praying for me. It is such a huge, huge gift to have a nice class.


Tomorrow, I tackle banking issues during my lunch and planning period. I can't get any money out of my account after spending 3 months getting a bank account. The last straw was when the ATM ate my card. Ouch! I totally have no way to access my paycheck. A lovely woman from HR is taking me to help sort things out. I just want my money.....that may or may not happen, of course. As you know, it's the Moroccan Adventure!!!!

My study of three pears.

Lights, Camera, Form!!

Yep, it is time to blast into the unknown territory of "Form" in my little art world. I am having the students work on designing shapes and patterns on 2-D pyramids, and then they are cutting them out and gluing them together. The gluing is the really hard part; they just don't want to stay together. Once their pyramid is glued together, vwalla! they have a "form" or 3-dimensional object. 


It is lots of fun to bring the art terms to life. Also, a number of students showed me patterns of color they had made on their pyramid that were composed of complementary colors. They are growing in their skill in using the terms accurately as well. How nice to see the progress.

Form outside my rooftop in Morocco.

I did not take pictures of their work today, but I hope to tomorrow. I have been enjoying watching all sorts of wacky videos that show how to make pyramids sort of origami style: http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_4982744_make-diamond-pyramid.html I like how the guy blows into the pyramid to get it to be 3-D. It is quite different from making very realistic watercolors in Seattle, but it is broadening my skills in paper-crafting. It is quite a conversation starter when one can whip up a pretty pyramid out of a square of plain paper. I could be a one woman show. Until I post pictures tomorrow...this very tired teacher fresh off the plane from Madrid and now adventuring in Morocco needs to tuck into bed.