Easter in Kuwait

Easter is the largest holiday on earth, celebrated by a few billion people world-wide. This is the holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, showing that he conquered sin and death, and that all those who follow Him will also be raised to life again. His resurrection is the proof that Jesus was not just some unlucky Jew who was crucified. After being on Earth and spending time with his disciples for around 40 days, he went up into heaven.

However, Easter is not really celebrated in Kuwait and in most of the Middle East. It is less popular than Christmas. Most schools and some other places of employment give Christmas Day off. I think this is because many locals celebrate Christmas in some way, at least by giving gifts or having a tree. Another possible reason is that Christmas gets more attention through Western media than Easter does. Kuwaitis and Arabs hear Christmas music, movies and concerts for Christmas, but there are not nearly as many for Easter. The final reason is that it would not be necessarily wrong to celebrate the birth of Jesus, because Muslims believe in Jesus. They celebrate the birth of Mohammid, and because they believe that Jesus is another prophet, it's not a problem to celebrate Christmas.

Easter, on the other hand, is completely different. Muslims would not want to celebrate this holiday because it clearly shows that Jesus goes far beyond being a mere prophet who brings the truth. It shows that He is the Truth, and there is something uniquely powerful and amazing about Him. It even shows that he is like God, with the power to raise Himself from the dead, which would be blasphemy. So, this is the reason that most people have to work.

Because of this, the holiday can just become another day of work. I had the idea to let my students out a little early so I could celebrate, but I decided to keep them because we had a lot of work to do. Many people had to work, and had their normal commitments after work like tutoring, putting in extra hours at the office, or just unwinding at home.

However, my life group planned a few weeks prior to have an Easter dinner on that day, which breathed life and meaning back into the holiday. It was at the house of one of the couples in our group, and we made a celebration out of it. People brought deviled eggs, potatoes, green beans, dessert, drinks and even ham. It made the holiday a lot of fun. We were able to eat around the dinner table together and pray like a family. It was very meaningful and powerful to have a Christian family even though we were all away from our biological family.

My wife also wanted to attend an Easter choir that was performing at The Lighthouse Church. There were some other friends of ours that were performing in the choir, and they were playing a lot of worship songs along with choir music. I wasn't really excited about leaving the Easter party and then go back, but I consented to go.

The choir was a lot of fun with a lot of good music. There were worship songs that the audience sang along with, and it was a celebratory atmosphere. I believe that Easter should be a celebration, a party and a feast. When Jesus comes back, it will be the greatest celebration ever, and we will weep for joy and party forever.

After the concert, we hurried back to our life group Easter party and we played some games and looked at some pictures from our friends' travels. We stayed about another hour and we decided to go home.

Easter can be a lot of fun in Kuwait and can really accentuate the meaning of the resurrection, but we have to look for it and fight for it. The culture here does not merely push you along the lazy river of the holidays like it does in the West. If I don't make time to think about and make Easter meaningful, then it will have no value for me. In a way, that's more appropriate, because it pushes Christians in Kuwait to make it meaningful instead of a larger culture celebrating the shell of Easter without understanding its meaning.

Bring God on Vacation: India Part 2

In my last post, my wife brought it to my attention that I sounded like I had a negative attitude towards India. I wanted to amend that by saying that while all the things I mentioned are true, I also had a great time. There is so much lush vegetation and natural beauty, along with a ton of historical monuments that are well preserved, including the world-famous Taj Mahal.

Travel companions at Taj Mahal

There are more aspects of bringing God on vacation that I wanted to share about my trip in India. As I said before, I traveled with three other people on my trip.  That is another way we can demonstrate Christ's love is through our interactions with the people with whom we travel.

My friends can attest that I am certainly no perfect travel partner, and I have my fair share (or more) of weaknesses and eccentricities. However, I do continue to try and remember my faith in some way.

Devotions
This is one of the first things to disappear when we go on vacation, and this is tricky for me as well. I am a creature of habit and routine, so when I am thrown completely out of that by going on a vacation, then it's difficult to make that time. However, this is the foundation of being refreshed as a Christian. So, what I try to do is make sure I read some during transit, either on the plane, on the bus or in the car.  While we were traveling around in India, we had plenty of transit time because there was a lot of traffic and driving throughout India.  While part of me wanted to just close my eyes and not engage mentally and just let life slip by, I knew that I probably wouldn't have another opportunity to read, so I pushed myself to read the Bible and pray.  God used it to pour grace into my life to be a little more patient when things weren't going my way, and helped me to realize that vacation is not all about me. 

Mirrors at Amber Fort

Leading
Traveling and going on vacation is a lot of fun because we finally get a break from work.  Because of that, I find that people are happy to just to do whatever, especially as a family or a group of friends.

This was especially true for this trip.  Everyone was pretty happy to just be in India and no one had really strong opinions about what exactly we did.  As a result, it sometimes made decision-making a bit painful.  I tried to be as diplomatic as possible and consider the needs of others, but I think it's helpful to be decisive.

There were a few occasions where we didn't know where to eat because there were many options, so I just ended up suggesting a place and that's where we ate.  I also ended up trying to communicate with the driver the most about what we were doing, because it seemed that no one had a strong opinion about where we were going and didn't really want to attempt to talk to him, so I tried to be helpful by talking to him and expressing our needs as a group- it wasn't easy because he didn't speak English!  Being willing to lead can alleviate deer-in-headlight syndrome that often plagues travelers in a new place.

Praying together
On vacation, I usually eat, sleep, and relax a little too much.  Sometimes I even feel like I've wasted my time on vacation because I've jettisoned all the different spiritual activities like church and small group for that week.  One way I tried to remedy this in India was to be willing to pray with and for the people on our vacation.

Humayan's Tomb in Delhi, a 'mini' Taj-Mahal

When we were about to go back to Kuwait, our friend that showed us around India dropped us off at the airport.  We decided to all pray for her while we were there.  It must have been a strange sight, seeing four Westerners and an Indian huddled in a circle together with our heads down and our eyes closed!  A security officer even asked us if everything was alright.  However, we were better than alright because it was a sweet time to thank God for our trip and bless our friend who was so helpful to us.  I think that by taking action as Christians to still have fellowship and spiritual bonding is important to stay encouraged and to help love one another.

Bringing God on Vacation--India

The rumors are true: India is crowded

Like I said before, the life of being an international teacher has many perks, one of them being able to travel quite a bit during breaks and holidays. One of the places that I have always wanted to go was India, because it has so much to offer, and it's relatively close to Kuwait. I got this opportunity during National Day of Kuwait, which allowed me and three of my friends to go for about five days.

As was to be expected, there was a lot of poverty, especially in the city of Delhi, which is bursting at the seems with people. It definitely felt like stimulation overload, in that nearly every square inch was packed with people, cars, pollution, noise, etc. It's actually quite destabilizing and unsettling, because my brain couldn't function normally and was getting exhausted very quickly from everything.

Also, there were more beggars than I have ever seen while traveling. There would often be little kids asking for food, or homeless people lying on the ground begging for money.

It was a difficult situation, because there were far more beggars than me, and if I gave everyone of them even a small amount of money, I would be broke myself after the first day.

Add struggling infrastructure

Additionally, I am not sure if it is right to give money, because I don't want to enable them in their lifestyle of begging as their means to survive. Ideally, they would use their poverty as an opportunity to find honest work. However, we are living in reality, and nearly all of the people who are beggars are actually poor and probably starving, and they probably won't be able to find a job to support themselves because India is such an overpopulated and poor country.

So, what did I do? I knew this would come up on vacation, and I want to be a Christian at all times, not just at church or when it's convenient for me. What I basically did is that whenever I ordered food, I got some extra. When a kid or someone approached me for money, I gave them some of the candy. I certainly didn't need any extra sweets or food in my life. Nearly all of the time, the kids and other beggars were satisfied with that.

On our last night, I ordered some food at a restaurant on my own because I wanted to try something different, and I enjoy going to places that don't have clear menus and I have to try to figure out what things are being ordered. One of the popular things on the menu was lassi, which is like a sweetened icy milk, similar to a milkshake and maybe a little more tangy.

However, it's full of beauty

I really enjoyed the drink, and it was not very expensive at all. I was about to order another one when a kid asked me for one using sign language. It's more like a dessert, and probably not the healthiest choice. However, I did want to bless him in some way and it would be nice to give him something that he wants. So, I bought it for him. Then another kid came up and wanted one. I didn't like where this was going. What I did was made the first street child share with the second one and made him pour half of his into the other child's cup. I thought that was a fair and equitable solution.

I think that one of the best things we can be on vacation is generous, because we want the world to see that we don't just think about ourselves. Jesus was the most generous man alive, giving his own life for his enemies. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I was able to be generous in a few small ways and become a tiny bit more like Jesus by giving up some of my selfishness and stinginess.

Bringing God on Vacation-Laos

Living overseas makes going to different countries very easy. My job as a teacher in Kuwait allows for different breaks throughout the year, which gives me unique opportunities to travel. That's part of the reason I haven't written much over the Christmas and New Year break.

I had the opportunity in January to present at an English as a Second Language Conference in Laos. Neither my wife nor anybody else could join me on this trip, so I had to go alone.

I had only traveled on holiday on my own once before, and I didn't like the experience. I decided to try it again, and this time I would try to use my free time to spend extra time with God and just be reflective. However, I rarely had any time to be alone. I met several different people throughout my trip, and although we didn't know each other well, we stuck together  throughout my time.

I met two people in particular that I spent at least a whole day with and got to know decently well. One individual was on my train from Thailand to Laos, and we spent a day together navigating the train system, crossing the border, and finding a place to stay, along with exploring some of the city.

The other person was another presenter at the same conference; we spent time together at the conference, had dinner, spent some more time exploring the city the following day, and grabbed lunch before I headed back to Thailand on the train.

As I was reflecting on my experience, I asked myself if I was being a Christian light to the people I met and spent time with. In all honesty, I never shared the gospel with the people I interacted with. I don't know if I should have or not. I believe there is a sense of desperation when it comes to sharing the gospel, and the fact that I may never see these people again accentuates that reality.  

At the same time, I did try to show the light of Christ in some ways. First, I tried to have a positive outlook on the different circumstances and situations we faced. For example, when some people were complaining about the conference, I mentioned the great opportunity we had to come and help these people in some small way.

Second, I also tried not to engage in evil. I did not laugh at dirty jokes or tried to change the subject to something more wholesome. I tried to steer conversations away from gossip and slander and did not drink or eat excessively. Jesus hung out with prostitutes and sinners, but He did not engage in their sin and often confronted people about their sin.

Third, I tried to connect with my acquaintances on a more personal level. I asked questions about their family background, what their plans were for the future, what they wanted out of life, and other topics that mattered a little more than the weather, or how hard people partied on New Years Eve. While I know that Jesus had times of happiness and mirth with his disciples, I'm sure that he did not have any careless words, and His speech spoke of heavy, weighty things that matter. 

Finally, I tried to be generous. I'm naturally a stingy person, but by God's grace, I tried to pay for meals and entrances fees for the people I interacted with. I also tried to be helpful by getting coffee and suggesting ideas of where to go or what to do.  I think this is critically important, because we might be the only Jesus these people see.  Jesus was extremely generous with everyone He interacted with, even giving up His own life.  I want to do the same with the people I meet and travel with.

While this isn't directly related to sharing the gospel, I believe this is part of bringing God on vacation. While we should be all things to all people, we also need to remember that we are ambassadors for Christ, and I tried not to compromise on my values and point people toward Jesus in small ways. I pray this will help you as you bring God on your next vacation.

Bringing God on Vacation- Nepal

A few weeks ago, I spent a week in Nepal with my wife and with a friend of ours. It's my second time there, and we had quite an adventure this time trekking through mountains and forests. We got lost more than a few times, had to spend one night with a local Nepali family because we didn't make it to our destination, and I got food poisoning. However, that's a story for another time.

One day, while we were walking through the capital, Kathmandu, we stumbled across a poor woman with a baby who was begging. She said they wanted milk for their baby in her broken English. My first, rather cynical, instinct was to ignore this person and keep keep walking around the city. However, our friend had a different attitude. She decided to help this person. She went into one of the grocery stores with her and got her a pretty good supply of dry milk, which costs about 10 dollars. It was a bit expensive for Nepali standards, but she gave it to her.

Should she have given the milk to her? The little lawyer in my brain comes up with all kinds of excuses why she shouldn't have. That lady might not have even used the milk for the baby. Perhaps she sold it back to the store or someone else later or traded it in for drugs. If she gave something like that to every single beggar, she would be absolutely broke. Wasn't she enabling her by keeping her trapped in a cycle of begging instead of looking for honest work.

Yet, for all these defenses my brain set up, I knew in my soul that she did the right thing and she glorified God by helping this woman. I'm not saying that those aren't important things to think about, because they are, and we need to walk in wisdom as Christians. At the same time, the Bible doesn't ask us to give only when it's the best, most utilitarian of causes, and only to those who really deserve it. The bible just says to help the poor and those in need. By all accounts, this woman certainly looked and seemed poor and in need. I believe my friend will be rewarded in heaven and will be blessed in this life by her act of kindness, regardless of how the woman used the powdered milk.

Even if the woman used the money to buy drugs and it made her more dependent on the help of others, that is between her and God. Not all the people that Jesus healed ended up glorifying Him. Perhaps some of the people who had food from the miracles of the loaves and fishes sold the food or did something evil after they were satisfied. Even Jesus' disciple, Judas, ended up stealing from the money collected for ministry. Should Jesus not have helped these people? He should have and he did, because He was showing kindness to people regardless of their response to it. In the same way, my friend was being the hands and feet of Jesus by helping this woman. If she had over-thought it or began cross-examining if this was the right thing to do, she might have never done it.

I think this is one way we can glorify God while traveling. There is a lot of abject poverty we see when we travel internationally, that is often be beyond what we see in our home or resident countries. It's one thing to intellectually and statistically know about poverty, but it's completely another to see it for yourself. I think even just seeing all the poverty in Kathmandu made me more grateful to God for all He has given me, and seeing my friend give helped me to enlarge my heart toward the poor, regardless of their situation.

Arabic Practice

One of the first words I spelled in Arabic.

At my small group last week, we talked about hope. Every person in the group gave a prayer request in the form of a hope that we have and we all prayed for our hopes. When it was my turn to speak, I shared that the hope I have is to not give up on Arabic. It is the language of the people here in Kuwait and I feel that it is important to know for a variety of reasons. I prayed that I wouldn't give up and I would have opportunities to continue to speak Arabic.

Fast forward to this week and God answered that prayer. I work at an institution where there are many native Arab speakers who also speak English fluently. I usually have the desire to speak to some of them in Arabic, but because of fear and and the difficulty of trying to speak and understand, I usually always chicken out and speak English, which is easier for everyone.

However, I was able to get over my fear this week. I started speaking to one of my colleagues in Arabic while we were in the tea room getting a drink. She responded quite positively, and even though the conversation was short, she said she was impressed with my Arabic.

That's not to say that I'm fluent by any stretch of the imagination, but I do have a small vocabulary that I can work with. My colleague had to repeat herself a couple times and translate a few words, but I had an idea of what she said and she could understand me.

She also said that she would try to speak to me every day in Arabic, which was a surprising and pleasant offer. I know that means a lot more work and thinking for me, but if it helps me to use the vocabulary I have more often, then I'm definitely interested.

 

"Welcome" in Arabic

 

I also had lunch the same day with another Arab colleague, and because of my confidence from the previous encounter, I also asked if I could practice. It was a little more difficult because he was more interested in teaching me, rather than trying to talk using my limited vocabulary. However, I still felt like he understood me and I understood some of what he was saying. I was a little discouraged because I understood less, but I was glad that I tried.

I walked away from that experience realizing that God answers prayers. I have been wanting to talk with people in Arabic since the beginning of the year, and almost always chicken out. However, after we took time and prayed together in small group, I had an opportunity to communicate in Arabic twice in one day.

We often feel that the pressure is on us, but this experience reminded me that God really has power to change things in my life, to overcome fear and doubt, and transform his people from one degree of glory to the next. If we put our hope in God and not ourselves, then our lives will be much more satisfying and joyful.

Desert Christmas

About a year ago, I was doing some shopping at the grocery store in the Avenues Mall, which is the largest mall in the country. It was December and I was just picking up some food items and looking through the clothing when I heard music. It was the mall background music, but I knew the song. It was a Christmas song! It was not just a generic, non-religious Christmas song, but it was "O Holy Night." I was totally blown away by this. I'm not sure if maybe the manager was a Christian or they just popped in any Christmas album they found for the background music of the mall, but it is interesting to see how Christmas still exists even in Kuwait.

Beyond this, many of the malls, including the Avenues, have some Christmas decorations. They sell fake trees and some ornaments. There will occasionally be Christmas music at malls and restaurants. The English department where I work also put up a large Christmas tree.

However, for the most part, the holidays do feel a bit different here than back home. For one thing, the weather is warmer. While it's not as hot in December as it is in the summer, it's still in the 50's and 60's, and there is certainly no snow on the ground anywhere.  I personally love that it's not cold, but it does take away from the authentic quality of Christmas.  Also, there are no Christmas decorations on houses. Even as I look out the window, I see a towering mosque surrounded by palms trees, a sign for McDonalds, and power lines in the distance. While some schools get two weeks off for Christmas, most educators and employees don't get any extra time off for Christmas. All I get is the day itself off, which is a courtesy to the Western teachers. It doesn't exactly scream Christmas.

Some of my friends here have a tough time being away from family who are back home during the season, and it can be especially painful for them. Please pray that the many Christians here that are away from their families would be comforted by Jesus.

For me, I really enjoy it because it's so different. I have my wife here who is my main family.  I also have my spiritual family, which are my close Christian friends who are together here with me.  My semester ends about a week after Christmas, so it signals a break. It also means that I get to travel. Additionally, there are many Christmas parties--life group Christmas dinner, life group leaders Christmas celebration, worship team Christmas dinner, and many more that will keep me very busy and overweight for the next two weeks.

I will also probably invite the people from my life group who are not traveling to my house on Christmas Eve and possibly have them spend the night (pending wife's approval), which is a Christmas tradition we started last year. We will open presents in the morning and then go to one of the church services at the Lighthouse.

While Christmas is certainly different in Kuwait, I'm grateful to God that the power of the birth of the Savior has reached even to a Muslim country, which is surprisingly close to where the original event happened.