TREADING WATER...in the desert!

Today's blog is dedicated to Nancy Lokhorst whose words I hear in my head encouraging me to write the next page of our adventure here.
I hesitate to write today as I find myself in the midst of struggle and I want to keep my comments positive in light of life here in Saudi Arabia. However, here goes....


On September 1st, we moved to a new compound where there is so much more to offer us. Daily planned bus trips to malls, grocery stores, souks, "coffee mornings" on other compounds, activities of all kinds, walking, pilates, yoga, bowling, crafts, drawing, music and so much more. You can be as busy as you desire here.
Our villa is more "North American" in décor and is very comfortable. I'd like to send pictures but for security reasons we simply are not permitted to send any over social media. Be assured, however, that we are very comfortable and safe.


At the end of September we visited Dubai for a few days. It was incredibly humid there. Can't imagine being there mid-summer!!!!! We enjoyed a visit to Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building. It took us about 30 seconds to get to the 124th floor and we stepped off the elevator to an "open to the sky" observation deck. It was incredible to see the surrounding city and the beautiful water fountains below. Did you know that the Burj has it's own scented air system???
Carli knows all the amazing details of the building. She remembers those things very well.
We also visited Jameira Beach and of course the great Dubai Mall. We saw many fancy, expensive cars including Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Porsche, Lambourgini, and others I don't even remember the names of. One of them was gold-plated. Incredible!


Carli has begun her school year at the American Iternational School and is doing very well. One of the requirements at this school is that the students give so many hours of service each year. The school organizes trips to other countries for a "Week Without Walls" at the end of February. Carli has chosen to go to Thailand as her first choice with Cambodia as her second choice and Vietnam as her third. We won't know until early December which she will actually go to. We will keep you posted!


If you read my last blog you will see that we booked a trip to Australia which we would have already done. However, Carli must not miss more than 7 classes per semester so we had to change our plans. We are now booked during spring break to fly to Manilla, Phillipines for a few days then on to Bangkok, Thailand for a week. We look forward to seeing more of the world around us.


Next month Clint will go to London again for a few days, Carli will go to Bahrain and I will go to
Al Khobar. Then we will also go together to Bahrain for a few days. We feel very privileged.


We have hired a gardener and a cleaning lady. I feel a bit spoiled in having someone clean for me but we decided to do this more to help them rather than just spoil ourselves. These lovely people live with next to nothing and send all their money to their home countries to help their impoverished families. I remember as a young adult being hired as a nanny to help a family. I'm sure that my service to them was in no way measurable against the help it was in my life to live with such a loving and dedicated family. I learned so many life lessons there that I still draw on. Perhaps I can now pay it forward.


Clint's work continues to be interesting for him. He works long hours....is at work presently even though it is Holy Day here. He doesn't get much down time which concerns me somewhat. We aren't spring chickens anymore!!!! The project is moving forward and we are beginning to see the results in road detours around the city as digging for the metro system has begun in earnest.


The heat of summer is beginning to decline and I think we may even need to dig out some pants and sweaters before long. Guess we really have acclimatised! It feels cool to us in the morning and evening. I didn't really believe we would ever find it cool after suffering through 46-50C. Right now the daytime temperature is around 33-36C. A beautiful hot day in Alberta eh! Also we saw our first sand storm this week. It was difficult to breathe even with being outside momentarily. As we drove it was like fog right in front of us. During that time we stay inside if at all possible and don masks if we need to be outside.


As many of you know I applied to and was accepted at BYUI last month to do online studies. Unfortunately our internet goes down randomly and frequently. Because of this I had to withdraw from classes. I was quite disappointed as I love to study and going to that school is on my bucket list.
Hopefully when I return to NA I will have that opportunity.


Life is good here. We feel very blessed in many ways. I still struggle with boredom and in finding purpose in my life here. I have been more homesick than I imagined I would be. At home my family was everything to me and I went from nurturing my own kids to loving and doting on my beautiful grandbabies. I feel as though my arm has been cut off. I don't think I have ever missed anyone like I miss Ruby and Jeneva. I go to the gym every day, I visit other ladies, I do crafts, I go shopping (Ugh!) and anything else I can think of to keep myself busy. Still in even the most random of moments I feel tears well up inside and I struggle to push them down and keep them from falling. Thus the meaning of the title of this blog. I think positively all the time and I keep pleading with the Lord that He will bless me to carry on gracefully. I think a part of what I am experiencing can be likened to "empty nest" syndrome. What do I want to be when I grow up? Who am I now? What is my purpose? What does the Lord require of me? It just happens to be that all of this is happening when I am far away from friends, family and the comforts of my home and lifestyle.


As I share my feelings I hope that you all will know that I am pondering all the scriptures and quotes and thoughts that I have learned over the years. I am working my faith and calling on the powers of Heaven to help me through the struggle. I do like being here and I do recognize all my blessings. I am doing all that I know to do. I know that this too shall pass. It is however, very difficult and any woman here would tell you that living here is not easy in any sense of the word. I have come to appreciate freedom like never before. It is hard to comprehend until it is taken from us. I have had to promise myself that if my heart doesn't change by the end of the school year that I will move home. I hope it will change but if not I will hang in there until then. I hope I am not just succumbing to my weaknesses. Like I said in the beginning of this adventure, I always want to be found willing to submit to the Lord's will.


I will close this post on a positive note. We look forward to having Cortney and Skyler visit us in December. We are most thankful for technology that allows us to communicate daily with those of you at home who are dear to us. We are thankful for our health and safety. We are thankful to be citizens of our true north strong and free. We are thankful for our knowledge of Whose we are and for His ever -present influence in our lives.


Staying afloat,
Clint, Liz and Carli

4 Weeks In!

We have been here in Saudi 4 weeks today. We are still settling our home and finding our way around. We are learning which store to shop in for certain items and at what time we can go there around the calls to prayer throughout the day. It is quieter for us to shop during the day when we can arrange transportation. Night life in the city is very busy and to say that traffic is SCAREY is a bit of an understatement. NO rules!!!


We've been quad'ing in the dessert and Carli has been desert diamond hunting twice now. We look forward to visiting the Souks (open markets) soon. Now that Carli and I have our Igama's (pronounced Ecomma) we are permitted to travel to more areas outside of Riyadh. We will visit Dubai at the end of September for a few days while Clint moderates a conference there. We also have a trip planned to Australia in October as Clint will teach a workshop there. Carli will celebrate her golden 17th birthday there on the 17th.


The reality of our move here, (not just a fun holiday we will be coming home from soon), has set in. Carli and I are both missing home, family, friends and freedom.
Carli is the only teenager on our compound. Fortunately she has met a friend at our Social group and is able to spend a good amount of time with Elise and her family. There is a pool and gym here on our compound but no other activities. Most compounds have many facilities and activities for the expats' who live there.
I have met a few ladies here from all over the world and we are attempting to meet together from time to time for "coffee". Otherwise we see some others when we take a bus to go shopping throughout the week.


Before we came we knew that one of the hardships here for women is the fight against boredom. I have only been here a month and I am already feeling the effects of this. Some of you at home have suggested that I can always come home and I know that is always an option. Even with as much as I do not do well being bored, I feel that we are here for a reason and a season! I am often on bended knee seeking direction and strength but I have deep abiding faith that the Lord would never lead us where He will not keep us. I know without doubt that we are here on His errand. What my role in that errand is I have yet to discover...but discover it, I will. 


I miss my grandbabies more than I can express. Only God's purposes would keep me from them. Each of us have to make sacrifices at times in our lives. I have been so greatly blessed in my life. I want to show my gratitude to Heavenly Father by my willingness to serve Him even when it seems so difficult to do so. Any returned missionary will understand my feelings. I felt this way before when I was called to serve a formal mission. It IS a sacrifice but we are always SO blessed when we do anything for Heavenly Father. The sacrifice gets swallowed up in the joy that comes over time. Right now we feel like we'd like to go home and go back to life as we knew it there. However, when our season here comes to a close I'm pretty certain we will have a tough time leaving our life and experiences here.
How grateful we are for the Gift of the Holy Ghost which testifies to our hearts that we are to be here at this time. It is such a powerful feeling embedded within us and is what keeps us looking forward and feeling peace amid the conflict. We will carry on!


So my musings today may seem somewhat negative but they really aren't. They just are what we are feeling and going through. We have faith and confidence that all will be as it is meant to be.


Farewell,
Clint, Liz and Carli

Reunited in Saudi---Our New Home

After 17 hours in the most comfortable flight we've ever taken, (business class is definitely the way to fly), we were reunited with Clint here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


First impressions:  When entering the airport I thought it was just like so many other airports I've been in. Getting through Customs was a bit different. Seemed like some people were being tested and perhaps intimidated somewhat. I just kept smiling and we were taken out of line and brought to the front ahead of others. After passing through we still had to wait for about half an hour to have my passport returned. Many were waiting MUCH longer. We picked up our bags which were all there and in tact. We were grateful.


Of course when we saw Clint it was all smiles, hugs and kisses.


We stepped out of the airport and immediately felt the heat. It was HOT! Having a long black abiya over our clothes added to the experience.


It took about 35 minutes to get home to our compound. The drive reminded me of Arizona mixed with Las Vegas. The city looks a lot like Phoenix but with many neon signs like Vegas. We passed by a very large university for women. Apparently there are 65,000 Saudi women who attend there.


Our compound is well guarded with high walls with barbed wire fences on top and a huge steal barricade wall and a I don't know what you call it---this sort of wall that comes up from underground. Once inside it is as if you entered a holiday resort.
After putting our bags inside Carli wanted to go for a swim so off we went to the pool at midnight. It is a 4 minute leisurely walk from our front door to the gym and pool. No complaints with that!


Since Saturday Carli and I have been to the gym and pool every morning....early... as it gets too hot to be outside later in the day. Even too hot to sit by the pool!


The heat seems almost unreal. When you walk outside it seems like someone has forgotten to turn off the furnace or something. It is so intense! There is often a nice breeze which makes going outside somewhat bearable.


Everything in the house has a layer of fine dust on it EVERY day. This will be my new favorite household task...dusting! NOT!


We have been out shopping a bit with Clint to pick up household items we need as well as food. Perhaps because of Ramadan and also because of summer heat, the city seems a bit like a ghost town. You see ONLY men driving vehicles of course but it seems they do most of the shopping as well. I've seen a few women while out and about but not many Saudi women.


We have been able to find most foods that we usually eat. The Timimi store is owned by Safeway so we feel blessed to have some familiar products here.


Yesterday we were able to visit Clint's company downtown. This building is new and beautiful, very much like office buildings in Edmonton. We had to get blood taken for our Igama which is our temporary residence visa so we went to Clint's office and were then driven to a very interesting medical office downtown. Let's suffice to say that it was a bit of a walk back in time!!!


Today we are having some renovations done to our villa. The fridge was in the middle of the kitchen blocking the doorway to our dining room and the washing machine was in the kitchen as well. We had them both moved to the maids room adjoining the kitchen,  which we will obviously not be using for a maid! We will buy a dishwasher today and put it where the washing machine was located.


This evening we have been invited to dinner at one of our neighbors. He is Canadian and she is Thai. She has a take out orders restaurant in her home. The menu is spectacular. Can hardly wait to eat with them this evening.


Carli has been given a short term job caring for a cat while the project's lawyer is out of town for a couple of weeks. She has also been very motivated in planning out her own bakery. People are already interested in her goods. She has also been asked to babysit for families on the compound. Besides that she has been swimming laps and working up to her plan of training for a triathlon. We are seeing a very motivated, very positive and forward thinking side of Carli. We are encouraging her to continue and look forward to seeing her results.


All in all we feel very comfortable here....and yes, very safe! We look forward to meeting more neighbors and finding our bearings within the city. We have been able to keep busy and we are adjusting very quickly to the new time zone and new surroundings. I think we are going to really enjoy our experience here.


So other than missing our family and loved ones, life is good and we are happy.


Just one funny event I almost forgot to write about: Out shopping the other day, pushing the cart along and suddenly stopped in my tracks. My abiya got caught in the wheel of the cart. YIKES. What do we do? Don't want to just rip it out. Along comes a sweet Philipino man who tells me to just wait; he can help. Then a man from the store runs and gets a pair of scissors. YIKES again. Don't want to cut it either. The Philipino man says NO NO  just wait.  He patiently pulled the hem of my abiya through the wheel then off the side and back through. No ripping or cutting. All is well. Wonder if he had to do it before????We thanked him very much. He went about his way.
Ten minutes later I am suddenly stopped in my tracks again. Same thing happened AGAIN! This time Clint layed down on the floor of the store and pulled the hem through the wheel and off the side and back through just as he had seen the Philipino man do earlier.
I am now very paranoid about pushing shopping carts while wearing an abiya!


Until next post...
Signing off in Saudi

FAREWELL CANADA ADIEU!

This is my last post from home. We are off to Saudi this evening. Bags are packed and the last of my "To Do" list is being checked off with this post.  


Farewell our dear family and friends. You will all be missed more than you can imagine. We will   stay in touch through this blog as well as Skype (address  mammieandpops) and Face Time.


We will miss OUR TRUE NORTH, STRONG AND FREE!


Until we meet again, farewell.


~~~Clint, Liz and Carli

FLYING ON FRIDAY !

We have our tickets!  We will leave here Friday evening, arrive in London Saturday morning. Two hours later we fly to Saudi. Will arrive there at 10:30 pm Saudi time.  (9 hrs ahead of MST in Edmonton)


Carli and I have been resorting and repacking all afternoon. Our load keeps getting lighter. It's an interesting process to give up almost everything you own. It is freeing and relieving. It also makes me think about what is really important in life and just how little we can live on. There are a number of "nice to haves" but we really are a rich people and perhaps even somewhat spoiled by all that we possess. I wonder if my service might be different now while I don't have as many distractions. Time will tell.


Back to packing.

HALLELUJAH! VISAS HAVE BEEN ISSUED!

Just received word that our visas have been issued.  Travel plans are being made as I write. Will probably fly on Friday.
Today marks 5 months since Clint's departure. So relieved to know I will see him again within the week.


Doing the happy dance!

We're Still Waiting!!!

Because of observing Ramadan, members of the Saudi Embassy are working shorter days. Thus we wait a little longer to receive our visas. It feels a bit like being due to have a baby. You meet some people and they all ask the same question: "Are you still here?"


So yes, we are still here. We are hopeful to receive word tomorrow and make plans to fly out just as soon as we can book our flights.


Yesterday our grandbabies left for a trip away with their Mommy. It was a tearful morning as I said farewell to my precious girls. Perhaps it was a blessing to see them leave from home rather than at the airport as we leave. They will grow so much in the next couple of years. Skype and Face Time will become a vital part of our lives. How grateful I am for modern technology!

WAITING !

On Wednesday our visa applications were submitted to the Saudi Embassy. We hope to receive word on Monday or Tuesday this coming week. As soon as word comes we will be booking our flights with hopes to leave Canada on July 10th.


Today, Carli and I had our first taste of living as a Muslim as we bought an abiya for each of us. We will need to carry them with us to don as we enter the airport in Riyadh.

New Adventures Await

Back in September 2013, Clint received a phone call from a head hunter asking if he would be interested in a possible position in Saudi Arabia. True to Clint's nature, he said he would very much like to check it out. Thinking that perhaps this was a bit of a joke, Clint didn't bother to mention it to me until a few days later when he received a second phone call and was asked to do a phone interview with some professionals in Saudi Arabia.
We were both laughing a bit now!


However, after interviewing with these men he received a third phone call from the head hunter and was told that one of the gentlemen who interviewed him was impressed and wanted to hire him for the project.
Could this be for real?? Saudi Arabia? Really?
The project is the building of a metro system for the city of Riyadh (6 million people). Clint is to be the Risk Manager.
Well now that we realized that this was a real and serious offer we had some searching, pondering and praying to do.


Clint was also looking into some other opportunities at the time so we had some comparison shopping and much to consider. It seemed that each time we purposed accepting a different position doors would close. We would go back to the position in Saudi and another door would open. This is the way it was right up until we paused all other offers and accepted this one. We certainly felt that the Lord was directing our path.
It felt a bit wild to us but also exciting to consider!


I was quite surprised because I thought we had done all the moving we needed to and was so happy in our home of 6 years,( the one we lived in the longest during almost 30 years of marriage). I am also a very happy grandmother of two precious little girls who are the loves of my life. I was going to have to feel a firm confirmation from the Lord about this. 
Each time I learned something new about Saudi Arabia and the opportunity there, I felt a warmth and certainty in my mind and heart. I couldn't imagine why the Lord would want us to go there but there is no denying the impressions I have felt and the peace that has come to me. Even now, almost 10 months later as I write this blog I still feel an assurance deep within.
 Leaving my children, grandchildren, Clint's parents, my sisters, Afton and Debbie, and my dear friends will be extremely difficult but I have always wanted to hear and accept the clarion call of the Lord in my life. I am grateful for the opportunity I have once again to accept His call.
No, it is not a formal mission call through the Church but we feel nonetheless that it is a call from the Lord to go and serve in another part of His vineyard.
Why us? Perhaps simply because we are willing to go!


Bechtel, the company that hired Clint, wanted him in Saudi by January of this year. With all the papers to file, medical tests, legal checks, etc,, it took until February 24 for Clint to finally get away. He spent a few days in London, England being integrated into the project and on Feb. 28th he flew to Saudi Arabia. (Touting a boot cast as he broke his foot and leg in two places about a month prior to leaving.)


When we accepted this position Clint and I decided to sell our home and all our possessions. It took two days on the market to sell our home. In the next couple of months I had 4 garage/household sales and sold or gave away pretty much all we own. We stored only pictures and a few special items.
On the first of May, Carli and I moved to the west end of the city and live in a furnished apartment.


After two months in Saudi, Clint received his temporary residency and was then able to start the process for us to come join him. Carli and I have done all the medical tests, ( she would want me to interject here that she had to give 10 vials of blood...YIKES), police record checks and paperwork associated with acquiring our visas. It has been at times, a comedy of errors, just as it was for Clint. On Tuesday next week we hope to have everything submitted and we will await our visas.
As Clint has to be in London, England again between July 9th-13th we hope to fly there to meet him and travel to Saudi together.


This evening, being June 21st, our children are hosting a farewell open house for us. It's very thoughtful of them and on a light note, I hope someone shows up! #IthinkIhaveafewfriends.