Words of Encouragement

Last August when we left Andrea at the airport in Atlanta to embark on this new journey, I cried all the way home (45 minutes), cried even more when we got home and couldn’t talk to anybody for about 4 hours. Poor Randy – he was so sweet and was the best“personal assistant” – answering the phone and the text messages. All of our friends and family were more concerned about me than Andrea (I think). I knew in my heart she would be fine. I knew how excited and how happy she was for this next journey in her life and that was comforting. I knew she would be just a phone call away and I knew we could do Face Time and Skype once she got settled in her new place. BUT I knew how much I would miss having her at home with us – all the fun times we had.

I also knew how hard it would be when it was time for us to leave her when it was time to come home after being with her for two weeks. She had been so brave leaving us in August and was so excited that she didn’t cry when she left us. BUT I knew it would be different for her when it was time for us to leave her. I wanted to leave a little something for her when we left so on those days when she was missing us, she could have a little piece of us there in the UAE.

I created these cards of “Words of Encouragement” - inspirational sayings, scripture, and encouraging words from me. I made 104 cards (2 cards a week) and put each one in a small white envelopes. I wanted her to be able to open two a week (or more if she needed it).

(I used Microsoft Publisher for the small cards; Microsoft Word for the larger card that I put on the outside of the box. Pictures at the bottom)


 Here is a sample of some of the sayings:

1. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. ~Romans 8:28
2. Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. God loves broken things - His love and mercy are constant, powerful. He loves you! I love you!
4. I believe in you – I’m your BIGGEST Fan.
5. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
6. I love that you are so passionate about teaching and making a difference in children’s lives.
7. I love that you're spunky, and you're such a good sport. You're just so much fun!
8. The reason why people give up is because they focus on how far they have to go instead of how far they have come.
9. Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same.
10. When I count my blessings, I count you twice.

One of the days we were shopping, I found this pretty wooden box and bought it (I wish I had taken a picture of the box.) I bought it under the pretense that it was for me. The cards fit perfectly in the box. The day we were leaving, I waited for her and Randy to leave the apartment first. Then I slipped back into her bedroom and placed the box full of envelopes on her bed and I left the card with a note from us on the outside so it would be there when she got home from dropping us at the airport.
Now when we talk, she tells me about a card she opened on that day. So even being 7,000 miles from each other, we can still feel connected.

Never underestimate the power of a few words of encouragement. Have a blessed day!

Sample of some of the cards

Card on outside of box - I wrote a note for her on the back of this card.

Until Next Time.....

Day 15 - Friday, January 4th

Our last day in the UAE and I’m awake at 8:00am.  It’s a bittersweet morning and I have a few tears flowing.  I lay there thinking about my sweet, baby girl – even at 37 years old, she’s still my “Baby Girl”.  I think about what an amazing young lady that she has grown up to be. She’s beautiful; she’s brilliant; she makes her mama and daddy very proud of her.  And yes, I’m crying as I write this.

We had a quick breakfast, got dressed, loaded the car and headed out.   We made a short visit with Nicole and Ethan. Since Ethan had been sick with a virus for almost a week, we had not been able to spend any time with them. He is such a delightful baby.

This is our last trip to Dubai for a while so we made one more stop at the Burj Khalifa for some up-close and personal pictures.  The weather was perfect and we enjoyed just walking around.

There is an observation deck at the top but we were not able to get tickets to go up - tickets were sold out. Guess that will be on my bucket list for the next visit. 

There were beautiful blooming flowers everywhere!

We made one last walk through the mall for a few a little things I wanted to pick - mainly chocolates for the girls at work.  It is always very busy on Friday since people are off on Friday and Saturday.  We had dinner at Red Lobster. 

Our last picture together before we leave:

Randy is easy going and agreeable with everything so when he asks for something we always try to make sure it happens.  He has a Hard Rock pin collection and I think a T-shirt from every Hard Rock Café in every city we have ever visited. Some are faded and gone but some he still has.  So we head over to the Festival City Mall where the Hard Rock Café is. That area was very pretty – beautiful buildings, pretty trees and flowers, and lights everywhere.  Another place on my bucket list for next time.

Then the inevitable – Andrea dropped us at the airport.  It was a quick hug and kiss before the tears started flowing. Then our journey home started.

The security at the Dubai Airport is very strict and intense.  Here is a five step process before we could board our plane home.

1.     First stop – Enter airport and send all our luggage through scanner; walk through scanner

2.  Second stop – Find Delta counter for check-in; Delta personnel review our passports and ask the usual questions about who packed the luggage; has it been in your possession the entire time, etc, etc, etc; then to the ticket counter to check our luggage, answer more of the same questions and get our boarding passes

3.  Third stop – Passport Clearance counter – wait in a very long line – scan our passports and get stamped

4.  Fourth stop – Scan carry-on luggage and go through scanner; take off all jewelry, belts, wallets, phones – anything metal

5.  Fifth stop – Gate C13 – answer more questions by Delta personnel and review our passports; go through scanner again; Randy has to be “wand” and patted down; I was patted down; next security personnel open and check our carry-on luggage and we remove our shoes so they can be checked

6. Next stop - wait for boarding home to ATL

Whew, I’m tired now!!!

AND we finally board – we are 45 minutes late leaving the terminal.  We taxi and we wait and we wait and we wait.  Then the pilot announces we will be returning to the gate.  We have a sick passenger and she needs to de-board the plane and remove the luggage.  How do you find 2 pieces of luggage among all that luggage for 300++ passengers?  Delta does it efficiently and we wait some more.  Pilot comes back on and says that security has to come on the plane and check luggage again – that’s a requirement of the Dubai airport when a plane returns to the gate.  We finally leave Dubai after a 2 hour delay.

And then the flood gates of tears start – I’m leaving my baby in the UAE until July when she will be home for a 30-day visit. I tried not to let the young guy sitting next to me see that I was crying BUT then I thought, who cares?  One day he might have a “a little baby girl”!

We arrive in ATL on Saturday, January 5^th after being on the plane for 18 hours (2 hour delay and 16 hour flight).  Our dear friends, Stanley and Nancy, pick us and we head to Cracker Barrel for breakfast.  After breakfast and a nice visit with them, they drop us off at home.  

Jet lag hasn’t set in – I feel good – I slept most of the way home.  Randy took a shower and a nap and I started unpacking and doing laundry – Back to reality – Vacation is over!

(This is the last post in our journey but check back often because I’ll be adding a few more posts about some other experiences and perspectives.)

Let's Play in the Dirt, More Exploring and a Lesson Learned

Day 14 - January 3rd

It’s a very sad day for me today.  We got news that my cousin, David, who had been battling cancer for several years, had passed away.  Growing up, he spent a lot of time at our house – he loved my dad and we all loved him so much.  It’s always hard to lose family but it’s especially hard when you are 7,000 miles away and can’t get home to be with everyone.

I haven’t talked about the bathrooms here.  All of the bathrooms (in home and public) have these sprayers next to the toilets.  The UAE doesn’t have the necessary sewage system to handle the waste properly so these sprayers are installed in all the bathrooms.  After taking care of business, you are supposed to rinse off with the sprayer, pat dry with toilet tissue and then put the tissue in a receptacle.  Well, NO, I’m not doing that – it’s gross!!!  This girls is from America and I’m using toilet tissue – as much as I want! LOL In most of the public restrooms, they have bathroom attendants who take care of the bathrooms.  They are constantly mopping and cleaning up after the people who use these.  I don’t know how they keep their clothes and shoes dry because the floors are always drowning in water.  

Well, today I decided I would try the sprayer (aka The Bum Gun) in the privacy of Andrea’s bathroom.  (Note to self:  Never use the “Bum Gun” sprayer in the morning when the water is ice cold.  Wait until the afternoon after the water is warm.)  Talk about – take your breath - that will get your blood pumping early in the morning! LOL

A side note about the water:  Since the water tanks are on top of the buildings, the sun warms the water – by afternoon, the cold water faucet is rather warm – in the middle of summer, it is hot water coming out of the cold faucet.  Andrea tries to wash her clothes in the morning when the water hasn’t been heated by the sun all day……especially for clothes that you normally wash in cold water.

We’re on the road again, off to Abu Dhabi. 

I’m still in search of sand dunes but this this time we play it smart.  We drove off the main road between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi into the small city of Al Yahar and the followed the road to where we could see sand dunes.  We parked in a neighborhood (on concrete) and walked across the street – the dunes were beautiful.

I’m telling you – these dunes brought out the kid in me.  I just wanted to run and play.  I have such fond memories of putting my toes in warm sand in the dirt road around the fields near our home growing up.  This was different – it was coarser and in places, it was surprisingly cool.  We could tell it had been windy – lots of ripples in the sand.  We played in it and took lots of pictures.

 Back on the road to Abu Dhabi and our next stop – the Aldar HQ Building.

• The first circular building in the UAE
• The shape of this building is achieved through the use of structural diagrid, a diagonal grid of steel
• Home to restaurants, offices and a hotel

Our next stop U.S. Embassy:

Here are a few valuable lessons I learned today:

Number 1 – Ignorance is not bliss.

Number 2 - It is not better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Number 3 – No matter if you are a US citizen (and an overzealous tourist who is proud to be an American), you cannot take a picture of the US Embassy.

I thought it would be extra special to have a picture of the three of us in front of the US Embassy since Andrea is living there.  Well, you can’t do that!!!  I won’t go into all the details but let’s just say we were momentarily detained by 6 Abu Dhabi police, 1 security guard, 1 Emirate Liaison for the US Embassy and 1 US Embassy security personnel  asking me questions - all because I took a picture (a rather cool looking picture, I might add) of the embassy.  I was crying and saying, “I’ll just delete the picture. I’ll just delete the picture.”  At one point, I was just ready to give them the camera. After many tears and many questions, we were released.

The US Embassy Security Personnel explained that the AD police take their jobs very seriously.  While I appreciate that, I was scared to death. Thank you for protecting us!

Once we were released and I got in the car, I just cried and cried and cried.  I just kept thinking we are leaving tomorrow and what if I am on “Watch List”.  How will I ever explain that I was just an innocent little southern belle?

After I compose myself, we headed over to The Corniche.  This is the road that runs alongside the beaches in Abu Dhabi. It’s lined by beautiful beaches on one side and the skyline of Abu Dhabi on the other side. There is beautiful inlaid tile in the sidewalk and canopies and benches along the way as well as gazebos.  We walked out onto the beach and down to the water.  Andrea and I were brave enough to put our feet in the water but it was cold.

 You probably can tell by the look on Andrea's face - the water is freezing!

Then we went to dinner at Friday’s in downtown Abu Dhabi. Friday’s is Andrea’s favorite place in UAE.  We rode around a while and then went to the airport to pick up Andrea’s friend, Christine who was flying back from a visit with her family in Vienna, GA.  Christine and I chatted all the way home – she is such a delight and has been really good to Andrea.

Once we are home, reality starts to sink in – we are leaving the next day.  We have a few hours left to spend precious minutes with our daughter. It’s been a great two weeks and we have loved every minute of it (except the Embassy incidence.)

It's A Small World After All and Friends

How do you cope with living 7,000 miles away from home?  You surround yourself with lots of friends.  When Andrea decided to take this position overseas, she joined a networking group of people who were going to the UAE on Facebook.  And I will tell you “it’s a small world after all”.  I promise. 

Here are some of her friends:

• She knew Mrs. Jones when she taught in Clayton County – in fact, it was only after Mrs. Jones secured her position in the UAE that Andrea really became interested in going.

• At the interview with the Abu Dhabi Education Council, she met Shon who lived in the small town in South Georgia where Randy’s grandmother lived and was familiar with the small town where I grew up.

• She met Nicole on Facebook – Nicole lived in the city where Andrea used to live and went to church with a very close friend of ours.

• She met Christine during the flight over to the UAE.   Christine grew up in a small town in South Georgia near my hometown and Randy and I know some of her family.

• She met Charlotte – Charlotte lives in a small town in central Alabama where Randy’s step-mother grew up.  Charlotte was surprised we even knew where that was.

• As soon as she learned what school she was placed in, she connected with Nina and Evan.  Nina teaches at her school and Evan helped her set up her internet in her apartment.

Also, teachers are a special group and have a special connection.  They are there for each other and support each other.  When one is hurting or lonely or discouraged or sad or mad, someone is there for them to pick them up, to encourage, to motivate, to console, to laugh with.   

Shon, Andrea, Christine

Christine and Andrea

Andrea, Baby Ethan, Nicole

Charlotte and Andrea

As we all know, friendship is one of the most important things in our lives.  Someone once said, “Consider yourself truly blessed if you have 5 close friends.”  A close friend shares everything; someone you can call in the middle of the night; will cry when you cry; laugh when you laugh; hurt when you hurt – that’s what a friend is.  I have those friends – I hope you do too!

 Friend Quotes:

• Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow.  Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead.  Just walk beside me and be my friend.
• I’m glad friendship doesn’t come with price tags.  For if it does, I’d never afford someone as great as you.
• A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.
• Friends are kept by keeping in touch. 

In Search of Sand Dunes and Our New Friend, Juma

Day 13 - Wednesday, January 2nd

Well, today we are off to play in the dirt and take pictures. We are going to drive toward Dubai and just stop wherever and play in the sand.  You can see people dune bashing in SUV's, riding ATV’s and playing on the dunes and families having picnics.

I think this is an amazing fact – the sand is a different color in each of the emirates.  We didn’t know this until Andrea’s friend, Nicole gave us a really nice sand art piece for Christmas.  It has all the different color sands from each of the emirates listed on the back.

Natural color sand for each emirate:

• Ajman - Cream
• Abu  Dhabi - Light Red
• Dubai - Red
• Fujairah - Black
• Sharjah - Brown
• Ras Al Khaimah - White
• Umm Al Quwain - Blue

So we are driving along and we see where other people had been stopping on the side of the road; we thought we could do the same.  AND the smart Mom that I am, I said to Andrea – “Oh, just stop right here – this looks good.”

Public Service Notice: A Kia Rio will not drive through the sand dunes – it will not even stand up in the sand dunes. 

Just as she pulled off the road, the car sank and we knew we were in trouble.  Andrea and I were laughing; Randy didn’t think it was too funny.  We got out of the car to survey our predicament.  Just as we started discussing our options  - Juma to the rescue. 

Juma is a local Emirate resident and farmer.  He stopped and asked if we had a rope or chain and of course, we said no.  We weren’t thinking like Boy Scouts (be prepared) – we are Americans and just think we can drive on the sand dunes in a Kia Rio. LOL  He said, “You stay. I be back. No push. Wait for me.”  He left and we stood there and just looked at each other.  I said to Andrea, “Do you think he will come back?”  And she said, “Yes! If he said he would, he would.”  Sure enough, in a few minutes he came back.  He went and bought a rope to pull us out.  He tied the rope to Andrea’s car and to his SUV – he wouldn’t even let Randy help him.

After he pulled us out, he said, “I have farm.  Come to my farm – I show you around.”   Andrea asked if he meant today and he said, “Yes, right now – come with me – follow me.”  After some doubt on my part, off we went.  We followed him for a few miles on paved roads; then he stopped and we got in his SUV (remember, a Kia Rio want drive in the sand) to go to his farm. 

He was the nicest guy and so anxious and willing to tell us about himself, his family, his country and his farm.  He said his family had been in the area since 1951 (Remember the UAE was not a country until 1971 so this was just undeveloped land when his family first came here). He had spent time in the US – has friends in California, Minnesota, North Carolina. He has 2 boys and 2 girls. His home is in Al Ain; his farm is about 5 miles outside of Al Ain.  He told us he had 15 farms total in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah.

If you own one camel in the UAE, you are considered ‘middle class’.  He had 65 camels – raised for camel racing; 300 - 400 goats and sheep – raised for market and slaughter; 12 cows including one from Holland.

He told us when he needed money, he didn’t go to his friends or to the bank, he would just sell a camel. He can sell a camel for 200,000 dirhams. If a camel wins a race, he can sell for one million to two million dirhams. He has one camel that he had been offered eight million dirhams because she had won races and her off spring had won races. (The exchange rate for money - $3.67 USD to one dirham. You can do the math!)

He told us he knew one of the sheikhs – Sheikh Khalifa we think. He said any problems with immigration, government, you call me-I help. And he made sure Andrea had his phone number.

We probably spent 2 hours with him. The sweetest thing was when we started to leave, he told us “All this means nothing without friends.  You my friend now”.  I had hoped that we could spend some time with some of the local people when we were there - never did I think it would be on a farm. LOL We were so happy to spend time with him.

As we were leaving, Juma said, "Alhamdulillah!" (Thanks be to God)

Hope you enjoy these pictures - all were taken at his farm.

Andrea submitted this to a local magazine - The Oasis - and it was featured in the magazine.
She was pretty excited!!!

I love this picture - look at the ripples!

Home to dinner in the crock pot - Chicken and Vegetables and fresh bread from Abela’s. YUMMY!!!