Hi, from Bangladesh #1

I have decided to share my experiences and thoughts on my time here in Bangladesh. It is a Moslem country and I cannot speak the language. It is hard to evangelize in such conditions. I have tried to bring my beliefs into any conversations with those who do speak English. It is not exactly evangelizing, but I am trying to model how Christian people are different in thought, behavior, and salvation because of Jesus. Please pray for Bangladesh, its people, and my family here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quote from the first page of the United States Passport:

“And that government of the people,

By the people, for the people,

shall not perish from the Earth”

Abraham Lincoln

Well, we are here. Yep, about 8000 miles away from home…18 hours in the air…and 12 hours of stopover in Hong Kong. To talk about how far we are from the USA culturally and economically would be about as far to make one think of another planet. Still the people are wonderful, and this is a country struggling to come into the 21st century. There are improvements every time we come here, but there is so much to be done that it can be daunting. This is a new country founded after a civil war between West and East Pakistan (two land areas alike by religious beliefs but very different in culture and temperament.) West Pakistanis are more strong and warlike while the East Pakistanis were more interested in culture and philosophy. History has shown that when pushed against the wall the people of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) can be very fierce and dedicated.

East Pakistan won the civil war in the early 70’s, and started to build their country. Their National Anthem sings of “Amar Shonar Bangal” what means “our golden Bengal,” This is phrase is from a poem written by a famous 20th and Noble Prize winning Bengali poet and philosopher, Ravindra Nath Tagore. It is a beautiful place…tropical and filled with flowers and fruits. I will write more about that in later updates.

As I said in my email we have just been settling in, but there have been lots of people coming to see us and share supper. The kitchen has a gas table top stove with two burners, so cooking is a never ending process with each dish getting its turn when another is completed. Still, meals are hot and delicious. Nothing is expected of me about the cooking, because the methods are unknown to me. I could stir a bubbling pot I think, but no one wants the honored guest to be reduced to working. My position here is one of an honored elder guest…a grandparent so to speak, and they all want us to take their gifts of service. I try to take my own dirty dishes to the sink to rinse, and someone grabs them out of my hand before I can take two steps. I feel very valued.

There are three children in this family. One is a 12 year old girl named Zayma. She is beautiful, outgoing and very smart. Then there is the son, Abiaz, who is 9, handsome and a bit more reserved than his sisters. The “baby” is Zasra, who is 5, cute, and very active. Every time I turn around one of them is hugging me and telling me that they love me and that I am beautiful. Just saying…it is what they say…not that I am all puffed up about the beautiful part. Still, I feel so loved, and will miss their sweetness when I leave this place. I feel torn by a desire to be home and a desire to have them close to me, too.

Enough for now. More to follow soon.
God bless from
Corinne

Dhaka, Bangladesh, 1/10/15