Joey Update vol. 2

Sept 5, 2008

Hello everyone! It has been too long but I am back! I am back! Home in my country. The trip was greatly blessed on each leg and this not without a few adventures along the way. I left early morning for my first flight to FL. where I heard a storm was just coming into. I prayed no delays and there weren't. Then, before I got on my next flight they needed my return ticket to the States, but this was the return trip from my time in Feb. I had to run across the airport(twice) to print it off and only just barely made the flight. They shouted after me that they would send my bags on ahead to Paris, this trip's final destination. 'Hurry!' they further shouted after me. I did. And I made it to Chicago.

That was rather uneventful and I got my Paris flight alright, dozed a bit and got off in Paris in the morning. Then, I get to baggage claim and guess what? My bags have not arrived. They say they will send them ahead to my hotel when they arrive the next day so I give the name of a hotel (not the one I planned but still pretty close and affordable enough) and make my way through Paris to it. As soon as I arrive the man at the desk, after I gave my name told me he'd already gotten a call from the airport and that my bags would be there between 12 and 6pm that day!

I went up to my room and waited for the time to call home and when I went down, only 2 hours after 12, a woman asked me if I was Joseph Howell. I said yes and she told me some bags had come for me. When she moved to go get them I presumed, there they were behind her! These things all laid themselves out so nicely for me the whole trip that I was reeling for joy.

Also, there were more than a few passersby who were willing to help me on my way (directions, free tram rides, etc.) that crowned the time in Paris with a good theme. I got to the airport to get to my final, final destination- NDJ and I arrived without a hitch. In fact it was the better of the two entries I had into the city. THe guards simply stamped my visa page and let me move through. My bags arrived safe and well and when the guards were looking through them as they do, my Ar. came back to me as fast as I needed it and I chatted genially with them and they let me through laughing. I was not carrying anything detrimental or hazardous but the conversation made things that much more smooth.

The Am. also met me at the airport and we got back to that very house where I last left NDJ. I remet my teammate Col. and the rest of the team here and it was joyous reunions all around. Also, one of them had my lang. journal which I had left behind for 5 months on a table beside my bed saying they just found it. I raised a great ah' hamdu l'llah! for that one!

I quickly got settled in and had lang. lessons each day and my Ar. came back even faster until I am almost at the point I was when I left. Also, Col. and I got to go to the Eng. center here in town a few times and do some Storytelling with some students there. Good conversations like that are not infrequent here for which I am very thankful.

Also, I met my old neighbors who had kept my stuff I left at their house and delivered to them the Oreos my mom gave me for them. They remembered them and were delighted. Likewise I also met my old language teacher and it was a good reunion and many p'ayers were said. And this past week, Col. and I have started the target lang. and it goes nicely so far.

As for me, I am going over the border this weekend to Cam. for which I also have a visa. It will be a getaway weekend of sorts as well as a chance to see the neighboring country in case we end up going there and staying for a while later. I should be in town for another 2 or 3 weeks or so before heading out to the village for more intensive lang. learning.

For now here are the Hamdu's as I'll call them:
-My journey over met with great adventure and success
-My lang. journal was found immediately and the lang. itself ran back to meet me
-Friends new and old were met and met well
-Lang. lessons are now progressing well
-I have a new phone service and it looks to handles calls home much
better than my old phone
-HE IS

And for the Du'as; as I'll call them:
-Please lift up this Month of Fasting that our brother Ishmael may
find the One he's seeking
-Please lift up lang. lessons in this target lang. that Col. and I would both learn well
-Please lift my camera up- I think it went under one too many X-rays
through the airports or something because it is unresponsive. Maybe it
will yet work.
-Please lift up our quiet times in Reading and Talking with our Father
-Finally, please lift up the workers here and those that are coming
that all would commit the work to the Lord of the Harvest

For these things I thank the One who called me here and you too, my friends and brothers. It is a great thing to see His hand moving in ceaseless work, giving of His inexhaustible mercy and grace. Thank you for your faithful p'ayers in all things on my behalf. May our Father richly bless you all, in all ways.

In Him,
Youssef