In the US we're pretty used to using our credit cards to pay for things and we're adding all sorts of new electronic payment methods. But in Northern Iraq, nearly everything is still done in cash. Hannah and Colleen discuss a few of the multitude of reasons for this, but more about the effect it [...]
Hannah and Colleen chat about several key terms in Kurdish language and culture: sherma, aiba, and haram. All have meanings that connect to honor, shame, and what is allowable and what is forbidden. Cultural expectations and norms are part of what can be a challenge for a westerner. This podcast explores their shades of meaning [...]
Hannah and Colleen interview Robin, who (with her husband, Dave) took her two kids to live in Iraq. What did this do to her kids? Her family and their relationships? Listen to us ask her all about her stories and adventures from when she and her family lived in Iraq. Email us at [...]
Hannah and Colleen chat about the various steps to the ever changing process of getting a visa in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. This isn't the nuts and bolts, just the experiences from our perspective of foreign bureaucracy and how to walk through it. We are so grateful for our Kurdish friends who made [...]
How often do you get to talk to someone who is living in Iraq? We get to do it every week, and we want to share that experience with you! We’ll be talking with some of our staff who are currently living in Iraq and want you to have a chance to ask your questions [...]
I remember the first time someone asked me “How’s the reentry going?” I thought I might burst with happiness. Here was someone who understood what I was only just beginning to understand - that sometimes “coming home” was difficult and confusing and not all pleasant. And when everyone at “home” expects it to be easy [...]
Hannah and Colleen talk about the blessings and challenges of living on support and what that is. How do we deal with fear, trust, and other people's perceptions? How do we thrive in community as part of the body of Christ and what is the holy handshake? This episode is a personal look at many [...]
Hannah and Colleen bemoan their grey hairs but also wish they'd had some more of them while living in Iraq. They discuss the pros and cons of being younger or older while living abroad, and how you don't have to be one or the other to serve with us in Iraq! What does age actually [...]
Do you love soccer? Are you looking for a 3-week adventure you’ll never forget? We are excited about a new opportunity to send a team of 2-4 guys to Iraq this fall to plan and implement a soccer camp for kids from rural villages in Northern Iraq. We’ve been sending teams to Iraq for 26 [...]
In this episode of our podcast, Between Iraq and a Hard Place, Hannah and Colleen tell the stories of how they told their parents that they were applying to go with Servant Group International to go to Iraq. They also have some advice for how to tell (or maybe more accurately, how NOT to tell) [...]
