I ran out and introduced myself to the new family who had moved in across the street, in Dari! (I’ve learned just a few words and greetings in the past month.) I had seen the man smoking while squatting on a chair on his front step. I had seen several children in their traditional clothes [...]
Have you ever thought you want to branch out into some international food but didn't know where to start or if you'd even like the food? Well, we're here to give you a hand and share with you our favorite places to go in mostly South Nashville. These are the restaurants we recommend in Nashville [...]
5oth Episode -- How Iraq Changed Us Hannah and Colleen share the ways that Iraq shaped small behaviors in their lives including hand gestures, expectations of people, restaurant protocol, and more. These are some of the ways that that Iraq changed us and made us different from our peers here in the US. Also, celebrating [...]
Each school year begins with national teachers from all three Medes schools gathering for teacher training. They are continuing to learn good teaching techniques, classroom management, general computer literacy, and even basic first aid while also refining their written and spoken English. It is an unusual experience for many teachers from Iraq to receive such [...]
Is There Racism in Northern Iraq? Hannah and Colleen describe how they observed different skin colors and nationalities are treated and valued in Northern Iraq. How were our black teammates treated? Asian-looking ones? Is there a difference between how men and women of color are treated? How did we as very white women enjoy being [...]
What's it like going to church in Northern Iraq? Colleen and Hannah talk about what "going to church" looked like in Iraq. A lot of people have questions about this and a lot of preconceived ideas about what it means to be a Christian living in a pre-dominantly Muslim country. Learn [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Hannah interviews our director, John, and his wife, Mary, about how they became parents while living in Iraq and what it was like raising their family there. Living in Iraq has unique challenges for parents. (While Colleen watched the kids!) Want to join us? We're always looking for more adventurous families to join our teams in [...]
Part two on re-entry! Did you know it supposedly takes as long as you lived in the foreign culture to readjust back to your home culture? And even then, you are permanently changed. There is no simple "There and Back Again". Hannah and Colleen continue their conversation on how to adjust well and also give [...]
