Our New Apartment

Here is a short video of our new apt. at Al Zain, I will never be a star on the big screen, way too much pressure to be filmed !! Anyway, today was a busy day, luncheon with other ladies whose husbands work for AECOM, lots of fun, then a visit with a young mom who is from Australia, and her three year old son, Nate.

Learned something new today, camels have real feelings. It's true !! Heard of a camel who cried real tears when his "wife" died, and another camel who was being mistreated by his owner, so he sat on the man. They hold grudges too, apparently. Anyway, I am so very happy that I didn't order Baby Camel cooked in an earthenware pot at the restaurant last week. No telling what would happen to me!!

It's very hot here right now, but very dry too. One Libyan gentleman told me that we should only shop at night, about 7:30 he said. No shopping during the day, "too hot". However, the nights are still cool, and the sunsets are still beautiful. From the couch in our new living room, I could see the full moon last night.

So thankful that we all sleep under the same sky and look at the same moon, and are cared for by the same caring, loving God. Love to each of you dear friends and family. We miss you every day, in so many, many ways, take care, Lynn

We're Moving !!

Great news, we got an apartment at Guesthouse #1!! Yes, it does have a special name like Arkno, something like Al Zain, but I'll let you know later. Rick found out at work today that it is vacant, so tonight after dinner, we went to our new "home". We will have a small living room, dining room and kitchen(yea!!), also a small bedroom and bathroom. We are a block from the Mediterranean Sea, very close, close enough to hear the children swimming and playing in the water. There is a nice little balcony where I can sit in the sun and read. All the way on the roof is the dining facility, still get our meals when we want, and an exercise room, that we didn't get to see. I loved the roof level dining hall, because you have the choice to eat outside if you want. I like that !! Anyway, tonight we are packing, packing, again. Thanks for your prayers about our accommodations, God answered.

Sadly, we have really enjoyed our neighbors at the Arkno, and we will miss them. It's amazing how quickly people here get to know each other, there is such a need, it really makes most people reach out. My cleaning lady here almost cried when I told her, and it was so sweet. But, there are other ladies at Guesthouse #1 who don't work,and I am closer to, and on the same side of the street from the Guesthouse #2 where I have met several ladies. It will take some time, but soon we will feel somewhat at home there. So for tonight , dear friends and family, I close with sending our love to each of you, Lynn

Sunset at the Arkno, Church, and the AECOM Picnic

Well, we're finally going to share the incredibly beautiful Tripoli sunset we can see from the roof of the Arkno!! Rick filmed this the other night. The sunset is truly one of the most spectacular we've ever seen, so enjoy, and along with us give thanks for this and so many other blessings in our lives.

We went to church yesterday at the Anglican/Episcopal Church. There were about 70 of us in the congregation, a very old building, no air conditioning, but great fans all over. Down the aisle came the choir, 4 people, 2 men and 2 women. They were all Nigerian and singing at the top of their lungs, especially one of the men who never stopped smiling. The music was awesome. Most of the people there were Nigerian, six of us with white skin, and various others of all different nationalities. I believe God must smile when He sees His children "red, yellow, brown, black and white, they are precious in His sight" worshiping Him together. Supposedly there is a Protestant Church and a Charismatic church here too. It was a great way

to start our day.

Then came our first company picnic, out at the Villas where some of the AECOM employees live, mostly the upper management. These villas remind me of some of the pictures of palaces lived in by Saudi Arabian princes, huge places with private pools, etc. Anyway, they had set up tents with all of the food in them, tables, etc. Very nice. One very odd thing, there must have been a million flies at our picnic, really got to be funny, and annoying too. Oh well, the food was still good, and we must have burned some calories waving off those flies.

News for the day: we are moving into an apt. this week, and I will have a kitchen and a small living room. We are so excited and thankful. The people we have met at the Arkno are very nice, but it will be so great to have more than one room, and the guesthouse is one block from the beach. More tomorrow, love to all, Lynn

Happy Birthday America !!

Dear Family and Friends,

I missed a day yesterday due to church here, and our first AECOM company picnic. Hopefully, today I will write to you twice. May I first say how very proud I am to be an American, and enjoy the freedoms that God has given us in our country, freedom of religion, freedom of speech and all of the other precious freedoms that I have probably taken for granted over my lifetime. Never again, not after living in this country of Libya. I have always been very patriotic, but this year feels very different. May God bless America, and all of you today as you celebrate with your families and friends. We are with you in spirit. We love you !! Lynn and Rick

Tripoli Craziness

Hey to everyone,

Tonight is wild and crazy time in Libya, we've just watched a gorgeous sunset on the roof of the Arkno, and we could hear cars drag racing down Gargaresh street !! I guess everyone is extremely happy that it's Thursday night, and their weekend is beginning. The sunset here is spectacular, unbelievable colors, and the sun slowly sinking, then poof, it's gone. I think the sky gets better and better after the sun goes down into the Mediterranean Sea, then the show really begins !! Rick took a video tonight, and will have to edit it before we can share it. Sorry, we really are beginners with the video on our new camera.

Rick just finished his first full week of work here in Libya, and it was fun for me to see him so excited about work again. I am thankful that God gave him a job that is challenging, and rewarding. He is working with men and women from so many different countries, Egypt, Syria, China, Korea, Russia, England, Australia, Brazil, and Portugal, to name a few. What an incredible opportunity !! It is fun to exchange stories of home with the men and women who live here at the Arkno with us, all have family and friends that they love and miss, just like us.

Tomorrow, we will attend church for the first time here, at 10:30 on Friday morning. Different, huh? I'm sure God doesn't mind that we will be gathering on Friday instead of Sunday. He listens to us every day anyway.

Love you all, and have a happy 4th of July, and a safe one too. Lynn

Home at the Arkno today

Thanks for the sweet comments about the video, we will film more, the next may be of the purple martins at sunset. You will be amazed. Today, things are quiet before the "storm" of Thursday nights in Tripoli. The activity level is unreal, horns honking, so many people out on the streets, young "boys" doing their wild donuts in the parking lots. What a crazy night Thursday is !

In contrast, Friday mornings are still and quiet, everyone is resting and awaiting their visit to the mosque. I want to also make a video with the sounds of the "calls to prayer" that we hear 4 times every day. The one at dawn never wakes us up, thanks to our great air conditioner. The loud speakers remind the Libyan people to "look to God, and to pray" , at least that's what Ahmed, one of the young drivers told me. I said to him, but you are driving a car, and he replied, "I still pray."

Great reminder to all of us, look to God and pray as you go about your day because He cares for you !! More on my evening blog... love to all, Lynn

VISIT TO THE ARKNO

Welcome to our home, the Arkno. We hope to get an apartment in the future but for now we want to share our accomodations with you. Sorry, this is so corny, but I was under some "pressure" from the film director ! Please don't judge too harshly, it was very impromptu, and unprofessional.

To all of my fellow bird lovers, every evening at around sunset, flocks of birds swoop all over around our balcony living room, I assume they are relatives of the purple martins we have in Texas, who are definitely our friends because they eat so many mosquitoes. It is wonderful to watch them, especially with the sunset behind over the Med. I almost bought a bird at the market the other day to keep me company during the day. The one I like is bright green with orange and yellow on it, like a miniature parrot. With my luck, I'd bring it back and it would be one of those birds who don't like people, kind of like our neighbor, JD.

Another local market today, more like an indoor mall, nice and air conditioned. I went with a new friend, Shirley, to buy a coffee she likes, and a Cinnabon. Yes, just like the yummy ones at the mall, that have a million calories. Everyone loves sweets. I must say the Libyan candy is delicious, today I found these white, divinity looking rectangles with pistachios in them, yum!! And they were four for a dinar...perfect !! I am definitely going to stay away from those.

Tonight we actually ate a cheeseburger and fries at a local restaurant which has outdoor seating and a great view of the Med. We saw jet skies, people swimming, and young boys doing donuts in the parking lot next door. Sounds like an evening on the lake in Austin doesn't it?

For today, I will say, more later my sweet friends and family, may God bless all of you while we are apart, we love you, lynn