Home!

Hi everyone!

Our team made it home safe and sound this afternoon after 2 smooth and on time flights. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support over the last week during our trip.

Overall, this trip was an amazing experience and I loved everyone second of it. It combined music and an awesome short-term missions opportunity.

I'm so glad God blessed me with this opportunity. My favourite moment was performing at the art show. The amount of people who came out to see the show and hear us perform was stunning and meant so much to me and everyone else on the team. What made me the happiest was hearing that one of the Arabic ladies who came kept talking about the show and how much she loved it the day after. The fact that we were make such an impression on people really meant a lot to me. 

It also made an impression on me when we visited the garment factory and the ladies that work there. It was a joy to see how these ladies moved all the way to Abu Dhabi from China to work and then were brought into God's hands. They were a total inspiration to my own path with God. They work an exhausting 12 to 14 hours a day, but yet, they still attend church service each Friday night and hold Bible study one night a week.

I'm sad that the week went by so quickly but the memories will last forever. Thank you everyone for reading my blog and supporting our team. Your prayers meant the world to us. We are also thankful for having God on our side and leading us all the way, clearing roadblocks as we went. It has been the experience of a lifetime and I would do it all again tomorrow if I could. 

God bless you all.

-Lydia :)

Day 7

I think I'm going to cry :(

We're going to Dubai tomorrow morning before catching our flight at 1 AM on Wednesday. 

Today, we started off with a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. I had to wear an abaya and we had to take off our shoes to visit the inside of the mosque in an effort to protect the carpet, which is supposed to be the largest in the world. The mosque also supposedly houses the biggest crystal chandelier in the world. The chandeliers that we saw were grandiose and gorgeous. The mosque was extremely pristine. It was all white marble and gold detail. 

We followed with a quick Lebanese lunch, before heading off to meet people. We didn't get the chance to go back to the salon to pray with the ladies but we did have pray with the owner over the phone. We then had dinner with two Arabic ladies. It is very different talking to them in private because they are more open when they are alone with women only. They are able to uncover their heads and be more open.

After dinner, we visited the ladies at the garment factory. It was their Bible study night and we also got to see their living quarters. Their living quarters are not the best but they keep it very clean. I also learned that there are many rules for them, such as break times, bathroom times, their passport, etc. They are strict and rules must be followed. It made us very grateful for the live that we live and what we have back home in Canada.

It is a blessing to know how fortunate we are. Please pray for our safe travel to Dubai, as well as our safety as we fly to Washington, and then finally back home to Toronto tomorrow. We'd like the thank you for all the support we've received before and during our trip. We are all extremely grateful for that and your prayers!

-Lydia :)

Day 6

Where has time gone?

We only have 2 more days left in the UAE before we come back to winter...

We rewarded ourselves with some time at the beautiful beaches of Abu Dhabi this morning post-artshow. The waters and sand here are gorgeous. But even at the beach, culture dominates. People are required to cover up even in the 100 meters between the change rooms and the beach! It's all about the cultural norm around here. If you offend someone, the police can arrest you.

Anyways, on a happier note, we spent the afternoon exploring, mainly an art gallery: half made up of modern art, and the other half comprised of antiques. I even found an antique piano and played on it for a bit! Not only was the artwork wonderful, but the owner had 3 adorable Persian cats, who basically had free run of the place, climbing up to the high nooks and crannies by using random objects, such as vases, as steps. They are spoiled rotten by their owner and visitors. The coolest thing we saw was a sculpture made of Nescafe pods. All those metallic colours put together was absolute perfection.

For dinner, we treated our host family as a thank you for hosting us for the last week. They are truly a blessing, leaving us breakfast every morning, praying for us, coming out to the art show, the list goes on and on. I especially enjoyed talking with their daughter. She has been such a great friend and even made me a bracelet! It was so nice to have someone my own age to talk to. 

After dinner, we made a quick trip to see the market. The market had lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish. Each stand has its own room-like area with window, making it more sanitary since not everything is mixing with everything else. The floors were also very clean, which is completely different from food markets I've been to in places like China.

Only 2 more sleeps till we have to leave this gorgeous country.  :(

Even though the show is over, our need for prayers is not. Please continue to pray for us as we visit the factory ladies, salon ladies, and Arabic ladies tomorrow.

Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers! Our whole team really appreciates it!

-Lydia :)

Day 5

Hi everyone!

So today was...ART SHOW DAY!

Overall, the art show was a booming success. So many people came out to marvel at the beauties as well as watch the performances. It was awesome!

All the pieces were stunning and all the artists were a joy to talk to. God really pulled us through this one. There were 12 pieces in all, arranged in groups. Each group represented one character of the Bible: Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph, Moses. Along with each group of artwork came a story on that particular character, told by very vibrant storytellers. Between stories, there would be performances of anything from classical music to hymns to poetry to dance.

Everyone who came was very happy about the show and loved it. We even had a few local ladies come. They were very nice and we got to talk to them. They actually really enjoyed the show too. 

Not only was there modern and traditional art, there was also calligraphy, prints, hand-dyed scarves, cards, mugs, and more gorgeous stuff.

I actually loved the show and it was a wonderful experience.

Our whole team is exhausted and we're hoping for a relaxing day of visitations tomorrow.

Please continue to pray for us! We are in constant need of it!

-Lydia :)

Day 4

Hi everyone!

I hope that coming back to read my next post means that you're enjoying my blog! I certainly hope so!

Wow! Day 4 is over! Time sure passes quickly; we're already halfway done our trip!

Today was church day. I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what? It's Friday! Why are you at church service? Well, in the UAE, the weekend is Friday and Saturday, based on the Muslim religious days. So we follow their system too.

First off, English service at the ECC, where J and I performed the 2nd mvt. of Bach's Concerto for 2 Violins. We also performed at the table before and after the service and I personally counted this morning a success because many people approached us saying that they would be attending the art show, as well as bringing children, grandchildren, friends, etc. There were actually quite a few parents who came and talked to us with their young children in tow, asking us about when we first started our instruments, and expressing their children's interest in certain instruments. It's really amazing how much a little bit of music and art can do on the other side of the world.

For lunch, we had Chinese food! I know right? Chinese food in the middle of the Middle East. We ate with a quartet of ladies who work at the garment factory. In typical Chinese fashion, they kept insisting that we didn't have enough to eat and that we needed to order more, although everyone was stuffed to the brim at the end anyways. And surprisingly, the food was actually pretty realistic!

In the afternoon, we had to run more errands in preparation for the show tomorrow, so nothing really interesting.

Dinner was a blessing. A sister, L, invited us into her home, where she served a Lebanese version of grilled cheese, homemade applesauce, homemade banana bread, and more. It was a breath of fresh air to have a homemade meal and a delight to us. As we like to say, God has once again provided more than we probably deserve.

After dinner, we attended the Chinese church service. It is much smaller than our Mandarin congregation back home, but quickly developing. I performed parts of the Butterfly Lovers Concerto at the service and it was extremely well-received. A benefit of such a close-knit congregation is that everyone knows everyone and the group as a whole was extremely warm and welcoming. They even had sandwiches and tongshui after the service, which ended at 10 pm, not exactly what we're used to, with most of our services being in the morning. 

Although today was an eye-opening day, it really took its toll on us. It was utterly exhausting, we were out and about from 9 AM right through to 10:30 PM. I must say though, it was so much fun and I'm so happy that all these people are coming to the show tomorrow afternoon.

Wish us luck with the show tomorrow! Keep us in your prayers!

-Lydia :)

Day 3

Hi again!

Thank you for continuing to read my blog! I am eternally grateful for your support.

This morning, we headed out for the first time with the entire team in tow to Al Ain, another emirate 2 hours east of Abu Dhabi. Once we got there, we first met Pastor D, who works at the ECC and who also used the work at a church back home in Toronto. He welcomed us with open arms. We visited with him and he practiced his sermon that he was preaching the next day on us. 

Then, we met T, who took us to visit the Oasis Hospital. The Oasis Hospital has a museum and an fascinating history. It was originally started by TEAM with the support of the royal family. The church we visited earlier was actually a part of the hospital. It was a miracle that the royal family was so supportive of the Christian organization. Before they found oil, the royal family wanted healthcare and a hospital because they had nothing back then, and the only people that were willing to come were the Christian doctors from TEAM. TEAM doctors have since delivered many royal babies and the royal family is very grateful towards them. Yet another inspiring story for our team to work with. 

Our other friends also taught us on what not to do when we talked to the locals. Certain parts of religion are extremely sensitive and we had to make it clear that we are merely sharing our beliefs with them, and not trying to convert them.

After this great hospital tour, we went to an oasis. Our tour guide took us through the oasis and showed us the running water, which apparently was safe to drink. It had lots of shade and was very nice to walk through, although it was very sandy and dusty. They actually have a bunch of watch towers from at least a century ago stationed every kilometre. These towers have "windows" in them for rifles to peek out through and were used to protect the oasis from people stealing the water. This part was the culture part of the day. The locals were very welcoming and treated us to local foods, including a brown sugar concoction that is quite expensive and takes multiple hours to make. We also made our way through the heritage souk, where we met Emirati craftspeople. My favourite was the tully, silvery weaved embroidery. The lady who was making it gifted bracelets and little frankincense containers to us. We felt so bad taking it but it would have been an insult to try to pay her. 

We learned today that contrary to common belief, the locals are actually very accepting of our religion. They like that we believe in Jesus, as they believe that he was a great prophet, but discussions on the Trinity result in argument. They also have not heard Jesus' whole story. They think it is insulting that we believe that Jesus died as they have not heard of our belief of the Resurrection. As a result, they are in reality quite easy to talk to, even about religion, as long as certain elements are not mentioned.

Well, that certainly was a long day! We are all exhausted!

Tomorrow, we are heading off to church at the ECC, as well as the Chinese church. Once again, please pray for us, as some of us will be sharing at the churches, and the art show, that we may be able to raise awareness about our art show as we present our arts, both performing and visual, at the churches between services.

Thanks again for all your ongoing support!

-Lydia :)

Day 2

Just finished Day 2 of our trip!

This morning, after some group devo time, the ladies went to a salon, where we were able to chat with the Chinese ladies who worked there, along with getting our nails and hair done. The spa was in a villa and the decor was simple, yet tasteful. The owner, as well as most of her staff, are Christians. The owner came from a Christian family and wanted to start a Bible study when she arrived in the UAE. She then recruited other Chinese ladies from China to work at her salon and join her Bible study group, and through her, most of them came to believe in our God. This story is just so inspirational and she has really become successful thanks to God's plan for her, as the salon that we went to today was already her second one in Abu Dhabi!

After our relaxing morning, we headed off to one of Abu Dhabi's many international schools. I love the architecture of these schools! They really utilize the nature around them and make use of all the outdoor space, with playspaces, picnic tables, sun canopies, and more. The kids' uniforms were remarkably similar to my own, with green bottoms and white tops. This particular school was also an IB school, which brought me back to my own years spent from grade 2 to 8 in an IB-oriented education system. Overall, I really enjoyed this school because it was relatable to me and similar to my own Canadian education.

We lunched at the Bricco Cafe, an Italin-style cafe with the most spectacular view of the ocean. Not only was the eye candy great, but the food was also delicious: I had a fettucine bolognese and a peach iced tea. We then took a nice stroll alongside the water.

The last two members of our team also arrived today, after a calm flight with no delays. Upon their arrival, we headed out for dinner. We dined at Joumieh. We had pitas, hummus, veggies, and different forms of meat, from lamb chops to chicken shawarma. However, the pièce de résistance was without a doubt the fruit cocktail: three different flavours of fruit smoothie, with a variety of fruit, such as apples, mangos and kiwis, and finally, topped off with some clotted cream and pistachio. It was definitely one of the best, and healthiest, desserts I've ever consumed! This dinner was not all fun and sunshines though. We also had to get to our first complete team meeting in Abu Dhabi, discussing our busy schedules for the next few days, as well as prayer requests and items of thanksgiving.

Today was a good day to relax, get over an jet lag, experience and try new things, and get our whole team together. Tomorrow, we start real team training in Al Ain. Wish us luck! 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

-Lydia :)

Toronto-Frankfurt-Dubai-Abu Dhabi + Day 1

Hi everyone!

So this is my first blog post for our short-term missions trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The first part of our trip didn't go too well, in fact, it didn't really happen. We were scheduled to fly out of Toronto Pearson Airport at 4:00 to Washington D.C., and then catch our connecting flight to Dubai. Unfortunately for us, our flight got delayed by an hour and 15 minutes, so if we stayed on that flight, we would've missed our connection. But God was obviously on our side as we managed to get on a better flight, one that would've cost us more to begin with, but we had to take out all our luggage and then re-check in, which was a pain.

*Fun Fact*
We were technically in the USA for about an hour because we passed through US Customs.

Luckily for us, we were switched to an Air Canada flight to Frankfurt, and then a connecting flight to Dubai with Lufthansa. We were extremely blessed as Nora and I got bulkhead row seats with an empty seat in the middle. I was also fortunate to be able to sleep through both flights. We finally made it to Frankfurt at 6:30 AM local time, where we had an extremely long 6-hour layover. We struggled to get wifi, but once again, we had God on our side, and we were finally able to connect and email everyone, as well as contact our host family to let them know we were delayed.

Eventually, we were able to board the flight to Dubai. We arrived shortly before midnight on the 17th but we couldn't drive to Abu Dhabi right away and disturb our host family at 2 AM. So we went to visit the pastor of the Chinese church in Dubai. He and his wife were extremely welcoming and we ended up spending what was left of the night there before we headed out for Abu Dhabi. Something I found interesting about that particular building was the unit numbering. The five floors were marked G, 1, 2, 3, and 4, G being the ground floor with no units. However, when we got off at the fourth floor, the units were marked in the 500s. This was confusing to no end but we found where we were going, regardless.

The next morning, we drove to Abu Dhabi, where we met our host family. The route to Abu Dhabi was quite uneventful, but I was extremely surprised to find one of my favourite Japanese drinks at the gas station convenience store! Turns out that the UAE really is that multicultural. They have everything, from Tim Hortons, to Carrefour, to Daiso!

Our host family is wonderful. They have 2 kids: a boy who is a year older than me, and a girl who is a year younger than me. I also learned that the parents are originally from Manitoba and that the mom actually taught at Spirit of Math for a period of time while they were living in Ottawa. They are a great family and are so generous for taking our whole group of six into their home.

Anyways, when we got to their house, the first thing everyone wanted to do was to take some time to unwind, unpack, and shower, after our 2 days of travel. Today was really a day to get whatever we needed to get done done and running errands. Of course, we started a with a team devos and prayer time, discussing Jeremiah 29:11. We talked about God's plan for us and all the local people we will be meeting. Then, we headed out to run errands. Our first stop was the Mushrif Mall, where we had a quick lunch before going to Carrefour. At Carrefour, we were able to stock up on fruits (ESSENTIAL!) and other breakfast items, as well as buy dates as souvenirs (the fruit, not a person). I was very surprised to see Carrefour, a French supermarket, in Abu Dhabi. I also got to add to my Coca-Cola collection! Yay! I found 2 special edition large cans in honour of the Brazil Fifa World Cup, as well a mini can with Arabic writing on it. I was very surprised to see Carrefour, a French supermarket, in Abu Dhabi. Speaking of surprised, I was also in awe at all the Western franchises that have found their way to the Middle East, including our favourite, Tim Hortons, as well as Wendy's, Subway, Baskin-Robbins, etc. Then in the afternoon, we went to the framing shop to get the painting framed (which was absolutely gorgeous, just saying). Another shock to see that you can bargain with the framers, which you wouldn't be able to do at a similar shop in Toronto. Finally, for dinner, we had Popeyes chicken. We really need to cut down on junk food. Luckily for me, I did find my favourite Chinese Fuji apples at the supermarket, so that helps. After dinner, we went back to the house and everyone decided to settle down earlier in to help with the jet lag. Busy day ahead tomorrow.

Thanks for reading! Please continue to pray for our team; we will need all the support we can get!

-Lydia :)