Turn Down For What!

Disclaimer:  I do not know what "Turn Down For What" means, I've only heard it said by the youngsters so I hope this excludes me from any liability if it's in any way offensive.

I suppose this makes me a poser, I might as well go ahead and confess that this would not be a first time offense of said posing, as I had Grateful Dead bears on the back of my car all throughout high school when Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire were in fact my jam. I also wore Vans, but didn't own a skateboard and played the clarinet in the marching band.

Have you ever stayed in a hotel that had turn down service?  I hadn't either, until this trip.  Unless you count a cruise ship where they make the little animals out of your hand towels, but I don't think it counts as "turn down service" when your room is the size of a closet.  You don't know what "turn down service" is?  Well, Lovey, (said in my best Thurston Howell III voice) it's a term used in the hospitality industry to indicate a service provided by swanky hotels where they come into your room just before bedtime and turn down your bed linens (because evidently rich people can't exert this type of strenuous effort right before bed) they may also place a mint or chocolate on your pillow.

In my case, it also meant that they drew all the curtains in the room because I had the unfortunate room positioning of being over the ocean, facing the water where the sun would rise in the morning. It's at this time I should probably also mention that I was gifted the trip and the room and did not use any support funds for said luxury, but nonetheless was about His business on this voyage. Don't be a hater the truth is, being about His business I may spend a few nights under mosquito nets or with questionable bed fellows, but when the Lord decides to bless me He goes BIG. You cannot out give God, I promise.

Oh, and the only reason I know to use the term "turn down service" is from watching the Gilmore Girls, as it was a service provided at the Dragonfly Inn. (Man! I really AM a poser!)

Before 6am my room filled with light, I mean, the wake you up from a dead sleep, like some inconsiderate person flipped the switch when you don't have to get up for hours kind of light. Oh, it's at this point in the story that  you need to know I am NOT a morning person! I know studies show that all successful people get up early and that the morning hours are typically the most productive and that the Proverbs 31 woman gets up while it is still dark and prepares food, and that the Godliest people you know get up with the sunrise and spend the first hours of their day with Jesus. I'm gonna go ahead and let you know that not even Jesus wants to talk to me early in the morning! Note all of that as I tell you what happened next.

Even though the hotel staff had closed every shutter, blind, and pulled the blackout curtains as part of my "turn down service," sunlight filled my room. As I woke up and tried to process what was going on and who had turned the lights on at 5:55am in the morning, the Lord immediately spoke to me, (remember, this is NOT normal, I mean He speaks to me, it's just usually after noon when He does so.) He said, "They will do many things to keep the light out, but it will get in." Currently it is against the law to worship Jesus in the nation I had just woken up in and they make full time jobs of making sure He's kept out of their country, but He let me know at 5:55am that this would not be the case forever, that the prayers we were praying would prevail and The Light will overcome the darkness in this beautiful nation. Since I was up I took this little video for your enjoyment, sorry about the view.

Whatever You Do, Don't Smile, It's Frowned Upon

I don’t think I’ve ever been more anxious about a trip.   I’ve traveled lots, airports are like a second home, 20 plus countries. I’ve done life surrounded by monks and Buddhist temples, but this was my first Muslim country. You want to know what I know about Muslims?  They’re scary, they’re terrorists, they hate us!  I mean I've never actually met one in person, my intel is all from the TV and internet so it MUST be true, right?

I had to dress like this, which was oh so hot, but not the thing that made me most uncomfortable. The big kicker for me was I couldn’t take my Bible! Evidently it's frowned upon. 

 I’ve seen all these signs which all make TOTAL sense especially the durian one, but no Bible?! That sword thing is a metaphor guys!  Please let me bring it!  A month without my Bible won't be good for me or you, for that matter. 

I’d been to “Closed” countries before, but this one was different, it was more than closed it was locked up and dead bolted with chains to reinforce it. Metaphorically speaking of course. I mean there isn't a "No Jesus!" sign up anywhere, but the message is fairly clear.  Guess I better figure out how to show the love of Jesus without pulling out my large KJV family Bible. (Actually we ALL should figure this out!) 

The whole flight, I just imagined darkness, but when I landed the sun was shining. At the airport, they just welcomed me and waved me on in to get my luggage; they didn’t even hit me or strip search me! 

This little country is made up of a bunch of tiny islands and honestly the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.  

It was far too hot for so many clothes, but this is what their women wear, so we covered up too.

Even though we were dressed similarly, in my head, they were a different species. What on earth could we have in common?  I found myself looking away from them, not sure what to do, I didn’t smile because their faces were covered.  That makes me embarrassed laugh now because MY face wasn’t covered and obviously they could still see, so I’m not sure why it never dawned on me to smile, but I didn't dare.  Just sharing the love of Jesus by being timid, frowning, and looking away. Works every time, or not.

Did I mention it was HOT? Imagine going to the beach in THIS attire?

But they DO, I saw four women dressed in their all black burqas playing chicken in the ocean! I stopped and looked, okay I gawked, but they were on each other’s shoulders PLAYING in the ocean!? According to my sources this was not normal Muslim behavior, but you know what? It looked like it might be!  It most certainly didn't look their first rodeo!

Walking around their town I happened upon a family home.  Several women were sitting preparing for a family party of some sort, cutting veggies, smoking hookah,  and laughing of all things. To my surprise they invited me into their courtyard. I’m not sure what I expected them to do with the white lady peering into their private gate, but gratefully they invited me in, so I entered. 

 Kids were buzzing around and the men were cutting up an enormous amount of raw meat.  Upon spotting my phone, one of the ladies motioned for me to take a selfie with her and then said “Facebook.”  Chicken in the ocean, selfies, facebook, and laughter?  The common ground was growing. 

One lady brought me out some cold red fanta, drinking the water in other countries may be frowned upon, but cold, cough syrup flavored fanta is just fine. It was a million degrees so I would've gulped any cold beverage brought my direction. My selfie friend even offered me some hookah, but my boss’s wife was with me so I thought better of it. (Another silly thing we frown upon!) We really should smile more, especially at the ladies with their heads covered, I’m starting to believe there might be a human under there.