Mutiny in Bangladesh

For some people here, life is going on as usual: for others, it has become a nightmare. I had no idea trouble was brewing until yesterday noon when I received a call from Riley's school, wondering if I had heard there was fighting going on and they were not sure if they should send the bus. In the end, he did come on the bus but it was a strange feeling for me to have my child "out there" even though we didn't really expect trouble on the roads they would be taking. We then heard that a 3 p.m. curfew was going to be in effect for the city (though I still have not seen that confirmed in the news). Our office shut down early so people could get home. So no sooner was Riley home safe and sound when we started to think about the others. In the end, they canceled school early and made it home without a problem. The children didn't really know what was going on, except that there was some fighting. It was almost humorous to hear little boy ideas as to what that meant, such as rocks being thrown. Yet it was so not funny to tell them it was much worse than that, that soldiers were fighting each other with guns and people were dying because they were tired of the way they were treated. Pruitt told me his heart had been beating really fast so I held him and we talked some more about what was going on. The rest of the day passed quietly - seriously, Dhaka is rarely this quiet - except for the area where the fighting is going on. To give you an idea, it's about a 15 - 20 minute rickshaw ride away, just around the corner from our favorite Bengali restaurant and beside the shopping center where we like to buy dvds. But from here we can't hear a thing.

Just in case things were going to be cancelled for today, Austin went to the market really quick and got paint to paint the boys' room and tomatoes for me to can. So I started canning some of them yet yesterday afternoon, and baked some bread as well. In the middle of all this, the neighbors came to the door and wanted to see how we had painted the other rooms and what set up we have here. So I showed them around and had to chuckle to myself at things that would have really offended me at one time but I've been here long enough that it makes me want to LOL instead. Like the grandma, looking into a dark empty room and telling us all that the fan had been left on. Like being asked how much this and that cost. Like how our big open space, which I love, is wasted space. Meanwhile my kitchen was overflowing with tomatoes and bread and the boys were starving for dinner which I had basically not even started. But I embraced the opportunity to be a neighbor and was once again grateful that I have neighbors I can be comfortable enough around to show my house to, even if it's a mess.

This morning we were all up bright and early, wondering if there would be school. There was, so we got the boys on the bus and Austin went to the office and I started painting. Around noon we received word that, instead of being ended like we thought, the fighting is actually spreading to other districts and some really horrific things are going on - head officers being brutally murdered, etc. Instead of trying to put it in my own words, I'll post some links and you can check out the latest happenings for yourself.

edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/25/bangladesh.gunbattle/index.html?iref=topnews

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7911524.stm



Since the trouble is mostly in Bangladesh Rifles Quarters, we are not in danger and we have no plans of heading that way. So if you are worried about us, don't be. Instead, pray for those who are on both sides of this, as well as for the government to know how to handle it. I am so saddened to think how many lives have been lost and am praying that it will end soon.

Unfortunately, the boys were planning to go to a kids' camp outside of Dhaka this weekend, but that has been cancelled. Even though the area would probably have been safe, cell phone towers have been turned off outside of the city and they would not have been able to contact parents, which would not have been a good feeling, given the current situation. So I am about to welcome my boys home and am wondering how we can make this a special weekend anyway. Lets see, I have 2 walls painted blue in their room... I wonder if they'd like to help put orange on the other walls. LOL I'm sure they would, but will it push me over the edge? Maybe they can "camp out" in the living room. Any ideas anyone?

Ta ta for now.

Highlights of Our Trip

Highlights of our trip were... a pool to swim in,


trials to hike and nature to enjoy,


beautiful people,


time to relax and listen to each other,


new places to see and great people to be with. I feel like I've gotten to know my team mates much better, which helps me appreciate them more. I had time to sit and do nothing but watch the sun and the wind dance with the trees. I laughed more than I have laughed in a very long time. It was refreshing.

A Trip Out Of Dhaka

This past weekend, we took a train trip to the town of Sri Mongol with some of our co-workers. Here we are, waiting at the station, surrounded by beggars and other travelers. The shot below shows a bit more of the crowd around us but really can't do justice to the experience of traveling here.



What a relief to leave the city and see green again. I love to see the vibrant shades of the rice paddies, from the brilliant green of the new shoots to the golden stalks of ripened rice, with many different shades in between. I marvel at the perfect rows and the endurance of the farmers.


Our train stopped a couple of times so during one rather long stop, the kids got down and played a bit of tag, which helped to release some pent-up energy. It had been coming out in other ways, like hitting the seats to see how much dust would fly up into the air. It was rather cloudy on their side of the car for a bit. Then the boys got out their candy that they had accumulated from Grandma and the circus and soon had a sugar high to add to the normal high level of energy that they seem to all have been born with. Needless to say, we were all happy to get to our destination.


Here is one of the many onlookers they had, as they played during the stop.

The Poverty That Surrounds Me

I have often tried to articulate what it feels like to live in a third world country. In my years here, I have met so many beautiful people, been surrounded by such needs, heard so many heart breaking stories, too much to put into words. Well, they say a picture is worth a thousand words... so try watching Slumdog Millionare. I had the opportunity to see it this weekend and was deeply moved. The story mostly takes place in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) but it may as well have been Dhaka. It's about a chaiwallah ( person who serves tea) who spent his life in the slums and whose horrific experiences gave him the answers to the questions on a TV show, where he has the chance to win a million rupees. I don't want to "give away" the story because I really want you all to watch it, especially if you are one of our friends "back home." It gives you a picture of why we are here, as well as why it breaks my heart to be here. One reason we came back is because of the words of an ancient prophet that have become my theme over the last couple of years -

" A beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king! Your father also had plenty to eat and drink. But he was right and just in his dealings. That is why God blessed him. He gave justice and help to the poor and needy, and everything went well for him. Isn't that what it means to know me?" says the Lord. (from Jeremiah 22:15,16)





This sweet little girl, pictured above, sells potholders to help support her family. We met her at the market one day and she followed us around until we were done. Not asking for more sales or trying to get anything out of us, she just wanted to be with us. It's the beautiful souls like her that really break my heart. The other day I encountered two other girls, who just wanted to talk, to shake my hand. "Who owns you?" I wanted to ask them as I sat and offered a prayer of blessing for them.

Believe me, I have my days of wondering what I am doing here, of feeling like my presence isn't making a difference, of missing my family and friends so much that it hurts, of feeling like all I have to offer is a crumb when the world around me is starving and the needs are beyond what I can meet. But, I am talking to myself now, to offer the crumb I have is better than to keep it for myself just because I feel it is too small.

Oh, and if you watch the movie, be sure to watch the credits at the end or you will miss one of the best parts! And I'd love to hear your thoughts after you watch it.

Soccer Tournament

A major topic of conversation in the Miller household has been the soccer tournament. My boys could hardly wait for the big day. A lot of different schools were invited to the French School, who hosted the event, for a big day of "football" as it is called in this part of the world. Jensen and Pruitt both proudly played for Grace International School and Riley was happy to watch for a little while but then he found one of his classmates and had the time of his life running around the huge school yard, behind the tents, on the slides, darting here, there and everywhere. Riley has about the shortest legs of any 5 year old I know, but they are full of speed! It makes me laugh to watch him go.


Here is Pruitt, playing against a team from the Australian School.


Jensen played 110%, if not more. I got so tickled watching him and realized this is the perfect game for him, with all his energy and enthusiasm.

Neither of the boys' teams made it to the finals, but they played well and had a great time. They were quite proud of the medals they received for participating. Needless to say, we had some very tired out boys to put to bed that night.

We had a quiet Valentine's Day - except for in the morning, when the boys discovered the packages of candy Grandma sent them! They had fun returning to those throughout the day. I got some peas and green beans into the freezer. We watched Snow White as a family and just had some "down time".

Birthday Weekend

This is me, on my birthday. I often become introspective around the time of my birthday and this year was no exception. I had a really horrible week, to be completely honest. I found solace in the "mundane" chores, especially hanging out the laundry and sinking my hands into various batches of dough. I don't really want to go into a lot of detail on a public blog but suffice it to say that it feels like the monster has gotten a little weaker, I've gained some new insights, been overwhelmed with encouragement, and received amazing gifts, some from my fellow human beings and some from my Creator. In fact, before I woke up on my birthday, I had a lovely dream in which I woke up on my birthday and it was raining and I was so happy. The layers of dirt were gone from the leaves and everything was fresh and green again. Even though I was disappointed to really wake up and find it had only been a dream, I was blessed with the reminder that God knows the things that really make me happy. Even though things don't always go the way I would like, He knows my heart and understands why I'm sad when I'm sad, why I'm happy when I'm happy. And I continue to hold on to the hope that someday, everything will be made right.

So, back to my birthday, I woke up to the sound of my guys singing "Happy Birthday" and was immediately handed a cup of hot coffee and 3 sweetly wrapped packages, each containing a darling necklace. I spent the morning watching Riley's preschool having sports day, on the lovely grounds of the American Club. I could have kicked myself for not taking the camera... so you can't see what it was like. Just imagine between 20 and 30 cute kids, doing potato relays, throwing balls, etc. What made me happiest was to spend the morning surrounded by pots and pots of flowers. I absolutely love flowers and greenery and the few trees I see from my apartment windows just don't cut it. We hung out afterwards and he played on the playground and I enjoyed connecting with other moms. We grabbed lunch there before taking a rickshaw as close to the "downtown" shops as we could, so I could pick up a few things that I can't find on our side of town. Then we grabbed a CNG, to Riley's delight, and buzzed home. I was so impressed to see a handful of disabled men, selling popcorn and pot holders at various intersections, instead of just begging. And the sweetest young girls who didn't ask for a thing, just looked and smiled and wanted to shake hands. In the evening, we met my in-laws at one of my favorite restaurants for dinner and then had ice cream cake at their place later.

We had a laid back day yesterday. Austin took the boys with him and picked up a couple of shelves.


Here he is, after setting up the biggest shelf in his studio. It makes a huge difference when you have a place to put things! Again I am impressed with the things he does with "stuff". We had some friends over in the evening for pot pies and mint chocolate brownies. The mood was dampened a bit by our neighbors who complained twice about the noise the kids were making. It's to the point where they can't run at all without us fearing a call or knock at the door. Somebody help me out here - do kids here not run and play? If you live in a city of 14 million and share an apartment building with between 50 and 100 (just guessing), wouldn't you expect to put up with a bit of noise? Please forgive us, but we really are trying! The kids handled it pretty well and, in the end, had a lego building contest which was quite impressive. Here is Riley, putting the finishing touches on his.


And now we are enjoying a quiet Saturday. The leftover pot pie is in the oven and we are about to devour it.