Gather Us In

So the past few days have been a mix of finishing up orientation (thank goodness), a mini-day trip on Saturday, and a bit more free time to settle in and get some rest.

On Saturday, we went with the other newcomers (here at AUI, they call all new students "newcomers" rather than freshman or whatever. Also, many students start 2nd semester, its not as uncommon to start mid-year as it is in the states) on a day trip to Michlifen and Azrou. Michlifen is a ski resort that would have been beautiful...had there been snow. But alas, no snow here in Morocco. Everyone says it is unusually warm for this time of year. There's no telling whether or not this will change in the coming month.

Anyway, after having some tea and chatting we were bussed to a little market on the side of the street where there were also some monkeys! These are macaque, or Barbary apes which apparently are extinct but roam freely in the cedar forests of Morocco. That is just one of the many diverse Moroccan landscapes, some of which we got to see from our bus windows - mountainous regions with sparse brush, to forests with super tall pine trees, and then back to farms and such.

But anyway...here's one of the monkeys and me:

So, after that we headed to Azrou, which apparently is only about a half an hour away from Ifrane (where I live). And is more of a regular town than Ifrane, which is much more of a resort town (more on that later). We went to a little restaurant called Dernier Lion de I'Atlas, where we had tajine - a Moroccan stew-like dish that is cooked in a tajine (Moroccan pot/dish with a cone-like top in which many dishes are cooked). The dish we had was beef and an apple-like fruit dish which was served on a large common plate. Our Moroccan peers had fun showing us to eat the dish with the bread served (you rip off a piece and bread and use it to maneuver pieces of beef or fruit from the area in front of you to your mouth!).

We had a good time talking to the Moroccan students who enjoyed asking us about American television shows, apparently various MTV shows like "Pimp My Ride" and other such quality programs as Jerry Springer (they were crushed to hear that it is staged), "Friends," "So You Think You Can Dance," are broadcast here in Morocco. As well as all the lovely movies - American Pie, Austin Powers, etc...the kids at our table had seen more of the teen flicks than I had. Of course those of you who know me well will not be surprised by that. But anyway, its very common...in fact Moulin Rouge is currently showing on my roommate's TV in English with Arabic subtitles. Hilarious.

So lunch was fun, and then after some more waiting on the bus...all time is relative in Morocco...we were back at AUI. That's when we discovered the sad truth about Grey's Anatomy, but apparently we'll be able to access it via ITunes, so I'll try that! ;-)

Then last evening, after a long day of paperwork and orientation sessions, I had the privilege of worshiping with the group of Christians at AUI, a small but hearty group it seems of professors, students, and Christians working in missions (mostly local orphanages) in the Ifrane area. It was so lovely to be in that community and certainly reminded me that while I truly believe that God calls us to be in different places at different times, that there are many wonderful communities worldwide that have the gift of welcoming visitors with open arms in the name of Christ no matter what their address is. It was also interesting because apparently my first Sunday here in Morocco was also the week of Prayer for Christian Unity, so the readings, songs, and message also centered on theme of Christians uniting together despite their disagreements and differences and loving one another. And while perhaps it seems a simple thing to celebrate, the real meaning of the day seemed more acute in the little apartment where we (Protestants, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians) were worshipping together in a country, which as the pastor pointed out labels Christians "Christian" and doesn't bother to differentiate between denominational squabbles. But it was also powerful, because it was as if we were celebrating the unity of Christians worldwide and therefore uniting this little community that I became apart of with the communities that I love back home in the Chapel at Valpo, or at church in Greenwood, or the group of girls that I have gathered with for bible study in various dorms around the Valpo campus. That was a beautiful thing to be reminded of. (Claire, that's where I saw God today).

The little congregation reminded me somewhat of the church that I attended during my semester in DC last spring, because of its wonderful ability to welcome strangers and make a community amidst constant change. Both churches have members that are constantly in and out; in DC people's jobs change at a rapid pace, some people come to stay 6 months and stay for years, others the opposite. From my first impression last night, it appears that many professors and workers in the orphanage come and go, and students at AUI...well those like me are only here for a semester, others for a year. Yet, I felt more welcomed that I have in many churches (with steeples and pews rather than a small apartment with seats arranged in a circle) in the US! Anyway...so that was a blessing. They meet on Wednesday and Sunday nights, so hopefully I'll be able to attend their often despite the traveling I'm hoping to do.

Today was sort of a slow day, as it is the last day before classes. Most students were arriving back on campus and attempting to get last minute registration done and that sort of thing. That seems to be a universal trend.

A couple of us went briefly into Ifrane, which is about a 10 minute walk off campus. Like I mentioned before, Ifrane is a resort town that is fairly small until it snows or it is summer time. There's not a whole lot there, but I think it's cute and sort of a resort-y sense, and also has a lot of fabulous green park space which I hope to take advantage of! We went out to the marche to pick up a few needed items. It's reminded me of a cross between the outside markets of Jerusalem and an American mall. A long building with twists and turns and booth shops with everything from souveniers to a little square "food court" with a couple small resturants, another hallway had fruits, vegetables, and raw meat hanging from the ceiling, and then other shops with cameras, clothes, etc. The marche is also near the bus station and of course taxes surround the whole area.

Closer to campus is the center of town which has a couple of resturants and hotels, a few shops, and a teeny-weeny gas station. Not a whole lot to it, and not a lot of people around. Some of the other students have already pretty much written it off...but I think its nice and it will be fun to explore what's there over the coming months.

Well that's the update for now. Tomorrow classes start!

PS: Congrats all you Colts fans back home!