Me and my Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

This was the PPE that I used since I came to Iraq.  I had to get new when I came back from my regional rest break.  Glad I never really needed it's protective powers! :)

Halloween in the IZ

On Halloween night, a few of us girls walked over to Union 3 to see the underground part of one of the palaces.  We were told it was a torture chamber/holding cells.  I'm not sure if this was told to us to make us scared or what.  But it was pretty clear to me after a short bit that it was definitely a bomb shelter.  They may have kept prisoners there as well, but if necessary, they'd be able to survive a nuclear attack. 

The reason I realized this is because it's very similar to the Soviet bunker I visited while in Latvia!  So now I've been in a Soviet and an Iraqi bunker...wonder what kind of bunker I'll get to visit next! :)

DJ Brew

Since coming to Baghdad I've discovered another talent...being a DJ! :)

People said I did a good job and everybody danced and had a good.

Regional rest breaks...

As many of you know, I elected regional restbreaks to take advantage of travel while I'm in the region. My first was Jordan, and I'm on my next one. I went first to Turkey and now I'm in Dubai, UAE. Here is my first picture from Dubai

)

Living and learning

There are times in our lives that we make choices that impact our future.  Where to go to school?  What job to take?  Should I move?  Then there are smaller choices that seem insignificant:  What should I wear today?  Should I talk to that person?  Should I do this or that with my free time.
All of these decisions, whether great or small, impact where our path will lead.  Sometimes these decisions allow us to forget who we really are, what we know, and what we'll accept.  There are those who don't have to make bad decisions to know that they won't be happy with the repercussions.  But there are times when we make choices that end up leading us down a path that we can't get off of, or is very difficult to come back from.  These are the times that determine which fork we are going to take.  The easy road, or the hard road.  Many choose the easy road and end up continuing in misery.  Those who decide to take the hard road, end up growing and learning, becoming stronger.
Then there are the times when all we can do, is stop in the middle of the road, fall to our knees and ask our Heavenly Father to step in and lift us up.  Help bridge the gap that we as mortals cannot cross.  When you've reached such a point, the going is slow, painful, and many times you feel as if you can't go on...that you don't know if you are strong enough to overcome the pain and misery.  These are the times that the Lord intercedes by sending a friend...or letting you hear a song with a special meaning...or the prayers of loved ones helps buoy you up...
You may be on your knees for hours, or hundreds of times throughout the day.  The amazing thing is that the Lord will always hear you, and send these little things to help you along.  If you pray to Him a hundred times a day, he will always listen.  That is when you need to take a minute to allow Him to speak to you, and answer your prayers.  He always will answer your prayers.  Perhaps not in the way that you think, or as fast as you may want, but He will never fail you. 
It is not always easy to remember who we are.  Satan bombards us every day, from many different angles.  Sometimes we are strong enough to disregard what he tells us.  But there are times, when we are at our weakest, that he is able to make us doubt our self-worth.  It is these times when we need to pray louder and more fervently to the Lord for help. 
We are children of a Heavenly Father that loves us.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He wants us to return and live with him.  There is no greater supporter than our Savior Jesus Christ.  If we turn to Him, He will guide us back to our Father in Heaven.  Do not settle for less than the best.  Do not allow the temptations to distract you from the goal of returning to our Heavenly Father.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to return to our Father and Mother in Heaven.  The love and support of the Savior, family, friends, prayers said on our behalf, help fill our weaknesses and make them into strengths. 
I am grateful for an amazing family, and wonderful friends.  I'm grateful for the Savior Jesus Christ and all that He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then on the cross at Calvary.  I am grateful for the Church and the priesthood, blessings of strength, and wonderful examples.
When we look back, we realize that sometimes, in order to learn something, we have to go through the most difficult time of our life, but we are not alone.  Remember that no matter where you are, you are never alone.  You can always reach out to Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ and He will guide you safely home.  What comfort that gives me.
With Love,
Mischa

My trip to Jordan

I got to take my first regional rest break (RRB) to Jordan.  I spent a week getting a chance to tour around and see some amazing things and a friend came with me so I wasn't alone. Here I am waiting for our taxi who was my friend's uncle.

Eating my first traditional Jordanian meal.  It was yummy.  Shwarma is meat cooked by open flame, really yummy.  Then you eat it with fresh bread and hummis. It was good, but messy!

The Dead Sea is below sea level and extremely salty.

First we went to Dead Sea and spent the night.  Wow, it's indescribable the feeling of floating in the water.

Then we went down to Aqaba but I didn't snorkle, we just got in the water.

Afterward we drove to Petra and stayed the night.  We got up early and went to see the Treasury, which you'll recognize from Indiana Jones... ;)

Then we drove to Wadi Rum which is a large desert.

We stayed overnight in a Bedouin tent. And this is the camp leader. He was really funny.

After Wadi Rum, we headed back towards Amman and on the way we stopped by the Jordan River.  Even though it wasn't really clean, it was amazing to put my feet in the river where Christ showed us by example one of the first steps we have to take to return to our Father in Heaven.

And on the other side of the Jordan River was Israel.  So even though I haven't been to Israel, I have seen it.  One day soon, I will be on the other side because I am going to visit Israel before I leave.

While my friend visited his family, I spent the next couple of days in and around Amman.  This is Jerash.  It is a very large Roman ruin, the largest I've ever seen.  This row of columns is pretty famous.

Then I went to a castle ruin.  It was like many other castle ruins.

This was a wonderful trip.  This was a fun picture to take.  I always like taking these funny pictures where ever I go.  I actually have more, and perhaps will do a "Jordan part 2".

I really enjoy traveling and am grateful to have gone and walked some of the path that the Lord has walked.  And being in another country makes me very grateful for everything I have.

Girls night out at Dojo's

Last night a group of 14 girls went to Dojo's one of the restaurants in the Green Zone in Baghdad.  We went partly because it was Robin's last night and partly just to be the "girls" a much needed thing being completely surrounded by men!

Then after we went to the Dutch Embassy for a party.  I got to meet some Brits, a Pole, an Australian, and an Iraqi!  It was a lot of fun. Then we went to a black-light party at Baghdaddy's.  It was a wonderful and fun night, Robin was really glad that I arranged it for her...

Well, I didn't arrange the Dutch party or the black-light party, but she was glad we all went!  This is Robin.  She is based in New York and we are already planning a "reunion" party of all the girls that have come really close to while here.  Thank goodness for good friends! :)