TOLERANCE reaches a new height! The past ten days have really pushed me to the limit. I have sat through a four-hour meeting (in Arabic) without a break, on a cramped bus seat for 5 1/2 hours without a stop; stood for hours on numerous crowded city buses, tromped around the city looking for various things. Whew. What is physically stressful and mentally frustrating sure leads to emotional exhaustion. The Serenity Prayer serves me well.

The efforts did result in some accomplishment, however. Other than coming to know my back and bladder can endure much more than I thought, we did secure the 25% participation funding for my neddy, I facilitated a meeting between another volunteer and a group of women who make beautiful product, got to see my good friend Margaret, discovered a tasty treat (amlou) made of ground almonds, argan oil, and honey...kind of has the consistency of runny peanut butter.

Since I last blogged, we've had a good rain following the high winds. I'm hopeful the climate stays moderate through the end of the month. I'm so excited to have five friends coming to visit soon!

Another great news note! One of the ladies who makes beaded necklaces was able to buy much needed heart medicine with the sale of product to a store in my hometown. Following that, it was discovered she actually needed surgery. With huge financial assistance enabled by a British/American couple who live here, she had surgery yesterday. I saw her off at the taxi stand before she left, and she gave me a big hug for such a tiny person. I'm so pleased that my church also made a substantial contribution. Events like this certainly overshadow the "challenging" days as previously described.