May 11 2008
Happy Mother’s Day
This morning while reading the Bible, I came across a Psalm that sounds like something a mother would say to her kids. The translation is The Message, and the passage is Psalm 15:2-5a:
Walk straight, act right, tell the truth.
Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor, despise the despicable.
Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe.
It’s hard to find better, more succinct advice than that!
I went on a site visit inside the city of Mosul this morning. There is a curfew in effect throughout the whole Ninewa Province due to an ongoing Iraqi Army operation. This offensive has been reported in most major news media. Because of this, the streets were particularly empty as we drove to the different sites today. All three of the sites we visited are sewer/storm drain projects. Below is a picture from the Al Jasaeer project site. The contractor installed a new storm water sewer system on the right hand side of the road where the new manhole and pavement is visible. Before this, there were no storm drains in this area, just like in Phoenix!
As we were returning from our mission today, I noticed an interesting tattoo on one of the team members. Instead of wearing a wedding band, he has a tattoo on his ring finger. It’s hard to read in the picture, but it says Chrissy.
Happy Mother’s Day from Mosul.
Please don’t start tattooing yourself for my benefit.
It’s actually a safety measure. A wedding band can get caught on a piece of equipment resulting in an injury to the finger. The tattoo eliminates that safety hazard. I’m glad that your nickname is so short!
That’s the truth Mugs!!! A young couple I know got married and within that first year he was sent off to Iraq. Being newly married, Tiff kept praying there would be a way they could spend their first Christmas together, and….I’m guessing you can all imagine what happened from here. Yup, God answered her prayer, just not the way she was expecting. His wedding ring got caught on the roof of a vehicle as he jumped down which ended up in the amputation of his ring finger. Well….they did get to spend their first Christmas together!!