Thursday, June 21, 2007

The Middle East is in my blood on my hands...


Hello Habobi (is that plural?) Mandy here, in hot, hot Phoenix. My internship with Food for the Hungry is off to a great start. I've been here almost three weeks now and am learning a lot. I'm learning I am slightly liberal curved, suprisingly enough, compared to some of the other interns. But there are many who share similar points of view as me.

Since I've been here, my connections with the Middle East have EXPLODED! I'm meeting all sorts of people who've traveled to the Middle East, lived there and today the greatest of them all. I met the man who founded MESP. Isn't that outrageous! He lives in Phoenix now! I met him at a Brown Bag lunch speech (it's where ASU gets speakers to speak during a lunch hour and all these business people come and it's amazing). We talked about former MESP, my time there and the future (all in the span of five minutes). He and his wife will be taking me out sometime in the coming weeks to an Arab restaurant--YUM!

In other news, the internship is proving educational, useful and interesting. I'm doing writing for our blog (www.fh.or/relief_blog), I've written all of the June posts and will continue to write for it. I'm also going to be writing for the magazine FH puts out quarterly, giving updates on what we are doing in the field in relief. I get to look through TONS of amaZing pictures like these and then write about it--who could ask for anything better?

It's hot here, but I'm getting along well with my roomies and the people in the office. I feel like a sponge--or at least I'm trying to be.

Pictures: left: a girl and child at New Life Center in Northern Uganda for girls abducted by the LRA, right: two girls from an IDP camp in Darfur.

Much love and hummus.
call me to chat sometime!!

4 comments:

Tory said...

hey bud!!! so i was in a rut getting ready to minister to 8 suburban girls and feeling extraordinarily stressed about it...when i received your letter!!!!!! you make me so happy!! i love you so much and i loved reading about what you've been learning! i go on trail today (please be praying--my girls are hurting bad) so i won't be able to send a reply until i get back (next friday). I love you dear and i will be praying for you from the northwoods!!!!

margie said...

Mandy- I'm so glad you are enjoying yourself at FH. I know what you mean by being a sponge. I learned so much last summer it was unbelievable. Tell Julie Short and Bo hi for me!

Kirsten said...

I'm so glad. it seems like it turns out that ur summer is what u were praying for. Sweet!

Anonymous said...

Mandy! I`m so happy to read your update and hear how well it`s going. I just settled into my dorm and will get skype up and running for real tomorrow, and I will definitely give you a call soon.
Take care, chica.
Alissa