Hospitality...

Do we really know what it means to show hospitality?  I mean, really…

I don’t think so.

I have experienced some of the most amazing hospitality in my life here at camp.  These people have so little to offer, but they want to have you in their “home” and visit.  That is what they know.  That is there way of life.  Even with having so little, they want to share.  It is such a humbling and moving experience.

I was on ticket duty for shoes, all day today (Friday).  Marlin and I started out at the top of the hill in the olive grove.  It didn’t rain today, but it was another cold and windy day…and let me tell you, it is really windy at the top of the hill!  Marlin and I kept hoping maybe we would get invited inside for tea…but only after a few hours, we were invited in by a young single man. 

He and his friend were living in a unit together.  Mohammed is 23 and has been here for 6 months.  He is from Yemen and was an electrician and mechanic (we think….this is all through charades and some google translate).  He made us fasolia  – onion, tomato, pepper, and beans, fried in an electric skillet.  I think the dish normally has more in it, but he made it with what he had.  We ate it with pita bread.  So delicious!  We ended our visit with him serving us tea and telling us to stay as long as we wanted and then go.  And, he left us there!  With his friend still sleeping on the floor next to us, haha!  Our entire visit was about an hour, which was a huge blessing to us.  It gave us time to thaw.

 

We continued on and finished up the olive grove area with tickets.  It was about noon when we finished.  We went back to information to find our next job.  We were sent out on more ticket duty for shoes in another section of camp.  While we were collecting information, Marlin said he wanted to get some balany (again, no idea on spelling).  An Afghani man makes it and sells it from his home.  Marlin had some the other day and wanted me to try it.  So, of course, we did.  It was basically fried bread, with some vegetables in it (not many…) and you dip it in a sauce.  It was tasty…and not healthy by any means.

 

We were invited into two more homes for tea.  The first home, Afghani family, served us tea and we visited for a bit, but it was challenging with the language barrier (and we didn’t take a photo).  The second home a bit later, another Afghani family, invited us inside for tea and then the power was out so they couldn’t make us tea.  We spent some time visiting with them.  The father spoke English very well.  We had a fun visit with them.  They were a family of 11 living in a small unit.  Abdul Jalil worked in banking and microfinance in Afghanistan.  They have been in camp for 6 months.  He hopes to stay in Athens and live there.

It is hard to hear them say how it is a hard life in camp.  These are intelligent, gifted people who left their homes due to violence, only seeking a better life for their families.  It is hard to say I am from America when they ask.  I am so privileged and have so much…

I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to be here.  If you are reading this and have ANY interest in coming here sometime or any interest in this type of work, please message me.  This has been such a good cultural and learning experience…and it’s only Friday!  Time is going quickly…