moroc.

morocco is...sandy, windy, colorful, french, arabic, african, busy, smelly, wonderful, and full of life. casablanca looks nothing like the movie, but it's still wonderfully european with its little cafés and pastry shops. the beach in essaouira is constantly being blasted by a brutally whipping wind, reminiscent of the sahara desert--which is merely miles to the east. the men are overt, usually friendly, and always ready to sell you a tour, carry your bags, or offer you a few "space cakes" to spice up the day. the women are quiet, withdrawn, and mostly covered from head to foot in traditional muslim dress.

and the markets.

every city has them. they are cramped, noisy, crawling with locals and tourists alike, with displays of vibrant fabrics and elaborate beadwork swaying in the breeze, and smelling of fresh crêpes mixed with new leather and the exhaust of motorbikes. it's a shopper's paradise, since they offer everything from curiously unique clothing to beautifully carved furniture...all of it available for moroccan dirhams, at whatever price you can barter your way down to. amazing.

we started in casablanca, and rambled off to essaouira last week. our school leaders, will and jeremy, flew in to join us for awhile. it was such an encouragement to spend time with them, hear their stories, and glean from their wisdom and experience! we got a routine going, and put it into action for our time in morocco.

our schedule looks something like this: breakfast at 8am. team meeting at 9. we give thanks through music and meditation during the first part of our morning meetings. i've been learning the importance of giving Him glory during these past few weeks. everything comes out of this. without it, we are disconnected, weak, and without purpose. we also spend a lot of time interceding. we ask Papa to speak, and give Him time to do so. we ask for pictures, words and scripture for the day, always looking for direction from Him before we go out to do His work. after that, we head out for lunch and proceed to wander purposefully...

not surprisingly, fulfilling our purpose here has required a bit of a different tactic than any of the other countries we have visited in africa. as a local moroccan informed us, "everyone here is a muslim." our presence alone allows light to burst through in a stronghold such as this, but we've also spent our days exploring the city, intentionally positioning ourselves for the Father to use us. we've met many different types of people, chatted with them, asking questions, and many times even getting them to delve into deeper conversation topics! there are already some amazing stories of friendships made, seeds planted, and curious seekers finding truth by spending time with our team!

today tanah, amanda and i went into the market and asked Papa to send people our way. He really does prove himself to us again and again. literally three minutes later, two moroccan guys popped over to say hello, and obviously wanted to chat. we jumped at the opportunity, and spent 45 minutes asking about their beliefs, telling our stories, and sharing the Truth with our new friends, ahmed and yussef. it was amazing how receptive they were! even with the language barrier, we were able to communicate so much. i'm learning more and more that i really don't have to do much for the Father to work. i just have to make myself available, and He'll do the rest.

tonight is our last in essaouira. tomorrow morning we hop a bus to marrakech to continue our work for the next 7 days. that's all we have left! 7 days. after that is team debrief, and then finally ISRAEL!!! excitement is building. but for now, i'm thoroughly enjoying my time in morocco. especially because we finally have running water and a real toilet! :)

love from africa,

-jaclyn