A Whole Year

Asalam Alaikum,

I have now lived in Pakistan for more than one continuous year. Wow, typing that just felt very strange. Five years ago I never would have imagined that I would live so far away from my home, my family. It is difficult living here sometimes, everything is harder than it was in America. There are lots of things that I just can't do. Some things because of how life is here(like visiting a Masjid-not allowed where we live, and I can't even express how sad that makes me), and some things because of my own lacks(shopping without a translator-I speak very little of the language).

At times it is a little scary. Right now the situation is very tense, there have been many "target killings" lately, and all the shops around here are closed for a couple days until things calm down.

InshAllah, one day I will get to go back home and then only visit Pakistan sometimes. Until then I try to view this as a learning opportunity. In America I never really thought about how different life is for people that were not as lucky as I was. InshAllah this experience will make me a better person, more caring about the suffering of people less fortunate than I.