So, I got up this morning and brushed my teeth (usually routine), washed my face from the dirty little sleepies that creep into the corners of my eyes and washed the little spots of white that were on my face from last night’s OXY acne medication. Don’t worry, I’m not ziti or anything. Anyways, I came back, changed out of my PJ’s into my clothes for the day and got down on my knees, awake and conscious, to thank heaven for all my many blessings. And so the day began with scripture study and also some reading of the Qur’an. You know, recently I’ve been getting into the Qur’an and I’ve discovered that there are so many things that I find myself really taking to heart and saying “That’s sooooooo true!” I sometimes feel that instead of me reading the Qur’an, the Qur’an is reading me! It’s a really cool feeling and it really brings to mind the writings of Nephi and how merciful God is in giving his word to all of his children. And there’s many things that we can learn from the Qur’an, if we but had an open mind and cast our fears aside. I recommend it to anyone who is interested.
So, after scripture study, I got down to reading my lessons for the day. 2 chapters of this book, 10 pages of my grammar book, 5 pages of my Moroccan Arabic book, 1 chapter of a smaller grammar book, 2 pages of this other book and one chapter of this one book. Yeah, I have a structured little system for myself and I’m working at it consistently, which is something that requires patience, hard work, diligence and a firm mind. Eye of the Tiger baby, Eye of the Tiger! Oh, and if you haven’t seen Rocky III in a while, I recommend doing so along with reading the Qur’an.
Anyways, today, I was studying and I decided to take a walk around my neighborhood, otherwise known as Hayy Al-Amal or the “Neighborhood of Hope.” So I thought I would see what I could see and so I took a different route that the one I usually take and headed towards unknown territory. I got out and I couldn’t believe the vastness that lay before me: green fields and large, open spaces of arable farmland and mounds of dirt in areas that were being prepared for development. And off in the distance, a soccer field of some sort, but mainly spacious fields that were yet to be inhabited. It was crazy! I mean, here I was, at the edge of the ‘Hayy’ on one side, with its buildings of fine exterior and nicely arranged streets of dirt and rocks, while on the other, were open fields of farmland, many sections of which were in the process of being turned into the foundations of new buildings and lovely little homes. 5 months in Hayy al-Amal and I never even knew what lay in my backyard! It was awesome!
You know, the more I take a look at the place that I’m in and each face that I encounter, along with each voice that speaks to me and each place I visit, the more I realize that I’m falling in love little by little with this country called Morocco. Upon finishing my daily studies, I took a Little Red Taxi (super cheap) down to La Ville Nouvelle (or the ‘New City’ which the French built when they got here and which has very distinctive features and architecture) which lies on the outskirts of the Old City (the Medina). I went to La Ville to catch up with my friend Barakat and while I was in the Taxi, and as I looked out my window, I was taken back as I saw the many people who were walking, the many faces that were smiling, and a most beautiful sunset off in the distance. I sat there in my seat, pondering at the providence that had brought me to this place and which was beginning to open my heart that I might see and realize in a very profound and meaningful manner, that these were my brothers and sisters and that the people of Morocco were indeed a blessed people: simple, humble, fraternal, fearful (of God) and happy. It stirred within me such sweet feelings of love and humility which gave me great joy, for as I meditated such within the fibers of my core, I was actually perceiving the world with a new set of eyes. I was actually seeing with my heart and experiencing something new in a very powerful way. At that moment, I was blessed to enjoy the serene impressions that come to the heart when one realizes his own nothingness and the great and abundant Mercy of God in your own life and in the lives all those around you, who in a very real and undeniable sense, are your brothers and sisters. Can anyone dispute that I love Morocco? I challenge anyone to do so!
Oh, so you know: “Carlos! You will learn Arabic!” is what Sanae told me today!
