No, I didn’t miss my wedding anniversary. Kellie and I celebrated 12 years of marriage Sunday. My gift to her was 12 lists of 12 things that remind me of her and 12 hours of prayer for her and our marriage. I had the idea of the 12 hours of prayer a little more than a week before our anniversary and actually never thought I would be able to finish it in time. I actually found that it was much easier than I thought, I simply had to be intentional with my time, especially my travel time when I usually let my mind wonder. After our anniversary last year I wrote a little about what I think is our greatest habit in our marriage.
The anniversary I did miss was the one year anniversary of my first post at His Peace Upon Us. I had meant to commemorate this anniversary with a well thought out post on peace and some of my favorite posts since beginning. But the anniversary was June 3 and I arrived home at about 11:00 pm after traveling 26 hours from Syria. My family had to move back to the States in March because of my wife’s high risk pregnancy. So I went back over with a tour group from Minnesota as the tour leader and tour guide.
I love the Middle East and especially Syria. It is a great joy for me to take Americans there and show them this incredible place that is rich with history. But even better than the history is the people. How sad to think of tourists who travel all over the world to see great buildings, ruins, and sites, but don’t engage with the people in those places!
If you have read this blog much you will know that I don’t think it is possible to truly understand someone unless you have spoken to him. So my greatest desire for tourists I take to Syria is that they would talk with Syrians.
One of the goals I have for groups I take is that they would return home with a greater love for Syria and her people. I believe I’m batting 1.000 with each of the groups I’ve brought. Syrians are an easy group of people to love and as these Western tourists have interacted with them media-formed ideas quickly change. I would love to see more bridges of understanding built between different peoples and love playing a small part by bringing Americans and Syrians together.
I am happy to say, then, that I was unable to write about making peace between peoples because I was seeking to do it. It is a good reminder to me and to us all that we can talk and write about being peacemakers all we like, but hopefully we won’t ever let that be all we do.
Here is a picture of my beautiful bride in Syria.
Mabrouk/Mazeltov!
And that’s a really nice thobe your wife has. How is she doing?
Allah Yabarak Feeki.
Thanks for asking about Kellie. She is doing very well and so is baby. Lord willing, he will be born in September.
June 6th, 1998 – that’s my wedding day as well! Here’s to twelve years!
Congratulations!
Congrats for your 12th anniversary Dustin and Kellie. I pray for your happiness and joy to continue here and beyond.
It is near one year that I read your blog but I didnot know you com to middle east, I was surprized!!!how you ever com to iran ? if not , put iran in you your future list. I am sure you know that real iran is far diffrent from iran in media, we have many museumes, endless historic sites(it is realy endless),beautiful national parks(Golestan national park is very very beautiful), we have Kish Iland in south(all of foreigners can com to Kish withought Viza) and we have city of Mashhad tht holy shrine of emam reza is inthis city,if want to know more about this city this blog help you:
http://www.mashhaddailyphoto.blogspot.com/
people like you who like to bridge between diffrent cultures are like jeweles in this time that hating other people has become fasion.if you wanted more information about iran , I am always ready to help you.sorry if I have grammer erros(my writing skills is not good)and cogratulation for your aniversity.
Mariam,
I’ve never been to Iran, but would love to. Insha’allah!