A Proper Little Evangelist

As many of you know, Ramadan started a few days ago. This is a month where all Muslims fast from all food and drink from sunup to sundown. Everyone has commented that this will be a particularly difficult Ramadaan as it is the hottest part of the summer combined with the longest days: 430am to 7pm is the fasting times these days.

After we ate together as a family (Tom is fasting as usual) we headed out to a local park. I use the term loosely, of course. I should have taken pictures (= There is a very nice gate, sturdy wall, two sections of grass, a broken water fountain, locked bathrooms, a couple of slides and swings. This park has been under construction since we moved here 4.5 years ago.

Despite all of this, Layla was very happy and by extension, so were we (=

There were plenty of other kids running around and they were very drawn to Ryan - all children love babies here. It is amazing the amount of love and care they will display to any baby. Of course it is the first foreign baby that most of them have ever seen or touched.

I had a group of about 5-6 kids come over and they were asking me all sorts of questions like:

Why is so white?
Well I am white and so is his daddy and his sister.
Why doesn't he have eyelashes and eyebrows?
He does, they are just really light.
Why doesn't he have eyelashes and eyebrows?
He does, they are just really light.
Why doesn't he have eyelashes and eyebrows? See my brother has them!
(not sure why they were so struck by this, but they do typically have the most beautiful eyes and eyelashes!)

Then the conversation took a decidely different turn:
Do you know Allah?
Yes I know him.
Do you know Allah?
Yes, everyone knows Allah, He is everywhere. (I can explain this answer more later if any of you care to hear more....)
Why don't you wear a shayla? (the covering on their head)
It isn't part of my culture
Are you going to Paradise or hell?
What??
Are you going to Paradise or hell? (Literally Paradise or The Fire)
Ummm....

I was rather stunned and was trying to think of what exactly to say here when her maid who had been listening in on the whole conversation got rather mad at her for being so forward (= She was a proper little evangelist doing the 4 Spiritual Laws in her own way!

I felt like my Arabic was terrible (it was in comparison to where it has been in the past!) and that I wasn't ready with a good response. Either way, it was a good little interaction and the kids continued to play with Ryan and Layla despite the question of their eternal damnation or salvation....