Thanks Dad

Tonight I went to a lecture given by a woman who lives in Egypt and is sailing with us until Morrocco. She told us so many things about Islam in Northern Africa. I have always been unfamiliar with the Islamic religion but she put it into words that were easy to understand! She talked specifically on the woman's role in the Islamic faith and the progress that they have made in Egypt. Of all of the things I learned tonight from her presentation, the biggest thing that stood out to me was when she talked about marriage customs for the Islamic religion and the Islamic family. Up until 2008 (which is 3 years ago....) girls were typically married by the age of 15. In 2006 a new law came that prohibits girls from marrying until they are 18. However, this law is only valid in Egypt. Often times, the father of the family will sell his daughter to a Saudi man (usually a widower) at the age of 14. The lecturer told us that in 9 out of 10 situations the daughter will come home in less than a year either with a child or pregnant. The idea of family honor is also a huge ordeal amongst Islamic communities. Up until 2006, if someone violated your family's honor in any way, you could kill them with little or no consequences by law. After a new law was passed in 2006, if you killed someone because of family honor you will spend life in prison. As I was sitting there listening to the presentation I kept thinking that these situations must have been extremely common in order for the government to issue new laws about these topics. I can't imagine being 14, sold by my father, married to a stranger and bearing his child.

 

As a lovely accompaniment to that lecture, I went to Bible study tonight as well! Funny enough... we talked about Mary (the young virgin who bore Jesus!) It was odd to make the comparison between the two time periods and the two situations. After the study some girls and I gathered for a worship session in an empty classroom. When we are sailing back we are going to try to reserve the piano and I am going to play worship songs for everyone. One girl on the ship happens to have sheet music for all of the songs and I happen to be able to play them!

 

So I want to take this moment to thank my family especially my dad for not selling me to a widowed Saudi Islamic man when I was 14. I never thought I would appreciate it as much as I do right now. Please keep me and my ship in your prayers because there are lots of horrible sicknesses going around on the ship. 25% of the ship currently has it and many more have already had it and recovered from it. It is such a suffocating feeling watching all of the sicknesses around you knowing that I am stuck on a boat with all of these germs! I wash my hands every chance I can and there is hand sanitizer all around the ship. I just need to make it through Morrocco and I'll be set... oh and by the way... I am 4 days away from ziplining!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!