Ramadan

We just completed day three of Ramadan here in the islands and I thought I would write a little about Ramadan and how it affects our family. Ramadan is the holy month for Muslims. Since I am not a person that practices all the acts of Islam, I cannot tell you all the details of Ramadan. I know Ramadan is more than just a month of fasting, but as an outsider that is really all we see. Here in the islands, most of the islanders participate in Ramadan. I say most just to say I know some do not participate, but pretend to participate. Like us they follow all the public rules but while inside away from the social pressure, they have the freedom to do what they want in their homes. When our friends fast, they don't take any water or food from sunrise to sunset. It is not permitted for anyone to eat or drink in public. It seems that the mosques have more attenders this time of year. Many will have an early morning meal about 4AM and then not eat or drink until about 6:20PM in the evening. Some will stay up most of the night and eat and drink and try to rest most of the day. Not all do this, but some turn their lives completely upside down. The men will gather at the mosque to break the fast together with juice and water. After a prayer, they will usually attend large meals in their homes with family and friends. Because of the late nights and difficulty in maintaining normal life, business and school hours are cut short. For this month, Braden is going to school at 9:00am and comes home at 2:00pm. There is no lunch break and he is not permitted to eat or drink during the day. He is doing really well with it… kind of a forced fast. We told him that the fast was healthy for him spiritually and that he can pray during the day. We told him that it can remind him of the poor who have no food and it can also strengthen his relationship with God. We tell him that fasting is really a matter of the heart and God looks at the heart. We encourage him to participate in the fast (he doesn't really have a choice) but to have the right mindset as to not waste the opportunity. Many of the people on our island like to ask us about how we manage during the fasting month. They assume that we would be angry or frustrated with the rules and inhibitions. Sometimes it is frustrating to get business done when the business hours are cut short, but my usual response is … “I kind of like it.” I usually explain that I don't really care for the forced fast and that I prefer to fast quietly throughout the year for the purpose of connecting with God. The Ramadan month is different here than in some countries as we don't have sacrifices (no animals). There are some real peaceful times. When the people are in their homes breaking fast, nobody is in the street or on the beach. It is so quiet and all you can hear is the ocean. I've really come to enjoy it. I love sunsets, so Kyndal and I watched the sunset alone tonight. It was beautiful and looked like the sky was on fire. It reminded me of our Creator. He is worthy of a month long fast and even longer. Praise be to God.