New Year.....New Beginnings

Things are changing quickly around here.  Al received the final call of confirmation and she begins Monday at the "embassy" of the PLO Delegation to the U.S. on embassy row!  I am including the website at the bottom of the blog.  She & Ben are going up Saturday to check out the metro route.  She will be staying at David's near Dulles temporarily until she maybe gets something closer to downtown.  Lots of prayers requested please.  This is going to be incredible but a challenge!
Tuesday, I drove down and spent several hours with Sheila & Glenn Plott.  The time goes by so fast when I am with them!  We had a wonderful time sitting around the kitchen table.  Then I met Allie & Paige/Grover in Williamsburg at "Food For Thought" for a delicious lunch, exchanging presents and conversation.  Again, the time goes by so quickly when we are all together! 
We all got home just in time for the SNOW STORM!!!!  Lots of snow and cold weather so it isn't melting.  Schools are closed and everybody's happy!
John visited Lois' mom at Southside Regional Medical Center.  She's there with an infection.  Then I just talked with Bobby Allen....his wife fell in the kitchen.....broke her arm in 2 places and is having surgery at John Randolph this afternoon.  Whew......I also had an old school buddy get in touch with me last night.  He is getting his first chemo.....diagnosed very quickly with lymphoma.  I hope and pray that the rest of the year isn't sprinkled with these kinds of happenings. 
I'm distracted with Allie's events....going to help her pack for the week.....so excited for her!  Can't wait to talk with our Nablus friends about all of this! 
To explain, the U.S. doesn't recognize Palestine as a country.  It has two governing bodies:  The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) who's president is Mahmoud Abbas is the rational voice of peace for the Palestinians.  Then there is Hamas, the violent extremists who pretty much have control of Gaza.  With no recognition as a country, Palestine can have no embassy, so they have a DELEGATION with an ambassador appointed by the PLO president. 
This is the group Allie will be with.  There are 10 people in the office representing the voice of Palestine.  It is important and they were looking for someone that knew all the ins and outs of the area:  religious, political, historical, and current events.  My girl is so smart & knowledgeable. 
Here's the website for the "embassy".....

http://plodelegation.us/delegation/chief-representative/