Catching up! Jay-ash...

Boy, do I need to get myself a digital camera!! I know....I am probably the only one in our technology-driven era who still uses a camera with film. That's why I can't capture special moments in real time. Always talking about them in retrospect because I don't have the pictures to show for it. Oh well, I'll still tell good stories.:-)

Here's one.

Aaron works with an oil and gas drilling company. What that means is that he is away quite a bit. Sometimes for only 2 or 3 weeks and sometimes for longer. Of course, that makes the times we have together all the more precious...but the distance is also stressful.

The last time we met (listen to me...as if we are only dating...but that's how it feels sometimes!!)....anyway the last time we met from the 14th through the 16th of this month, we hadn't seen each other for 4 weeks!! I drove to OK on Friday because I had to register my car and so Aaron flew there from Houston where he currently is. We spent what was left of Friday and Sunday afternoon catching up with family, old friends, new babies, and the like, and going to the Baha'i Centre. And then we had booked a hotel for Saturday. So we went there on Saturday and spent the night. It was fun. Just hanging out, getting re-acquainted...so to speak. We played tennis, watched movies, enjoyed the pools and hot tub! Ah, that was the highlight of the weekend. I'll say that we both left feeling much reinvogorated....and, of course, already planning time for the next meeting!!!

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings!!!!!

Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, refers to marriage as a "Fortress for Well Being". In the last 20 months since I got married (January 6, 2006), wow!!! It feels like yesterday....Well, I was saying, in the last 20 months, there have been so many wonderful weddings that I wish to mention here. I mean...I am talking just in late 2005, 2006 and 2007!!!

There have been many, but I just want to mention some really close friends. I will look up and upload pictures of us before we got married. Anyways...starting with Sahar & Navid in Nov. '05. See her awesome blog at http://sahariabija.blogspot.com/, Dibo & Gabby in Dec. '05, Aaron & me in Jan. '06, Niaz & Maxwell in April '06, Leyla & Bate in Oct. '06, Oben & Ellie in March '07, and Vahid & May in April '07. These are some really good friends of mine.

Of course there've been tons of others, friends of mine in Edmond like Niaz Saadat, from the Baha'i World Centre like Blake & Sera, Mateen & Monica, Arash, and many others. Even in Cameroon like Enoh Tabi. In short, it's been a good two years. So feast your eyes on those pictures!!! I’m going to add Vahid’s very soon.

Sahar & Navid Moshtael (November 2005)

Dibo & Gabby Teku (Dec 2005)

Jay & Aaron Ashu (Jayash) (January 2006)

I have to mention, that my mom made us these beautiful traditional clothes (in my wedding color - Lavender and cream) so that we could dance the traditional dance during the reception.

Niaz & Maxwell Adu (April 2006)

Navid (far left) is a very good friend of mine from when we worked together in Haifa, Israel. And Gustaff (far right) is like my own brother.
And there I am 4th from the left. On the extreme ends are Farideh and Kayhan Movaffagh, a really wonderful Baha' i couple in Yukon, Oklahoma.

Raymond & Shani Ndashi (June 2006) ~ Raymond and I served in Haifa together. He's from Cameroon too. I was so happy to learn of his wedding...and sorry that I couldn't be there. They live in Canada.

Leyla & Bate Bate (October 2006)

With me are Genevieve and Chris Martin. They are very dear friends of mine. They now have a cute litte boy, Papa Ni, and live in Texas.
Mr. & Mrs. at the wedding!
Ellie & Isaac Oben (March 2007)
In the above picture, that is Aaron's mom next to him.

Clau & Mom in Haifa, Israel!!!

I thought I'd begin by giving you an idea of how beautiful it is out there in Haifa!!!! And then read on after the first set of pictures about my mom's visit.

See more pictures at http://terraces.bahai.org/photos.en.html or at http://info.bahai.org/article-1-6-5-2.html

My mom's visit to Haifa!!!!

It is often hard to explain to anyone what visiting Israel means to us Baha'is. Israel, as we all know, is a very special place, in the sense that it harbors the holy places of several major religions. For us Baha'is, Haifa and Bahji in the Akka area hold very special significance because the Founder of the Baha'i Faith (Baha'u'llah) and His forunner (the Bab) were buried in these places. Baha'u'llah lived in Akka before He passed away in Bahji. Also, in Haifa, on the side of Mount Carmel, the Baha'is have located the nerve center of their administration.

Now, for an individual Baha'i, being able to visit Haifa and Bahji is simply a dream come true. It is pilgrimage. You come to appreciate the majesty and significance of key events in Baha'i history, to visit the Holy Shrines, and to visit with our Supreme institution. You are also able to appreciate the poignant history of other religions that have graced Israel over time and to visit some of their holy places, like Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee where Christ walked and taught the multitudes.

My mother was able to visit during the month of August and she, indeed, experienced the magic of that country. She visited the holy places and shrines often during that time, and she was also able to visit Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee and many of those places where Christ walked. She was so...thankful, so grateful to God for making it possible for her to make that trip, and she was soooo happy!!!! When she returned home to Cameroon, everyone said that she practically glowed with some inner light and happiness...! In my mother's words, she "was with God".

My mom, Betty, sitting up front, and Clau, my sister, standing up in the yellow dress.

Mother and Daughter
Friends who came for a dinner in my mom's honor.
Claudine and friends.
Claudine (far right) and other Africans on a Holy Day celebration.

Back in the day - look how far we have come!!!!

Family Graduates - Clau in 2004, Jay in 2006, & Mus in 2007 ~

See us ooh...in that first picture!!! That is when we were still wet around the ears...:-) My mom and Dad are to the right, and to the left are dear family friends of ours, Ramin Gillett and his parents, David and Manal. We grew up together, they being Baha'i pioneers to Cameroon. They are among my numerous spiritual parents. Ramin has a very fascinating blog at http://inrwanda.blogspot.com/ which you should definitely check out!

Over time, see how we've evolved. Clau now has a degree in Education and a minor in Economics, Mushu has a degree in Accounting and I have an MBA with a concentration in Finance. I must say, we have our parents, Larry and Betty, to thank for their hardwork and devotion in bringing us up to take our studies very seriously!!!

Clau, mom and Dad!
Clau and Mehdi
Clau and a rich family of friends and well-wishers.
Ah! My handsome kid brother...not so small anymore!! Just lounging.

Dad, Uncle Akenji, Mushu, Cousin Ambe, and Mom.
Mus and friend.

Mus and paddies Mus and Marie
Mus and friends
And my turn!! My cousins, aunts and hubbies with me in the centre (somewhat..)

Ain't I just lucky! Ma Angeline, Jay, Ma Kona, Aunt Janemary and her sister Martha (both family friends!)
More!
My sister-in-law, Dorris (left) and my aunt, Kona (right) My hubby, Aaron, Leyla and Bate Bate. Weddings is my next topic!!!
My sweet, sweet Aunt, Kona. I have to mention that many of our Baha'i friends in Edmond came for the reception afterwards including the Hamiltons, the Rattenburys, the Smiths, Jackie from OK city, Maxwell and Niaz, Terry and Anissa, and my school friend, Caroline. So, I was really blessed with good company and well-wishers that day.