Turkey Central

One of the first things we did when we moved here was go to dinner with members of the Ward at Turkey Central. Over the past year and a half it has become one of our favorite spots to eat. We had to eat there one more time before we took off.

Bon Appetite!

We had dinner tonight with our friends Belma and Roberto Igares. They are here in Doha working and sending money home to kids in the Philippines. I love Belma and Roberto. They are two of the best and most positive people I know. Belma and I are in Young Women's together. She always greets everyone with a big smile and a hug.

Driving in Qatar: DUDE! Watch This!

I am always a little bit sceptical of ANYTHING that is forwarded to me by email. My first reaction was that this picture was created with photoshop, but after living here....I am not so sure! I have seen cars go up on two wheels (on purpose) as they go through the roundabouts. With car accidents being the highest cause of death for Qatari youth, this picture really does not surprise me.

Charly Dog

When Charly is tired, she will sleep anywhere we are: in the kitchen, under my desk, or sitting next to me on the couch while I work on the blog. Here are a couple of photos I just took. The flash woke her up and after a brief moment of being camera shy, she decided to get a little closer.

Final Friday

Church this Friday was a bit sad. School is over and many of the families are going home for the summer. I thought it would be easy to leave Doha in August because many people would be gone and I wouldn't have to say as many goodbyes. The problem is that since everyone else leaves at different times, I am going to end up saying goodbye for 3 months! This week is when most people will leave. After church there were a lot of hugs, some tears, and many goodbyes. Many people have family in Utah and go there for at least part of the summer. (This is when they try to organize some YM/YW baptisms and ward temple trips.) After a while I felt like a modern version of that scene in Legacy where they cry and say "We will be together again in Zion!"

This has been an amazing ward. I really will be devastated to leave it. They have really been our family here. The Doha Ward of the Arabian Peninsula Stake is a great example of everything a ward should be. I am in awe of all the amazing and genuinely "good" people here. I will also really miss my Young Women. I have been working with the YW since right after we arrived. They are amazing girls and I have learned so much from them. I also have a new appreciate for the wonderful YW leaders I had growing up.

Last Day of School

For those of you who don't know: Jon has been teaching 8th Grade Science at the American School of Doha since last fall. It has been a challenging, rewarding, and patience-building experience for him. I made him pose for some pictures in is classroom when I picked him up from his last day. He got some nice notes, presents and comments from his students and coworkers. I am really proud of how well he did. It was fun to see the "disciplinarian" side come out in him. :)

Mutual Closing Social

Tonight was our Young Men/Young Women closing social before over half the youth go home for the summer. Karaoke and swimming are two favorite activities:

Come Back Soon Party

With so many people moving and leaving for the summer, the Tibbitts hosted a "Come Back Soon" Party. It was fun to get together one last time. Here are some of the photos:

Spaceship Mosque

Mosques come in all shapes and sizes. This one we passed on the way home is one of my favorites. I think it looks like a spaceship. It also reminds me a little bit of the Reams on Freedom Blvd in Provo.