April 24, 2008 Journal Entry

Susan preparing for Iran

"Just don't take magazines with photos of naked women," Leila Zand, our Iranian-American FOR consultant told us last night. Our delegation was on our fourth and final conference call to prepare for our trip to Iran and discussing what is okay to take into the country. "Oh, of course not," I thought. "I don't buy those magazines anyway." "Leila," someone asked, "by 'naked' do you mean without a head scarf?" "Yes," she replied. "Feel free to take food magazines." I'm really doing this, I thought. I'm really going to visit a conservative Islamic culture. Our visas have been granted.

Saturday I attended a prayer day, deep in the rolling hills of Coshocton country, over an hour south of my home. I'd been feeling rushed and flurried as I realized that I could in no way accomplish what I hoped to during this sabbatical. I knew I needed time apart with God to center before the trip, to reach deep inside, to listen. Ironically, as I prepare to visit a desert country, the theme was water as a face of God. ("Let justice roll down like water…" "Beside the quiet streams…") But I didn't go for the input, I went to sit with God and to go with God to Iran and the people God loves there, to be amazed that the timing of the retreat was perfect.

The unexpected part of the day was the questions and prayers of other participants when they learned why I had come. This trip has seemed a sensible part of the trajectory of my calling, but on Saturday we were on a first name basis and mostly didn't know each other. How to explain why I was going to Iran? Finding the answers brought the reality closer and now my heart pounds a bit when I stop to consider.

One of the first questions, from the woman who took my passport and then my visa photos, from people on Saturday, and from most anyone, is "are you scared?" I'm not at all scared of the Iranian people-they love people from the United States and desire much of our culture. Repeatedly in books and news articles U.S. citizens have said that the Iranian people easily distinguish between the U.S. government and U.S. people. I've just begun reading Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies by Barbara Slavin (http://www.amazon.com/Bitter-Friends-Bosom-Enemies-Confrontation/dp/0312368259). The first chapter is titled "Death to America" and "Can I have your autograph?" Slavin relates many stories, one of which takes place during Revolution Day activities. The group chants anti-U.S. slogans while young girls pass scraps of paper to Slavin, asking for her autograph, saying, "Sorry. We love Americans." After the September 11 attacks, Iranians were in sympathy with the United States (nearly a million Iranians live in the United States), lighting candles, holding demonstrations. Additionally, I'm rather certain that Iran doesn't choose to provoke incidents with the United States through peaceful tour groups. We will have a guide assigned to make sure all goes well for us and we are hosted by an interfaith group in Iran that wants to insure that we have a pleasant time.

International travel, however, does give me butterflies. Please do pray that my jet lag doesn't make me sarcastic or inattentive; that I'm able to stay reasonably healthy; and most importantly, that I'm able to be sensitive across cultural and religious chasms both within our group and with our hosts. Our delegation is very diverse, including people of Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, and Indigenous spiritual backgrounds, from 11 different states and ranging in age from 20 to 65.

Last night we also considered gifts to take along. I've been invited to take 10 peace lamps! Remember-we're only taking carry-on luggage that we can personally CARRY. I'm delighted to take along prayers for peace from Mennonites across the country, but now I'm wondering why we chose lamps to convey this message!