for my outreach trip this semester, i went to iraq with a friend to visit her family. honestly, iraq blew my mind. it was so beautiful, the people were so kind and open, the language was so fun and the culture was so fascinating. the reason i chose to go to iraq was because it seemed the most adventurous and interesting. before i went, i didn’t even think about what it would be like. somewhere in the back of my mind, i think i had visions of desserts and women in burqas and bombed out buildings but this couldn’t be further than what i found. we were in kudistan in the north and it was beautiful and green and lush. during our visit, we spent a lot of time with my friend andie’s family, visited some of the surrounding cities, worked on our hands and knees at the freedom center (the building andie’s dad is in iraq to help construct), had lunch with the kindest muslim family and had lots of great fellowship. i can honestly say i have fallen in love with iraq in every way and would love to go back someday. what started out as an adventurous outreach choice turned out to be one of the biggest blessings of my life. till next time, iraq.