My Name is JONELLE!!

When I was born some 38 years ago my parents were shocked!  They thought for sure I was going to be a BOY and my name was going to be JOHN, named after my paternal-grandfather!  Thus the dilemma of what to name Garo girl #3.  The story goes that during my mom's WEEK LONG (are you kidding me...managed care 24 hours and you are out on your ear!), stay in the hospital the nurses were urging her to name her baby...they needed to write something besides Baby Garo on my birth certificate!  One version of the "Name" is that the woman sharing my mom's hospital room said, "Why don't you name her Jonelle, it is the feminine form of John in French!"  The other version, told by my Dad, is HE is the one who came up with my name.  Which ever version you chose is your preference, but my name is still JONELLE.  I didn't like my name much growing up...There were NO bicycle license plates, mugs,pencils, key chains, stickers, etc. with my name on them.  The closest I ever came was a mug that simply read, "SUE" (this was the closest anyone ever got...since my MIDDLE name is SUZANNE!) Invariable the first day of school the teacher would call roll and say, "Suzanne?, Suzanne? SUZANNE? (of course I was ignoring this), or they would butcher my name so badly that I would just stare at them in disbelief.  But as I got older I realized that my name was SO COOL...it is totally unique.  I had never met ANYONE ELSE with my name. (until 1984 when the short-lived, night drama, BERINGERS came out and there was an actress named JONELLE!, oh, and one of the check-out girls at the Meat Market...) other than that, I was special!  The problem was that EVERYONE, besides my family, either couldn't read my name, say my name or remember my name.  And the problem was wide-spread!  People at EVERY church I attended, professors at schools, people I babysat for, bosses, co-workers, Jane Seymour, etc...The day I was ordained, channel 24 came out to video the service and interview people in the congregation about how they felt about me becoming a Badveli (that's pastor in Armenian).   I watched the news clip in horror as the congregant who was interviewed was going on and on about how much he and the others loved and respected, JANELLE!!!  This has gone on my whole life and some of the variations are quite comical: Janelle & Jonette (both of which are beautiful names and the names of beautiful women in my Bible Study Fellowship group in Fresno, I love and miss you and all the GALS so much!!!), JOEnelle, Jonlynn, Jonlee, one good friend's mom called me JOELENE after the Dolly Parton song (she was from TN and just couldn't shake it!).  Of course these names have not only caused great frustraion for me but tremendous entertainment for my family.  Phil still calls me Joelene and those who really want to torment me (you KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!) call me Janelle.  So why am I airing all my issues with people not knowing my name?  It is NOT because I don't have a therapist here!  It IS because I have found that ARMENIANS DON'T know my name EITHER!!!  The Jonelle name problem is PANDEMIC!!!  It usually goes something like this, "Ko anunit inch es?" (what is your name?) then I reply, "JOHN-L", "INCH?" (what?) "Jonelle", "Jana?" "Che" (No) "Jonelle, Hovanessoohee" (that literally is the feminine form of John), They laugh or look confused.  On the phone it is hysterical.  My one friend who calls at least once every two weeks.  She is (I'm guessing) about 70 years old.  Ring, Ring, I pick up and say, "Ah-Low", She says, "Ah-Low", "O-va?" (Hello, who is this?), "Yes, Jonelle em" (It's Jonelle), Louder, "O-va?!" "Yes, Jonelle em!"  Yelling, "O-VA?!"  "JONELLE!"  Then I wait and she says, "Ah-LOW?!"  As if she wants to start over and I will somehow Magically NOT be who I am.  Some of my NEW names are Jana, Chanelle & Chano, but my favorite one has to be what my cousin Ashot called my by accident.  Usually family and friends add Jan to the end of your name as a term of endearment.  So Kalem is Kalem-jan, Nana is Nan-jan, and I usually am Jonelle-jan.  But one day Ash called me Jon-Jan...and I told him...finally a Wrong name I actually like!  So if you are reading this and you are one of the 10's of thousands who calls me JANELLE...this is your final warning.  When you see me again Remember, MY NAME IS JONELLE or you can call me JON-JAN!  : ) 

The Way It Is...

Last night I tried to make Madzoon for the second time.  The reason I even tried to make it was because our cousin, Nana, said it was so easy and they always make theirs.  She was teaching me one of her wonderful dessert creations when she pulled out a one-liter Rubbermaid container with the creamy white yogurt.  I thought she said she added a small amount, "Achkee Chap" (that is literally measuring or sizing with your EYE!) of starter (which is just some yogurt or pre-made madzoon) to one liter of milk and put it in the fridge.  Of course I tried to do this...and it was SO easy...and so WRONG!  Then I went to the internet and read that you need to BOIL the milk first (yeah, yeah, so maybe you're smarter than me...) When I told her Saturday that my madzoon didn't come out she looked at me and said, "Jonelle-jan why don't you just buy it from the store it's so much easier?!"  

Or the time when our gas water heater went out and Mrs. Serob and her handyman were in our bathroom and kitchen for about 30 minutes (I thought I was going to die...my eyes darting around the room to see if anything was out of place...of course her eyes were darting just as fast and her questions didn't stop from the time she entered until she left...it's a good thing it takes me a long time to formulate my responses...cuts down on the total number of possible questions!!!)  Yet again, I digress!  So they told me the heater went out because we weren't opening the small window between the shower and the heater.  If we had only left the window open the heater wouldn't have broken.  Two days ago Serob's dad found Kalem and told him that we forgot to close the small window in the bathroom and that we should never leave it open!

Or two weeks ago when I threw on my derby to pick up the kids from Mangabardez...my hair was especially crazy that day!  When I got to the school Teacher Ida inquired as to why I was wearing a hat in Spring?  I replied, "Eye-sore, shad vat maz or!" (Today, very bad hair day!)  Ida, Jana-Moraqueet, and Serpoog didn't understand my reference and said, "Oh, hevant es?!" (your sick?) Then the three went on to discuss how it is very important to wear a hat when you are sick.   When I finally got their attention, I told them again about my bad hair, but this time with more facial expression and wild hand gestures (I find that I resort to this type of communication often...it is too bad Armenia's national language is not SIGN LANGUAGE!!!  I would be a viking!).  Today when I walked out into the warm brightness of this sunny day, loving being in a short sleeved shirt and longing for shorts...I was met by none other than my, swollen-with-child, light-of-my-life, judger-of-all-things, MRS. SEROB...and what does she say to me?..."Why aren't you wearing a hat?  The sun is too bright, it's not good for your HAIR!!!!"

I will stop with only one more example, but I could go on for days!!!!  When we got our LADA NIVA...4x4 Mini SUV of course it had no seat belts.  When Kalem asked his cousin Ashot, the mechanic, to get us some, Ash laughed and said..."Nobody wears seat belts in Armenia!"  But Kalem persisted and we got two for the driver and front passenger seats.  Of course we didn't wear them...I mean the cultural pressure is intense here, not to mention that our three precious children are sans car-seats and seat belts, just bouncing, rolling, falling to the floor mats every bump and pothole.  So of course one of the several times Kalem gets stopped by the police...he gets a ticket..."FOR NOT WEARING HIS SEATBELT!"  

It can be frustrating at times living like this but you have to remember...in Armenia, that's just the way it is!  jonelle;)

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS IN AN ARMENIAN WOMAN’S PURSE?

I KNOW WHAT'S IN AN ARMENIAN WOMAN'S PURSE…CANDY!!!!!
I LOVE CANDY. IN AREMENIA, ARMENIAN WOMEN CARRY CANDY IN THEIR
PURSE. TODAY, AT CHURCH FRANK WAS CRYING AND AN ARMENIAN WOMAN GOT
OUT HER PURSE AND GOT A CANDY OUT. THEN FRANK WAS CRYING AGAIN AND
ANOTHER WOMAN GAVE HIM ANOTHER CANDY AND HE WAS TRYING TO OPEN BOTH OF
THEM. DADDY TOOK THEM AWAY FROM HIM AND THEN DADDY HELD THEM AND THEN
DADDY GAVE THEM BACK TO FRANK. THEN AT THE END OF CHURCH ANOTHER
ARMENIAN WOMAN GAVE ME THREE CANDIES AND DADDY TOLD ME TO GIVE ONE TO
EACH OF THE BOYS. ONCE PETER HAD ALREADY GOT ONE, I THOUGHT I SHOULD
GIVE ONE TO PETER, SO HE WOULD HAVE TWO, AND THEN GIVE NONE TO FRANK
BECAUSE HE ALREADY HAD TWO. BUT DADDY STILL TOLD ME TO GIVE ONE TO
EACH OF MY BROTHERS. THEN MOMMY FOUND HER KLEENEX BAG THAT SHE HAD
DROPPED AND I GOT IT FOR HER. THEN WE LEFT CHURCH AND WENT HOME, HAD
LUNCH, THEN WENT AND WASHED OUR HANDS, THEN WE WENT UP TO BED. LOVE
JUDI!!!!!!

Let Kalem GO!

When we first began discussing our possible move to Armenia, many
family members and friends would make comments like, "Gee, do you
really want to move out of your house, store your belongings and move
to Armenia?" or "Why don't you just visit there and see if you really
would like to move there for a longer period of time." But the best
lines always came from my mom, Elaine and Kalem's Grandma Gertie!
They would say things like, "Why don't you and the kids stay here and
let Kalem go to Armenia, settle himself and then come get you?" or
"If Kalem loves Armenia so much let him go and you stay here with the
kids?" One time my mom got so crazy as to say, "You and Kalem go and
the kids can stay with me and Papa Phil!" I know everyone was
expressing their sadness at the thought of us leaving for such a long
period of time and the idea that the grandkids would be so far away
was/is pretty much unbearable at times. And yet we followed God's
call to come to Armenia to live and work and share His love with those
we meet. So now we find ourselves just getting settled into our house
(no thanks to Mrs. Serob : ), our neighborhood, life near our
relatives, school for the kids and now we are preparing to move into
the village (which will probably be June 1st now due to all the
delays). The thought of moving to the village brings excitement as
Kalem and the crews will begin the wonderful projects of making homes
livable for families in the area, but it also brings feelings of
sadness as we have to move from the place we were beginning to call
'home'. The teachers and staff at the Mangabardez love Jude, Pete, &
Franko so much that they have started a campaign to get us to stay
until June 15th when they will have a big party and celebrate all the
kids who are moving on to Tahbrotz (that's real school which beings in
1st grade). Every couple of days they ask/tell me that it is Judi's
graduation and she should be here to preform and celebrate with her
class. Each time the pressure is increased and each time I default by
saying, "I will talk with Kalem, but I'm pretty sure we will be in the
village by then." A few days ago went to pick up the kids and I sat
down with Jana-Moraqueet, Teacher Ida, and Serpoog. We had our usual
conversations about Frankies progress in the 'pampers' arena, Peter &
Judi's advancement with understanding and reciting the vast number of
poems in the Armenian arsenal, and how my day was. Of course we got
around to June 15 and the chorus began, "Judi has to
stay.......Finally Jana-Moraqueet said, "Chanelle-jan (oh, I will blog
soon about my many names....) Kalem quooghk gnah! Translation, "Let
KALEM GO!!!! It seems there is a repeating pattern in every
country...any thoughts on this? I'd love to hear them all! Geesher
Baree! (Good Night) Jonelle;)

April 24th

Today we remember 1.5 million Armenians who were systematically annihilated by the Ottoman Empire.  This picture is of the Tsitsernakabert, The Genocide Memorial.  This is a must for anyone who ever visits Armenia and for Armenian's around the world it is a symbol of mourning, death, sadness and loss.  But it also clearly represents life, survival, and endurance.  I have been to the Tsitsernakabert three times...the 1st was in 1991 when a few of us from our Vacation Bible School work group stole away at night and in silence made our way up the walk.  The movement of the eternal flame on the 12 'pillars'; dancing and moving brought even more focus to the orange and yellow fire.  You do not feel alone when you stand inside the monument especially on April 24th when thousands upon thousands of locals, odars (if you don't know what this word means you probably are one...it means foreigner or non-Armenian), and Diasporan Armenians make their way to pay homage to the lives that were cut off.  They come in groups and buy roses, tulips, carnations, lilacs, and other colorful stems to lay around the circle inside the monument.  Stacking of long stemmed flowers creates a floral wall of remembrance and honor.  The blooms are laid by men and women, young and old.  Some make the sign of the Cross after they deposit their flower, others pray, the soldiers salute, and others shed tears.  In the United States there is much political controversy about the Genocide and who supports memorandums and such.  In Azerbijan, today there was yet another article about the "So-Called-Armenian-Genocide"...there are many who believe it is all a lie.  Of course this saddens me because our heritage has proclaimed with their blood the truth and wether or not the Turks ever admit their culpability will not change the facts.  

The second time I went to Tsitsernakabert was with Mariel Howsepian Rodriguez on her Easter week visit to Yerevan.  When you take a tour you first go to the museum that is actually underground (so that the vista of the monument is not spoiled) and you see horrible photos of the hangings, death marches, and starvation.  You read actual letters and documents from Missionaries, Diplomats, Soldiers, and people from outside of Armenia who witnessed the brutality and tried to make it stop.  Soil from six different providences are preserved to remember the land of which the most devastation occurred and status reports of numbers of people, churches and land size are listed from before and after the Genocide.  But the most moving aspect of the museum is an outdoor "courtyard"; it is actually a half-circle with 12 panels of stone (similar to the pitched walls of the monument) on these stone walls are quotes from non-Armenian eye-witnesses to the genocide.  The docent says, "There were thousands of eye-witnesses to the atrocities of the Genocide there are 12 here who stand as a jury.  They have brought in their verdict of "Guilty" but YOU ARE THE JUDGE!"  with that she leaves you alone to walk outside, to ponder her words, to actually judge.  For me it is not a question of believing or disbelieving...the facts are clear; we know the truth.  Usually for believing Christians the question is more, "Why do we keep "Remembering" this awful part of our history?" or "If we are Christians aren't we supposed to forgive and forget?"  To this I say we always REMEMBER.  We have FORGIVEN but we don't FORGET.  Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper and He said, "Do this in Remembrance of Me!  And Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11, as often as you eat the bread and drink the cup you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.  We REMEMBER Jesus death...he bore our sins on the cross, he gave his life as a ransom for ours.  We must remember Jesus death because it reminds us of WHO WE ARE.  I think of the Genocide a similar way; we remember not to hate the Turks or to wallow in our pain and suffering.  We REMEMBER the Genocide because it reminds us of WHO WE ARE.  It reminds us that our ancestors would rather be driven out of their homes, starved, and killed then to renounce Christ.  I remember because our forebarrers DIED for their faith in JESUS CHRIST and some days I can't even LIVE properly for Him.  I remember because it keeps in my mind how sinful we ALL are and in DESPERATE need of a SAVIOR.  I remember because I am a Christian because of CHRIST'S suffering and dying 1st and foremost and because my great-grand parents, grand parents, and parents faithfulness to Jesus and His message of salvation.  Today is April 24th; a day to remember.  Blessings Jonelle;)

Judi Is In Love!

This is Judi and her new love David, but if you remember your Eastern Armenian lesson it is pronounced DTAVIDT! Last week Judi came home from Mangabardez and was acting very shy and coy...COMPLETELY UNLIKE THE GIRL!!! She was smiling a lot and wanted paper to make something special for her "friend" at school. Of course, I am thrilled that she has friends at school since before she, Peter & Frank were exclusively calling their classmates, "The ARMENIAN Kids", didn't know anyone's name, and didn't want to learn them either. So she is smiling and now humming "EM YEREVAN" and then she stops and says, "You know Mom, Poker Nerses (that means little Nerses...which presumes there is a Medz Nerses...which there is and he looks like a miniture stocky truck driver with a crux-cut ...) and Dtavidt are really nice." "Yes Jude they are very seeroon (sweet)." "No Mom I mean REALLY Nice!" "Okay Jude, what makes them SOOO nice?" "They are just so....nice and very cute." Sweet Mother of Mary...the girl is 6 and she is telling me...nice and very cute about boys! I knew we should have stayed homeschooling.....but I contained myself..."Yes they are very cute too." "Mom, I'm not for sure but I think God is telling me that I am going to marry Dtavidt, and if not Poker Nerses." (I wonder if they really do get married will they be called Mr. & Mrs. Poker Nerses ....yan?)...she continued, "I mean maybe I am supposed to marry someone else, and I will if God tells me, but right now I am pretty sure God is saying it's gonna be Dtavidt!"
When Kalem came home for dinner that night I wanted Judi to share her "news" with him so like any good Armenian mother I prompted her by saying, "Hey Jude, tell Daddy about your Special friends at school." She was off and running and pretty much used the exact same verbiage to explain her revelation to Kalem. Kalem listened intently and then began to grin from ear to ear; his fingers drumming methodically together. Then in an almost sinister laugh he mumbled loudly, "It's all coming together just as I planned!"
Needless to say when I informed the teachers that Jude had a thing for Dtavidt they dismissed me saying, "Amen achcheegner!" (All the girls love him!)
Now I refer to Dtavidt as my Pesa (son-in-law) and when Judi behaves unkindly to her brothers or does some disgusting thing I say to her, "Now would Dtavidt like a girl who is not nice like he is?" or some such silliness. Yesterday one such instance occurred; Judi sneezed...a disgustingly gross, dripping mess of a sneeze of which she caught on her fingertips---Now the rest of this is not for the faint of heart or those easily disgusted so if you read on and then want to make some comment like, "How could Jonelle write that..." or some such thing...Just know I have forewarned you. Let it be written! Let it be done! So of course part of the drippy, snotty mess lands on her fingers and without so much as batting an eye the finger went straight into her mouth. "GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSS!" was all I could manage and then I had to keep down my own gag reflex. I was so icked out that all I could think to say was, "Jude, do you think Dtavidt would like a girl who eats her chugklink (snot)?" The question actually caused her to stop and ponder and no more was said.
Today when I picked Jude, Pete, and Franko up from Mangabardez Judi says, "Guess what Mom? You'll never guess! Today Dtavidt was sitting in the corner....EATING HIS BOOGERS!!!, so I guess he really WILL like me!"
Do you see what poor parenting renders?! Just pray that Dtavidt is not the one God is calling her to or THEY BOTH LEAVE THEIR NOSES ALONE! Laugh all you want...just keep YOUR noses clean! Blessings love jonelle;)

Construction has begun!

    Today construction officially started with the house we will be renting in the village.  There was a pretty big to-do about it and there were never less than about ten people around and usually only about two were working.  The greatest thing is that two brothers who I met on my first Habitat work project in 2006, were the ones doing the work for us!  This is great because it saves so much time in arguing, although we did do plenty of that we were able to compromise much quicker having mutual respect for each other.  Vahan and Vartan, are really great, not only do they work hard, have tons of experience, but they both have great personalities.  I enjoy working with them very much and am very excited to have such a team set the example for the work in Lusaghbyur. 

    Just a few highlights:

    - ice cream bars served at 11 AM followed immediately by coffee, then no other food for any one until 6pm!

    - six year old boys carrying 40 pound blocks!

    - grandma with the same scarf (same one from Jonelles blog entitled "She Said I Heard") wrapped around her head and her mouth all day!

    - same grandma carrying parts of the demolished wood framed wall with nails and splinters with bare hands in a dress!

    - every single visitor giving advice for what ever it was we were doing!

    - sweeping a room that we are going to work in

    - 5-10 minute argument with the electrical guy (PG&E equivalent) in which we ultimately lost.

    - A horse pulled cart driven by a 10 year old to move furniture.

 

-Kalem