This Day in History September 27, 1962

By Map_of_North_and_South_Yemen.png: Orange Tuesday Flag_of_North_Yemen.svg: B1mbo, with subsequent precision by Fry1989 and Alkari Flag_of_South_Yemen.svg: Dbenbenn, with subsequent precision by Fry1989 and Alkari Governorates_of_Yemen_named.svg: Jarke derivative work: Mnmazur [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I am so glad we live in a free country where I can write what I want.  And on this date in 1962, the old Ottoman Empire was dismantled, and the Yemen Arab Republic came into being.  And thus began civil war between the North and the South. In 1990, they finally unified.

Yemen holds a very special place in my heart.  I have only been on one mission trip in my life, and Yemen is where I went.  I was married at the time, and I think it was the summer of 2000 (if I remember right).  I was married, and we went off to Yemen on a short-term missions trip with the Southern Baptists.  We worked in the hospital in Jibla, Yemen, and we spent three weeks there.  It is a three weeks I shall never forget.  Later on, three of those missionaries were killed, and we had known two of them.  It is still strange to write that I knew missionaries who were martyred for their faith.

I said what I did about a free country earlier because I am aware of the current unrest in the Middle East, and I am happy to know that I can still write about something like this with no fear of reprisal.  I still think of Yemen in positive terms, but when I hear about all the anger and violence, I am reminded of the eerie sounds coming from the village mosque every morning.  I remember hearing the "sermon" every Friday afternoon.  I remember the sadness in the eyes of women who were imprisoned for killing an abusive husband.  I may never know if my life touched anyone during the time i was there, but I hope and pray that I will see some of those wonderful Yemeni women again.

And as a side not, Yemen is the site of the best fish I have ever eaten.  Nothing like seasoned, blow-torched fresh fish.  And I am not joking!

For more information, please check out:
http://www.conservapedia.com/Yemen
http://www.tutorgigpedia.com/ed/Yemen_Arab_Republic
http://famousdaily.com/september27.html

This Day in History, May 22, 1990

First of all, I am sorry that I posted two events for the 21st and nothing for the 20th.  I almost decided to correct it yesterday, but I figured I would leave it.  I got confused on the dates, and I figured my blog readers would forgive me!

Today's feature concerns a country to which I have traveled--Yemen.  It was on this date in 1990 that North and South Yemen combined to  become the Republic of Yemen.  It has been an unsuccessful union.  They still seem like two countries--I can attest to that fact.  There has been much unrest as well as a civil war and a movement to become two countries again.

Why was I in Yemen--it was a short-term missions trip back when I was still married.  It is one of the good memories I have of my marriage.  It is an experience I am glad I had, but I do not plan to go back due to the country's continued unrest.

For more information, please check out:
http://answers.encyclopedia.com/question/were-two-yemens-unified-108637.html
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/35836.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemeni_unification
http://www.al-bab.com/yemen/unity/unify.htm
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/may22nd.html