Out of Focus

At Maadi Community Church we worship under a big tent with fans in the summer-time and now in the winter we have quilted “tent makers cloth” drapes attached to the sides to keep us warm. (yes, it does get cold here). These cloths are very colorful-reds, greens and blues in distinctive arabian designs! The stage is set with a small tree wrapped with lights off to one side, surrounded by terra cotta angels. The tent ceiling is covered with twinkle lights as well as a few colored lights. Not quite center stage is the advent wreath, or rather triangle. It is made of wrought iron and looks like a triangle on a stick as the ‘stick’ is the pole it is attached to so it can be seen from the back. The apex of the candle is the Christmas candle and the other 4 candles are spaced along the outer lengths of the triangle. In the center is a sillhouete of the Nativity. I like looking at this because it is different than other advent wreaths I have seen. 

I have been thinking a lot about focus this year. We have a tree and some poinsettias. We have a few gifts under the tree. We have 4 Christmas CDs David brought for us. We have not been bombarded with things that take our focus off of the ‘true meaning of Christmas’. Yet, my focus wanders-a lot.  Last Sunday I was enjoying the carols and the setting I just described to you and was prepared to focus on the sermon, I thought. We sang ALL the verses to “Away in A Manger” and I lost my focus.  The song we sang before the pastor spoke was, “What Child is This?”  and  I lost my focus. 

My mind wanders to babies. While Megan was pregnant with her second child, Sheyenne discovered she also is pregnant! What rejoicing! What a blessing! Two grandkids in a year...now I won’t ‘catch up’ to my friend who has 3 kids who are giving them grandkids every 18 months-she has 7. But I am pretty excited here! Oh! the things the cousins will do with Nana and Papa Sam! Sheyenne    is due April 16th! Kaira Ester was born on my birthday in November. I was present for her home birth and it was wonderful. We celebrated!

November 16th Sheyenne and Sean found out they will have a girl! In the moment of a breath’s intake, our rejoicing turned to sorrow as Sheyenne described the findings of the ultrasound. On ultrasound, Baby Whitney Jill shows several indications that her problems are not ‘compatible with life.‘   Just recently, they have discovered that the source of Whitney's problems is a fatal condition known as Triploidy.  We are heart-broken for us, and doubly for Sean and Sheyenne.  We have faced prenatal problems before in our family. All three of our kids were premature-David quite! But none were said to be ‘incompatible with life.”   Blind, yes. Deaf, yes. Club-footed, yes. “Retarded”, yes. But incompatible with life, NO!  We don’t know the length of Whitney’s time with us-if Nana and Papa Sam will get to meet her this side of heaven. We hope so.  We have hope that things will be different. We trust God has the big picture.  We know God is good. In the meanwhile, I say her name aloud, and I write it out because it gives me joy to do so.  

I know that singing carols about a baby in a manger is going to set my mind to wandering. I hope, hope, hope that we will sing “Mary Did You Know” this Sunday! There is hope in this wistful song. Jesus grows up to save the nations. This will be my focus this Christmas season. Jesus, not as the baby, but as My Savior, My Comforter, My Peace-giver, My Strength. 

Christmas Cairo-style

Christmas Cairo-style
     Several friends  have asked me what Christmas-time is like here. There are some outward signs of Christmas in the area where we live. The small florist shops that  line the round-abouts have pine trees and poinsettias for sale. The trees are right out in the street and the cars have to drive around them! They have a red berries that they will tie into a wreath of cedar boughs for you. Sam bought me a bouquet of Bird-of-Paradise that used cedar for ‘filler’. It smelled wonderful. There is a lady down by the bird store that makes pretty table arrangements of cedar and berries with red candles in them.  The pine trees are imported from Europe especially for the Christians here. 

     While we were on our local leave, I missed a Community Bazaar that is held at the English school each year. It is a big deal-our version of Affair of the Heart- with lots of people selling things they have made or imported that is Christmasy.

            The Maadi Community Women’s Guild (church ladies :)) meets once a month. They have a program and fellowship. This is also the place to get plugged into a ministry or charity here. I have been doing the Baby-Wash a couple of times each month, but they do a lot of different things. So. Decembers meeting was a Christmas Cookie exchange with a speaker, fun Christmas games and time for fellowship. One of the games was the 12 days of Christmas, where groups acted out the different verses as we sang them. Pretty funny! I met several women there who I look forward to getting to know better.

     The church presented a Christmas Pageant. It was one of the best I have ever been to. It was written by a church member, had live sheep, donkeys, and camels. It had some comedy while telling the advent story beautifully. Of course, the carols we sang were wonderful touches of familiarity. The best part and the most shocking (after the smell of the camels) was when the heavenly host appeared and sang praises! The angels were all Sudanese/Congolese refugees. They sparkled in their native dress and bright BIG hats. They did not walk  or fly, or drift solemnly like blonde haired, blue-eyed angels we are accustomed to seeing in pageants in the US! NO! These dark eyed, dark haired, dark skinned angels  JIVED their way down to the stage, singing and uvulating; banging drums and tambourines as they went! That was some rejoicing! And from now on , that will be my mental

picture of the angels rejoicing!

     The camels, for all their smelliness were actually really cool. They are so much bigger in person than in the zoo @ 200 yards 

away! They wore the bright trappings of the desert and bore three crazy, though wise, men. 

      A lot of people go back to the US or England to be with family during the Christmas season. It is pretty quiet around here. The coffee shops have fewer people in them. Even these are decorated with a garland or tree. A lot of the shops on Road 9 are owned by Coptic Christians. They tend to have 
decorated trees outside their shops, strung with lights and garlands. One restaurant, has a tree with cotton batting under it and presents resting on the 'snow'.  The Coptics celebrate Christmas January 7th. We plan to attend a service. There is a church here in Cairo that is purported to be one that Mary and Joseph stopped at on their travels through Egypt. I can't wait to go see it!

Our church will have a Christmas eve candlelight service which we look forward to attending. Christmas day, Sam and I have been invited to an English Christmas Dinner at the home of one of the youth workers. We will have a Traditional English Dinner followed by carols, quips and games. I don’t know what quips will be...but I will let you know!  Wishing you all Peace that comes from knowing Christ, and Joy that comes from serving Him!      Merry Christmas!

What is My Focus

     Maadi Community Church is where Sam and I have been worshipping since we moved to Cairo. It is a diverse congregation-a global congregation, really. It is so neat because people from many nations worship together-as I imagine it will be one day in heaven! We have been celebrating Advent these weeks prior to Christmas.  The universal theme of the messages has been the FOCUS of Christmas. 
     The first week of advent the angels prophesied to Mary that she would bear the Christ child, the Messiah. Mary could have focused only on herself, but the message given to Mary pointed to the Christ-child. She put her focus and her trust in God. 

     The second week’s sermon covered Joseph being visited by an angel with a message that Mary carried God’s Son. This visitation wasn’t about Joseph, or Mary-it focused Joseph’s attention on the coming Messiah. He put his focus and trust in God and did what was asked of him. 

     The Shepherds were visited by a host of heavenlies declaring the Good News! It wasn’t about them being ‘lucky’ to have been serenaded by a choir. The angels, though amazing, were there to point the shepherds to the birth of Jesus. The Shepherds focused on their message and went to worship Him. Everything else became less important. 

     Finally, last Sunday’s focus was on the star. The star was beautiful; it attracted attention. Even the glorious star of heaven had a focus-the Birth of Jesus-which stirred men from the East to follow it to the manger.  

     In each instance there was a focus on something much more amazing than the incident itself! Each person involved was directed to focus on something greater. That something greater is Jesus, of course. 

     It is easy to enjoy the pageants, plays, parties, and presents and lose sight of the greater gift.  I am having to examine myself and ask, “What is my focus this Christmas?” 

Wadi Wonderful Day!

Just a few kilometers from where we live is a totally different world! Away from the din of traffic and people, one could believe they were completely alone in the world. Our friends, Karen and Fred took us to the Wadi to go hiking.

Though it is not yet on the top 10 list of things to see here in Cairo, it is a wonder. I found sea shells and sea shell fossils ! It is amazing to be walking on sand that was once the bottom of the sea! People also enjoy mountain biking, rock climbing, picnicking, etc. here. In the heat of the summer, the canyon-like river bed is a cool retreat. We walked and talked for two hours along the cliffs above the river bottom.

The water that once ran here carved the rocks, leaving some small caves and overhangs that just hint that something MUST be inside! There is a little rock sitting area outside the gate where we enjoyed coffee and cookies before heading home. The city of Cairo in the distance and a ghostly glimmer of the pyramids beyond that at sunset was a beautiful ending to a wonderful day!

Black Friday Walking

Our Thanksgiving Celebration coincides this year with the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha, or "Festival of Sacrifice". This is celebrated to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. During this time Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham's trials by slaughtering an animal such as a sheep, camel, goat or cow. The animal is killed on the doorstep of the home. One third of the meat is eaten by the immediate family, one third is given to friends, and the last third is distributed to the poor. It is an act to strengthen friendships and help those in need. It has nothing to do with atonement for sin. The symbolism is in the attitude of giving and being obedient.

We awoke this morning to an unusual cry in the streets. It sounded like the man was shouting, "Gazelle".  Actually, he was announcing that he was available to slaughter one's animal. Carrying a canvas bag of knives over one shoulder, he wore a long, white, blood-stained apron.  He had a helper dressed much the same way. Sam and I got out of the house shortly after that to walk about and see what we could see. We had heard that there would be much blood in the streets this day and we wondered if that would be true in our foreigner-occupied area of the city. 

We saw evidence of early-morning sacrifice in the blood stained water in the street. People were in a festive mood, greeting everyone (even us) with a smile and the equivalent of "Happy Eid".  We could hear the butchers calling out their presence as we walked. The air was crisp and clear; it felt good to be out walking.  Further down the road we saw a group of people waiting outside a gate to a villa-fresh blood ran under the gate to the street. These people were waiting for their portion of the meat.  

We walked over the Metro tracks to the "Egyptian side" of the tracks. Here we saw throngs of people, sheep and the occasional cow, tied to gates and posts. Here the streets were wet with red water. There was no odor other than the natural odor of the streets as well as that from lots of people who don't wear deodorant. We saw animals being skinned, their blood already shed. The butcher receives the skin or pelt as payment. We saw crates of lambskins being loaded onto the back of a motorcycle, with two people riding it!  Everywhere, the poor waited for their portion of the meat. It did not seem right to take photos, so I only have a few. If I had had command of the language to ask, or money to pay them, I would have done. I'll do better with photos next year. 

We walked through the streets, coming to the Nile River. We walked along the "Corniche" (riverwalk). Kids played in the grassy areas. A group of young boys took interest in us. They were probably 11-13 or so, though they professed to be 15. They spoke very good English. They traipsed after us for a long distance, taking our photos on the one cell phone the leader of the pack had. Feeling like the Pied Piper, and not really knowing their intentions, we ducked into a hotel for a cup of coffee to reflect on our morning. I called my mom and sister. It was 5:30 am their time. They were at Kohl's, doing their (our) Black Friday Shopping.  It was their third stop of the morning. It was good to hear their voices-even better that it was not 5:30am here! (It was 1:30pm)!  I missed them, missed being with them, but am very glad to have this experience!

A Thankful Heart

Cairo has another resident home again. I made it back without any glitches; I'm not even too tired- I awoke early enough to see Sam off to work! I took my cup of coffee to the outside patio (in my duster, Megan!) along with my computer. My intention was to look up scriptures about Thanksgiving. I found myself, after reading a few familiar Psalms, distracted by the links at the bottom of the page.  I clicked on one about how the true reason for Thanksgiving gets lost in parades,  the rush to eat, watch football, and scan the Black Friday ads for deals for the next holiday, Christmas! 

I think it drew my attention because these are the things I LOVE about Thanksgiving!  And I love doing it at my Mom and Dad's house with family! This Thanksgiving Sam and I are in Cairo-the only other Thanksgiving I can remember (in recent years) not being with my folks was a disaster--we went to Cabo San Lucas and Sheyenne had an ATV accident that necessitated an airlift to a California hospital while David and I were stranded there the duration of our vacation (another story in itself)!

So, what I love about Thanksgiving at my folks is the family that gathers. Last year we had 24 in my parent's home. They made the basement into a dormitory. The young families with little kids got the bedrooms. I think David got the couch. I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (I love it.)  We had an air hockey tournament. We celebrated lots of significant November birthdays. We played games like bingo and a hilarious one with photos. We told what we were thankful for, ate a wonderful meal followed by the traditional football game with the grandkids. This is really my Dad and the kids playing, with a few adults jumping in from time to time.  

While some football goes on outside, the Real Football is going on inside. Full of delicious turkey dinner,  the living room becomes the arena of fans. While some watch, others snooze or put together a puzzle set out for the occasion. IN THE OTHER ROOM is where you will find the Black Friday Shoppers!  Dad makes a Quick Trip run early in the morning for newspapers so each of us shoppers will have our own coupons.  Excessive you might think-but the actual savings more than pays for the papers! We sip coffee while perusing the ads, with our notecards and pencils nearby to prioritize the next days shopping.  We repeat this activity several times throughout the afternoon.

The next morning, about 3:45 am we shoppers roll out of bed, don our elf ears and Santa hats and head out the door for the first of several 'doorbusters' sales. Coffee in one hand, ads and coupons in the other, and our lists tucked into the pocket on our purses, off we go. We are not out to 'shop' necessarily. We are out to 'bag' our loot! We hit Best Buy and Michael's first,  Target and Walmart too.

About 9am we stop for breakfast at First Watch Restaurant; then we are on the road again. By now, the traffic gets thicker and the rush is more of a crawl from one place to another. We make our way to our favorite game shop where we make the shop owner's day by showing up in our festive garb! This is as much a tradition as the turkey itself! Our family loves board games, and Settlers of Catan especially, so the trip is a must- to find out if there is a new extension for our stockings!

We usually stop for lunch, usually at the Chinese restaurant. We evaluate our lists, crossing or checking off what we have found. We regroup. We are slowing down. Some years, we attend a craft show at the convention building. We finally head for home, the back of the SUV packed to the hilt, bulging with packages under the black shroud we use to hide them from prying eyes.  We know that when we get home, the menfolk and kids will be relaxing, having been to a movie that afternoon. We know that Lasagne will be in the oven. We know that Christmas movies will be on one tv this evening. We know that Sam and I will probably be the only ones watching "It's a Wonderful Life".  I love Thanksgiving!

I will miss my family and our traditions this year. I don't know what we are going to do 'for' Thanksgiving, in that I don't know who we will share it with, or where. I do know I have a lot to be thankful for, therefore, we will be giving thanks to God.

So the link drew my attention. It was from Revive Our Hearts Ministry with Nancy DeMoss interviewing Barbara Rainey, who wrote the book: Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember. This is a story of the first Thanksgivings, written for families to share together, focusing on the Pilgrims' faith in those gatherings--a story your child will not hear in grade school. She makes a good point in the interview: we don't want to miss Thanksgiving because if we miss that, we miss some of the joy God has for us. It gives us joy when we are thankful, as well as bringing joy to our Father.

God was obviously involved in the founding of our country.

The Pilgrims endured hunger, filth, ridicule and death on their voyage to the New Land. But they kept praising God, they kept trusting in him, and they remained kind to the sailors. They exhibited grace in a harsh time.

The pilgrims landed in a place they did not expect to be. But the area they landed in was vacant due to a plague that killed the Indians dwelling there. God provided for them. They did not have to conquer their territory-it was peaceful to land where God had taken them.

The winters were harsh and the people continued to suffer from the elements yet they were free to worship God. They were the first missionaries to the New Land. The indians they met saw they gave thanks and praise to God. Then, the Pilgrims prayed for rain to quench the thirst of their crops and God answered with a long, gentle rain, amazing the Indians who had tried their traditional ways to invoke rain.

It fortifies my faith to read about these founders of our Christian Heritage who gave thanks to God for His deliverance, His provision, His mission.  As we celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, we will not be watching parades or football, we may not be eating turkey and dressing, we won't be perusing ads for Christmas shopping, but we will have a "Thanks-Giving" here!  

 I am thankful for my faith-that Jesus Christ died for me. I am thankful for friends and family who love and support me and my family. I am thankful for the heritage passed on to me from our parents, that I now see manifested in the lives of my kids and grandkids. I am thankful for my husband, Sam. I am thankful...

Emmalia and the Muffin

9am today: Emmalia and I woke up this morning before everyone else. She wanted a cream cheese pumpkin muffin with cinnamon sugar topping that she and her mom made yesterday. Emmalia eats the top of her muffin-the part with the cinnamon sugar...

Emmalia: "Nana, more sugar, please"

Nana goes and looks for sugar in the cupboard. No sugar. She looks in the pantry  and comes back to the table with a little crock of sugar. She sprinkles it on the top of the muffin.

Emmalia taking a bite of the muffin: "Nana, I don't like this."

Nana goes to the spice drawer, pulls out the cinnamon: "This will make it taste MUCH better". She sprinkles the cinnamon over the sugar on top of the muffin.

Emmalia takes another big bite: "Nana, I don't like this."

Nana: " Okay then, get down and play."

4:30 pm today-Nana is walking through the kitchen and decides it is time to clean off the table. Emmalia's muffin is still on the table. Nana thinks she would like to finish the muffin. Nana takes a bite of the muffin, runs to the sink and spits it out! "Ewww, Ewww, Ewww!" Nana doesn't like this either. Nana had put SALT on the muffin!

Quilting

I know you have heard of Egyptian Cotton...probably priced it in the linen section of the department store or even Target. If so, you know that sheets have a wonderful soft feel to them due to the high thread count. When David went off to college, he got a set of sheets that were 250 thread count. Egyptian Cotton thread counts go up to 1000!   (So you know how comfortable HIS sheets are!) The CSA ( community center) offers a tour of the linen factory and I hope to go one day. It is a very popular tour...when I tried to sign up there were already 45 people on the waiting list~ I say, schedule a couple more tours and let these people off the list!  


Ok, so having heard of Egyptian cotton sheets and towels, one would expect to find GREAT cotton fabrics here in the land of Egyptian cotton! I have been to two fabric stores so far...they have beautiful laces;  they have gorgeous sheer fabrics--many adorned with sequins and beads. They have wool suiting and polyester! But they carry a very limited amount of cotton fabric and what they do have is solid colors, not print material.


I am finding that expat women are very friendly here. They are eager to help me find my niche. So as I get to know people and they discover my interests, they recommend someone they know with the same interest.  For example, I met a person, I hope I get to know better...her name is Lynn. She discovered I like to quilt. She told me she would introduce me to some ladies she knows who also quilt. Day before yesterday she called to give me the name of a quilter, said she had already spoken to her, and that Suzie would be expecting my call.  While talking to Suzie, she asked where I live so I told her building 16 on Road 213. She said, " oh, so you are in my building. Come on up and we can continue this conversation face to face." So I went up and we visited a long time. 


 Suzie confirmed my theory that Egyptian Cotton is mainly an export item. It can be found in the high end linen stores--just like at home!  Well, if that isn't disappointing enough...I did not bring much of the KING TUT brand thread that I like so well for quilting, because I expected to be able to find it here! NOT SO~  I am beginning to wonder what King Tut would be thinking about all this:  Superior's King Tut Quilting Thread is 100% EXTRA-Long Staple (ELS) Egyptian Cotton. Only a small percentage of Egyptian cotton is classified as Extra-Long Staple. This means the staple fibers are 10% longer than regular long staple cotton. That translates to LESS lint and MORE strength. 


Suzie invited me to the weekly quilters get together. Held in each other's homes, they meet for two hours and bring something to work on. Hand work. I guess, Michelle (Gill) I am going to take up some applique so I will have something to do~ha. Perhaps I will finally get the hang of it. I met 5 more ladies who went a long way in proving a point--quilters have fun when they get together!!  I miss our Monday night group a lot. However, Suzie reminds me of Michelle with her no nonsense way, her patience, her sense of humor, and her generosity!  Now if only she will take out and repair my mistakes!

Latte' at El Greco

 Sam and I had coffee one morning at El Greco Coffee Shop. I ordered an American coffee. Sam ordered a latte'.  His came out with the foam decorated so pretty, I had to take a photo. Then, as he sipped it, rings like the rings on a log became evident...and the foam stayed       pretty to the last sip.

CSA-The Hub of Information and Activities for a New Expat

Sam and I have been eating out almost everyday. He gets home and we go out. (We are still in the temp. apt). My friend, Avis who is also here without kids, took me to the CSA --Community Services Center here in Maadi. What a wonderful place this is! On Sundays and Thursdays, they have a "Cooks Day Off". It is an opportunity to buy wonderful ethnic foods prepared by women that live in Maadi. They set up thier food in a room off the garden. You want to get there early so you can have the best selection! We got there as it opened and the toughest thing I had to do was decide what type of food we were going to have for dinner! Indian, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Thai foods and Egyptian sweets were the choices for this day. I went with Vegetable Samosas, and Chicken Curry from India; Spring Rolls from the Chinese place, and Wonderful M&M cookies from the Egyptian cook. Sam and I really enjoyed a meal at home! These meals are reasonable and they freeze well.  Sheyenne, if Shiney hasn't made you Samosas, yet....request them!

The CSA houses many things to help expats get settled into the culture and living here. They have a lending library, a DVD library, a gift shop with things provided by local artisans (Egyptians), a resale shop, an activities co-ordinator with tours, language classes, and events planned for every day of the week but Friday (holy day). There is a help desk where the ladies can answer any question you have, and there is a staffed gym with great work-out equipment. AND the wonderful  El Greco coffee and pastry shop.  It is a nice place  to stop by and enjoy coffee and free wifi, meet friends and so on. Avis and I signed up for a tour next Thursday---The Walls of Cairo. It is a tour of the old city wall. I am looking forward to it!

On Sunday they have a newcomers coffee and I plan to go. Every Monday is "Manicure Monday", Wednesday nights are Pasta Nights and usually have a program like a fashion show or art exhibit. Several times a year they have a bazaar and this month they are having a large garage sale. So much to do!

Avis then took me to the Carre Four, the very large, Walmart type shopping experience. I went mainly to see what they have that the little grocers near us don't carry, and to stock up on toilet paper and cleaning supplies.  You know how Sam's has people who give out samples? Carre Four had representatives there to direct us to the Twinkies and Ho-Hos which are new items for them to carry! I am again surprised that I can find many things here. Avis bought some tortillas...saying she had not seen them before. She also found fajita seasonings and Taco Bell salsa. You have to pay a bit for things like that but so nice to have when you are craving them! ha.

Next stop was Gourmet Egypt. We met Carrie, an Austrailian lady who gives cooking lessons. She showed us around the store, explaining what can be made from the fruit purees, and different ways to prepare some of the cuts of Austrailian Beef. It was informative and by the time we finished looking around, we were hungry ...and committed to a cooking class in the near future! The guy behind the cheese counter was so excited to meet me because I was new that he offered us a cheese tasting...so we did sample some great European Brie Cheeses...we decided the french Brie was the best....being lactose intolerant, cheese tasting was not a wise choice--but I didn't feel like I could decline.

Avis took me to Miriam Market, a small grocer near our permanent apartment. This store has LOTS of American imports (always a stiff price). I saw Cheese-Its, Caffeine Free Dr. Pepper in cases, Skippy, Jello, Doritos...and the list goes on.  They have a nice fresh produce area and the meat is good here. Avis introduced me to the butcher and some others there. As we were leaving, a young man came running from the back of the store with a kiwi and an apple in a bag for each of us. " A gift" he said, "Please come again!"  The people are very kind here.

Lucille's is a very American Cafe and the place we stopped for lunch. It has been here for years and caters to the Americans looking for a taste of home. The onion rings were reminiscent
of  now-gone Johnny's onion rings. Very tasty!   It was another good day of exploring and learning my way around.

Road 9-The Diamond in the Sand

I have had a great week! On Wednesday, I met some ladies at the Costa Coffee shop for a tour of Road 9. Road 9 is one of the main shopping areas in Maadi. It  consists of several blocks of shops containing groceries, plastics, green grocers, a mashrabea furniture maker, coffee shops, bakeries, clothing, stationery, souvenirs, and pharmacies. There is a man who sells only nuts...and suprisingly they have pumpkin seeds with lots of different seasonings flavoring them. Sam has found a nut seller on the road to Salaam Base (in the desert) who sells WoNDerful chili-lemon cashews! We have several kilos of them on hand. Makes a great lunch~back to Road 9. They say you can find almost anything you want/need on Road 9. I think it must be true...I found Olfa Cutting Mats and Rotary Blades in the Stationery store! They are cheaper here than at home, and to think, I stocked up on rotary blades in our shipment!

Road 9 has a rhythym all its own. It is colorful with women in traditional dresses and scarves, the juice seller with his aluminum cask of juice strapped to his back, and the basket man on the corner- the store fronts are brightly painted (though shrouded in layers of dust), and the wares themselves are colorful. The copper shop and the silver merchant display shiny wares, the plastics store has anything you could want made of plastic-containers, hangers, kitchen gadgets, wastebaskets, you get the idea...and they come in many colors. Bright, woven cotton rugs and scarves are displayed near the shopkeepers doors. The fruit and vegetables are displayed on the sidewalk to entice you into their shop.  Imagine people and cars, weaving in and out of each other like a ribbon folk dance, with the colorful backdrop of shops.  Add the sound of horns honking and people bargaining, and the mournful, musical call to prayer. Road 9 pulsates with energy!

My new friend, Karen has lived here 24 years. She introduced me and two other ladies (Sandra from Ecuador and Nadeem, from Mexico), to some of the shopkeepers. She would tell us, "this man has good prices", "this man is very honest", "this man can make anything you like from a photo or drawing",
and she told us who to stay away from too. Valuable information!  She even showed us which shop has the pirated DVDs and CDs, and which pile of goods they are stashed under...you can get ANYTHING here if you know who to ask! ha.

Following Road 9 we come to a metro station. It is not used by expats very much and it doesn't go to touristy places. It will however, take the Cairenees to work and it will get an expat within walking or short taxi distance of to something to see.  There is a designated car for women. I would not be welcome on a men's car!  There is a tunnel under the metro to go to the other side where there are more shops and few expats...the 'real' Egypt if you will.  The tunnel is long, a little claustrophobic though three to four people can easily walk abreast through it. It is tiled and round with a flat cement floor edged with gutters to carry away ...?  As we emerge from the expat world to the Egyptian world, the scene changes some. There are still colorful people and wares and shops, but there is more!  Donkeys pull wagons of tomatoes and potatoes. Skillful displays of fruits line the streets. Women in long, dark, robes sit on the edge of the street among burlap bags and boxes of produce, selling their goods. Another donkey cart pulls a wagon full of aluminum tanks containing "buddah gas". The driver's helper periodically bangs on the tanks to let people know he is passing by. Someone hollers from an apartment window and he stops to trade a full tank for an empty one.

I want to take photos, but I am afraid...of standing out...of offending someone...of losing my camera to someone unhappy with his photo being taken. I have removed all my photos from my memory stick now so that if that should happen, I won't lose too much. I am going to fill my pockets with "baksheesh" or small change to pay people for taking their photos...soon, when I am braver...I will post photos of these wonderful things I am seeing.  What I see that is wonderful dwells in the midst of poverty, filth and un(der)employment and what seems chaotic at best sometimes.   I am choosing to looking past these things, to see the interesting, exciting, and beautiful.  So when I do get brave and you see photos of the beautiful women walking past a heap of garbage, or colorful fruit covered with flies...don't think I have lost my mind or am wearing rose colored glasses...I am just finding the diamond in the sand.

One week in Cairo

I arrived in Cairo a week ago following 32 hours of traveling...none of it sleeping. I slept my first day away-at least 16 hours of it!  I think I am over the jet lag now-the household help woke me up at 7am when they came in to clean the apartment! I arrived for the last few days of Ramedan, the muslim holy month, so Sam had 4 days off work from Thurs. to Sun. We got a wonderful surprise in that our shipment arrived Thursday night about 8:30pm to our apartment. We were not even expecting it to be in the port until yesterday! Since trucks are not allowed in Maadi for all the cars here, it came in 4 pickup loads piled higher than the  Beverly Hill Billys! Just imagine: a shipping container 12'x10'x10' full of stuff ... on 4 pickups! It was too dark to get a photo so you will have to imagine it.  They unloaded and were out of here by midnight or so.      The kitchen required a lot of de-greasing-especially the stove. We spent all the next day cleaning and unpacking the kitchen.     Fridays are days off here...compare to our Sunday. We visited Maadi Community Church just a couple of blocks from our temporary apartment. There are about 1200 members from all over the globe. Every shade of skin color, from every continent, many many languages and yet all in one place for one purpose: to worship God. It must be a little bit of what Heaven will look like with believers from every tongue and tribe and nation. The worship was great, not unlike the church we attend at home. A bit more physical action on the drums from time to time--but then, I do believe the drummer is African!  We meet under a humongous tent on the grounds of an Episcopal church; there are large fans, and we are reminded to bring our own water. The preaching was good-they are doing a series of sermons that may be familiar to you--called Living Beyond Myself. This includes a First Serve campaign to encourage church volunteerism. Sam has been working with the Middle School kids on Wednesday night. I went last Wed. to check it out and had a lot of fun. Our youth minister is quite a good preacher herself and kept the kids attention the entire time!  They have recently hired a Moody Graduate to lead the children's ministry.  As a church they are organized into Life Groups for Bible study and fellowship. They do this with the teens as well. Wednesday nights they have several choices for classes at the tent site.  They have a women's Bible study that will begin in October. They will be studying Ester by Beth Moore. They also have a moms/toddlers study once a week.      We have small grocers in Maadi. They are stacked to the ceiling with all sorts of groceries, some imported. I helped Sam sift through shelves of soda cans to find 3 caffeine-free Dr. Peppers. They are not available from local bottlers. Coke and Diet Coke are bottled in Cairo. Whew!  I have not shopped for more than basics because we have been eating out most of the time. You can have anything delivered here. We buy a case of bottled water and they deliver it about 10 minutes after we get home. We walk most everywhere...at least I will. I am sure the roads will be safer if I stay off of them . It is a matter of who gets there first as to who has the right of way...and only then if you don't make eye contact with the other driver.       We picked out appliances for our apartment that should be delivered this week. Then we will be moving into our permanent apartment.  I will send photos once we get moved in.         There are so many great ways to keep in touch. I think our experiences may be interesting to you, but please remember we want to keep up with  you too, so please let us know how and what you are doing! I  Love you all! Kim and Sam

Egypt At Last!

Today is Wednesday, September 16th. I have been awake in Egypt for 4 hours now. I left Tulsa, OK at 10:35 Monday, September 14th and somewhere in between I lost a lot of hours high above the world. It is as though TuesDAY never happened. Somewhere between Monday Tuesday Night I watched two movies, two tv episodes, ate wonderful meals and listened to music. I never slept. :)

Sam met me with roses upon my arrival in

Egypt! We took a fairly calm ride to the staff apartment where another bouquet of flowers-Birds of Paradise greeted me. I think Sam had lots of fun at the flower shop. After a refreshing shower and catching up, we headed out for an evening walk. The sidewalks are about as treacherous as the streets so we picked our way among broken sidewalks and littered gutters in search of a place for dinner. It is still Ramedan here...a day of fasting followed by an evening of dining and family gatherings...so the restaurants were pretty full. We found a Deli that could seat us-my first dinner as a resident of Egypt was a hamburger!!! and it was tasty at that!

One thing to note when walking around after dark...they don't drive with their lights on after dark...it is considered rude to shine lights in another's face...Sam and I decided that taking our flashlights with us would be prudent next time we head out. OR...In Minshall Park, our old neighborhood in Tulsa, there was a man who always walked in the dark...He work a vest like crossing guards wear and a flashing light on a headband. Actually, the headband had several flashing lights! That would be a good thing to have here!

While walking we found a shop that sells Italian food imports. Lots of goodies there! Also went to a bakery and bough fresh bread and cinnamon rolls.

There is a song we sing at Highland Park Christian Church. It is about God being Lord of the city. That is my prayer for Cairo, for my little part of Cairo known as Maadi. My friend Connie sent me a verse to remember and this is also my prayer: Colossians 4:5 and then 4:3,4 "Be wise in the way you act with people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity. When you talk you should always be kind and pleasant, so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should. vs. 3 also pray for us that God will give us the opportunity to tell people his message. Pray that we can preach the secret that God has made known about Christ."

Loving YOUth Minstry!

Tonight was a special time for me. I arrived at church for a youth sponsor's meeting unsuspecting of the party awaiting within! Sponsors and youth surprised me not only with their presence but also with a gift of a friendship quilt, cards, words of encouragement and a group prayer. It is a blessing for me to know people love and care for me and will continue to pray for me. Girls from my Bible class, now moved on to high school-I am so proud of them, for the choices they make and they way they look to God to help them through the tough times. My D-group girls who taught me more than I taught them-I would love to have had more time with them. The class of 2014...I had so many of them in the Pre-K class at Rainbow school. They will always be special to me! Sponsors, some who were once students-now teaching and serving where God has placed them. Other sponsors who have helped me raise my kids...my heart will always be endeared toward you, for what you have meant to my family and to me.

I have to tell you that when I started working with youth, I had no idea they would become the focus of my life. I had no idea of the joy they would bring or the heartbreak I would feel when they hurt. I rejoiced in their accomplishments, cried at their personal failures, laughed at their antics and cringed at their middle school awkwardness. No one told me what a blessing they would be in my life. No one told me they would become a part of my story. No one told me anything...I was just asked to be a sponsor. Would you consider being a youth sponsor? You may make a difference in their lives....they will make a difference in yours!

If you are reading this and are/were a part of this fantastic group of people~ I love you! Thank you for a wonderful, thoughtful evening, for the gifts and sentiments, and for the love you have extended to me. You are a blessing!

Dr. Malavolte

I have a toe nail fungus. I would not tell you this if there were any other way to tell this story. I think I got it from my last pedicure. (Last February). One day in May, I was removing the remnants of the old nail polish and found a strange discoloration on my nailbed. A long narrow, funnel-shaped discoloration where my nail was no longer attached to the nail bed. YUCK!

I was removing the old polish because we were about to go on a look-see trip to Egypt and I wanted to 'look good' all the way down to my toes! Now I could see that the future held a nail-less big toe! ( I tend to go to worse-case-scenario)

I decided that I would not mess around with going to my GP-I would go straight to the top~ a podiatrist. So I get out the phone book and look up a close one. Dr. Malavolte--wait, mala means bad in spanish...oh, wait, I have a bad toe! So off I go to meet Dr. Malavolte---the next day!

He is a friendly doctor and so kind. He examines my toe and we decide to do a culture because the medicine is hard on the body, it requires blood work and it has to be taken a long time before one sees results.

Fast forward 10 weeks to today. I tell Dr. Malavolte we are heading to Egypt and now there is no time to take the medicine because it requires follow up. I mention that it looks like it is healing itself. Dr. Malavolte concurs.

Then an amazing thing happens: he begins to testify of God's love for us, for His plan for us, his preparation of us, and our equipping to do God's work. He spoke of the adversary's attempt to get in God's way through trials and disappointments. He encouraged me to trust God in our journey-that he would show us His purpose for our new adventure.

I have never had this experience with a doctor before. He sent me away, saying I was healing by the power of God. He blessed me. Dr. Malavolte is Dr. Buenavolte in my book!

At Last! The Adventure Begins!

The last few weeks we have been doing things for the 'last time' before our move. We had our last "Americano Family" Starbucks date. We have had 'last dinners' and last doctors visits. We have made our last rent payment. Sam made his last trip down to the river... and we have seen some people, perhaps for the last time. So...setting out on the adventure in these last days in Tulsa has been bitter-sweet. We are thankful for the friendships that last despite days or miles. We are thankful for memories made that will last until we lose that function. We look forward to making a lasting difference in the lives of people we are yet to meet. Sam left Friday for his new job--AT LAST~!

Treasures

When I was in the 6th grade I got bit by the horse-crazy bug. At night I dreamed about them, during the day I read about them, daydreamed and plotted how I would get one. My dad built me a box...a treasure box to keep my horse 'stuff' in. I collected stories from the Sunday Sports section about horses. My grandmother took me to the American Royal to see Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and their team of amazing horses. I got to shake his hand! and then I shook all the way back to my seat as the reality of what just happened overwhelmed me. ( I am sure my grandmother thought I was a nut) I had just touched the hand of the man who got to touch TRIGGER every day! TRIGGER!  (I have another story about 'my' horse named Trigger...I will save that for another day.) And so, I added the program from the American Royal to my treasure box. 

Birthday cards and calendars and 'How to Break and Train Your Horse' books were added through the years. Model horses of plastic and porcelain made their way into that box, as did my favorite fiction books about horses; Palominos, mostly.  I made 'outfits' for my horses. Show garments with tassels and silver threads, bridles of silver and felt, decorated with rhinestones. What a treasure trove! 

As I grew older, the box made its way to the back of the closet, then the attic. When I married, the box moved with me...first to Tulsa, then Elk City. It went to storage when we moved to Venezuela and upon our return it went from garage to attic to storage as the years passed.  My girls grew up not interested at all in horses.  On occasion, usually when making a move, I would think about the box my dad made and day dream about sharing its contents with a grand child who would one day awake to find an insatiable desire for horses.  He or she would oooh and ahhh over the magnificent horses and horsey attire. He or she would read the historical collection of news clippings and cards, and delve into the books that would become his or hers favorites as surely as they had been mine.

We are moving to Egypt. The packers came to take some of our things to storage. Things like my great Aunt Beth's antique furniture, the carved wooden eucalyptus bench I received for my graduation from high school, memorabilia, and mementos we don't need in Egypt but are too sentimental or precious to dispose of.  And the treasure box. The box that now doesn't have a dial on the padlock. The box that now shows signs of scrapes and peeling veneer. The box we can not open but must because the packers say they have to account for everything in it. And they have to know there is nothing dangerous or perishable inside. 

After at least 25 years, Sam removed the hinges so they could 'process the box'.....go through my treasures.  I went in the house. I did not want to see the things in the box. I wanted them to remain as wonderful and magical as they did when they were placed there by a child in love with horses. This love that I would share with someone special to me. I wanted them to remain in the box until that day! So-let them look and pack it back again, but I am NOT going to peek!

First the packer brought me a pale golden horse with a broken leg...just so I could see the condition before they packed it. A few minutes later, she brings me two horses...legs obviously repaired several times and now with parts missing.  This doesn't look like my treasure, but it IS the same white horse with golden highlights that I remember. And that one is the palomino I bought with my own money while we were on vacation. Broken. Tarnished. Not Magnificent. 

So I went to the garage to look at my box.  "Oh, we can leave those things and pack them just as they are,"  she says to me. "We have removed the  delicate items."  I open the lid now hanging on by its non-functional padlock. As the light from the overhead bulb illuminates its contents, a musty odor fills my nostrils; a pungent unmistakable smell...MOLD!  I look inside at books, news paper clippings, and cards-all covered with a powdery green mold!  My heart sinks. With two fingers I pull out some books. Lying underneath them are rodeo and showdeo programs with my participant number tucked in the folds of each. I pull them out...Garnett, Kansas; Stanley, Kansas; Ottawa Play Day; Stillwell Showdeo- where I won my first trophy...one by one, the memories returned...memories of friends, and horses, and my mom and dad with their station wagon full of horse gear and hay strands...nights of high expectations and about as many wins as losses...a child hood full of horses- a dream come true.

But a treasure no more.  I could not keep a thing in the box, for if I did, the mold would infect every other item in that storage container...my great Aunt Beth's furniture, the letters and mementos and memorabilia...

I am reminded Matthew 6: 19 & 20--"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Do not store up for yourselves treasures in boxes, where mold and mildew destroy... but store up for yourself treasures in heaven...  Where is your treasure stored?  What is your treasure? 

  Matthew 6:21 ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Updated Emmalia