A Big Fish Tale

Fishing on Lake Nasser  (guest blogger: Sam Hampton)

Located in upper (southern) Egypt, created by the Aswan dam on the Nile River, Lake Nasser has a barren shoreline and rocky islands. I was expecting to see green plants because of the water. Our fishing trip was organized by African Anglers, consisting of 4 fishing boats and one ‘mother’ ship.They provided all the tackle, meals, and equipment. We fished three men to a boat--three of the boats were father/son teams and another adult. Meals and relaxation took place on the ‘mother’ ship while the smaller boats were for fishing and sleeping (al fresco). We pulled up to different islands each night to unroll our sleeping bags on a mattress aboard ship, under the stars. We were on the water for four days and three nights.

                                                       The moon was new so there was light only from the millions of stars overhead. We saw shooting stars, and all the constellations. Surprisingly the stars provided a lot of light so we could walk from boat to boat when pulled up to shore. Temperatures were in excess of 100 degrees during the day and on the third day we had a very refresing and much needed swim/bath in the lake after lunch.

Mostly, we trolled with 8 inch long “Repalla” lures in many colors on 40# test line-designed to handle a 200 pound Nile Perch! The Nile Perch look a lot like a large mouth bass and fight like a large mouth bass-jumping out of the water with a ‘tail dance’ and diving deep. We also caught tiger fish which are a cousin to the pirana. They have long sharp teeth that interlock. From time to time, we pulled up on one of the rocky islands and cast from shore. 

The fish were not biting as much as we had hoped-fishing had been poor all week. About 11am on the last day, on our way back to dock, I felt a jerk on the line.   Fifteen minutes, two tail dances and two long runs later, I caught the catch of the week. A 65 pound Nile Perch! I was not allowed to keep the meat because this area is catch and release only, so all I have to show are photos...oh, yeah...and the prize money! 

Abu Simble is the temple of Ramsses II and Nefertari. It was once located where the waters collect behind the Aswan Dam. The ancient temple was moved thanks to the efforts of UNESCO World Heritage, piece by piece. It had to be exactly aligned with the sun because twice a year, the sun angles into the temple,  lighting the faces of the giant statues within.  All of the statues were moved and the  heiroglypics were cut from the stone of the original mountain. Once relocated, a simulated mountain was built and one can not tell the difference!  All in all, a fantastic trip!

   

A Time to Weep and a Time to Dance

     A month ago, our newest granddaughter, Whitney, was born into heaven. Several times I have attempted to write about her, and about my 4 month old granddaughter, Kaira, who was born on my birthday! I have found that to be difficult because it is too weird. Weird that Whitney is not here with her parents, weird that she won’t know us--Nana and Papa Sam. Weird that her cousins won’t get to play dress-up, or have art shows, or go on picnics with her. It’s just not right.
      Some of our friends have expressed that ‘it must be hard to rejoice with one daughter while grieving with the other’.  It sounds like it would be hard; what is hard about it is that grief is hard. Sheyenne describes it as a monster that comes out when you least expect it. (I agree with her.) It is hard and horrible that we don’t have Whitney here with us! But, we also have joy--by that I mean that we have joy in both lives, joy in what God has done and is doing in both families. Joy in knowing her for the time we had with her. Joy in the memories we made during this time.
     Let me tell you a little about Karia. We are thankful for Kaira! She was born at home, with a mid-wife, in a peaceful setting with her daddy, her nana, and a friend of her mom in attendance. It is special to me that she shares my birthday! (Now, hopefully, I won’t forget it or get it mixed up with someone else’s birthday!)
     Kaira was born with lots of hair and she looks like big sister, Emmalia. Right away she settled in to nursing and sleeping well at night. I got to spend three weeks with her, and it was wonderful. She’s a sweet baby that likes to snuggle, is very content, and very vocal--not crying but cooing and babbling. What joy I have being Kaira’s Nana!

     While we grieve for the absence of Whitney in our lives, we are so
thankful for her life. In the short 30 weeks she was with us, she received love, and she gave it. We find joy in the stories her momma and daddy told us about her in the womb. She liked Indian food! She knew her parent’s voices, she was comforted by her momma’s heartbeat and her daddy’s warm hand. Whitney was born in the hospital, in a peaceful setting, with a nurse, her daddy, her nana, and her aunt Megan, in attendance. One thing special about this day is that it was the 21st anniversary of her momma and her aunt Meg’s baptism into Christ. Sheyenne has written an entry in her blog about Whitney's birth HERE.
     Whitney was smaller than I expected. David was born at 27 weeks and was quite a bit bigger. She looked like David and Sheyenne ! She had curly hair, beautiful eyebrows, and a cute little nose and sweet mouth. Though she died of Triploidy, she was perfectly formed. She even had her momma’s toes! (Since they are like mine, I’d say that is pretty perfect!) What joy I have being Whitney’s Nana! She spoke to me from an ultrasound video in the womb!
     It is a strange feeling to be carrying joy and sorrow in the same heart. I never know when sorrow is going to make an appearance. She can shoot out of my heart like an arrow, cutting through a moment of joy, shattering my composure to tears. I am getting used to it--but I am never ready for it. There are some places I don’t allow my mind to wander...to the ‘whys’, the ‘if onlys’, the ‘not fairs’. Even with a leash on these thoughts, occasionally they get away and I have to chase them down. I take them captive and think on the ‘whatevers’ according to Philippians and I consider my blessings.  I don't expect this heaviness or sadness to go away quickly, but I have been told it gets lighter with time.

     Sheyenne and I have an agreement. If I say something-or don’t say something-that causes her hurt, she will let me know. I think my friends who made the above comment wondered if it isn’t hard to show joy toward Kaira in front of Sheyenne and sorrow in light of Whitney with Megan. I think I can say that Sheyenne’s sorrow is shared by Megan and that Megan’s joy is shared with Sheyenne, and as a family, we share them together.
     Ecclesiastes says, “There is a time for everything, ...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance...” Right now I am dancing with tears on my cheeks.

Springtime Felucca Ride

It is definitely spring-time in Cairo! I have only been gone for three weeks but in that time, the weather has gone from cool and gray skies to sunny and warmer! It is wonderful! Many of the trees are in bloom-one is ‘dressed’ in red and another adorned in purple! Everywhere the planted areas are abloom with nastursums, daiseys, hibiscus, and more! Birds are singing their little hearts out, and I see butterlies flitting among the plants outside my window.  If only this were as hot as it gets!

Yesterday, we went on our first felucca ride on the Nile River! A felucca is an Egyptian sailing boat. It has a large sail, plenty of seating, and a huge table in the center to spread out the picnic we brought to snack on.  Manuvering past moored boats, our captain deftly oars our ship into the Nile’s current. He is quite a character,  wearing the traditional galibeah and head scarf.  Today there is enough breeze to catch our sail and we move swiftly into open water. 

The occasion of our two hour voyage is to get to know our friends’, (Dave and Julie,) kids a little bit. They are here on their Spring Break and with a full schedule planned for them, this is our opportunity to spend some time with them! We are a group of about a dozen-many are young adults from MCC who work with youth. We feasted on a spread of veggies and dips, brownies, cookies, bread sticks and tangerines-sodas and water while we floated past beautiful villas with flowering gardens,  bullrushes, children playing in the water near shore,  and women doing their laundry--laying it out on the banks of the river to dry.  

I wasn’t really ready for the ride to be over. The breeze, the warmth, the sun, the slap of the water against the side of the boat...a wonderful way to return to Cairo. I don’t think Cleopatra could have done it any better!