Summer in Cairo

Summertime in Cairo is not-so-bad! I thought summer in Cairo would be like the segment in Lawrence of Arabia where the heat waves danced off the sand and the army of men were imagining beaches and beautiful water....I think Tulsa in the dog days of summer, with her humidity and heat is far worse than the hottest day we have had here. There is  a little bit of humidity but also, usually a breeze to turn that sweat into a cooling machine. Staying on the shady side of the street as I am walking helps too.  (We did have a week of really  hot --115  days-those were more like a hair dryer set on high when the breeze blew.) All that to say, I have found the weather to be really nice. It cools off in the evening and is pretty pleasant to be outside.

I am ashamed to say that I completely forgot to get out our camera on the 4th of July! We had a great party here at our home, out in our tiled "garden".  I still have the decorations up so you can maybe imagine how pretty it looked with tables and chairs and beautiful (truly beautiful) flower arrangements in red, white, and blue. (It could have been a wedding we were hosting, the flowers were so gorgeous! For those of you who are flower lovers, the arrangements held red and white roses, blue hydrangeas, red cockscomb, white lilies, blue peruvian lillies and statis, white spider mums and regular mums-- gorgeous tropical leaves from giant oak-leaf philodendron, banana leaves, and some shrubby fillers.)

We roasted a beautiful pork roast-a gift from Sam's rotator-friend, Todd--on the Holland Grill. It is a wonderful little grill! We also grilled burgers and dogs on the built-in grill with charcoal. We found briquettes here, but Sam was really excited to find the 'real' charcoal like they used when he was a kid in Peru and Colombia. He did  a great job with the meats--almost as good as David's got there in Wagoner!

Our co-hostesses were Bud and Avis Lewis . Avis made sides and dessert and did the drinks. Another new friend, Mary, called me the morning of the 4th and asked if there was anything I had left to do so she picked up some odds and ends, made brownies and ordered AND delivered the flowers to our house for me!

We had a good turn-out with about 20 or so people. Three were little kids so that was lots of fun-to hear their sweet voices and watch them interacting with people. Some of the men were here without wives who are summering back home with the kiddies doing summer ball, swimming in lakes, camps, etc.  There is really not a lot to do here with kids in the summer. Most all of the ex-pat kids are away. That makes it hard for those who have arrived too late in the year to have accumulated a home leave yet.

Apple Pie and ice cream (not home-made), brownies and Cherry Dump Cake...yum...can we get more American than that!?  Bud brought his iPod station so we had a great, no fantastic collection of good music with some newly down-loaded patriotic tunes thrown in for the occasion.  It was a lot of fun...we hope to do it again next year!  I must say, I was a teensy bit homesick for fireworks. Last year we went to Matt and Crystal Lahmeyers --Lynn and Kelsies too---home for the fourth and I got some great photos then. I looked at them on a loop while I was making food preparations for our celebration!  Thanks guys for great memories a year later!!!

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!