God's Timing

The end of January, Sam asked me if I would like to return to the US to spend some time with Sheyenne while she was still pregnant. Our plans were to return to California for Whitney's birth (due April 16th)-- and so, knowing I might just get back to Cairo from this trip and have to turn around and go again, the thought of spending some good times with Shey and Sean really appealed to me. Sam made reservations for me to leave February 10th.

Tuesday, Februrary 9th was a busy day; I attended the ladies Bible study that morning. We have been studying Esther with Beth Moore, and she had really challenged me two weeks prior with her comments about overcoming fear. This lesson was where Esther prepared not one banquet, but two for her king-husband and Haman. Haman was planning the demise of Esther's uncle, Mordecai, unbeknownst to all of them! So here is my conversation with my wise, dear sister in Christ, whose words keep coming back to me throughout this journey we are on with the loss of Whitney:

Karen: Wasn't that a wonderful lesson?  What did you get out of it?
Me: I wasn't as impressed with this lesson as I was with the last one. She (Beth Moore) really
spoke to overcoming my fears last week.
Silence
Me: This week...I guess I see that a person will hang himself on his own ambitions eventually.

Karen: stopping and turning toward me, she said incredulously,  " You didn't see that it's about God's timing!??" Then she  explained that Esther didn't make her request known
at the first banquet because the TIMING  wasn't right.  In God's TIME, Haman revealed his true colors, and the Jews were saved from  certain death! (And Haman DID hang himself-so to speak.)

Wednesday I was at the airport at 1:45am for my flight to LA via Frankfurt. About noon I was sitting in the airport lounge after clearing customs and checking in in LA, and I had just finished activating my telephone (God's timing) when Sam called me with the news that Sheyenne and Sean had been to the hosptial with preterm labor. 

 And Whitney's heart was no longer beating.

After hanging up with Sam, shaken, I looked around the lounge to see if anyone was reading their Bible. I needed to pray, but no words would come. I thought perhaps I could find someone to pray for me.  Seeing no-one, I opened my Bible to Esther and began rereading our lesson. "Please, Lord, give me something to hold on to here." I thought as I was reading.

I heard my name over the loud speaker, "Mrs. Kim Hampton, Please come to the front desk."  I gathered my things and walked toward the front desk wondering if my flight was delayed.  Karen's words flooded my mind as the tears began to fall on my cheeks. There stood Megan (God's Timing); Sam had called her and she had made it to LA from Phoenix for the same flight as me! I did not know she was coming! My prayer was answered as we found a quiet place and prayed and cried together. 

In God's timing, Megan and I were able to be present with Sheyenne and Sean when Whitney was born.

God knew my heart's desire was to be with them and to be able to hold little Whitney, so it should be no surprise that weeks before I needed to be there, though MY plan was different, God was at work, answering our prayers.
 God's timing is perfect. How thankful I am that Sam had the thought (now, whose idea was it really?)  to let me come home and spend some time with Sheyenne while she was still pregnant. I was in the right place at the right time, in His Time.  Praise the Lord!  He is good!  Amen. 

Mokkatum: Garbage City and The Monastery of St. Simeon

To anyone who reads my blog, I apologize for being a slackard in writing.  It is not for lack of things to blog about! I went on a tour about 10 days ago that really amazed me, and I want to share that with you.  The place I am going to tell you about is an area called Mokkatum .  This is a mountain (small mountain-there are no arabic words for 'very big hill')  not too far from where I live.   The conditions in Mokkatum are extremely polar; at the base of the mountain lies "Zabbalin" or "Garbage City".   In 1969 the Governor decided to move all the garbage collectors to this area. At first living in primitive tin shacks, the number of trash collectors has grown to over 30,000 and now they live in brick and concrete high-rises.  The photo to the right is take from the mountain top looking out over the city. This area is unique in that the garbage is brought to this area for sorting. Notice the garbage on the rooftops. It is even more so on the street.  The people live amongst the garbage...

Wait, let me walk you through the garbage life-cycle as the Egyptians know it.  Garbage sorting begins at the pick up locations which are really anywhere a pile accumulates.  Early in the morning, young men will pass through with ginormous mesh bags. Each bag could easily fit three good sized adults-or more! They extract all the cardboard from the garbage heaps; a while later, the glass gleaners make their pass, filling their bags.  Street sweepers with their green smocks and green plastic garbage cans on a wrought iron cart with wheels sweep up tree debris such as leaves and small branches, fruit and flowers.  They make their own piles that later succumb to the wind and cover the street once again, or, in some instances get put in a rare, if nearby, overflowing dumpster.  The 'green' garbage used to be picked up by the Coptic Christians who raised pigs and used it for swine fodder.  Then came along H1N1(swine flu)  and the paranoid Egyptian government (in a covert action to oppress the Coptic Christian) decided to kill all the SWINE in an effort to prevent the flu from coming here. SO, not only have the Coptics lost their livlihood, we now have 'green' stinking garbage compost on our streets.  I will make a note here that it is not so bad since it  has been cool and they are doing a better job of getting it off of the streets before it turns to mush. 60% of Cairo's garbage makes it to Garbage City.  The other 40 % goes to 'other places' like the back streets, or it just doesn't get picked up.

The garbage trucks are not what we are used to back home! They are pickup trucks with decorative, painted wood sides that hold those super big bags I was telling you about. They have to make many trips  with those bags lashed high in the beds because they just don't hold that much. I am grateful for the work these garbage collectors do. They have a monstrous task in keeping the city's garbage at bay--and they are unaided by a society that drops their trash wherever they are going.
The garbage makes its way to Garbage City where the bags are off loaded into the first floors of the apartment buildings. Here it is further sorted as to type of bottle or plastic and re-bagged to go to the recycling center!

There is an ongoing project where resources gleaned from the trash are recycled into usable gift items, providing training and jobs for some of the city's inhabitants.  They recycle paper into beautiful handmade paper products like cards, gift wrap or bags, note books and many other paper items. They recycle fabrics into hand woven rag rugs, purses, bath mats, place mats, etc. The items are all processed in an area of Garbage City.  It is very interesting!

The people living in Garbage City are very poor. They live among garbage, stench, flies, and mosquitos daily. Many, if not most, of these people are illiterate. They are exposed to chemical toxins in the garbage they sort so they have illnesses.  
A charity operates an orphanage within the city, and there are other groups that come and hold 'school' for the kids. There are people providing health clinics and others who teach reading and writing.  There are many opportunities to volunteer here in Egypt, many places to do good things, many good things being done. So much more to do.

Now for the polar opposite side to Mokkatum! One has to go through Garbage City in order to make one's way to the top of the mountain. I had NO IDEA what awaited me there! The road opens up into a bowl with high limestone walls covered with carvings of Biblical stories.  The Monastery of St. Simon the Tanner covers the entire mountain top! It consists of hostels, a monastery, and seven Christian churches hidden in underground limestone caves of the Muqattum (Mokkatum) Hills! The story of St. Simeon is a fascinating one.

Our tour of the monastery began at the bend in the road before you see all the amazing carvings and the chapel. Some years ago, a Polish artist, knowing the people living below were illiterate, wanted to make the Bible stories accessible to the common folk. He began carving the stories into the limestone hills for all to see.  These carvings are amazing! To the left is Peter walking on the water to Jesus; taking his eyes off of Jesus, he begins to sink. To the  right is Jesus coming out of the tomb.  Below and left, is the Son of Man Coming in All His Glory.  The entire mountain side is filled with these carvings! I am showing a few of my favorites!

 St. Simeon was a tanner by trade; that trade involved others as well and so,  he made shoes.  He lived at the end of the 10th century.  Legend has it that as he was fitting a shoe onto a woman's foot, he caught a glimpse of her leg.  Knowing the scriptures that said if his eye caused him to sin, to gouge it out, Simeon did just that.  He took out his eye.
Another legend that led to his sainthood involved a  an enlightened man who enjoyed great debates for the sake of debate.  During one of these debates,  Pope Abram got the upper hand over  a Jewish man named Jacob Ibn Killis.  Ibn Killis, plotting his revenge, quoted the scripture "if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move this mountain"  (my paraphrase).  Ibn Killis demanded the Pope prove his religion was right by moving the Muqattum Mountain. The enlightened man saw this as an opportunity to have the mountain moved as it was obstructing his view.    The people of Egypt were instructed to pray and fast for three days. Simeon the Tanner was chosen to move the mountain because he was a righteous man. It is said an earthquake spread over the mountain. Each time the people stood up to worship the mountain leapt and the sun was visible beneath it. When they sat down, the mountain returned to its foundation. This occurred three times.  The mountain indeed moved and afterwards, St. Simeon could not be found. This is the entrance to the St. Simeon/ Virgin Mary Cathedral, an underground cave that has been enlarged to seat 5,000 people!

The other churches up here are beautiful too. There are two more I want you  to visit with me!  First is the church of St. Marcus. It is in an underground cavern and covered in beautiful carvings. It has low ceilings and is just very quaint.
Notice the carvings in the walls on the left and the stage on the right.  This room seats 2,000 people.
      
I loved this sentiment carved into the ceiling of the cave. (on the rt.)

The last church I want to show you is the cave church they discovered while moving some rock in another church. A large stone fell,  breaking a hole in the ceiling of the church below.  The upholstery cushions on the rock benches and the red carpet are modern accoutrements, but the stories this cave-church could tell date back perhaps to the Roman occupation  and the persecution of Christians in the early years.  In the 1990s a fire due to electrical problems swept through the cave, destroying all  that was in it EXCEPT the portrait of Christ. The glass broke in the heat of the flames, but the paper did not burn.   It hangs there today, untouched since the fire.  One thing really neat is that a group of Egyptian women were sitting on the other side of the pillar on the left of the picture, studying the Bible. Out of respect, I did not take their photo, but what a sight! Amen!

Baby Wash Mondays

One of the things I enjoy doing is serving at the Baby Wash Clinic. The Baby Wash Clinic is located in Giza, near the famous pyramids.  It is an interesting ride from Maadi to Giza! We have to take the Ring Road which is a busy road, where heavy laden trucks carrying limestone blocks as big as a storage shed, trucks stacked twice their heights with tomatoes, and stock trucks transporting camels and water buffalo in their open back ends--compete with taxis, donkey carts and personal vehicles--often for the same space. Throw in 20 pedestrians darting across the road at every corner, and you can imagine, maybe what our drive is like.
 We turn off the main highway onto a canal street. The road is a divided road, with the water canal flowing down the middle of the street. The canal is an eco-system all its own...dead horses, vegetation, garbage and who knows what else is broken down into basic elements by bacteria, fish, turtles, and other scavengers. These canals are the water supply, so not only do people sometimes fish in them, they also use the water for crops and in their homes. (Cairo does have water treatment systems, but not everyone has plumbed water.)  We travel down the canal road past many little shops to the Pepsi sign where we turn onto what is now a very bumpy dirt road.
A few turns later we come to a stop before the worn metal gate of the clinic. People are already lined up outside to see the Dr. As we move down the hallway toward the Baby Wash Room, many eyes follow our movements. Some eyes are the only part of the person we can see-they are completely covered women. Others have eyes rimmed with Kohl to ward off evil spirits. When I look into their eyes sometimes they twinkle, sometimes they dart away, sometimes they appear hostile. Some have no hope in them-those are the eyes that bother me the most.
Volunteers at the Baby Wash Clinic are multinational. Mondays are the day the English speaking women volunteer. The French volunteers come another day and so on with the Germans and the Italians.The Clinic operates on funds donated by these nationalities. We work through the Maadi Women's Guild,  associated with the English speaking churches in Maadi. The Medical Clinic is operated apart from the BWC, but it is in the same building, and a Sister seems to be in charge there.

When a new mother brings her baby to the Baby Wash Clinic, she has either heard about it from a friend or has been referred by the Dr.

They bring their baby four times. We weigh the babies, wash them from head to toe, give them a physical examination and lots of love and attention! If we notice something out of the norm, the woman can go down the hall to see the doctor. Each time the woman brings her child, they receive a gift from us...a motivation to return the following week! Some of these ladies come a great distance to see us and it is best if they come all four times so we can evaluate the health and care they are giving their babies. The first week they receive a undershirt, socks, and diaper cover. The second they get a galibeah...sort of like a two piece pj set; the third a sweater and knit pants set and the fourth, a blanket. We take their photos so they also get a good photo of them with their child. After the baby is washed and dressed, the moms go into an adjoining room where they are given a parenting class.
Today we washed 14 babies. Last week we washed 9. I have been told that sometimes there are more than 20! It is a wonderful experience to get to show love to these babies and to encourage these new moms-some who are so young and who don't have someone to teach them, and those who do a great job as well! We all like being told our babies are beautiful!

Catching Up

School is back in session so I thought I would write the classic essay: What I did for Christmas this year. The Christmas holiday was not what I expected it to be this year. I did not know what Christmas in Cairo would be like, but I supposed it would be similar to Christmases spent in Venezuela and Colombia with lots of parties and get togethers. First of all, though there are signs of Christmas here and there, Christmas is just a regular day to the Moslem community. Sure, the flower shops at the traffic circle have some evergreens and poinsettias for sale, and I saw Santa coming out of a day nursery in the building next door to us, but the absence of the Nativity is profound.

Secondly, there were no candy canes to be found anywhere here. In a world where Nestle, and Hershey are global, it seems the little Brach candy maker could have figured out a way to piggyback those canes on over here~and it would have been wonderful if Nestle and Hershey had exported a chocolate santa or two....

And third, Maadi became like a ghost town with expats leaving the country in a modern-day exodus. At one point, and for two weeks...EVERYONE I knew in Maadi was out of the country. Sam says to be honest here. So I will be. It was a lonely time here! Even the Community Services Association was closed for three weeks!

Now I will talk about the good things we experienced here. We met a couple of young men (early twenties) who were alone for Christmas. Matt and Keith are both here studying Arab culture and language. We had them over for dinner Christmas Eve before the candlelight service at the church. Both of them are searching for something that only Christ can give them. Both are intelligent, conversational and delightful to be around. It was wonderful having young guys in the house! The candlelight service was packed out and the music played to my heart's song: What Child is This?

Christmas day was delightful. We were invited to the rooftop flat of a fellow youth worker who happens to be British. He gathered in all the strays (people like Sam and I) in Maadi. There were people from 9 countries-singles, marrieds, students, engineers, professionals, tourists, teachers, pastors, and other international workers. It was amazing to me that we went there knowing only John, our host, and the two young men we'd befriended the night before, yet we immediately felt right at home. John is a great host! made everyone feel comfortable, and we left that evening having made some new friends! We spent all afternoon and into the evening visiting and eating traditional British, American, and Sudanese Christmas foods! I would love to tell you about each person we met, but that would make this blog too long.

Between Christmas and Jan. 10th or so, I spent most of my time at home. I hired a housekeeper because things get so dirty here from the soot and dust-everything needs to be cleaned every day! She and I got to know each other really well so this lonely time was well spent. I got some quilting done on the machine and some hand quilting accomplished. I made a lot of headway on David's long overdue quilt too!

New Year's Eve Sam and I went to our favorite Italian place for dinner then came home and watched a little tv, read and went to bed well before midnight! New Years Day the internet was out so the football we planned to watch didn't happen. That was disappointing! We went to church because Friday is our day of worship here. What a great way to start the new year! Afterwards, Keith and Julie and Dave came over for Black-eyed Peas. Dave is one of our ministers at Maadi Community Church.

Now it is the 14th of January-Elvis' birthday has come and gone. My friends are trickling back into Maadi. School is back in session so our street gets really busy twice more often than before. We started a "Life Group" Tuesday night that has me very excited. I went to the Baby Wash this week and my quilt group starts back up tomorrow.

This post may be a little on the boring side, but I had to write through this to get caught up. Thanks for reading! Happy New Year!

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.