Happy Easter, Happy Spring

Today is not only the day the west celebrates Easter, it is also Coptic Easter. They don't always fall on the same date because we use different calendars.  The typical weekend here is Friday (Moslem holy day) and Saturday so our Easter 'weekend' is different this year.  We celebrated Good Friday at our normal church service-Friday nights at 5pm, under the tent on the grounds of St. John's Episcopal church.  Saturday we went to a villa and watched children scramble for the hidden Easter eggs. We had a good turn out and everyone had a great time. Jarod's Bagels provided breakfast and coffee!

While today is considered a normal work day, and Sam is at work right now, we have a plan to celebrate our Risen Savior this afternoon and evening. We are going to Karen and Fred's home for dinner before a Resurrection service at the tent about 7pm!

We decided to cook a leg of lamb. The last one I cooked was smallish (2 1/2  pounds), easy to do, and tasted fantastic. It seemed small for a group of 10 people  so I ordered two legs of lamb for this dinner.  I think we got legs of 'giant mutton'! Today I am cooking 10 KILOS of leg of lamb!  I admit I am a little nervous about how this will turn out!

As you can see, it turned out to be wonderful!  Sam and I had a great time with Karen and Fred and their family and good friend, Pat. Following dinner we went to church . It was a huge treat to get to meet twice in one week with our multinational church family The "Africa Live" worship band lead our worship time. They were spirited and highly energetic!  The church was full and again, I must say, it is such a blessing to worship with the nations as we will one day in heaven!   Happy Easter! Praise to our risen Lord!

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!

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!