My Life in Pictures: King of the Mountain

Bet you don't walk past this on your way to work...

My Life In Pictures: My Office

I realize that I posted no pictures yesterday, but this was taken yesterday...

My Caffe Greco office: Cozy. Yesterday I set up my office in my favorite coffee shop and spent a few hours planning, working on finances, and meeting with kids.

The Basbousa Rap

Here in Cairo, many people cannot properly pronounce my name. The "th" sound is not a part of Egyptian Arabic, and therefore presents a pronunciation problem. So I have a nickname: Basbousa. Basbousa is an Egyptian dessert, and is basically the equivalent of calling me "Sweet Thing." Not sure how I feel about that, but for better or for worse, I'm Basbousa to the egyptian people, my friends, and the ex-pat kids that I work with.

Last night at youth group, our game consisted of dividing the kids into groups, giving each group a leader, and having the kids write a song about their leader. I am proud to announce that my group's fabulous writing, singing, and performing skills produced an original hip-hop "ode to me," and won first place! Congratulations Jenna, Mary, Tina, and Danny! Without further ado, I present their masterpiece, The Basbousa Rap:

They call her Basbousa but her name is Bethany

She travels the world cause she's livin' the dream

A southern girl that hates ice tea

What this girl really loves is a cup of coffee

(insert some intense beat boxing and fabulous hip hop moves here)

Basbousa

Basbousa

Basbousa

Basbousa

She's here in Egypt working for Rock

She loves to cook but she hates them socks

She's Martha Stewart with a flare of spaz-spunk

What she really really hates are them stinky stinky skunks

(repeat chorus and dance moves)

They did a super job and I'm super proud of them! (and my weird song! except that skunk part - not sure where that came from)

My Life In Pictures: NOT Martha Stewart...

Somehow, here in Cairo, I've gained quite a reputation as a domestic goddess. Somehow, I've managed to fool everyone into believing that my home is always a clean and cozy retreat (it isn't) and that every dish I produce is a taste-bud tingling wonder (definitely not). The MCC youth staff say that I'm "Martha Stewart with a flare of spaz-spunk." Folks, it just ain't so. I do enjoy keeping a cozy home, but in the interest of keeping it real, the following is a picture of my kitchen after prayer breakfast this morning.

There you have it. Myth debunked, goddess dethroned. Martha Stewart I am not! Just sayin'...

My Life In Pictures: Coming Soon!

I am not a great blogger. That is, I have a blog, which I update occasionally, and I enjoy reading the blogs of a few friends around the globe, but that is the extent of my blogging. I have noticed, however, that I most enjoy blogs with pictures. I love not just reading about the lives of dear ones, but seeing their lives as well. With that in mind, I am going to try a grand new experiment. A picture a day! Or maybe more, if I get inspired. Just tiny snapshots of life in Cairo to give you a window into my world. Enjoy!

That's how we roll...

The youth staff dressed for a game of Gestapo at a recent youth retreat

A Few Thousand Words

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. Here are a few thousand words on recent Cairo life. Enjoy!

An afternoon with friends:

Off-centered pictures happen when you let kids borrow your camera :)

Smile!

Sisters plus one

Doesn't get any cuter than this!

A friend's farewell:

Sisters

Lovebirds

A glimpse into my living room on Sunday evenings:

The B.S. Crew

Enough food to feed a small army

Stir fry in a pot

Aravis Joy. Enough Said.

Fear Not, I Will Pilot Thee

Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee;
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child,
You can hush the oceans wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will,
When You say to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sovereign of the sea,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,
And the fearful breakers roar
Grant me long and peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Your chest,
May I hear You say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”

Photo ~ Pacific Coast, Peru 2005

Visitors!

I love visitors in Cairo. Particularly when they look like this....

Any Man of Mine...

better walk the line....

He's gotta be a heartbeatin' fine treatin' breathtakin' earthquakin' kind

Any man of mine"

Recognize that? If you listen to country music, it probably wouldn't be too unusual for that song to be played on the radio as you cruised down the highway. In AMERICA. But if you lived in Cairo, and you were in a cab, cruising (or rather jolting and jerking - cruising implies a smooth ride) down the Corniche next to the Nile, you would probably be quite shocked to hear that song blasted from the speakers. I was. Ahh, Egypt. You never cease to amuse me....

Hilarious? Weird? Wrong? What do you think about....

...putting lions on the pill? Yes, human contraception - lions on birth control. Animal Rights Activists call it wrong. I call it another day in Cairo....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11099756

What do you call it?

East to West

Or...What I've Been Up To Lately.

Vacation with the family at Topsail Island

All the kids.

7 - the number of perfection :)

(until Blaine's knee found my spine and we all came tumbling down..)

With a little help from Wilby and Thomas, I flew in and surprised the family for our annual beach trip. After they recovered from the shock, we packed up two cars, at least 20 bags, a car top carrier, cameras, coolers, swimsuits, beach towels, Bocce, Paddle Ball, and all nine family members and hit the road for one last hurrah before Thomas and Meredith headed to Wilmington for their Freshman year (Go Seahawks!), Wilby headed to Grenada for Med School, and the rest of us scattered back to our respective homes. We had a blast digging holes and burying people, playing Paddle Ball Tournaments, Bocce Ball, reading, enjoying the sun, sand, and sea, eating low-country boil and sushi, star-gazing, and taking long walks late at night. Lots of fun pictures (Corn, Rachel? Pyramids, anyone?), hilarious memories ("with my by myself"), and suntans remain from our special family time together. Yay for the beach, for fun, and for FAMILY :)

P90X: An Update on the Insanity

Today is day 19 of P90X. After starting back in June, I stopped due to general life craziness and to wait for my workout buddy, Abi, to get back from a holiday in the UK. Now that Abi's back in town, we've been going strong for 18 days. Today is day 19.

Every morning, somewhere between the hours of 7:30 and 9:30, my living room is converted into a temporary home gym: chairs are pushed out of the way, sofa is shoved to the back of the room, bands, towels, water, and chairs (gotta love the swing kicks...) are ready and waiting. Minutes into the workouts, Abi and I are, despite having the air on high, dripping sweat onto my tile floor. If you were a fly on the wall, you would hear periodic moments of sarcasm directed towards Tony, groans of pain as we "bring it!," and occasional shriek as one or both of us lose our balance and topple ungracefully out of a balance posture in the yoga workout.

When Zoe joins us occasionally, you could add hysterical laughter to the strange sight you'd see if you were a fly on the wall. I don't have a pull-up bar in my house, so Abi and I do the modified pull-up exercise using bands instead of a bar. However, using bands for modified pull-ups requires that you loop the band around a sturdy object above head level in order to pull downward and mimic a pull-up motion. The only object above head level in my house are my chandeliers - obviously not a good option unless we want to "bring the house down" in a very literal sense. But they say necessity is the mother of invention; thus the birth of the "pull-up table." Abi and I have found that if we remove the top from my dining room table, we can sit on either end, loop our bands across the bar on the base of the table, and then do a sort of modified pull-up exercise. Weird, yes, but you use what you've got, and it's all we've got. Now, where does the hysterical laughter come into this odd scene? Abi and I were discussing how we could make the table higher when Zoe offered to hold it for us. The idea of Zoe, who was not doing the arm/shoulder routine due to back and neck problems, hoisting my dining room table above her head so that Abi and I can use our full strength to pull downward with our resistance bands was just so ludicrous that Abi and I dissolved into hysterical laughter. I think we both had a picture of Zoe, smashed under the table after the first pull-down. Zoe had actually only intended to offer to hold the table steady, not realizing that she was interjecting her comment into the middle of a discussion of how to loop our bands through a higher point.

Besides moments of hilarity, P90X has also brought significant gains in fitness - both Abi and I have exercised consistently in the past, but neither of us has ever done a program that brings such marked, measurable gains in fitness in such a short time. We both had decent cardiovascular endurance before we started, but we've seen significant improvements in strength and flexibility. Fun stuff! Abi has quit referring to P90X as P90X - she now calls it "Our Cairo Lifestyle" - she says we shouldn't look at it as a 90 day program, but as something that we will continue to do after the 90 days are up. I agree! Cairo Lifestyle, here we come!

Counting Blessings

"No matter how overwhelming, any burden God has lovingly placed

with his own hands on our shoulders is a blessing."

~ F.W. Faber ~

Counting blessings...

26. The blessing of the unknown, because it pushes me to rest in the One Who Knows.

27. The blessing of difficulties, because "polish is the result of difficulties."

28. The grain of sand that rubs so sore; without it, there would be no pearl.

29. The storms, and how no matter how fierce the wind or rough the waves, they still obey Him.

30. Peace that passes all understanding - perfect peace. HE is our peace.

31. To be allowed even a small taste of the fellowship of His suffering, that I may be conformed to His image.

32. The blessing of knowing Him - unspeakable gift!

33. All that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, praiseworthy.

34. My Lord Jesus Christ.

35. Quiet mornings; time to listen, share, be still, and know that He is God.

36. That my God supplies ALL my needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus!

37. Modern technology that gives the gift of tea with precious friends, even as continents separate us.

So many blessings!

I Pledge Allegiance...

All across America today, men, women, and children will stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. They will sing “America, the Beautiful” and the “Star Spangled Banner.” They will celebrate their heritage as Americans, offer thanks to the brave men and women who died for their freedom, and enjoy picnics on the lawn as the fireworks light up the night sky. July 4th, Independence Day in the United States, is a fun holiday. And yet, as we salute the flag and pray “God Bless America,” I wonder if we are have perhaps gotten our allegiances confused.

The root of the word Allegiance is lord. To pledge allegiance means to commit one’s complete loyalty to a nation, a sovereign, or a cause. I will not stand and pledge my allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, today nor any other day; My loyalty, my allegiance, belongs, not to a country, not to a human president, not to a flag nor an ideal, but to a King and a Kingdom.

Don’t get me wrong - I love my country. I am incredibly grateful for the heritage that is mine as an American. I am blessed to have been born in a country that was founded on Biblical morals by God-fearing, if not Christ-following, men. The laws of my country allow me to worship in freedom. They allow me a great many privileges, freedoms, and advantages only ever dreamed about by individuals with different nationalities. I am thankful today to be an American.

But patriotism is not next to godliness. Our identity should be first and foremost that of Christ-follower, not American. Flags have no place in our churches. When we come together with other Christ-followers, it is under HIS banner, in HIS name. Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s.” Jesus set a precedent for honoring our leaders - He encouraged us to do our civic duty. Peter said to obey those in authority over us, and to pray for our government. But Jesus also said, “Give to God what is God’s.” My loyalty, my faith, my commitment, my allegiance belong to God and God alone. My identity is found in Christ alone. And my home? It is not America - I may or may not reside there, but I am a “stranger and a pilgrim” and I “seek a continuing city.”

So today, as I cook a July 4th meal for my international and American friends, I give thanks for the privilege of being an American, and I pray for my government. And I pledge allegiance.

Not to a flag. Not to America. But to a King and his Kingdom.

Now the years have come and the years have gone

But the cause of Jesus still goes on

And now our time has come to count the cost

To reject this world, to embrace the cross

And one by one let us live our lives

For the One who died to give us life

Till the trumpet sounds on the final day

Let us proudly stand and boldly say

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

With all my strength

With all I am

I will seek to honor His commands

I pledge allegiance to the Lamb

Desert Song

This is my prayer in the desert

And all that's within me feels dry

This is my prayer in the hunger in me

My God is a God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire

In weakness or trial or pain

There is a faith proved

Of more worth than gold

So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle

And triumph is still on it's way

I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ

So firm on His promise I'll stand

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest

When favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

The seed I've received I will sow

Entering His Gates

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name.

Ps. 100:4

The burning fury of Cairo's summer may not be good for growing vegetables and flowers, but thanksgiving by thanksgiving, blessing upon counted blessing, gratitude is growing.

Thankful For...

11. Grace, full, free, overwhelming me with undeserved favor. The breeze that invites the leaves to dance, the joy of true forgiveness, the baby, soft in my arms - All is Grace.

12. Laughing, with heads thrown back and smiles abounding and bellies aching and tears coming because we cannot contain the joy.

13. Sunday nights, and soup and salad and homemade bread, and friends, sharing laughter, sharing tears, sharing hearts, sharing lives.

14. Eyes - “Windows to the soul,” someone said. And I think that maybe he was right, and I’m thankful for those windows through which to see the joy, the sorrow, the laughter, the teasing, the understanding, the encouragement, the soul life of another.

15. Flip-flops and flashes of red, smiling at me from my toes. Can toes be happy? I think so.

16. A pair of pearls, creamy pure, set in silver, belonging to Mama, on my finger - a gift to her from my great-grandmother and a reminder to me of the godly women who walked before.

17. Spanish, and the way it rolls off my tongue, soft and fluid, full of feeling, and secret conversations in public because we understand something that they do not.

18. Books, and how within two covers lie a world to be discovered, imagination’s playground, a journey, a grand adventure.

19. The power of a story to shape a soul.

20. The Sweetest Story, and how the One who was spurned by the life He created wrote a story of Redemption so grand and complete, and how He stepped down from His glory and paid the highest price to buy a wife who was a slave and how His life and his death and his perfect love made her a bride most beautiful.

21. Dirty dishes in my sink, because they tell a story of a meal shared, fellowship enjoyed.

22. My Dad, and how he lives Jesus and seeks first the Kingdom because he learned it from his dad, and generations of dads and children, passing on a legacy of following Jesus, of loving Father, of loving

His people, of loving His Word. A legacy of lives lived in the reality of the Kingdom.

23. Carolina Basketball, and the love of the game, and March Madness, and baby blue t-shirts and Tarheel tattoos, and strolling down Franklin St, and lasagna at the Rathskeller, and the Dean Dome electric with the energy of the fans. And how all of these mean family and laughter and memories.

24. An old and dearest friend, and how the hours and the years forged a bond so true that she hears what’s unsaid, sees what’s hidden, loves despite the faults that she knows too well, laughs at the memory that only we share, calls every week, and the cord of life we’ve woven won’t be undone by hours and months and miles and oceans that lie between.

25. Hymns, old and favorite, tapped out on a keyboard, whispered in a prayer, sung soft with a sister, written in an email.

Counting blessings

You Know You Live in Cairo When...

1. You are talking with your friend on Skype and apologize for being scandalous because you are wearing a tank top.

2. You look at the weather report, breathe sigh of relief at the cooler weather (only 107 degrees today), and put on a long sleeve shirt and long pants because you know you'll be cold sitting in the coffee shop (and I did and I am and I wish I had a blanket)

3. The backdrop of your daily run is the Nile, and on a clear day, you can see the Pyramids.

4. Your lungs look like a smoker's lungs and you've never tried your first cigarette.

5. Going the wrong way on a 3 lane, 1-way street is not really cause for concern.

6. You don't mind that your hot water heater is broken because when you shower in the summer, warm water is the default.

7. You go to church on Friday and start your work week on Sunday.

8. You walk for thirty minutes in the 110 degree heat because the cab driver was trying to rip you off. He wanted 80 cents for a 65 cent cab ride!

9. You're not supposed to touch your lips nor put on ChapStick in public. It's too suggestive.

10. You have a coat rack next to your door with no coats but about 25 different scarves.

11. You walk down the street and hear people having discussions in Arabic about your country of origin - "She must be Italian." "No, I don't know about that...she could be Spanish. Or Italian." "Yes she must be from Spain or Italy."

12. You wear a ring on your left ring finger so that cab drivers will be less likely to propose to you.

13. You light your stove and your oven with a match.

14. You get locked out of your apartment at midnight because the key you have in your hand won't open the door if you left the spare in the lock on the other side.

15. You remove the cabinets from underneath the countertops, because they are removable and not stuck in place, and promptly break the granite countertop because apparently, it's being held to the wall with glue. And the cabinet that you just moved. Gotta love Egyptian construction.

16. The only possible place to put the washing machine is in the kitchen - there is no water hookup anywhere else. Which means there is not enough room for the refrigerator, so the landlord suggests you put your refrigerator at the end of the hallway and then acts surprised that you find that idea ludicrous.

17. You pass a mosque attached to a car dealership when you go to work.

18. You don't hear the five very loud calls to prayer everyday because you are so accustomed to the noise.

19. You can sweep your floor five times a day and every time you will sweep up heaps of dust.

20. Local football matches are so violent that women are not allowed in the stadium. These people love football.

Refiner's Fire

He sat by the fire of seven-fold heat,

As He watched by the precious ore.

And closer He bent with a searching gaze

As He heated it more and more.

He knew He had ore that could stand the test

And He wanted the finest gold,

To mold as a crown for the King to wear,

Set with gems of price untold.

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,

Though we fain would have said Him, "Nay."

And He watched the dross that we had not seen,

As it melted and passed away.

And the gold grew brighter, and yet more bright

And our eyes were so dim with tears,

As we saw the fire, not the Master's hand,

And questioned with anxious fear.

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,

As it mirrored a Form above

That bent o'er the fire, though unseen by us

With a look of infinite love.

Can we think that it pleases His loving heart

To cause a moment of pain?

Ah, no, but He saw through the present cross

The bliss of eternal gain.

So He waited there with a watchful eye,

With a love that is strong and sure,

And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat

Than was needed to make it pure.

Author Unknown

Growing the Heart: Cultivating Gratitude

"In everything give thanks..." Not some things, and not when I feel like it, but in everything, and always. So I'm making a thankful list, cultivating gratitude, growing my heart.

Thankful for

1. The hours before dawn, when it's still dark outside, and the city, for a few short hours, is finally sleeping, and the morning call to prayer reminds me that only GOD is great.

2. Music, and how the lilting notes dance together to make a melody of prayer, of worship, of joy, of healing.

3. The Wilderness, because the Living Water is even more sweet in the stark and barren desert places.

4. Family, and love and hugs and games and singing and piles of dishes washed together and secrets late at night. Memories.

5. Grief and loss, because they mean we have loved.

6. Friends - the baring of souls, the strengthening words of encouragement, the helping up of one who has fallen, the holding up of one who is weak, sharing joy as we share life.

7. Coffee, and the milk that swirls so creamy in the mug from a dearest friend that asks if I know how much I am loved and the sun that spills through the windows and the beauty of this morning ritual and the senses to enjoy it.

8. Fresh flowers on my table whose existence praises their Creator and reminds me to praise too.

9. Conflict, and the way we rub each other wrong, because it offers opportunity to bend, chances to love, a moment in which to look with eyes of Grace and see His masterpiece - His poiema, the Sacred in the sinner.

10. Peace, not the hollow assurance of smooth sailing, but the Strength that storms my heart and captains my soul through waters rough and unknown. HE is our Peace.

90 Days of Insanity (Or What Cairo Heat Does To Your Frontal Lobe)

Heat makes you crazy. And I'm no exception. How do I know this? Ever heard of P90X? It's "Extreme Home Fitness." Sounded like a contradiction of terms to me, but P90X is no joke. It's no Kathy Smith aerobics...I just finished Day 1 of the 90 day period of torture, and I am already sore. According to reviews I've read, that's what I've got to look forward to for the next 89 days. Yay.

Why such ridiculousness? In a word, heat. Working out is essential to sanity in Cairo, but the summertime temperature climbs to such intense heights that exercising outdoors, even in the early morning (6 am), becomes hazardous to one's health. My friend Abi and I have been running along the Nile in the mornings, but the pollution makes it dangerous to exercise too intensely, and its getting toasty over here. Besides we wanted something new, something challenging. Joining a gym would get us out of the heat and give a variety of options for working out, but there are some drawbacks to that as well. I joined for six months back in January, but getting to the gym on a daily basis can be a struggle thanks to location, transportation, and scheduling, and here in Cairo, gyms are flat out expensive. Enter P90X. A couple of weeks ago, our friend Scott was passionately discussing his favorite topic, Crossfit, and Abi and I were a bit intrigued. After checking out Crossfit and deciding it wasn't for us (its a super intense workout that does require some gym equipment and was created for military men...) we settled on P90X. And that my friends is the story of how I lost my mind. I'll let you know what I think next week after I've finished the first week of workouts.

Day TEN: Sleeping Late, Hitting the Gym, Church, and Dinner with Dolly and Co.

Another relaxing day in Cairo:

After a late night thursday, we slept in, hit the gym for some quality time with the treadmills and weight benches, played a game of catch with weighted medicine balls, and had coffees at Cafe Greco. Then it was off to play argue-down-the-price with two more crazy cab drivers, hurry eight people through one shower, and head to church. Dolly invited all of us "kids" out to dinner along with her boyfriend Scott and two new kids, Graham and Jeremy (I think...). No grown-ups allowed, so Mom and Dad went on a date to Asian Corner. Despite the fact that we had to get up early the next morning, we stayed up forever late again (see a theme here? our best bonding happens between the hours of 2-3 am). Fun stuff. :)

Day NINE: The Cairo Zoo, Sailing on the Nile, Guerrilla Warfare, and Grand Cafe

Of the many attractions in this fabulous city of 30 million people, the Giza Zoo is a must-see. Thursday we piled into two cabs and risked life and limb on the Corniche as we sped off to see the lions and tigers and bears, oh my! You know the Aladdin theme song? About Prince Ali?

He's got seventy-five golden camels
Purple peacocks
He's got fifty-three
When it comes to exotic-type mammals
Has he got a zoo?
I'm telling you, it's a world-class menagerie

That's a pretty apt description of the Giza Zoo. We saw more white flamingoes than anyone ought to have to see in one day, a HUGE hippo lumbering around, about 20 roaring lions, some black asian bears, hawks, monkeys, orangutans, chimpanzees, and loads of other interesting creatures. We petted a Bactrian Camel named Sarah, fed some pelicans, and the brave men amongst us even held a lion cub. Not a very happy lion cub, I might add.

After our zoo adventure, we stopped by MetroMarket to get dinner supplies and came home to make fajitas. We all liked sailing on the Nile, so after dinner, we gathered up some drinks and some chocolate chip cookies and spent an hour playing a rowdy game of catch phrase while floating down the Nile, much to the amazement of our boat captain.

A choice gem from that game:

I'll spare you the specifics, but we were all completely confused and subsequently laughing riotously when Meredith sought to elicit "Guerrilla Warfare" using such clues as jungle, helicopter, parachute, Jim Elliot, and Nate Saint. I wonder if Jim Elliot was aware of his involvement in such dubious activities??

Another round of cappucinos, mochacreamos, and lemon mint juice at Grand Cafe finished off the evening. Family is such a blessing.

Day EIGHT: Wednesday - sleeping in, working out, walking around, and late night bonding

After a pretty full Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday was a chill day. We slept in and enjoyed a leisurely morning around the house, then we headed to the gym at CSA. Even the intensely air-conditioned gyms get toasty in the Cairo heat, and Wednesday was pretty killer. We looked about like we jumped in the swimming pool! But showers and lunch revived us, and then we ventured down to the metro and rode to Rd 9. Egypt has beautiful alabaster, so everyone bought some alabaster souvenirs and gifts, then some of us headed for a cup of coffee and the others meandered through the smattering of gift shops along the road. Eventually we all ended up at Caffe Greco, laughing, chatting, enjoying frappes, lattes, and cappuccinos, and planning our futures. Fun times and special memories.

We had dinner at Spectra, a restaurant I ate at on the day I arrived in Cairo. After dinner we walked back to Rd 9 to buy a movie, and rounded out our relaxing day with popcorn and Leap Year. We chatted into the wee hours of the morning, until everyone was exhausted and fell asleep. Good times.

Tuesday, Day 7: Orphanage, Art Centre, and lots of singing

Tuesday morning was another early one. After a 7:30 meeting at Cafe Greco (Yay for tall lattes!) I recovered my family and we were off to the orphanage. The Mother Teresa Sisters of Charity orphanage is one of my favorite places in Cairo, and I was thrilled to take my family for a visit. We hung out with 25 2-3 olds for a couple of hours. The kids are so fun to hug, hold, and play with. One of the little girls picked Dad as her buddy and wouldn't be convinced to leave his lap. She also found a comb somewhere and tried to improve upon Meredith's hair-trimming job by giving Wilby a bit of a hair-combing. Mama held a crew of them on her lap and practiced a few new arabic words while "reading" a colorful Eric Carle book to them. Meredith's long straight hair provided one of the girls with loads of fun. Rachel, Thomas, and Brooke had kids clustered around them, clamoring to be held and loved. One of my favorite little girls LOVES music of all kinds. I started singing to her, and she promptly stood up and started dancing. We all sang through a multitude of fun kids songs, and after every one, she looked at me and said "Yalla! Taney!" (thats my bad transliteration of the arabic words that mean "Let's Go! Another!") After lunch and before naptime, the kids go into another room and dance to loud music. We listened to a few songs in arabic, and then nearly fell into hysterical laughter when the next song to play was "Another one bites the dust." Given the frequency with which these kids push each other over, the song is rather appropriate! After the orphanage, I sent my family to the art centre while I went to visit a couple of friends nearby. We headed back to CSA for our regular work-out. The 100+ degree weather sapped everyone's energy, but after a sandwiches, smoothies, water, and some Diet Cokes, we revived and hit the gym. A late afternoon nap was followed by homemade pizza. The Andrews family never fails to have fun together, and though others may at times worry about the sanity and lack of normalcy in our household, we certainly enjoy ourselves. Last night was no exception. We may not be the family Von Trapp, but that doesn't stop us from singing. From Disney (Can You Feel The Love Tonight, I Can Show You The World) to Sound of Music (Do a Deer, My Favorite Things) to Country to Backstreet Boys to the Beach Boys to Elton John (Benny and the Jets), we shared our love of all things musical with each other and probably all of the neighbors too. Sorry, neighbors. Dish-washing was done to the loud and energetic Victory Chant (Hail Hail Lion of Judah...that one) and our favorite family hymn - Heaven Came Down. Coffee, chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, a game of Puerto Rico, a game Extreme Rock Paper Scissors, foot rubs, discussions of futures, and late night bonding chats rounded out the evening.

Having so much fun in Cairo, missing Blaine lots, and wishing you all were here with us!

From Cairo,

The Andrews Crew

Day Six: PYRAMIDS!

Monday started early for the Andrews Crew. We caught the metro to Rd 9 where Ibrahim, my friend and our tour guide, was waiting for us with a small bus. We road out to Giza, trying not to die in traffic accidents and looking for dead horses in the canal to pass the time (we did not see any but supposedly they are there). After a photo shoot in front of the main pyramid, we got a short history lesson and then climbed up on the base of the pyramid.

Only in places like Egypt can you climb on a national treasure that's thousands of years old. Thomas tried climbing further but the guard quickly blew his whistle on that idea. We toured the other 2 pyramids, rode camels, and climbed into a tomb.

We opted for entering the small pyramid since it was free (we get our sense of frugality from the Shelley's.....ask my Granddaddy Shelley how he used to buy shampoo for the fam). Thomas got a bit inspired by the Egyptian hieroglyphics, and his name now graces the wall of the smallest pyramid. Only in Egypt can you deface a national treasure without getting thrown into jail.

After a photo op with the Sphinx, the Andrews crew was pretty exhausted and happy to spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and napping. For dinner, I made a quick chicken curry using a curry spice packet...lets just say that one should avoid making curry for Indian children whose mother is practically a chef and makes some seriously delicious food. Wilby was gracious and ate my "curry" anyway...Thomas was a little less gracious with his commentary on my curry. Maybe not my best meal :) After dinner we walked to Grand Cafe on the Nile. We sat around a low table and ordered a variety of fancy coffee and juice drinks and a few desserts.

It was a fun and relaxing way to end our busy day!

Christmas in May!!

Having family come visit for two weeks is fun for many reasons, one of which was the three suitcases of gifts and goodies that I am trying to find cabinet space for! I had so much fun opening up suitcases and unwrapping presents the day my family got here. A few of the fun presents:

Thanks to Dave, Debbie, and the Boys for parting with their lovely daughter for two weeks and sending her to Cairo, AND thanks for the goodies!! Two canisters of Ginger Peach Tea (YUM!), two super precious mugs based off of a favorite children's book (one says "Guess how much I love you? The other answers "I love you to the moon - and back!), a sweet smelling, prettily wrapped bar of Ocean Pur Botanic Shea Butter Soap, and four special cards with verses and encouraging messages written by Josiah, Jeremiah, and Jedidiah. I love you guys!!

Thanks to Tonya and crew for more special things to make my home cozy: Yankee Candle Sage and Citrus votives and tea lights to go with a pretty home fragrance oil burner, an olive oil mister, two bars of french-milled soap, some Bath and Body Works White Citrus hand soap, two picture frames with sepia toned photographs of Lilly, Kathryn, and Levi, three hand-painted masterpieces waiting to be matted and framed and hung in my spare room, and a singing card. Love you much and will think of you every time I use these things!

From Samantha and Abby: My favorite snack food for a fun treat: Two boxes of Cheez-its and a four bottles of Dt Mt Dew - I'm not very good at saving things, and I must confess that the Diet Mountain Dew is gone, but it was thoroughly enjoyed!! I shared the first box of Cheez-its with the rest of the fam, so of course its gone, but I'm rationing the second. Thanks guys for a special treat!!! Love you much!!

From Paul and Carol: Four beautiful hand towels that are color coordinated with my bathroom, 2 packages of my favorite blueberry coffee, and a Mary Magdalene DVD. I'm savoring a mug of that blueberry coffee as I type this. What a cozy treat!! And the towels look lovely in the bathroom (and now my guests can actually dry their hands :) Thanks for the thoughtful gift! Love you guys!

A few cards rounded out the Christmas in May celebration: A hilarious and entirely appropriate card from Joanna brought smiles and laughter. Thanks querida. Love you and miss you more than you know. And a letter from Sam Condon was a special surprise. Thanks Sam!! It was a particularly special to get that letter because it was a surprise! Love you so much, and we'll skype soon so I can see your lovely face!

Besides the Christmas presents, I am enjoying a newly stocked pantry. With 10 bags of regular, decaf, and flavored coffee, 8 jars of flavored creamers, 4 bottles of flavored syrups, and a couple new coffee mugs, my coffee bar is open for business. Come visit and I'll make you an iced latte or a mug of coffee with frothed milk :) I like to keep chocolate chip cookie dough in my freezer so that I can bake fresh cookies for anyone who drops by. With 186 oz of chocolate chips in the baking drawer, I will be sure to have cookies for visitors for the next year! Lemonade powder, soaps, clothes, fun new sandals, lots of candles, and some books complete the new stash of stuff. I love using my home for hospitality, and its so fun to have new candles, hand towels, pretty soaps, and coffee supplies to help create a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. Yay for Christmas in May!!

Sunday, Day Five

Today has been full and fun. A few highlights:

A great time of worship, remembering our Savior, followed by brunch and fellowship.

More working out. Gotta stay fit, even on vacation! Thankfully we managed to get out without breaking machines this time :)

A crazy trip to Khan el Khalili, the massive bazaar where you can purchase ANY weird thing. Among the purchased items: beautiful blue and green glassware, lovely scarves, a couple of dangerous looking but dull knives, a load of t-shirts with embroidered pyramids on them, a series of small pyramid sculptures, a djimbe (exactly how does one spell that??), copper thimbles, and mother-of-pearl jewelry boxes.

An authentic Egyptian dinner from GAD: Falafel, Baba Ghanoug, Tahina, Hummus, rotisserie chicken, Mashi (peppers, eggplants, and zucchini stuffed with a rice mixture)

A tragic haircut: Wilby learned the hard way that asking Meredith and Thomas to cut one's hair will not necessarily increase one's attractiveness.

Tomorrow: Pyramids!

Andrews Adventures in Cairo: Saturday

Friday's craziness resulted in my losing my key ring, with my house keys, art centre keys, and office keys. Thankfully, my landlord lives across the street and has a key to my flat, and thankfully I keep a spare in a dish next to the door. So we weren't in too much trouble. But losing the art centre key necessitated an early morning meeting to borrow another one. As the crew slept peacefully on, I made my way to Cafe Greco to recover a key and then to MetroMarket to buy groceries to feed the hungry crowd. Mama and Daddy met me at the grocery store, and we planned menus, mentally converted LE to USD, and finally made it home with food. The crew was still asleep - staying up til 4 am caused them all to sleep til noon :) After breakfast/lunch, we headed to Cairo American College, where we met one of the high school girls who comes with me to the art centre on Saturdays. All nine of us piled in cars and then spent the next two hours coloring artwork and playing with 20+ adorable kids.

One of the girls, Injy, loved Brooke and insisted that she stay in Cairo with me when the rest of the fam headed back to the States. In efforts to not explain the odd relationship that our family shares with Wilby and Rachel, I introduced them all as my family. The children stared in amazement upon discovering that Will was my brother, and were positively shocked that Rachel was the youngest. They were sure that she must be older than Meredith as she is taller (by a whole inch!). We had lots of fun singing "Father Abraham" in Arabic. The kids insisted upon Mama and Daddy getting in on the action, and were DELIGHTED to watch them shake their arms and legs during "Abuna Ibrahim." After a full afternoon, we came back home to a Spaghetti dinner, which was enjoyed by all until Wilby decided to breathe and eat and the same time, which resulted in a serious choking incident followed by hysterical laughter. (laughter was the theme of the day!) Next came a crazy game of Catch Phrase, Andrews style. If you've never been a part of an Andrews family game night, you're missing out. It's pretty incredible. I'll leave you with a few choice gems from the game that had us all stretched out on the floor laughing hysterically....

Dad (describing a word): It's something that makes everything go smoothly (that's ALL he said, I promise)

Rachel, before anyone else could say a word: BALL BEARINGS!!!!

Dad, pumping his fist: YES! (while we all laughed and looked on in astonishment)

Rachel: I LOVED those when I was a kid!!!

Yep, she's the daughter of an engineer! Who else gives ball-bearings to their kids as toys??

An astonishing moment of mental connection between Meredith and I:

Me: You know, when water comes out of the ground...

Meredith: DEW POINT!

A correct guess followed by more astonishment.

A demonstration of Rachel's articulate descriptions:

Rachel: The one who made the invention!!! He did it! He made it! He made the invention! You know the one who made the invention!!!! He came up with the invention!!

Everyone else: Albert Einstein! Umm, WHAT invention?

Dad, finally: Inventor?

Rachel, after the time was up: The INVENTOR! DUH!

Thank you Rachel. You are a true wordsmith.

No, those words are not synonyms:

Brooke: You know, mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise...

Wilby: COMMODITIES!

Everyone else: more hysterical laughter, and Dad suggesting that we all begin investing in Condiments....

Day Three: GC, more workouts, church, and a sunset felucca!

Friday was full and fun. We headed to Garbage City in the morning. We went to the art centre, where we did a bit of cleaning and organizing and just played with kids. Brooke has some video of Thomas, Meredith, Wilby and Rachel teaching the kids to play clapping games - I'll try to post those soon. Its so fun to have my family see this place that I work and these kids who have captured my heart.

After GC, we of course needed to work out again, so it was off to CSA for a second time. Since Mom had just eaten and I had run with Abi in the morning, we took a trip to a little foreign market to buy Rachel's birthday dinner. Shopping in Cairo is not quite the same as the local Reidsville Food Lion!

After retrieving the rest of the sweaty family, we headed back to mine for showers before church. Unfortunately for the fam, my hot water heater just broke, and its only cold showers! I suppose the positive is that 8 people get through one shower MUCH faster when the water is cold...After church, we celebrated Rachel's 15th birthday with a sunset picnic on a sailboat on the Nile. Two friends joined us, and we had a lovely time laughing, talking, and wondering exactly where Moses sailed down the Nile.

It was so special to celebrate this birthday with Rach. I got to know her exactly 7 years ago, just before her 8th birthday. I spent four summers as a nanny to her and her brothers, and every summer was more special than the last. Rach has certainly outgrown needing a nanny, but I am so blessed to have her now as my youngest "sister." She's grown from a precocious, fun-loving, super-cute 2nd grader to a strong, beautiful, special young woman. I am so excited to see what HE has in store for you as you continue to pursue Jesus. Love you so much Rach!

Thursday, Day Two

Thursday was a delightfully lazy day. After 18 hours of airports, layovers and economy class seats, the travelers were a bit weary and happy to sleep in. Mom, Dad and I were up by 8:30 having coffee and quiet time, but the crew was happy to sleep til lunch time! Everyone here is passionate about their workouts, so we've purchased month memberships to a gym here. Our first outing in Cairo? A visit to the Community Services Association to work out, where Meredith worked out so hard that she managed to break an elliptical, Thomas lifted so much weight he caused the leg press to break, and Wilby made friends with all the staff and ate muffins. He needed them after his intenso workout. After our those tough workouts, we decided to enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation. Some friends who are out of town offered the use of their patio and pool, and we enjoyed a sunny picnic, a few fierce games of bananagrams, and a bit of swimming. There were a few intense battles to see who could push who into the pool. Somehow, poor Rach bore the brunt of the dunking. After another crazy cab ride back to my flat, everyone was happy to chill and play games for the evening. Next up on the schedule? Garbage City.

Andrews Adventures in Cairo: Day One!

Wednesday started out like any other day: after an early morning run along the Nile with Abi, I had a morning meeting, complete with lots of coffee, and then I hurried to finish the rest of the preparations for my family's visit. I called a couple of different companies to arrange transportation to and from the airport - getting 8 people and 20 bags from the airport is no small feat. Finally, SeeEgypt promised to send a van. I started to get a bit nervous when they still hadn't shown up 15 minutes after the scheduled time, but soon they arrived, in a 20-seat bus! No need to worry about lack of space. On the way to the airport we got stuck in serious traffic, thanks to crazy egyptian traffic practices. By the time I got to the airport, my fam was out of customs and waiting for me. I ran into the airport, threw my bag at Rachel, and flew to the bathroom without saying hi. Moral of the story? Don't drink 2 cups of coffee and 2 liters of water and then get stuck for an hour in Egyptian traffic. We got bags loaded up and my family got a bit of a taste of the life-and-death traffic situations that are a part of daily life here. By the time we got back to my flat, Brooke was white as a sheet and nearly ill, and Rachel proclaimed Egypt to be a "truly dangerous land!" To help with the culture shock, we had burgers, philly cheese steak sandwiches, and grilled chicken salads at Lucille's, a lovely American style restaurant complete with American music...we sang along to the Beach Boys "Kokomo" from our back-corner booth. After a quick trip to MetroMarket for groceries, it was home and bed. A fun first day! So glad to have the crew here :)

T-minus 60 minutes!

In half an hour, I'm leaving to go to the Cairo International Airport to pick up mi familia!! THRILLED that Mama, Daddy, Brooke, Wilby, Thomas, Meredith, and Rachel will be doing life with me for the next two weeks, and sad that Blaine couldn't make it this time. Stay tuned for daily reports of the Andrews' Adventures in Cairo!

Countdown: One Week!!!

In exactly one week, Daddy, Mama, Brooke, Wilby, Thomas, Meredith, and Rachel will be with me, in Cairo, hopefully eating dinner. YES to visitors!!!!!

goodbyes, hellos, and change.

The thing I love most about Cairo? Sorry, can't name just one...I LOVE my life here. Dave Ramsey, financial guru, says that one's ideal job blends one's skills and talents, passions and dreams, and experience into meaningful, fulfilling work. Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian, says that the ideal job combines your skills and passions with work that helps bring more peace, love, and justice to our world. So true. I am blessed beyond measure to live the life I'm living, to do the work I'm doing, and I LOVE IT.

What do I DISLIKE most about Cairo? EASY - saying goodbye. Life here is so transient. And that's good, I suppose. It helps me to remember that in this world, I am a stranger, a pilgrim, and this place is not my home. But the transient nature of Cairo life means saying goodbye - ALOT. Life here is constantly changing, and people are constantly coming and going. We are created to live in community with each other, NOT to be lone rangers. Living in community means reaching out, loving, serving, being vulnerable, sharing life, even in a place as transient as Cairo. Living in community here is as important as living in community anywhere else. But opening your heart to people here inevitably means that a difficult goodbye is coming. The past 8 months have brought several such goodbyes. Though I miss the friendships that will no longer be such a daily part of my life, I am thankful for every precious friend to whom I've said goodbye. Each of them has shaped my life in particular ways, and therefore have become a part of who I am today. So despite the sadness of saying goodbye, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am who I am thanks to each precious friend whom I've had the privilege of knowing, and I look forward to every new friend that He will bring into my life, no matter how brief our acquaintance may be.

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you..."