From Katrina to Cairo: 7 Years of International Testimonies

As Hurricane Isaac makes landfall along the Gulf Coast near the 7 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, there's been a lot to remember by way of Katrina' impact and ramifications upon New Orleans, disaster preparedness and response, and more.

Katrina also had a dramatic impact upon our start to helping 6th Avenue Church of God fulfill their global mission of "Touching the World for Christ"...

To help 6th Ave accomplish their mission, we encouraged the development of what we called missional partnerships with a church or set of churches on each continent.  To begin with, we started with my mom's home country of Guyana.  In June of 2005, we met the national leaders, Colin and Carla Edghill, who were visiting the USA during the North American Convention of the Church of God.  The Edghills invited us to go to Guyana to meet pastors and churches in September 2005--that would be require quite a leap of faith to make that happen in such a short window of time, but we prayed and agreed to make the attempt.

In addition to Keli and I making the effort, a young newlywed in 6th Ave, Alison Miller, was equally excited and eager to participate in international service.  She immediately volunteered to go, but there were plenty of reasons why she shouldn't.  As a newlywed, the finances were not all settled, she was a full time student and had just started a new job as an assistant in a law firm--her mother had reminded her of all these things, not to discourage her, but to help her realize she needed to start planning out her decisions rather than just leap.  Discouraged by reality, but still determined, Alison asked her teachers, and they said it would be a good experience and gave her permission to miss classes.  A bit encouraged, she went to ask the lawyers she worked for--they said, "Sounds interesting.  Maybe this bonus check will help," handing her share of a company bonus that covered her airfare cost!

She was all the more eager to go after this--now we all needed to secure our passports and get some vaccinations.  Keli and I received our passports quickly, but not Alison; we had all worked on this and made the applications together, printing all the forms, paying all the fees, and filing with the county seat to send our documentations to the regional passport office--in New Orleans.

1 week before we were to leave, Alison got a call from the New Orleans office.  As her paperwork was being processed, there was a problem because her recent marriage led to a name change that was not consistent on all her documentation; so, they needed a copy of the marriage license.  Not only was our time short before the trip, but Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on the city.  The paperwork was expedited that day, and we watched with Alison as the news reported Katrina making landfall devastatingly early.

Less than 1 week from our trip, a non-refundable airline ticket and no passport while all her documentation was sloshing around in a New Orleans government office, it looked like Alison's desire for international mission had been washed out like a New Orleans levy.

I won't rewrite every amazing detail here, but here's the gist of what happened:

Alison in Georgetown, Guyana
with her miraculous passport (2005).
Alison & her husband Grant now
have 3 kids and are still active
in ministry at 6th Avenue Church.

Alison's husband had a coworker tell him that it was too bad we weren't closer to Miami because he heard of people just walking into the Miami office and right out with their passports.  Our scheduled flight had a 4 hour layover in Miami, so we prayed that we would be able to arrive there, leave the airport get a passport and back to board the connecting flight to Guyana within 4 hours!

This was an insane prayer--and the events that led from that prayer to the risk of running out the airport and the disappointment before breakthrough at the passport office are hard to believe, but true nonetheless:  read the full account at the the original blog post or 6th Avenue's Mission Guyana page for the whole story (if it seems familiar to you ChoG-ers, it was also published in One Voice).

That first, amazing step by Alison created a testimony that inspired the 6th Avenue Church in their pursuit of international missions.  Within the next year, other young adults would make the trip to Guyana, inspired by Alison's testimony--among them, new 3W Teammate Zach Langford.

Alison was honored as one of 6th Avenue's "Mighty Warriors"prior to our transition out of that ministry: she didn't let a little thing like Hurricane Katrina get in the way of global, Kingdom impact.

And that first trip with Alison gave us the momentum to continue creating partnerships, which led to interaction with our predecessors Franco and Bea Santonocito who invited us to prayerfully be their replacements with the CCF, and led to the 3W team placement.

There you have it--from Katrina to Cairo--hard to believe it's been 7 years!

Next Stop, Lebanon

Tomorrow, Zeke and I fly to Beirut, Lebanon so that we can participate in the annual Ana Terzo youth camp of the Church of God in Lebanon.  I will be the speaker for four sessions beginning Thursday, and Zeke is along for the ride and opportunity to experience a new country.

We have been looking forward to this opportunity for several months and we are busily trying to prepare for the trip now.  Packing for a place and environment that you have never been is not a particularly easy task, but the larger part is making sure that Keli has everything that she needs over the next few days while we are away; this will be the first time that either of us has left the other alone in Egypt.

Keli will have a busy schedule while we're doing the typical summer camp routine.  She has to get Titus and Grace off to school, there's a High School youth party that Grace is going to tomorrow night, then Keli & Titus play host to the Maadi Community Church Middle School youth group kickoff party on Thursday.  She will also begin preparing for her mother's arrival early next week.

It's Zeke's turn to take a trip with one of us; Grace came with us to Germany and Cairo last year, Titus went with me from Idaho to Oregon to Washington last fall.  They're all looking forward to occasional opportunities to jet off to exciting countries.

Our hearts remain heavy and in prayer for the crisis in Syria and it's continuing effects on neighboring countries, specifically Lebanon where violence and similar cultural divisions are being reborn after years of peace from their own civil war.  Here is a video posted on CNN that demonstrates the effects of this violent conflict on one boy and his family--as you watch this, consider that this is just one family among thousands experiencing similar in northern Lebanon.



We will learn a lot in the next week though we will be far from any current threats or violence.  As I make a second trip next week, I should have even greater opportunity to learn about the response of Christians to the growing refugee needs, and other service opportunities.

Continue to keep us in your prayers--thank you all for your support.  We hope to take and post a lot of pictures of great people and interesting sights.

Back to Tahrir

President Morsi's actions or inactions
appear to be the root of
multiple demonstrations today.
(Photo by Reuters)

In Cairo today, Friday, August 24, demonstrators will convene for various and often opposing causes, raising safety and security concerns.   Quoted in this Al Jazeera story, "Wafaa Saad, the general coordinator of the I am Egypt Campaign, said her group demands that 'the authorities protect the protesters, especially after some extremist clerics said these protesters are non-believers and that it is all right to kill them just because we oppose their opinion'."

This is the first Friday after the Islamic holy month of Ramadan so many groups have set this day aside for demonstrations for a variety of reasons that have building over the last month.  The groups gathering all seem to be gathering in either opposition or support of President Morsi for one reason or another.  The bulk of the protests seem to revolve around these three issues: Sinai, Power, and Freedom of Expression.

Sinai:  In the beginning of the month, at least 16 Egyptian officers were killed by militant radicals in the Sinai peninsula.  There were conflicting reports that Egypt had been warned by Israeli intelligence of pending attacks.  Demonstrators arriving in Tahrir today do so for a variety of reasons related to the Sinai:
- some gather today in memory for the slain officers

- some gather in protest of Morsi who did not attend the state funeral services

- some gather in protest of Morsi and the resulting aggressive attacks on suspected militant hideouts

- some gather demanding increased security and efforts for stabilization in the Sinai peninsula


Power: President Morsi further heightened his powers of control this past month by suddenly and ceremoniously "retiring" SCAF leaders, including Field Marshal Tantawi, who were given the state's highest medals and made "Presidential advisors".

- This act, though supported by many revolutionaries, is also a point of criticism by the same because it puts so much power into the hands of Morsi; without the old SCAF leaders, Morsi also dissolved the previous supplemental constitution amendments made by SCAF thus giving the President alone legislative authority until a new Constitution is drafted and a new Parliament is elected.

- Muslim Brotherhood and their Freedom & Justice Party quickly went to the streets in support of the Morsi move.  They gather today to oppose those who are against Mori's action and to "protect" their party's offices for fear of opposing demonstrators.

- Morsi has been actively attempting to court favor with various groups who will oppose him today; the quick and aggressive Sinai attacks were on the heals of the funerals he did not attend, he has diversified his cabinet though many still say this is not enough,  and changing a law in the past 24 hours to see the release of a newspaper editor standing trial, which leads us to...


...Freedom of Expression:  a newspaper editor stands trial for "insulting the President" and contributing to lack of peace or inciting public panic.

- demonstrators for freedom of public expression have been active since the revolution; among the young people that we talk to, this is usually a serious topic of discussion.  Democracy and freedoms hinge on the ability to not only disagree but to make that disagreement known.  There has been much publicized criticism of Morsi and Freedom and Justice Party's willingness to allow for complete freedom of expression.

- outcry over the trial has reached a fever pitch in the past few days.  For example, prominent revolutionary activist Wael Ghonim has tweeted more than 20 times in the past 24 hours on the subject; that may not sound like a lot, but with nearly 629,000 followers @Ghonim, those tweets have led to 100's of additional comments and 1000's of retweets/favorites as revolutionary Egyptians have joined the chorus of demanding greater freedom of expression.

- Morsi, knowing the increasing chatter, just made his first use of legislative power to change the law regarding holding the accused editor in jail until the trial.  Reports indicate this was likely to deflect the growing criticism.  

- Despite this recent overture, many demonstrators are likely to point to the larger history of changes that indicate, in their minds, an opposition to full freedom of expression/press, as this Reuter's report states "Mursi drew further criticism when the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament, which was not dissolved, appointed new editors to several state newspapers. Though this had been common practice under Mubarak, critics said Mursi’s allies should not have followed the same practice in the new Egypt."


There are other reasons for demonstrations today: against requesting increased loans from IMF, lack of change in economy and living conditions, increased electric costs while continuing power shortages, cooking and automotive gas shortages, and the list goes on.  With so many demonstrators showing up in the same place at the same time for various reasons, what message will be heard?

It's unlikely that any one message will be heard--what will be seen and heard is simply this: There's a lot of unhappy people.  

Hopefully, in the midst of this unhappiness, demonstrations will not lead to tragedy.

Continue to pray for Egypt.

Into Lebanon

though we will fly into and out of Beirut, most of our first
visits will take place at retreat centers in the
nearby mountains

Within a week, Zeke and I fly to Beirut, Lebanon for the first time to share with the annual Ana Terzo Youth Camp.  We are extremely excited about this upcoming opportunity to have our first introduction to this beautiful country, to meet leadership, and to serve young adults.  More on this next week...

This week, we were surprised and humbled by another invitation to engage Lebanon with Heart for Lebanon.  H4L is "a relief and compassionate ministry, started in October of 2006" (see the recent video about the relief for Iranian refugees).  The ministry has a national board of directors, as well as an international/foreign advisory board; we've been asked to join the latter.  This is a great opportunity for networking toward greater international engagement into the Middle East.  The H4L Boards have an annual retreat just a few days after we are there--we'll have to return to Cairo to get Zeke enrolled into school, but then I'll turn around to return after a few days.




As you can see by the video, H4L is a great opportunity for us to move into greater regional ministry efforts and networking toward greater international engagement into the Middle East.

H4L along with the Church of God in Lebanon have been among those on the front lines of meeting the needs of the increasing Syrian refugee population.  In the past 2 days, there's been a growing number of reports of the Syrian conflict continuing to spring up within Lebanon.
- CNN: Syria's Neighbors: What's at Stake (August 22, 2012)
- Al Jazeera English: Lebanese Rivals Continue Battles Over Syria (August 23, 2012)
- BBC: Tensions Remain High in Tripoli (Lebanon) (August 22, 2012)

Each of these articles points out the increasing violence in the disputes--there are now 12 dead and more than 100 wounded in Lebanon through the sectarian fighting that results in taking sides in the Syrian conflict.  In addition, there have been back-and-forth kidnappings across the Syrian-Lebanese border.  All of this has the United Nations calling for international support in keeping the Syrian conflict out of Lebanon.  This CNN video shows more about these clashes:



Yet, rhetoric and pressures have grown among the international communities as well.  Syria's government admits to having chemical/biological weapons and would use them against foreign involvement-and then-U.S. and U.K. leaders have spoken out strongly about the use of those weapons-and then-Russia and China government leaders have stressed that the "west" needs to stay out of it.

When we travel to Lebanon next week, we will not be anywhere near the current areas of dispute; however, tensions and anxiety levels are increasing throughout the country as people know more who are affected and witness increasing numbers of refugees in need.  This is a time of great need, and an opportunity for the Church to be the Church God intended, offering services of hope and love.  It is exciting to discover more through the ChoG in Lebanon as well as through H4L--as we learn more, we hope to include more of you in the opportunity to act compassionately, as well.

As you pray for us in Egypt, pray for our increasing opportunities to serve the Middle East, specifically in Lebanon and to refugees there.  Thank you for your continuing support and prayers...


  

Our Baby's In High School!?!?!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I'm not freaking out as bad as when she turned into a teenager--years of parenting a sassy, independent daughter were not enough to prepare me for that; when Grace turned 13, I could see the inevitable domino progression from teen to HS to college to (gulp) marriage?!!? :0

It happens faster than we can realize, but my how things have changed since we walked her to and from her first day of kindergarten.  We're extremely proud of our daughter--she's smart, goofy, driven (maybe too much so), and talented.

But high school; ugh, I remember high school (all 4 of my high schools) and I don't know anyone who would like to repeat it.  I would repeat middle school because I lacked confidence then and harbored a lot of internal hurt that prevented me from attempting more at that age--but high school, with its challenges & hormones facing off in the midst of perceived and actual family, education, internal and social struggles and pressures--not sure any of us could do it more than once.

And then, once you are through in what seems like a flash, you are not quite the person of wisdom we like to think we are in our latter years, but we have inevitably set the foundation of who we will be.  There's still time for that foundation to be altered, but the work of change is harder after these formative years.

As I did yesterday reminiscing about 6th grade, let me reminisce about 9th grade and then outline the differences Grace will have.

I attended 9th grade beginning in the fall of 1987 (the Simpsons first aired in 87, gas was 0.89/gallon, along with the release of U2's Joshua Tree album).

That first H.S. was Sheridan High School in Sheridan, Indiana--no stop lights, (one flashing four-way at the main state highway intersection where the city park and Dairy Queen met--this intersection was also one end of the popular cruising strip).

I fell in love in Sheridan--with football--though I had played with friends and watched occasionally, I became a fanatic as the HS team was rich with talent and went on to win the state championship that fall in the Hoosier Dome, in Indianapolis.  This led to a deep sense of school spirit that I not previously or since experienced.

Small town and football games meant dances after the home games--and I think I went to each one--of course, being Indiana, the basketball games led to dances, too.  I struck out infamously at dances in junior high (a favorite story among the young adults I've taught), but had better luck in 9th grade--and this led to a bit of puppy love but much greater in the broken heart department--stories for another time.

I did not grow up in this community, but moved there just before the start of school.  I met many quickly due to a previous acquaintance with a guy named John who was friends with just about everyone in the small school.  John saw me registering for classes the day before the start of the school year; he quickly introduced me to the cross country coach, got me to try out and play basketball, and that all led to the track team.  My high school athletic career started and got a quick stop as i tore muscles in my knee during track; a summer in physical therapy, and another move defeated my drive to try out again.

In the 9th grade you have just enough freedom and not enough smarts to get yourself into more trouble than you know how to get out of--fortunately, I didn't get into anything too bad (having done worse prior to this), but I watched others begin making some pretty detrimental mistakes.

School wasn't that difficult in the 9th grade, though I remember it to require more effort than previous years--this surprised me, but my focus on social things kept me from applying myself as well as I should have.  Again, no calculators and no computers from what I can remember; I do remember a bit of world history that year and learning about Egyptian President Anwar el Sadat and his assassination--ironic now that we're in Cairo and pass through the Sadat station regularly.  The teachers were nice, but not overly memorable--of course, again, I was more focused on the social than the educational; and yet, I'm not in touch with anyone from that school or that time of my life.

As for Grace...
She's going to have access to a world-class education at CAC with great teachers.  I met a few of them this morning as I volunteered for the PTO's welcome back brunch.  Grace is driven and a bit of perfectionist when it comes to work and projects; she can get a little distracted when it comes to paying attention to instructions, but we make a point to help our kids understand their assignments as they're working on them at night.

students cross the quad and gather in front
of the CAC HS building before the start of the
2012-2013 school year

Like Titus, she has a 4 class per day schedule, for a total of 7 classes and 1 "advisory" period -- each class is separated by the 20 minute break or 40 minute lunch.  The classes rotate so that there is a variety of time frames for the class -- meaning that first class after lunch is not always the same and ruined by your desire to doze :).  High School can also practice an open campus for lunch and walk out to nearby restaurants--most take advantage of this when their advisory period is before or after lunch.  The advisory period allows for interaction with teachers, research in the library, talk to a counselor about college opportunities/placement exams, or a variety of other activities related to school--or, simply taking a break to catch up on homework.  I wish I would have had such a schedule!

She's going to have the same benefit as I had in Sheridan with a "buddy" who the counseling department assigned before the summer.  This "buddy" has been corresponding with Grace through the summer and and invited Grace to get there early today so she could meet several others before classes began.  She also has the benefit of the new family events we hosted this summer--she's met dozens of HS students already and had great interaction with them.

She's not opposed to trying out for athletics, but she's more likely to focus on band with her saxophone,  and hopefully make it into jazz band again.  This additional outlet will be good for her development.

The intercultural and language exposure that she will receive is huge--she's friends with students from Lebanon, England, Holland, America, and a few dozen other countries--most of whom speak 2nd or 3rd languages themselves.  This type of exposure and interaction will broaden her horizons, respect, and appreciation for the world in a way that cannot be underestimated as she prepares for whatever God has in store for her future.

There seems to be a bit of good school spirit and community here, and though she loved and immersed herself into her previous community, we think she will begin to do so here and all the more.  There are plenty of activities and there are people who are experienced in 3rd cultures that will help her develop a greater confidence in moving around the city and enjoying life here in Cairo.

CAC holds their graduations
at the pyramids!

But, even with all these advantages, it is still high school--and she's still our baby girl.  We pray for her adjustment, her perception of opportunities, her willingness to risk and grow, and her wisdom in the face of questionable circumstances.  We pray for good friendships--ones that will be close for a lifetime--and for her to be the friend and influence that others need in their lives, too.

We're proud of her now--we can only imagine how proud we will be in 4 years.

6th Grade Memories

It's back to school tomorrow for 2 of our 3, and they enter 6th and 9th grades respectively.  It's hard to believe that our kids are entering Middle and High School!  I though I would reminisce a bit about 6th grade in this post, and perhaps a 9th grade piece soon.

I attended 6th grade in the fall of 1984.

We still lived out in "nowhere, Indiana" at that time--I use that phrase a lot because even people who lived near the same area do not know that "township" that I lived within.  The only buildings in this township, a part from homes, were a grain elevator and my elementary school -- we went back there with my kids a few years ago and only the playground had changed.

We were so far out in the country that I was among the first to be picked up on the bus--at 6:00 am.  I rode the bus every morning through its winding country route until it was full (2 or 3 per seat) of MS and HS students; we would let the HS students off at Hamilton Southeastern High School, other Middle School students would join us in the quick quick trip over to Hamilton Southeastern Middle School where we arrive at 7:45 am.  I would return home a little more quickly, only taking 45 minutes so that I was home by 3:45 pm, before chores on the farm and homework (I'm not making this up!).

There were no lockers, only cubicles, in those days.  And the cubicles, along with cabinets, black boards, and bulletin boards often formed the dividers between some of the "class rooms".  The arts, science, choir/band, and of course gym all had their own rooms; but the rest were in these larger spaces with the dividers.  This made for confusing and unique teaching environments--you could hear everything the other teachers were saying and so it was easy to get distracted.  You could hear when another student in another class was in trouble, and even your teacher may pause to listen in as they got chewed out.  And if someone did something embarrassing or funny, all the classes would get to hear.

On one occasion, during a health class lecture, we were talking about drugs, and I had gotten distracted by another class when my teacher had apparently asked me a question.  By the time that I heard, "Mr. Oldham", everyone in the neighboring classes had gotten quiet as my teacher raised his voice.  He asked again, "what are barbiturates?"

"I don't know," I started, "sounds Jewish."

As the other teachers in the area laughed, my teacher laughed, and my ignorance or lack of paying attention didn't lead to trouble--on that day. :)

We had 7 classes per day; this was true for me 6-12th grades--the building was small enough that you had 5 minutes to transfer from class to class.  Foreign language was not even an elective.

We didn't have computers--I'm not sure if there was a single computer in the whole building.  The teachers had calculators, but students were prohibited from using the devices, which were relatively new.  Though the Casio calculator watch was being introduced during that time and a few of the kids may have had one.  I had a computer at home, a novelty at that time as having a video game system (Atari or Commodore) seemed to be the more universal choice--we had a Radio Shack TRS-80 (or "trash-80" as they would be called years later).  I couldn't do anything on that machine, but we had one.

The "arts program" consisted of choir or band, and art--but you had to choose.  I chose choir because after years of inconsistent practice on the piano, I was ready to give up instruments for a time.  We had outfits for the different grades--everyone bought their own white pants (it was the 80's), and each grade level had a bright colored, long-sleeve tee shirt with the white pin stripes down the arms: 8th was purple, 7th was teal, and 6th (my grade) was hot pink.  Choir was cool though--for a project, each grade made music videos--we did "I wear my sunglasses at night" and "somebody's watching me".

Oh how things have changed and how different things will be for Titus when he starts the 6th grade tomorrow, 28 years later.

He won't be riding the bus; we'll make the drive to drop them off and pick them up.

He will start in a brand new, 4-story, 21st Century learning center, complete with huge rooms for the arts (visual, computer design, performing, etc.).  His first locker will be bigger than any locker I ever had.

There will be Macs in each of the classroom, dozens in the computer lab and library, and he will participate in a 1-to-1 program that will allow him to use a MacBook in each of his classes and eventually be able to take it home to complete assignments.

He will only have 4 classes a day (and a different 4 every other day), that will be divided by either 20 minute breaks or a 40 minute lunch.  The longer classes allow for more diverse teaching styles and learning techniques, as well as dedicated time to using the computer in applying learning and 21st Century technology skills.  Between classes, they can eat, play, and hang out in a variety of junior-high friendly social centers.

He will be exposed to and have the opportunity to try a variety of arts: sculpture, painting, clay, animation, design technology, drama/musical, band (if wanted), etc.  And, he will begin Spanish (German, his first choice, was surprisingly not offered at this school).

As much as there is change, there is still likely to be several things the same--the awkwardness and lack of confidence that so often defines this age.  He will have greater opportunities, but similar struggles as any of us at this age.  I will be praying hard for both of my kids as they go not only into a new school tomorrow, but into a new phase of life.

Give Yourself a Medal

Last week, the big news with Egyptian President and awarding state medals revolved around presenting the medals to the SCAF leaders he unexpectedly and ceremoniously sent to retirement; this announcement was the result of a progressive one-upmanship for power in the developing democracy.  Morsi essentially secured control over the military, as well as parliamentary powers when he dissolved the SCAF's supplemental constitution.

Without a parliament or a constitution, combined with newly appointed military and the former leaders out of the way, Morsi is the top guy for the foreseeable future.  The announcement last week drew support and criticism, and dominated the headlines here and abroad.  Many questioning if such a move simply exchanges one dictator for another.

This Friday, August 24 is the first Friday after the holy month of Ramadan; as a result, Tahrir Square is expected to be full of demonstrators--both for and against Morsi.  There will be many other demonstrators showing up for a variety of reasons: some for increased security in Sinai, others to remember the victims in the Sinai attacks, and still others to protest the increasing power outages while electric costs rise; and, of course, there will be a host of vendors out to make a profit off of hungry, thirsty or curious spectators.  That should be quite a gathering!

But lost in the mainline press, and even locally, is another story about Morsi and medals.  We were told by a young Egyptian yesterday that Morsi had awarded himself each of Egypt's state medals.

I wanted to document this before simply repeating it--and documentation was hard to find.  None of the larger news networks carried the story, and it hasn't appeared (from what I can find) on the local news sites.  I did find a Twitter feed among young Egyptians, that referenced a pdf of Tahrir News on 08-09-2012 (part of page 4 included as pic).  Though I cannot read all of the Arabic, I have translated part of the article and it does appear that Morsi has given himself medals.

The rub, as shared by the young Egyptian who first told us about this, is that Morsi also receives the monthly financial award that comes with each medal, and the total from all is a "pretty piastre".

When we asked about why would he do this, the second hand report is because "he didn't feel he could award a medal that he didn't have himself."  Whether or not that's the reasoning, a President giving himself all the state medals, all at once, within his first few months as President is a bit questionable to say the least.

Those questions are likely to be asked, chanted, and painted on signs come Friday in Tahrir.

Keep praying for Egypt...

Trash, Traffic, and Tobacco

photo by Fouad Elgarnousy,
copied from Egypt Independent

Two of new President Mohamed Morsy's goals for his first 100 days were to focus on two obvious problems in the worlds 11th most populated metropolitan area: trash and traffic.

I have seen pictures of Cairo's history that demonstrated a clean and beautifully landscaped city, but any visitor to Cairo today is usually overwhelmed by the traffic (and accompanying pollution) and the trash that litters roadways, sidewalks, and parks, and anywhere else.

Trash is unfortunately visible all over the city--literally.  In a recent Egypt Independent article, columnist Steven Viney chronicles the problem, Morsy's "clean homeland" proposal, and the resulting refusal to listen to the zabaleen (garbage collectors).  Egypt's longest tenured and greatest warriors against the garbage problem have been the zabaleen who daily collect garbage throughout the city and carry it back to their homes in a part of Cairo known as Moqattam (aka, garbage city).  The garbage is sorted, and distributed throughout the area for various recycle projects and programs.  Biodegradable waste was once fed to pigs that were kept in this part of the city; however, the 2009 global swine flu scare led to a hasty decision to slaughter all the pigs--not realizing that you couldn't actually catch the flu from the pigs.  Since then, zabaleen have sorted the waste collection throughout the city, only bringing back the waste that can be recycled.  The rest is left for one of any of the dozens of city contractors who are paid to pick up and to dispose of the waste; unfortunately, these contracts are several years old and do not operated today with much oversight or accountability--according to the columnist, if any of these contractors are actually picking up waste piles, the piles are merely dumped along roadways, under bridges, into deserts, and even near areas of archaeological importance.

Then there's the traffic--oh, the traffic--it's one thing to have a large city with traffic congestion problems, it's quite another when you add in the component of few traffic rules or norms, which we've chronicled before.

even with a poor safety record,
camels are the only beings wearing seat belts
(photo by Grace Oldham)

Traffic is not merely an inconvenience in Cairo--it's a public safety issue.  Statistics are only based upon what is reported, and because the post-revolution Cairo has led to less respect for police intervention/control and even less of a presence, most contend that the official numbers are far below the actual--but consider these statistics from the official numbers:

• In 2010, more than 7000 lives lost in public transportation (roadways and rail)
• In 2010, 66.8 accidents per day
• In 2010, road injuries were 98.7, and road fatalities were 19.3 -- PER DAY

Traffic is such a serious problem that even with Cairo's current poor economy and political upheaval, the World Bank has agreed to loan $250 million USD to help overhaul the administration and public transportation system.

Al Jazeera ran this news segment today highlighting the hope and the doubts of traffic reform.

Are these important problems that need to be tackled by governing leadership?

Absolutely.

Can they be solved or at least see a 'road to remedy' with millions of dollars or new government programs?

Not likely.

There's an underlying mental hurdle within millions that has to be addressed to begin seeing progress.  Until there are efforts underway to educate and inform, as well as convict and inspire, clean areas will be dirty quickly and new road intersections or buses will be new places of frustration.

Increased garbage cans and collection will not be enough to keep someone from throwing an empty chip bag or soda bottle on the ground--I'm always just shocked when I see people do this like it's normal, which it is here.


Two traffic examples, a couple Sundays ago while we were driving to church, the traffic got incredibly bottlenecked at one part of the road, and dozens of cars and motorcycles in the outside lane started driving up onto the sidewalk and buzzing ahead where they reentered the road on the other side--such a thought is not outside our own thinking as American drivers when we sit stuck in a construction zone while the shoulder sits there unused--but here, thought becomes action and forget the consequences.

Yesterday, while driving on the autostrad (a major thoroughfare here in Cairo with traffic traveling at higher speeds), you have to be careful of pedestrians crossing or attempting to catch a taxi or bus from either side of the divided highway.  We watched as two teen girls were almost hit while attempting to cross while there was a nearly new pedestrian bridge over the roadway less than a 100 feet from them.

There's a multitude of examples that can be given, but the point is it's going to take some time and deliberate effort to change the way people think before we can change the action.


Consider the Tobacco example...
It's been years, yyyyeeeeaaaarrrrrsssss, that we discovered that tobacco use has severe consequences to the user, and we've even concluded scientifically that 2nd hand exposure can be bad news.  Surgeon general warnings, health ministry warnings--not only on the products but on the advertisements--and not to mention decades of education within classrooms and media.

Cities go "no smoking in 'public' places" at great debate; countries (like the UK in 2007) come with even greater debate.  Some countries went to drastic measures to make their health warning cover most of the package and include gruesome pictures--but this months' legislation in Australia is the case in point: it is difficult to change people's behavior through legislation.

Australia's parliament passed and then their highest court upheld that all cigarettes, regardless of brand, will be sold in the same packaging that will be covered by the health warning and gruesome pics--no brand labels or colors.

The argument is not against the stacks of statistical data, but against the decision to keep people from doing as they like to do.

We, humans, don't like rules and orders--unless they benefit us, then somebody better not only make the rules but enforce them.  This is not only an Aussie problem, it's a Cairo problem when it comes to traffic and trash, it's an American problem when it comes to a host of "personal rights or choice" issues--pick the country, and you'll find an issue or two.

Change of heart precedes change of mind precedes change of behavior--unfortunately, governments (like churches) often want to challenge and change behavior first and wonder why there's so little or lasting results.

Unexpected

Yesterday was a day of unexpected news in Cairo -- personally, and within the nation.

Personally, we were all saddened and grief stricken by the news that a dear, core member of the Fellowship passed away this week.  Sister Tita Habib was, as considered by many, "the oldest member of the CCF", not necessarily by age but by length of participation--joining what was then known as "The Center" for Bible study and fellowship in 1953 under the leadership of Rev. Wilbur Skaggs.  A Coptic Christian, Tita was active in her the Church of her roots, and remained an integral part of the CCF.  She was at our meeting on August 5, asking questions after the message and engaging the fellowship with her wit and love.  Tita was preparing to go to visit family in England and sad that she would not be back on August 12 for the conclusion of our 2nd Peter study; she requested and had a time of personal prayer with Keli for her upcoming trip to England.  Tita was quickly a positive supporter to our arrival in Cairo and her presence and encouragement will definitely be missed by our family; but the greater loss is for the CCF who have known and loved her for so many years.



Egyptian political news and society have been relatively calm during the month long Ramadan festival that concludes in a week--that is, with the exception of the Sinai border attacks by militants and the military response over a week ago.  But, the national news in Egypt was taken aback by the unexpected Presidential announcement of retiring a few leaders of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), including leading military presence Field Marshall Tantawi, whose immediately imposed retirement comes with an appointment to serve as a Presidential advisor.  Naval Commander Mamish received his imposed retirement and new responsibility to oversee the Suez Canal Authority.


Many throughout the nation are questioning the motive for this imposed retirement.  Demonstrators both for and against the decision were in Tahrir Square last night to express their opinions, and headlines today chronicle the unexpected challenge to power from the new civilian President Mohamed Morsy.  Morsy's decrees may also ignore SCAF's retainer of legislative powers until the new Constitution is ratified and a new Parliament is elected--as such, many reports/comments/editorials find it difficult not to see this as just another step in the ongoing power plays between the military and the former Muslim Brotherhood party member.

As with all such news, the population will wait and see what effect this brings to Egypt in the coming weeks and months.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today's my dad's birthday, and since he's an avid reader of our blog, I thought that we would send him greetings here before we call him later in our day.

I could tell you amazing stories about my dad--how he met my mom (as miraculous and crazy a story as you will ever hear), how he was always starting businesses, how he was a computer "geek" in the "prehistoric" days of computing with whirring machines the size of refrigerators and punch cards, how we farmed in the middle of "nowhere Indiana", how he experienced a renewal of faith and call later in life, and how he started our movement's mission work in Belize--each of those stories would lead to dozens of other stories that are equally shaping in my life.

I would like to point you instead to a great presentation by the world's most famous ex-conman, who at one time was the most hunted and infamous conman, Frank Abagnale, Jr.  You may know him from the character played by Leonardo Dicaprio in the movie "Catch Me If You Can," based on the biographical book of Abagnale's exploits (which was, oddly enough, also a 2011 Tony-nominated Broadway musical!).

The video embedded here is part 2, and you can find part 1 by clicking this link -- the videos are from a single presentation that predate the movie (glimpses of the crowds reveal that).  At about 12:30 of part 2, Abagnale turns from storyteller to confessor, giving a brief introduction of his family now, before a glimpse of his heartache as a 16-year old boy who ran away during the surprise custody hearing between his parents and entered into a life of crime -- through the confession he shares poignant and fond memories of a father who loved him, and his emotional plea for fathers to be faithful to their wives, to be "daddy's" to their children, and to be the men society needs...

I share this clip with you on my father's birthday in honor of my father; I do not doubt that I had a father who loved me and loves me still.  I remember help with school projects, a pony on Christmas, devotions at the breakfast table, a fort built to resemble a spaceship, and the sunsetting while working on catching fly-balls.  I remember sharing my dad as a coach and as a camp counselor, and the best haunted-house builder for the annual fall festival.

I also remember being a typical, ungrateful junior high kid who was embarrassed at his parents rather than proud and aware of every sacrifice they made for our benefit.   Fortunately, that would change as it does with age for all of us.

I remember their pride and their tears at important moments: when I went to his alma matter to pursue ministry, at my marriage, at our graduation, and the stages of pursuit of the calling on our lives.

I know that many awkward silences on phone or Skype these days are an unspoken, "I love you" or "I'm proud of you."

I know how blessed we are to have both sets of our parents alive and well, though the years are continuing to wear on them--they are not as they once were, and because of their efforts, neither are we. They each continue to grow in our hearts.  We love our parents, and today, we say, "Happy Birthday Dad!  We love you, and we know you love us."

If you know my dad, do me a favor and send him an email or give him a phone call from us--tell him he's loved.  If any of you are nearby this week, give him a hug for us, too.  In fact, if you're near any of our parents, give them a hug and a big "I love you," from us--they're all special people.

7 for 7

Today marks the completion of 7 months for our family in Egypt. We have been blessed in safety, welcome, and really an ease of acclimation into our new home. As we look back on the past 7 months and our transition, there are moments of sadness and moments of expectation--things that we miss, and things we are looking forward to do.

It goes without saying that we miss our families and friends.  Saying "yes" to such a big call can not only lead to saying goodbye, but as a result, "no" to these loved ones for everything we have missed.  We missed the birth of a niece (Gillian) who has only seen us by Skype, we couldn't be there during my father's surgery to remove a cancerous prostate, or to encourage and lend a hand with Keli's family.  The kids have been transplanted from friends they have known most, if not all, of their lives and now have to develop whole new social networks of support.

And, on the flip side, we are extremely blessed not only by the timing of this relocation, but also the actual location.  We know that when many leave to serve cross culturally, there is an assault to their "norms" as there is nothing like their former home; and, often, the living arrangements are nothing like the comforts of home.  In years past, the not too distant past, traveling to your destination, as well as the degree of separation only added to the difficulty.  Well, that's not been the case for us! We moved into a wonderful oasis of Middle East meets west: there are malls, cinemas, Starbucks, McDonalds (that delivers), Pappa John's (& others), Chilli's, etc.   We can find just about any food product from home--though we rarely indulge because of the exorbitant import price.  We are extremely blessed by the villas and gardens that cannot only accommodate our family, but give us room to roam while also serenity from the hustle and bustle on the other side of the wall.  There's modern transportation systems (though crazy and overcrowded), and the access to technology is not only available everywhere, it's extremely affordable; this technology has allowed us to Skype, call via Magicjack, watch the Olympics or Netflix via VPN, Facebook & email--all of which has made the distance family & friends much more bearable.

With all that said, there are still things that we miss, and things to which we look forward; here's a list of the top 7 in each category, in no particular ranking:

The Miss-List:
- Chick-fil-a AND Taco Bell -- yes, we're well aware of the current controversy, as previously posted, but this has to do for a serious longing for their chicken; and though we can make tacos (thanks to a huge stash of taco seasoning that we packed), it's not quite the same.

- Walmart -- we have markets and large-all-in-one shopping centers, but I never know what we will or won't find each time we walk into these.  As well, everything seems to move within the store weekly--I know this is also done in the states and why this is done--but it's done all the time here.  We miss being able to walk into any Walmart and being able to not only know what is offered, but where to find it in minutes.  There are only a few of these all in one shops, and the distance between doesn't allow you to easily navigate from one to the other in search of whatever you need.  We were spoiled by the convenience of the number and proximity of Walmarts in the states; in Alabama, we used to give directions by Walmarts (head south three Walmarts, then turn right; when you pass the first Walmart, turn left and it's on your right, and if you've come to the new Walmart, you've gone too far).  Convenience has been one of those things we have long since seen traded-off.

- Milo's Sweet Tea -- similarly, though we can make sweet tea, it's not the same--and for 99% of you, you have no idea about the mystical powers of a glass of Milo's.   Anyone who drinks sweet tea (that's southern style) will tell you that Milo's is the crack of sweet tea--I kid you not.  I have known families who would have it regularly brought from Alabama to their new location.  The Birmingham based burger chain has only survived by this sweet nectar of heaven.  Intrastate supermarket giant Publix thought it could open stores in Alabama and only offer their deli varieties of sweet tea--having had a conversation with one of their relocation execs, I know they quickly discovered that they had to offer Milo's to make a successful transition.

- worship at 6th Avenue -- this is not just about the people, but the creative and wonderful effort that the talented group of musicians led each week: the rare experience of creativity without cheesiness.  We have great musicians here in Cairo, but as I traveled around the USA raising support, I can tell you I found no group their equal.


- postal services -- another convenience factor -- we have become online shoppers, and such is not as readily available here--and, if it is, you're paying a huge customs fee on top of whatever shipping and handling you had paid before.  As obsolete as the USPS may seem in the US, trust me, it's an amazingly efficient system compared to similar systems abroad.  We do not receive bills by mail, except for the telephone bill--all bill collectors come to the house--in part because the mail system is inconsistent at it's best.

- sports -- having the kids, especially the boys, involved in Upward or DYSA for basketball and soccer is definitely a miss -- there will be opportunities, so we hear, through CAC (see below), but we missed having the spring soccer season and the development they were making as players.  Sports in general are missed--though we can catch a recap video clip on ESPN.com or read stories, it's not quite the same--this is scary heading into the fall as the football fever is already creating a sense of withdrawal; thanks to my brother, we may have found a way to watch a few games, but the Sunday afternoon (1 EST) will be 7 or 8 pm here--so, watching prime time games will mean catching the end or the recap the next morning at breakfast.  Here's hoping that CBS sports carries some of the SEC dominance on their streaming video on Saturdays.

- pepperoni -- the pizza places here (Pappa John's, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar's, Domino's, etc) all offer pepperoni, but it's a quasi beef pepperoni that is just not the same, so we have had to learn to like other items on our pizza in place of the pepperoni.  This is not just being picky--we know several expats that are disappointed in this bizaro-pepperoni experience, and a few are looking to bring pepperoni into Egypt when they return in the next couple weeks.  We did not anticipate being able to have pork products at all when we prepared to come to Egypt, but we were thrilled to learn of a nearby shop that offers ham, American bacon, sausages, and chops :) - just not pepperoni.


Wish-List (for lack of a better term)

- pyramids -- believe it or not, we still haven't gotten to the iconic Pyramids of Giza--we've seen a glimpse of them from a distance, but not been able for a variety of reasons to get over there, but we will soon.  Nor have we been to the Cairo museum--all of this absence of "sight seeing" has been due to timing versus security alerts in the past 7 months.

- Alexandria & Mediterranean -- though we've been able to travel to Alex', we've not gotten into the Mediterranean or yet explored this coastal, international city.  We are looking forward to seeing the world famous library as well.

- Luxor and inland sights -- there are several sights inland that we have yet to explore--the white desert, Luxor, and more--our acclimation has kept us pretty much in Maadi only.

- Cairo American College -- Grace and Titus begin a larger, more diverse and challenging school in just a couple weeks.  CAC will be a great learning environment and introduces us to a large international community and many opportunities.  We will be hosting another new family dinner after the orientation in a few weeks--there are dozens of new families from all over the world preparing for their teens' enrollment, and we've only been communicating with the families of new high school students!  At our first gathering, we had a family from America, the UK, India, and a diplomat family that has lived in 9 different countries--these were the few available in July, but there are nearly 70 email addresses are on the invitation list!  Our kids are already making friends from many different nationalities, and this experience is opening their EQ as well as their IQ.

- 3W travel & service -- the goals of our first year have really revolved around getting our family acclimated to living within the Middle East and to this metropolitan environment.  Our participation and service with the 3W ministries for Europe and Middle East have come from home via Skype and email, and this is increasing as we encourage our new teammates.  We will host two 3W events in the fall (October staff retreat and November roundtable), but our first and only 2012 travel and service will be in a few weeks when Zeke and I go to Lebanon to serve the annual youth camp and learn about the ongoing ministries to Syrian refugees.  We are excited about the possibilities to encourage our teammates in their assigned countries, as well as to be of service in any of the 18 countries 3W serves.  This larger role will take time, but the kids have their hopes set on various destinations.

- understanding Arabic -- living internationally has definitely reinforced how lazy and arrogant we Americans can be/have been.  As we encounter countless people who can comfortably transition from one language to another within a conversation, we're amazed; then, when they struggle to speak fluently in a third and fourth language, we're just plain embarrassed.  Learning Arabic is difficult--but having our minds stretched to understand, write, read, and slowly speak this language is great.  Just being in Europe briefly last fall, I had loads of French and German flooding my memories--not that I could correctly or quickly apply it all, but it was in my head somewhere.  We've already seen our kids look at and think about foreign language differently, and in an increasingly global world, the experiences they will have and the ability to apply a second language in their future will be huge.

- fulfilling the role for which we have been called -- in the scope of what we feel called to do and offer, 7 months of acclimation is really just the tip of the iceberg.  We know that we're here for so much more and we're eager to be better assisting the needs of pastors, churches, and Christians throughout Egypt, as well as throughout the 3W region.  We are thoroughly overwhelmed, not just by the challenge, but also by the welcome of believers here, the trust and support of churches back home, and the call of God for such a time as this.  We see clearly that this has very little to do with us, but that in this God has great plans for our kids and the people to whom we can offer a little encouragement or inspiration.  It's humbling to be a part of it all--especially when we don't even know what "all" of that is!

It feels like 7 months, and we're eager for the next 7 and the testimonies we will have as well as the growth we will experience through the challenges.  Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support of our family in this process...

Olympic Mentoring: The Phelps Legacy

At 27 years old, Michael Phelps has earned a "career legacy", as he is set to retire from his "career" of professional, competitive swimming after his final race with his USA Teammates on Saturday, August 4.  How has he earned a legacy after 12 years?  It's not because of his record haul of Olympic medals (22nd and final one Saturday--the 18 gold are twice as many as any other Olympian in history).  It is because he set out to be an example and mentored others in the process.

Though the 2012 London Olympics will not bring the personal medals and accolades of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, there are others accomplishing great things at these games because of Michael Phelps, which is all the more satisfying for him personally as he steps away from the competitive pools.

According to this ESPN article by Wayne Drehs, when Michael Phelps started training with his coach Bob Bowman before the 2000 Olympics, his agent Peter Carlisle asked Phelps what his goals were for swimming.  At age 15, Phelps answered that he wanted to change the sport, motivating and inspiring people to chase their dreams.

Phelps didn't medal in the 2000 Olympics, but at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, a 12-year old boy watched the 19-year old Phelps swim his way to 6 gold medals--but more importantly to Phelps goals, he began to inspire people like that 12-year old to pursue their dreams.  That 12-year old boy said that moment inspired him to pursue a dream of competitive swimming; he recorded every race Phelps ever swam and watched them tirelessly as well as applying hours in the pool.  This week, 8 years later, that 12-year old boy is now 20-years and the last man to beat Michael Phelps in an individual competition: Chad le Clos of South Africa.

Swimming in the same pool as his idol was surreal enough--beating him to the wall by fractions of a second were beyond his wildest dreams.  Phelps couldn't believe it--he was beaten in the same way he beat Milorad Cavic in the 2008 games.  Phelps, after cooling down, came back to earth and at the medals podium, graciously congratulated le Clos and helped him as a guide through the receiving of the medals, how to hold he medal, where to stand and how long for photographers, and into the press room.  At this point, Phelps didn't even know the inspiration he had been to this fellow competitor.

At the 100 meter butterfly two nights later, there was le Clos again on the pool deck with his hero--this race saw Phelps and le Clos finish 1-2 after making the turn at 7-8 respectively.  In an interview after the swim le Clos said, "I just kept thinking I wanted to be up there on that podium," he said. "I wanted to be in that race with him. I wanted to give him a run for his money. I wanted to make him proud. ...I told myself I would tell him he was my hero."

When le Clos made the gesture, Phelps put his arm around him, encouraged him and wished him luck in the future.  This moment was not missed by le Clos' father who was overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude, telling reporters of the "gentlemanly" Phelps and all that he did for his family.

In all the excitement after his last individual race, Phelps took time that evening to also send a text to teammate Missy Franklin (17 years old) and give a high five on the deck to Katie Ledecky (15) -- both gestures were quoted by the teen girls as firing them up on their way to separate victories.

Ledecky also said that Phelps is the first Olympic swimmer to make an impression on her--six years ago, when she was 9.  And what amazing bit of wisdom did Phelps pass along to inspire the 9-year old?  No wisdom--just time: when the giddy school girl recognized and ran up to Phelps (21 at the time), he didn't try to run in the other direction.  He greeted her, listened as he took time to sign an autograph, and patted her on the back with a bit of encouragement.  Six years later, they're teammates, making parody videos together, and earning gold medals.

Legacy and Mentoring are a pair of buzz words that get tossed around often.  Yet, how does one leave one and do the other?  Phelps is not without flaws himself, but he gives a couple examples on both:

1) be the best you can be, and
2) take time for others

Phelps pursued excellence first individually--you can not inspire and mentor others with your good intentions.  I'm proud of my father's example, Bill, to follow the Lord faithfully within his own life--he wanted to disciple us as kids, but it was his moments of faithfully following and taking risks for the Kingdom that were the greatest moments of impact on my life.  In fact, as the time of our departure for the Middle East drew closer, I told my parents that had he not followed the Lord so faithfully in his life I wouldn't be getting ready to take his grandkids across the world--but because he was faithful, so we would be.  Now, dad continues to set the example as he is fighting prostate cancer and recovering from difficult surgery.

Phelps didn't owe le Clos anything, especially after a difficult loss--and there were people who would have helped le Clos fumble his way through the process.  But Phelps could tell this competitor was different--in fact, when le Clos makes the "you're my hero" confession, he followed that up with "I think he knew".  Phelps swallows his pride and not only accepts his silver medal, but goes around escorting the gold medalist while smiling and taking pictures, too.  Celebs love fans, but fanatical kids can turn into demanding mobs--when Phelps sees 9 year old with a smile as wide as Texas and eyes the size of saucers, he doesn't jet--he takes time and is sincere with the youngster, not knowing whether or not that would ever amount to anything.  One of my mentors, Jim Lyon, took time from his own ministry to regularly welcome me into his office, answer my questions, and give me just general life feedback--and years later, when we needed to connect with his friends and peers, he calls me to learn my schedule and then personally emails and calls his peers to encourage them to welcome me to share the vision of our current ministry.  Jim turned 60 this week, and his reflections through Twitter were very inspiring.

Keli and I have tried to employ the same efforts in our own lives and ministry--our hope is that the Kingdom will be brought closer, not just because of our lives, but through the lives that are inspired and motivated through our example.

Chick-fil-A: They Didn't Invent the Controversy...

We are days away from our 7 month mark on the field in the Middle East.  As a family, we have been discussing what are the 7 things we miss most back in the USA, as well as 7 things that we are thankful for or are looking forward to doing.  That article is yet to come, but I can tell you now that near the top of the list is Chick-fil-A (start Tim Hawkins video)...


(and yes, we now know there's a new Tim Hawkins Chick-fil-A song)

We miss the waffle fries and chicken products with an ice-cold Dr. Pepper or Coca Cola.  And we've been excited about writing that article, but now Chick-fil-A has beat us to the headlines with a completely different news story--we were really shocked and surprised by what we were hearing from friends and family back in the States.

Many of you know the story, the controversy and the result--but to our international readers (and thank you for reading!) here's a brief news video...

Chick-fil-A's byline is, "We didn't invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich".  Well, they didn't invent this controversy, but they're at the center of it now...

Dan Cathy, son of founder Truett Cathy, gave an interview--not on 60 Minutes, not to the New York Times, not on Meet the Press -- to the "Biblical Recorder", an online journal for Baptists in North Carolina (July 2 -- the story is picked up and republished until you have the snowball effect).  In the original interview, he is asked about his views on the family unit, and he answers, 

“We are very much supportive of the family – the biblical definition of the family unit,” Cathy said. “We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. ...We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.”

We're still trying to figure out, "How is this news?"

Chick-fil-A bucked-the-system by not opening on Sundays--when most cut-throat restauranteurs laughed at them thinking this would be a death sentence because the irony is that fast-food restaurants make a killing off of the Sunday-lunch-after-church crowd.  Why did they do it?  Because they based their decisions on deeply held personal conviction to a Biblical teaching.

There are plenty of Christian businesses, who have found ways to follow that teaching but still be open on Sunday to maintain a profit--most infamously, Family Christian Stores (USA's largest and most profitable Bible bookstore).  But not Chick-fil-A and everyone knew it was because they were a "Christian company".  

Many of their first toys in their kids meals were "Veggie-Tales", and everyone knew it was because they were "religious" like that.

Truett Cathy has authored, or co-authored, at least 6 books from what I can find on Amazon, and each  include his Christian perspective, testimony, and values -- why?  Because it is at the core of who they are, and everyone knows it.

The marriage retreat, the college scholarships, the foster home programs, and the summer camps for kids are all an extension of these deeply held religious/Christian values.  And until now, everyone understood that, perhaps even applauded it.

But now, based on comments to an obscure and really insignificant "online journal", everyone wants to put them at the center of a firestorm that has been simmering on the "back-burner" of American society for the past 30 years.

Aristotle famously said, "To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."

But, Dan Cathy spoke, and now we criticize.  The Cathy's didn't say they were anti-gay; they do not have a history of refusing to serve or hire "gays" in the work place.  They do, however, have an opinion on what family is and who designed that family model.

I understand, though have yet to read the evidence, that they may support causes that promote this family model--and, by definition, promoting one definition of family is thereby against other definitions of family.  (By the way, as Keli pointed out, is the divorced population in an uproar over the same comments?)

And, I understand that business endorsement or boycott is an ongoing means of supporting or opposing viewpoints and values.

But, all of this that we're seeing is really surreal--a chicken restaurant has become the platform for this societal issue?!?!  And what we read posted, tweeted and/or reported, is sad.

To my "Christian brothers and sisters," some thoughts:

- when you stand on Truth, careful you don't step (consciously or not) upon others to make your point--and don't let your "affirmation" become pious bragging

- when you respond with snide remarks, you are wrong, and fail to represent Christ who had no deceit in his mouth when they hurled insults at him (1 Peter 2)

- be careful how you condemn sexual sin (John 8)

- and remember there is but one Judge and one Judgement day--until then, we are advocates of grace (2 Corinthians 5)

To those who are "homosexual", if you value a free and civil society such as America was intended to be, consider the comments of this individual posted on a CNN blog...

    wastedaway

itlk2aa hit the nail on the head. This is OUTRAGEOUS! However, what is outrageous is not the controversy surrounding Mr. Cathy's comments. Rather what is an outrage is that this country has turned into a place where people, who are guaranteed freedom of speech under Bill of Rights, are not even allowed freedom of thought, let alone freedom of speech. I applaud Mr. Cathy for having the courage to speak his mind. I applaud the radio station brave enough to broadcast those words. It infuriates me when Government officials, Ed Helms, Jim Henson Co., GLAAD and the rest feel only they have a right to free thinking and free speech.

Just to let you know where I am coming from, I personally do not frequent Chick-fil-a because I think their product is overpriced. Also, I have been openly Gay for about 22 years. But on this you can count on, I will attend every Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day I can in support of Mr. Cathy’s right to free thought and free speech. The only hate in this equation is in the minds of the people bashing Mr. Cathy.

      August 2, 2012 at 3:47 pm

What do they think of such things here in the Middle East...

The above news video is the only mention of this giant USA story that you will find on Al Jazeera's news website -- and they cover EVERYTHING -- and I had to search for it with exact spelling before I could get a hit.  The video (that's from their reposted YouTube site) further has its comments disabled.  Homosexuality is a nonissue in the Middle East.  It "doesn't exist" and there are severe consequences for its existence.

You might call that "Old Testament" thinking and action, but that's the way it is here.  And, as a result, there is no question when it comes to what Western cultures may deem "effeminate" behavior.  There's a sincere "brotherly" affection that is displayed between the sexes here; for example, men will not only greet one other with kisses at the cheeks, but also walk arm and arm, sit on each other's lap when there's only space for one on the Metro, and more -- there's NOTHING sexual about it, just sincere camaraderie.

And, after 7 months here, we're not surprised by behavior that would have gotten some raised eyebrows back home.  And, honestly, to see that type of affection without the looks, the whispers and the wondering is really kind of refreshing.  People are genuine here--even if they're skeptical of you--but they're also genuine in their appreciation and love for one another.

We probably won't be talking about this to anyone here, because it's not on their radar.  But, I bet you would be hard pressed to find a Middle Eastern businessman or government official who would have any objection to Cathy's comments -- and we don't think that will lead to boycotts, mayors sending letters, or same-sex-kissing days at your local gas stations.