Odds and Ends

So much going on at once, it would be difficult to take time and write about each one; so, I'll take a moment to give short synopsis on many...

Pat & Kathy in the garden

Family Farewell: after a a month long visit with Keli's mom, and additional visits during the month by Keli's sister Kathy, niece Ashlee, and nephew Jake, our first family visitors will end tonight when Keli's mom hops a flight back to the States. It's been great to have family around, and I know the kids are really going to miss it. It's been important for them as well, not just for the relationship, but for the peace of mind that has resulted from seeing our environment.  They were here during the Embassy protests on 9/11, and they were oblivious to any trouble in Cairo while friends and family back home were going berserk.  They know that we are safe having sensed that safety themselves--of all the souvenirs they will take back, this peace of mind is the greatest.

Welcome Team: when I take Pat to the airport tonight, I will just wait a couple hours for the first of the wave of Three Worlds Team members coming to Cairo.  The Phillips family arrives first, with the Simpsons and Nachtigall's coming just hours a part on Friday evening / Saturday morning.  Unfortunately, newbies Zach and Audrey, and the Kihm family will not be able to join us yet while they still prepare to go to their assigned fields (UK and Holland respectively).  We are having our annual staff retreat together; last year, we went to Berlin and followed that with our first visit to Cairo.  It's amazing to think how we've come full circle in such a short period of time.  We have much to discuss as a region, including what additional (if any) precautions we should have for our own assignment here in Cairo. But all work and no play would make for a very dull retreat, so we'll be sure to laugh a lot, see some sites, and just unwind together.

Bob the Builder, meet John the Renovator--can he make it better?  Yes, he can!:  We have been having the first fruits of a makeover to one of the villas in preparation for the retreat.  We have been aided in this process by a talented Egyptian Christian named John who has been overseeing the design, the work, and completion of a bathroom project that is long overdue.  Sharon Skaggs, one of our predecessors, emailed us regarding this plan and shared how she longed to see this done decades ago when they were here.  We can't wait to show you the transformation pics, and all the work that will be done -- don't worry, we're saving plenty to do for future work groups.

Tita's nephews returned from London to share with CCF

Tita Habib Memorial at CCF--the previously longest tenured member of the Cairo Christian Fellowship was remembered by 90 friends and family last Sunday night.  Tita was one of those lively, wonderful people that brought joy and activity to every group of which she was a part.  Her presence is missed, but her absence may have provided the opportunity to reconnect several with the fellowship she loved.

Egyptian news:
American University in Cairo continues to experience a strike from the student body, restricting students and teachers from entering the campus, in their demand for reducing the tuition.  Many students want to learn, are not protesting, and do not want to forfeit the term; so, the faculty have had to creatively search for off-campus classroom solutions so that they can get students the number of hours to qualify for term.  Administration officials are attempting to work through the disagreement peacefully  rather than having the police forcefully remove the demonstrators as this would just cause more trouble (imagine the headlines, "Americans use police to end demonstration near Tahrir" - not good).  Anyway, the tuition increase was agreed upon by the student body last spring, and it is not the only education protest happening in Egypt at this time...

Police continue to make their presence felt throughout Cairo, attempting to correct some traffic patterns that have created chaos and dangerous situations; they have also been more present along the Metro subway lines as well.  Order seems to be in the process of being restored to different aspects of life--this is a good step among many that need to be taken in these post-"revolution" days.

our family at Sakkara last week

Restoration of Sakkara pyramids lacks funds to continue; sadly, a huge effort to restore the famous "step" pyramid, one of the early pyramids of Egypt, no longer has the funds to continue.  Due to the ongoing struggles in the whole of the economy, the tourism that fuels the economy could continue to struggle if the precious landmarks are not protected, maintained, and improved.  Though the Giza pyramids with the Sphinx are always the main attraction, the Sakkara site with the earlier pyramids is a favorite among those in the know because of the access inside neighboring pyramids and tombs where ancient hieroglyphics are seen, many of which with original colors still preserved.

Well, that's all for now -- there's a lot more news to write about, but that's all I can squeeze into this work break ;)

Thanks for your ongoing interest, prayers, and support...

Grace, Mercy, Peace