It has been so long since we updated this blog, and it's not because there's nothing's to report, it's just I'm not sure I've sat long enough to think, let alone write what's been happening.
But now it's summer break for the kids, and after the last month of extra school activities and meetings and goodbyes, it feels like a break for us--but, nothing's further from the truth. We're not on break, but there is a few days of <pause> around here.
And, I'll take it.
So, here's a quick rewind of April and May (followed with how June has begun and will continue)...
April began, coincidentally, with a break: Spring Break. Our family took time together and escaped the city by the generosity of one of the families we serve to their Red Sea villa. Just us, the sea, and actually a lot of wind this year. But you can never complain about paradise.
Immediately, we returned to Orthodox Easter and the Egyptian holiday of Sham el Nissim - a beautiful day in the garden with a few members of the Cairo Christian Fellowship. But Keli did not get to spend that Monday, April 13 with us--she flew to join a group of our supporters from Oregon in Beirut as they served with one of our partner ministries, Heart for Lebanon. They had come too far, and were too close, working with a ministry close to our heart, for us not to try to connect with them. Unfortunately, this was already quite a busy week in an already busy time, so Keli could only spend a few days with this group, as well as a brief check-in of the Cedar Home Orphanage, before she had to come back.
Keli rushed back because our son Titus and I took off to Germany on April 16. We left to participate in the European Theological Conference hosted by the German Church of God. Several of our teammates were there, as they often participate in such European events together, but this was our first time to participate. This biennial conference brought leaders together from over 10 countries. It was really exciting to not only be in the midst of such diversity and unity, but a real honor to be asked to contribute a few times during the event, including sharing the final session on Practical Discipleship (to go along with their theme of "Making Disciples"). It was a real honor to share in this event, and an even greater pleasure to take along Titus and to introduce him to so many leaders in the region whom God had brought into our lives over the last dozen years--it was really cool to see how God had been working through so many relationships over the years, and to have so many of them either present or represented in the same event. After the event, we joined Pastor and national German ChoG leader Hans-Ulrich at his family's home and community. I have really enjoyed getting to know them since I met them last October. Their teenage daughter Marie arranged a day with a few of the youth Titus' age while we visited together.
The next day, I was invited to speak in the Biebesheim congregation, pastored by Hans-Ulrich. We had a great time with this congregation and with this family. This made the following week's news all the harder to hear: a day or so after Hans-Ulrich took us to the hospital, he suffered a bad heart-attack. His recovery has been slowed by multiple blockages that have required additional surgery. Please for our friend Hans-Ulrich, and his family, and the congregation--pray for his healing, and everyone's peace during his recovery.
A week later, April 22-23, I made a quick trip to Alexandria to participate with the Egypt national Church of God General Assembly meetings. It was so exciting to see the vision and the strategic plan presented by new chairman Pastor Latif, and to see it so positively received by the other pastors and leaders. The Egyptian Church is thinking outwardly with service to their communities, inwardly with an eye on improving leadership structures and responsibilities, upwardly with the intention to grow, and cooperatively with every pastor being assigned responsibilities to contribute to the whole. We expect some great things ahead in the years to come from the Egypt Church of God.
Most of May was a much slower pace of ministry responsibilities, except for our weekly ministries to
the Cairo Christian Fellowship and the CCF Kids program; however, we were very busy with the kids school activities and meetings for various groups we serve within the international school community. In addition to the conclusion of baseball (Zeke), softball (Grace), and the annual Middle School play (Titus), there were annual events including the PTO gala fund-raiser, PTO end-of-the-year meetings, Health & Safety committee meetings, booster club meetings, end-of-the-year parties/socials, 8th grade graduation, prom, teacher and staff appreciation events, exams, senior graduation parties, ... - there was a lot going on, so much so that several parents like us felt as if we were spending more time at the schools than our kids! I mentioned prom--it's worth noting that our petite daughter was asked to prom by one of the taller guys in the school, which would make for interesting pictures! But he's no ordinary guy--he happens to be the great-grandson of the pastors who bought the property in which we live, who also happened to start the ministry we serve (CCF); his grandfather served that same group while his dad lived in these same villas; his grandmother is one of our greatest cheerleaders, and his aunt is one of our supervisors; oh, and his parents and us knew each
other in college! Now, we're all in (back in) Cairo, and our kids happen to be in the same grade--how weird is it that these two kids wind up going to prom together?!?!
We ended May with a great visit by our dear friend Michele, whom we have known since we first
began ministering in Alabama. She continues serving the ministries of the Riverchase congregation, whom we served from 1999-2003, and where my parents and sister's family now attend. Michele came out for a visit, and for us to put her to work. We also had our teammates, friends, and fellow-Alabamians Zach and Audrey come down from their post in the U.K. Together we provided what we called a FOCUS Weekend--our first, mini-retreat with the families of the CCF Kids program. Each week, we provide a great program for the kids, and spend most of our energy focused on them. Keli has the opportunity to meet with and develop relationships with a few of these moms in a weekly Bible study at the international church nearby; but other than that, we don't have the opportunity to speak into the lives and faith of the parents. After group worship with the kids and parents, Zach, Audrey & Michele helped us by taking the children out to provide special lessons and crafts for the kids while we focused on the parents. So, this was a "test the waters" type event to see how receptive they would be to the idea of gathering for worship and teaching. And the result was very positive; two new families actually came to the event, and several are asking if we can do this again, potentially even having a "FOCUS Friday" event each
month.
June began by beginning to say good-bye. The difficulty of living in an international community abroad is that they are so transient--people come and go in two or three year assignments routinely. For those who have been living like this for awhile, they know how to come in, establish relationships, and then pack-up and go almost too easily. It really is difficult to develop deeper levels of relationship, friendship and trust with that lack of permanence - technology is supposed to help, but it actually just becomes another way that we have the facade of closeness to others without actually having any real depth of relationship. It's particularly hard on our kids who spend a couple years developing relationships,
only to say, "goodbye," and have to start over. This year, Titus watches several close friends move away; Grace has several either graduating or moving away. While they have tried to maximize the remaining time with these friends to begin June, it is hard to see their sadness, and harder to see their increasing ability to let go.
Before the school year ended, evaluating the future of having a 7th grader, and two high schoolers in the fall--Titus beginning his freshman year (what?!?!), and Grace beginning her senior year (yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), we realized that this was not a summer for Grace to take lightly. She has too many options for post-high-school, and not a lot of good ways to evaluate and trim those options from this side of the world. We needed her to not spend her time soaking up the sun, or sitting in her room vegging all summer--we needed her to get out and at the very least, eliminate some options. So, with the help of family, she took off to the States last week. She will spend some time volunteering and participating in a couple of summer camps; as well as learning to drive, and visiting some schools and military recruiters (part of her many options right now) to gauge desire and ask questions. Grace will also spend time with our friend Michele working with some of the special needs students that she teaches; this will be valuable volunteer and perspective experience for Grace, too. She'll return before August with plenty of time to focus on the start of the school year, and hopefully with enough time reflecting and pondering what will happen at the end of this last school year. Pray for Grace.
We closed out the school year and ended the spring session of the weekly CCF Kids program with our annual DVD release party, which features slideshows of the kids' pictures from the year--a favorite as they all love seeing themselves on the screen! And ends with the kids splashing around in the water hose and sprinklers. On this year's DVD, we added a bonus video compiled of some of the highlights and interviews with a few of the parents. The "What We Love About CCF Kids" video is a great introduction to this growing weekly ministry--take a look...
Meanwhile, Keli took off to join our friends and teammates Dan & Christy Kihm in the Netherlands. There, Keli will learn a bit about their diverse ministry area, try to give and receive some encouragement, and share a bit about the ministries in Egypt and Lebanon with some of the Dutch Church of God. We'll catch up with Keli next week in Lebanon.
So, that's a quick rewind--and a bit of a jump ahead. A lot is happening by way of ministry. I will try later this week to update the political/social/judicial/etc facets of life in the Middle East as we approach Ramadan, serious court cases, and some anniversaries of recent pivotal events.
As always, thanks for your prayers, interest, and support of our family and the ministries in the Middle East.
But now it's summer break for the kids, and after the last month of extra school activities and meetings and goodbyes, it feels like a break for us--but, nothing's further from the truth. We're not on break, but there is a few days of <pause> around here.
And, I'll take it.
So, here's a quick rewind of April and May (followed with how June has begun and will continue)...
April began, coincidentally, with a break: Spring Break. Our family took time together and escaped the city by the generosity of one of the families we serve to their Red Sea villa. Just us, the sea, and actually a lot of wind this year. But you can never complain about paradise.
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| Above, Keli with our friend David from Portland, preparing part of the food packages for distribution at the H4L hub; and Keli with a few of the girls at the Cedar Home Orphanage. |
Immediately, we returned to Orthodox Easter and the Egyptian holiday of Sham el Nissim - a beautiful day in the garden with a few members of the Cairo Christian Fellowship. But Keli did not get to spend that Monday, April 13 with us--she flew to join a group of our supporters from Oregon in Beirut as they served with one of our partner ministries, Heart for Lebanon. They had come too far, and were too close, working with a ministry close to our heart, for us not to try to connect with them. Unfortunately, this was already quite a busy week in an already busy time, so Keli could only spend a few days with this group, as well as a brief check-in of the Cedar Home Orphanage, before she had to come back.
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| During the ETC, Ken brought Titus on stage to point out various people in the room whom God had brought into our lives over the past 12 years. Below, Titus with Marie and some of the German teens. |
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| Dr. Latif and the Egypt pastors are praying for a great future. |
Most of May was a much slower pace of ministry responsibilities, except for our weekly ministries to
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| the surprising prom date! |
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| we had a formal, too |
other in college! Now, we're all in (back in) Cairo, and our kids happen to be in the same grade--how weird is it that these two kids wind up going to prom together?!?!
We ended May with a great visit by our dear friend Michele, whom we have known since we first
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| kids and parents at worship during FOCUS Weekend |
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| Michele helped with crafts (& more), below, we all enjoyed the time together in Cairo (below, enjoying tea and stories at the Khan el Khalili market). |
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| brothers and sisters - just one family to whom our kids are having to say "goodbye" |
only to say, "goodbye," and have to start over. This year, Titus watches several close friends move away; Grace has several either graduating or moving away. While they have tried to maximize the remaining time with these friends to begin June, it is hard to see their sadness, and harder to see their increasing ability to let go.
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| Last Saturday of the school year with CCF Kids |
We closed out the school year and ended the spring session of the weekly CCF Kids program with our annual DVD release party, which features slideshows of the kids' pictures from the year--a favorite as they all love seeing themselves on the screen! And ends with the kids splashing around in the water hose and sprinklers. On this year's DVD, we added a bonus video compiled of some of the highlights and interviews with a few of the parents. The "What We Love About CCF Kids" video is a great introduction to this growing weekly ministry--take a look...
Note: song on the video is "My God is Big and He Loves Me"
performed by Yancy
for the Standard Publishing 2014 VBS program "Jungle Safari"
and audio was taken from YouTube video at this link: youtu.be/NQmMcSYO3Fw
Meanwhile, Keli took off to join our friends and teammates Dan & Christy Kihm in the Netherlands. There, Keli will learn a bit about their diverse ministry area, try to give and receive some encouragement, and share a bit about the ministries in Egypt and Lebanon with some of the Dutch Church of God. We'll catch up with Keli next week in Lebanon.
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| the Kihms are "selfie experts," so it's fitting for Keli to begin her visit with an arrival selfie :) |
As always, thanks for your prayers, interest, and support of our family and the ministries in the Middle East.
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