Home Sweet Home

Well after a long drive home and viewing way to many accidents en route, we are finally home and actually slept in our own bed for the first time in a month!

Dahab was great! and fairly relaxing although with one more VBS to go on my brain it is hard to completely unwind. We spent one full day at the beach snorkeling which was great, but my 60spf sunblock was not so great! Caleb was pretty confident if left alone but refused to be carried out any deeper than he can stand. I promised him that I would not hassle him about swimming, but at the same time I wouldn't stay with him and play in the shallow water...he played by himself quite a bit. He enjoyed seeing the fish underwater and there was quite a bit of marine life that could be observed in the shallow areas.

One day we drove over to Sharm and did the more touristy thang, ate at the Hard Rock Cafe (which seemed to have a play list from my high school days! "Mmmmmmmy Sharona" went on a 2 hour quad ride up in the mountains and accompanied my friends on their parasailing adventure (I think I could do it next time.)

A Breath of Fresh Air

Headin to the Beach!

VBS week 2 is finished and it went great as well! The team from TX was organized and had things well under control and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. So two down and one to go! The last summer event is called One Wild Week and it is a VBS/Daycamp combo which, believe it or not, is actually cheaper and easier than simply doing VBS. We have a simple curriculum which is centered around great music and the gospel story. Each day we will do music, skits and lesson and then hop on a bus and head out for a afternoon activity like water park etc. Excited that we have a number of new non church families that are sending their kids so hopefully we will be successful in reaching outside the church and more into the community.

Leaving in a few hours for the beaches of Dahab! I took the whole week off although not sure if I will spend it all in Dahab. Looking forward to sleeping in and reading alot ("enshacaleb" Caleb willing.) On my reading list is

Deep Church:A Third Way- This is my last book in my quest to get a better understanding of the whole Emergent Church movement.

Letters to a Diminished Church (An old Dorothy Sayers book) she was an old friend of C.S. Lewis who wrote mystery novels and theology books, pretty interesting combination!

The Big Short- an interesting account of the financial meltdown by way of telling the story of key individuals who were involved. A bit over my head when he talks technical about the banking industry but definitely lots of interesting background details that make for a good book as well as educating me in the world of high finance.

Hoping to do lots of thinking and planning for next semesters high school and middle school teaching topics and of course work on my Bible study for the Book of Acts which I have done very little thus far this summer and am getting a bit nervous.

And of course spending quality time with my guy! He is excited and hopefully will be feeling up for our big adventure. He had to get 2 vaccines yesterday for school and it mellowed him out quite a bit by evening time and he is still sound asleep. He has enjoyed our house sitting job which has allowed him unfettered access to cartoons. This year he was only aware of one cartoon channel which showed only old cartoons like Flintstones and Scooby Doo, which he has really enjoyed but it hasn't sucked him and consumed him like it did last summer when he was watching these alien superhero action cartoons. It has been interesting how much he has actually learned and picked up on from cartoons this year. He continues to blur the lines of reality and doesn't understand why he can't just hop into cartoon life and do what they do, like knock his head and get a huge bump which visibly throbs or get run over by a car and get flattened and then pick himself up and re-inflate. It all makes for some funny conversations!

OK the beach packing calls!

Does anyone know why when a post publishes it doesn't look the same way that I type it in? I write next to a certain picture and everything gets rearranged when posted. Frustrating!

African Hope VBS

Pappa Sele leads the train with the chant "We are happy! We are happy!" and they really are!










Singing and dancing the Bambaylayla
(Hold onto Jesus.) Caleb studying GJ's
moves hoping to get it just right.

A New Week

VBS One ended on Thursday afternoon, Friday I sent the group and Caleb off to the Pyramids and I got set and ready for church. The group attended the Africa Live service along with all 200 of the VBS kids, the kids sang their songs, danced their dances and recited their verses. Then I shuttled people to various locations to rest or shop whilst I returned to church for the next service and Friday School with a small summer group at the 5 pm service. Church finishes I race to collect everyone and we head to the bowels of the city for dinner with the African leaders. Everyone squished into a hot cramped apartment and listened to Shakira over and over and over again. Dinner over take everyone home and myself and Caleb to bed. Next day up early over to the hotel bus awaits the group to take them sightseeing. Fight with security about why if they insist we need a security officer on the bus, then why not arrange it as soon as you see the bus appear rather than waiting until everyone gets on the bus to begin and ask questions. Make us wait 1 hour while the find a officer to escort us, THEN said officer wants a tip!!!! While group is out I care for one of the sick members, clean up house of many supplies strew around and then head to airport to get a new group of people coming in for the next week of VBS. Take them to eat a dinner leave dinner a few minutes early to zip over to hotel, shuttle people and bags to the bus, which can't get up close to hotel because of untrimmed trees, pay the driver give lots of hugs and say goodbye. Return to group eating dinner, wrap that up solve a few emergencies on the phone and finally go to bed.

Now it is Sunday and VBS starts all over again!!

African VBS Week One

This is the second year for a church in NC to send a team to lead a VBS for our African kids. They are a fantastic group with a great attitude and amazing energy. One lady is 76 and out here braving the heat just like the young'ens. The temp has actually been quite moderate for this time of year but it is hot none the less.
The kids are having a great time singing and dancing and learning about the armor of God.

The Cairo Zoo can seem pathetic at first glance, but it offers opportunities that any other safety minded zoo would never allow. Where else can you stick your hand in the mouth of a hippo or feed an alligator or get up close and personal with an elephant? Why they even allow you to hold a baby lion, although we passed up that chance. San Diego need not feel threatened but for a Cairo adventure it always hits the spot!

Kelly and Erin leave tonight and I must get back to work but it had been a great week of hanging out. We have played hours of Quiddler, and we have all improved our vocabulary and spelling considerably.

The first African VBS begins on Sunday and the team from S. Carolina arrives tomorrow. Feeling much more relaxed and confidant this year compared to last. Praying that it will be a great event all around for kids here and the volunteers from there.

Only In Egypt

One Very Long Day!

We spent a full day at the water park, kids had a great time although mine was not very daring to say the least. Maren the almost 2 year old went alone on a slide Caleb wouldn't even consider. We spent 5 hours at the park and 4 hours traveling to and fro! Traffic was ridiculous!!

Still on the topic of Good friends

Enjoying a week of vacation and for the most part am keeping my mind off of my "to do" list and staying focused on the people who are in front of me. We decided to stay in town and just do the things we know and love. Today started with a visit to a former youth group kid Emmanuel who was severely injured in a car accident 6 years ago.
Later in the afternoon we went out to visit Ramadan's family. Any of you who have visited me here in Cairo have likely dined at Ramadan's home with me as it is a traditional place to take visitors. Sadly Ramadan died a year ago, but his son has taken over as the family head and continues to make his home available to us for a great Egyptian meal. Caleb LOVES to eat out there and to get in touch with his roots. Kelly and Erin and I were attempting to guesstimate how many times we had eaten at Ramadan's, I think for me it came to well over a hundred times over the past 16 years, always the exact same meal and always delicious! Had a great laugh at poor Caleb's expense tonight. He was harrassing the chickens in their hen house with a stick and one flew out and right at him, man did he let out with a girlie scream! I keep asking him if he sees the humor in it yet so we can all laugh about it together...evidently he is not there yet.

We have enjoyed Cafe Greco, stuffed ourselves at Chili's and been playing hours of Quiddler (one of the few games I can win!) Tomorrow we are going to Aqua Park for the day. Have lots of pixs to post but need to get the doo hickie to download them.

Good Friends and Good Beer

Kelly and Erin and their 2 year old daughter are in town visiting for 10 days. We decided to hang around Cairo and eat a lot and talk, basically relive our previous 4 years together. They came bearing great German brew and sausage and a new pair of Birks! The kids are having a great time although I think Caleb is getting a run for his money.