Re: Update 3

Thanks for the update!  Guess all is not smooth sailing now...

Jean

On Sat, Jan 12, 2019 at 12:43 PM Jane boyce <janeboyce@live.com> wrote:

We'd arranged for the same taxi driver who'd picked us up to return us to the airport...at 5:15 am.  He again was a well of interesting tidbits @ Athens...home to 6 million.  Our flight snack was a nice goodbye to Athens:  spinach pies & Greek yogurt with a side of honey.  All was hunky dory until there wasn't any internet at the Cairo airport.  I found a place to buy a SIM card.  Since our Airbnb host had not contacted us, we called him & he told the taxi driver where to find our room...well...far from the room or building pictured online & to add insult to injury...the host said it wasn't paid & we needed to pay him...though we knew Airbnb doesn't do it like that.  We decided to find something to eat, see the neighborhood & think it about it.  Seems we were in the car repair area as the crumble, littered sidewalks were filled with vendors selling every possible car part, new & used.  The side streets were crowded with cars with hoods wide open & men working on them.  Most of the tall buildings were quite dilapidated & dirty.  Eventually we found a street with food & tried the shawarma type sandwich with lots of extras...Guess who liked it & who didn't.  We did eventually find a KFC & McD ...but too late. And besides they were kinda dirty too.   We got back to our room & the host came knocking demanding $$.  We paid.  I contacted Airbnb and over the next couple hours, they said they'd give us a full refund & we booked another spot for tomorrow!  Then we huddled down in the thick blankets...it was a cold room...& spent time flipping TV channels.  We both felt it had actually been a worthwhile experience as many of the refugees we will be working with probably stay in places much worse.  We had hot water & toilet.  We had options for tomorrow!

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Re: Athens pictures

Great pictures, Jane. I especially like the first one of you and Rog. Looks rather chilly there. It's really nice here (she lied).

Picture #2:  did Rog pick up anything from the Aphrodite Gold/Silver shop?

Picture #3: What exactly are we seeing here? The strata underneath the current floor?

Jean

On Sat, Jan 12, 2019 at 2:34 PM Terri Keppler <tlk1972@gmail.com> wrote:

These are great!

On Sat, Jan 12, 2019 at 1:35 PM Jane boyce <janeboyce@live.com> wrote:

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Update 5

We were in the think of it today. First met with the priest in charge of prison ministry & got info needed for tomorrow's visit. Then registered refugees & later signed them up for English classes. Did some English assessments. Sorted clothing & helped distribute. And in between, visited with the refugees whenever & however possible. Many spoke a little English. They were from Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and many from Eritrea...a country I'd never heard of! When I told a young man that...he laughed & said his chat box friends say the same thing...he also said he'd learned English on chat box. Who'd a thunk?? Another young man from there said he left home because everyone, girls & boys, had to join the military for their entire life. Met a young man from Sudan who'd left his University where he'd been studying engineering & on the soccer team. Said it was just too dangerous. A fellow from Syria was headed home. I asked how he felt about USA pulling out & he shook his head & said ISIS will get much stronger. I loved hearing the young girls giggling & visiting & seeing them help each other answer my questions. It was interesting to note that often they were not from the same country but seemed to be friends. Some wore hijab, some burqa & others nothing...seemed not a problems for them. Why to so many in this war torn world????
It was a long, busy day...but so rewarding!

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Update 4

Believe it or not we slept till 11 and then quickly packed up and quietly left...good riddance ! We hopped a taxi & crossed over the Nile...that seems weird to say. Our new room is much improved, though still cold, & very close to Refuge Egypt where we'll be volunteering. We went on a hunt to find the office & Monica who's are contact person...turns out she's from Pittsburgh ! She was eager to get us busy after a quick tour & overview of all they'd like us to do...all under the umbrella of the All Saints Episcopal Church. We left there feeling we'd found a good spot to volunteer...also left Hungary. Found a great spot close by where Rog ate 1/2 chicken & I had a hot dish of cannelloni ...great on another cold day! We picked up a few groceries then went back to our room to read, write, watch news & do a bit of laundry. Also booked this room for 8 more nights. Next morning breakfast was brought to our room...hard boiled eggs, bread, cheese & coffee. Then off we went to church...the young priest was from Ohio. Next we met the head of many of the outreach programs, Francine. The funding comes from many sources and part of what I will be doing is helping create letters requesting funds...a job I've enlisted help from my big hearted FIA friend, Sarah:). Also am trying to make a Michigan connection for funding for the deaf school Refuge Egypt would like start. (Currently deaf are put in a room with no teacher/no lessons.). ***Please feel free to jump in with suggestions!!!***. Rog & I will be teaching English classes starting next week. We've also been asked to visits prisoners ...many from Sudan, some USA...put there for no Visa or minor offenses. With no family in the area to support them, they get minimal service. Several have finished their sentence but have no $$ to fly home. Last month this church raised $$ so four could go home. Another side job we learned to day was how to scan documents & add them to files. We'll be doing that in our spare time...that looks like a never ending job...one girl, Monica from Egypt has been doing it full time for 3 years! Think we'll be busy. Ate left over breakfast in our room and then happened on a movie in English...the story of Lee Strobel who authored A Case for Christ. Ironic find since we're so close to the birthplace of Christianity . Can't plan these things...they just happen!!

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