Walking around Cairo is like walking in a mine field. Every step a possible twisted ankle, stubbed toe or tripper ready to take you down! (Elsi can relate!). Unique and unusual obstacles to avoid. Mazes to maneuver. Often you just give up and walk on the street.
And always your peripheral vision must be in high alert as cars navigate the narrow side streets and speed up in any open area. Most dangerous are the motorcycles that whiz through the tiniest cracks in traffic or even on the sidewalks.
Walking around Cairo is no feat for the faint of heart!
Sent from my iPhone
Sunday, March 10, 2019
Update 65
Mr. Lee invited us to visit him where he teaches refugee children at the St. Andrews Church. The school is run by a Scandinavian and employs mostly teachers who themselves are or were refugees. Mr. Lee is from S. Sudan.
As we enjoyed watching the kids play a game similar to Duck, Duck, Goose, he told us that the kids were from many African countries. Countries where they'd be fighting rather than playing. Here they were all friends, colorblind & accepting. There they'd grow up to be bitter enemies for no other reason than the tribe they were born into.
Then he spoke of his own country. He told us it was so very beautiful...yet so dangerous for his tribe. Though all in S.Sudan look very much like the Dinka, the ruling tribe. The only thing that identifies you is your accent.
He tried to return to his home once a long time ago. He'd heard gun shots in the night. When he opened his door in the morning...there were 7 bodies. His sister told him it was a light day...usually many more. No one dared come and claim the bodies. They'd be dragged away and never seen again.
On this same campus, many UNHCR lawyers help asylum seekers to get their papers. Most had come by camel or on the Nile illegally because their home countries wouldn't give them papers to leave. They fear arrest daily. Sometimes police wait outside the gate of St. Andrews ready to arrest.
Seeing the joy on the children's faces as they chanted and chased each other, I had to think of their future...would they be passed over (like the Duck), chased (like the Goose) and get caught or make it back to their safe spot.
Sent from my iPhone
As we enjoyed watching the kids play a game similar to Duck, Duck, Goose, he told us that the kids were from many African countries. Countries where they'd be fighting rather than playing. Here they were all friends, colorblind & accepting. There they'd grow up to be bitter enemies for no other reason than the tribe they were born into.
Then he spoke of his own country. He told us it was so very beautiful...yet so dangerous for his tribe. Though all in S.Sudan look very much like the Dinka, the ruling tribe. The only thing that identifies you is your accent.
He tried to return to his home once a long time ago. He'd heard gun shots in the night. When he opened his door in the morning...there were 7 bodies. His sister told him it was a light day...usually many more. No one dared come and claim the bodies. They'd be dragged away and never seen again.
On this same campus, many UNHCR lawyers help asylum seekers to get their papers. Most had come by camel or on the Nile illegally because their home countries wouldn't give them papers to leave. They fear arrest daily. Sometimes police wait outside the gate of St. Andrews ready to arrest.
Seeing the joy on the children's faces as they chanted and chased each other, I had to think of their future...would they be passed over (like the Duck), chased (like the Goose) and get caught or make it back to their safe spot.
Sent from my iPhone
Update 64
Old Mother Hubbard went to her cupboard...and it was bare!! That's what happened last week at Refuge Egypt. No food to bag. No food to pass out. We'd made a plea to our home church and in God's good timing...generous donations have filled the cupboard again!! Enough for 2 months...and now we can add powdered milk too. Amazing how joyful that makes me feel!
So with happy & humble hearts, we am filling food bags again!! We've become quite efficient at it! We filled @200 rice/lentil bags in just an hour and a half!!
We asked what will happen when this food runs out and the answer we got: "God will provide. He always does."
Sent from my iPhone
So with happy & humble hearts, we am filling food bags again!! We've become quite efficient at it! We filled @200 rice/lentil bags in just an hour and a half!!
We asked what will happen when this food runs out and the answer we got: "God will provide. He always does."
Sent from my iPhone
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