I do have to apologize for not updating sooner. On Oct 26th, we left for travel component through the ME. First stop, Turkey. Can I just say I LOVE TURKEY!! After spending two months in Cairo, Turkey was a much needed release for my mind, emotions, and very much a heavy spirit. I didn't even realize I was carrying such a weight until I could literally feel it lift from me the first day of Turkey. I was released to be myself again. As we drove down the streets there were trees and parks and couples strolling hand in hand by the waterside. Children were playing, men were fishing, women were power walking discussing daily life. When we got off the bus, I could walk through a crowd without men hissing at me or people starring. I was just another person in the crowd. We spent the first night on a boat road on the Bosphorus. I spent hours listening to the water and watching couples share their love with each other. The next week and a half among all of our speakers and coursework I walked the streets making friends with the locals. I have to say, Turkish men are quite charming!! Every night for 5 days straight I was offered some form of free food or drink along with kind compliments... I'll take that any day! After a series of events in Egypt, this was freedom for my soul. I didn't have to walk around guarding my every move, aahhhh it was wonderful!
Next stop...Syria.
In essence we spent 5 days walking around Damascus Old City. We prayed in ancient mosques, ate falafel, and bought tons of dirt cheap pirated DVD's. I was sick with a little parasite for much of this time so my energy level was drained, but we had some great experiences. One of my good friends from MESP, Rochelle, her brother and sister-n-law live in Damascus. They were kind enough to take us to a Syrian Orthodox service. Of course we didn't understand any of the service, but the smells, sounds, and iconography in this small church was enough of a spiritual experience. If I remember correctly this church was the location where Jesus' disciples used to worship in the 1st century. Such rich history and stories surround me at all times. It makes me realize that the Lord has been so present long before and long after I am gone. But I am so blessed during this present day to make a footprint in history. I trust the Lord reaches even into the world during this day in age to speak to His servants the same as He did in the days of old.
Jordan... only 2 days... but still significant because the one full day in Jordan was spent floating the dense waters of the Dead Sea on what just happened to be my 22nd birthday. That one is going down in the cool birthday book! I liked Jordan, I can't say exactly why, but I would like to return to find out.
Now Jerusalem. I must make a note: It is more proper and politically correct for me to say Jerusalem, not Israel because technically Jerusalem is not recognized, according to international law, as territory claimed by the state of Israel in 1947, I hope that sentence gives you somewhat of an idea of how my time is spent here in Jerusalem. For one week now, at least twice a day, we have been hammered with speakers and articles and full-frontal collision with the Israel/Palestinian conflict. The very reason why I wanted to come with MESP to the Middle East was to get a more in depth look at the conflict. Let's just say it has hit me hard, like a deer in the headlights kind of fashion. And after all the experts from religious and political figures on every end of the spectrum I have concluded I know close to nothing. In reality, I am receiving such a birds eye view because I am not Israeli nor Palestinian. Those who have lived here there entire lives remain in this maize of a conflict, one which they live out every day. I am incredibly passionate about this issue, but I am highly under qualified to make any sound judgments. People, including myself, have no idea how incredibly complicated this situation is. Not only is a political struggle for autonomy, but the significance of this land with all of its biblical history means that all three monotheistic Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) are all fighting for a piece of it. There are those here and all over the world that believe the state of Israel is biblical prophecy come true preparing the way for the Messiah to return. Just from this perspective alone there is a multitude of questions, most of which cannot be answered. Would God build up a state at the detriment of his people the Palestinians? Because in essence it is the Palestinians who have suffered to see this "prophecy" fulfilled. Embarrassingly I don't know my biblical eschatology well enough to even form a legitimate opinion. I have not even mentioned the complexity from purely a political perspective and how settlements, refugees, land, and resources have prevented a Palestinian state for 60 years. It hurts my brain and my heart at the same time.
The main purpose for this blog other than the fact that I have neglected it for far too long, is I need to ask for prayer. I trust my community back home to actually be on their knees for me if I needed it. Well I need it and so does my group. I don't know if it is pure exhaustion, work overload, disconnect with the local community, or spiritual warfare, but there is a strong weight and lack of joy in this place. Every day I wake up knowing I have slept enough hours to keep me energized for the day, but I struggle just to walk out of my hospice. And now I am seeing the same exhaustion in others around me. It's not just a physical weariness, but it has grabbed hold of my mind, emotions, and spirit. Worst of all and ironically at that, I am in the holiest and most sacred place on earth and I have yet to feel more distant from God than in this place. I can't hear him, feel him, or see him. I walk around to all of these "memorials" that have commercialized the life and journey of Jesus. I'm supposed to feel a sense of awe from the presence of this place, but all I feel is numb. My desire to seek him dwindles with every day that I am here. Today I was in church and I couldn't even come up with words to pray. The one day I found peace and the presence of the Lord was when I walked the shore of the Sea of Galilee and weeped on a rock. I knew at that moment he was with me and it was at a place that had not been desecrated my mortal hands. The waters moved with freedom and the fish jumped with joy. That particular day a storm was coming in and I felt the thunder awaken my heart to feel again. That was when I weeped and cried out to God. Then rays of sunlight peeked through the dark cloud and brought warmth all throughout my body. Praise God for his sweet touch! But now I am back in Jerusalem and the weight is still there. So I ask for your prayers of renewal and eyes to see the world around me, both in physical and metaphysical manifestations.
I love you all, whoever may be reading this.
May peace be upon you and me
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Siwa and Homestay
Highlights: Siwa and Homestay
Just before our big week of homestays, our team escaped into the desert for a few days of fun in the sun. We took a 10 hour bus ride west into the Sahara dessert in a little, conservative town called Siwa. This is the location of some very historically ancient sites. The first day we rented bikes and made our way down the back roads to visit temples dating back to 5000BC (dang that’s old!) then cooled off in Cleopatra’s bath. That evening we biked just outside of town to watch the sunset by sea—which happened to be so dense from salt you are completely buoyant on top of the water. After a dramatic bike ride back to town (entailing bike frames falling off and a successful attempt at tandem passengers) we finished off the evening with a local cuisine and traditional dancing by the fireside. Quite honestly I don’t think I will be performing Siwa dances any time soon seeing that I embarrassingly knocked over some of the men who pulled me into the dance mash pit.
Day 2 was spent in dune bugs on the Sahara desert. When we reached our first sand dune I climbed to the top and rolled full-body down to the bottom with Emily by my side. Sadly it took me the rest of the afternoon to recuperate from the fall because my equilibrium was way off and I felt nauseous for the next 3 or 4 hours. I wasn’t going to let that ruin the rest of the day though because I still was able to successfully board down another sand dune without facing it. At the bottom of that sand dune was the most beautiful cold spring that was perfect for cooling off our sweaty bodies. That night we slept under the stars in the Sahara desert. Now that I think back, our time in Siwa was incredible!
We came back to Agouza just in time to wash our clothes and pack for our homestays the next day. I’m sitting here wondering how I can encompass an entire week of laughter, food, dancing, and Arabic. Okay, first off I was grouped with my awesome friend Kaeli who I seem to have the most amazing adventures with so it was perfect that we would be living together. My host family make up: Baba (incredibly gentle), Mama (the most kind and generous spirit), Nesma, 26(the only English speaker and our gateway to sanity), Besma, 14 almost 15(the ideal teenager girl), Abdu, 13 (the future engineer), and Hela, 10 (the essence of individual). Mine and Kaeli’s first night at home was spent belly dancing- just women- for literally 2.5 hours. It was a great way to start off one of the most rewarding experiences thus far. Nothing on this program can surpass the power that comes with human interaction. Simply because of the way the program is setup in conjunction with the cultural setting, we do not get nearly enough interactions with Muslims. Especially as a woman I have come to realize most relationships are built inside the home. Muslims in Egypt have separate lives: their public, on the street, get what you need life and then their private, uninhibited, candid lives behind closed doors. The personality I have faced since arrival is completely different than the personality I encountered in my Muslim home.
Best memories as a daughter in the family:
1. Communal living. Every meal, every conversation, every game was done together. There was no going upstairs and escaping into my room, but constant relationship.
2. Confidence building in Arabic. Before homestays I was somewhat intimidated to use what little Arabic I have been learning. We are pretty much the equivalent of a 3yr old when it comes to our Arabic vocabulary and grammar. But after being in an environment where I have to use what I know, I learned so much more. Languages are incredibly difficult, but extraordinarily rewarding.
3.Dancing. I don’t think that I have danced so much in such a short period of time in my whole life. Every day Kaeli and I were busting out the moves, quite embarrassing in comparison to Egyptian women. Whether we were dancing in the home with our sisters, or spending an entire day with relatives who don’t know any English, but completely understand how to make friends through a little booty shaking, Kaeli and I have never laughed so hard. To make up for our inadequate hip action I busted out a little C-walking to represent American dancing! I must also give a warning, because belly dancing is a private event just for women, the forbiddance of it highly attracts Egyptian men. To give a picture: one small room, two Americans, only Arabic is being spoken, 15-20 women, and the only single, eligible bachelor being pulled in to watch Kaeli or I perform our belly dance solos. AWKWARD!
4. Laughter. There were so many wonderful encounters with each member of the family. We would constantly play card games, take pictures, eat, play with hair, do makeovers, rough house, make farting noises- everything families do together. In was in these moments that I realized language is only a barrier if you let it be. Communication is lived out.
If you want more stories, I have plenty. Just ask.
I will continue to try and update more. Things are getting really busy these days. I have 3 papers and one week to finish them. Please keep me in your prayers, specifically for me to be more diligent in all aspects academically, spiritually, relationally. I have been slacking and it gets wearisome at times.
Just before our big week of homestays, our team escaped into the desert for a few days of fun in the sun. We took a 10 hour bus ride west into the Sahara dessert in a little, conservative town called Siwa. This is the location of some very historically ancient sites. The first day we rented bikes and made our way down the back roads to visit temples dating back to 5000BC (dang that’s old!) then cooled off in Cleopatra’s bath. That evening we biked just outside of town to watch the sunset by sea—which happened to be so dense from salt you are completely buoyant on top of the water. After a dramatic bike ride back to town (entailing bike frames falling off and a successful attempt at tandem passengers) we finished off the evening with a local cuisine and traditional dancing by the fireside. Quite honestly I don’t think I will be performing Siwa dances any time soon seeing that I embarrassingly knocked over some of the men who pulled me into the dance mash pit.
Day 2 was spent in dune bugs on the Sahara desert. When we reached our first sand dune I climbed to the top and rolled full-body down to the bottom with Emily by my side. Sadly it took me the rest of the afternoon to recuperate from the fall because my equilibrium was way off and I felt nauseous for the next 3 or 4 hours. I wasn’t going to let that ruin the rest of the day though because I still was able to successfully board down another sand dune without facing it. At the bottom of that sand dune was the most beautiful cold spring that was perfect for cooling off our sweaty bodies. That night we slept under the stars in the Sahara desert. Now that I think back, our time in Siwa was incredible!
We came back to Agouza just in time to wash our clothes and pack for our homestays the next day. I’m sitting here wondering how I can encompass an entire week of laughter, food, dancing, and Arabic. Okay, first off I was grouped with my awesome friend Kaeli who I seem to have the most amazing adventures with so it was perfect that we would be living together. My host family make up: Baba (incredibly gentle), Mama (the most kind and generous spirit), Nesma, 26(the only English speaker and our gateway to sanity), Besma, 14 almost 15(the ideal teenager girl), Abdu, 13 (the future engineer), and Hela, 10 (the essence of individual). Mine and Kaeli’s first night at home was spent belly dancing- just women- for literally 2.5 hours. It was a great way to start off one of the most rewarding experiences thus far. Nothing on this program can surpass the power that comes with human interaction. Simply because of the way the program is setup in conjunction with the cultural setting, we do not get nearly enough interactions with Muslims. Especially as a woman I have come to realize most relationships are built inside the home. Muslims in Egypt have separate lives: their public, on the street, get what you need life and then their private, uninhibited, candid lives behind closed doors. The personality I have faced since arrival is completely different than the personality I encountered in my Muslim home.
Best memories as a daughter in the family:
1. Communal living. Every meal, every conversation, every game was done together. There was no going upstairs and escaping into my room, but constant relationship.
2. Confidence building in Arabic. Before homestays I was somewhat intimidated to use what little Arabic I have been learning. We are pretty much the equivalent of a 3yr old when it comes to our Arabic vocabulary and grammar. But after being in an environment where I have to use what I know, I learned so much more. Languages are incredibly difficult, but extraordinarily rewarding.
3.Dancing. I don’t think that I have danced so much in such a short period of time in my whole life. Every day Kaeli and I were busting out the moves, quite embarrassing in comparison to Egyptian women. Whether we were dancing in the home with our sisters, or spending an entire day with relatives who don’t know any English, but completely understand how to make friends through a little booty shaking, Kaeli and I have never laughed so hard. To make up for our inadequate hip action I busted out a little C-walking to represent American dancing! I must also give a warning, because belly dancing is a private event just for women, the forbiddance of it highly attracts Egyptian men. To give a picture: one small room, two Americans, only Arabic is being spoken, 15-20 women, and the only single, eligible bachelor being pulled in to watch Kaeli or I perform our belly dance solos. AWKWARD!
4. Laughter. There were so many wonderful encounters with each member of the family. We would constantly play card games, take pictures, eat, play with hair, do makeovers, rough house, make farting noises- everything families do together. In was in these moments that I realized language is only a barrier if you let it be. Communication is lived out.
If you want more stories, I have plenty. Just ask.
I will continue to try and update more. Things are getting really busy these days. I have 3 papers and one week to finish them. Please keep me in your prayers, specifically for me to be more diligent in all aspects academically, spiritually, relationally. I have been slacking and it gets wearisome at times.
In joy and frustration...
By request and necessity, it is time to update. As much as this blog is for all my friends and family, I cannot help but enjoy posting as time I am taking for myself to express and remember all that has occurred. There is so much, sometimes it is easy to forget. It is quite lethargic documenting life. This first blog should have been posted two weeks ago. So please keep that in mind when reading because when I write them I try to rewind back to the place I was in during that period of time.
Activities, stories, and personal memoirs:
*weekend in Alexandria- I spent a Friday afternoon walking the Mediterranean coast with some MESPers and Egyptians we met at our service project. Nancy and her brother Mokhles are Coptic Christians who live in Alexandria who were kind enough to show us around all day. We visited the citadel and watched the wave’s crash against the rocks, but sadly the infamous library closed right as we arrived. We had really interesting conversations about Egyptian culture, what it is like being Christians in a Muslim nation, the difference between the US and the ME, Obama vs. McCain, etc. Nancy and Mokhles were kind enough to invite us into their home to share a meal with their parents. That was the first evening I was able to truly experience Egyptian hospitality at its finest.
*Another fantastic day was spent with Coptic Christians. The Coptic Church makes 10% of the population here in Egypt. One of the local Coptic youth groups joined our team for a day of chatting, yummy food, worship, and games. They follow a very liturgical tradition stemming from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Imagine being a part of a Church that traces their roots back to Saint Mark, the apostle who brought the gospel to Egypt in the first century. In America, we are so post-modern we cannot even trace some of our evangelical denominations more than a few decades. I made some really good friends that day. It is such a beautiful thing to embrace differences in traditions and unite in one faith and belief in Jesus Christ.
* You will also be happy to know that I still remain very human during my travel overseas. I remember one day a few weeks back sitting in complete disdain for Egyptian culture. Coupled with the remnants of a bad cultural experience, I spent the day picking out every annoying, frustrating, and distasteful quality about the men, the corruption, the cheating, and even the traffic. By the next day they faded and I have since had several good experiences to redeem these frustrating qualities. If not redeem, at least override.
*So on a more spiritual note, I want to include you on the BIG question our team was presented with at the beginning of the program. Our director Dave along with two influential speakers has presented this question with the expectation that our answer will evolve throughout our time here. Before travel component we have to turn in a paper giving our opinions and beliefs. With that in mind, I will give you an excerpt of the question from our syllabus:
“Jim Wright and Paul Gordon Chandler, among others, discuss frameworks that believers often use to decide salvation boundaries—Who does and does not get into heaven? When confronting other cultural systems, peoples, and religions as a believer, it is natural to ask, ‘How is my God and my moral universe different from theirs?’”
I have been pondering this question almost on a daily basis during my stay here. Prior to MESP I think I would, and you would, answer this question very differently than now, considering that I interact with Muslims in one way or another every single day. When trying to answer the question of who gets into heaven, I automatically consider my new friends around me who live according to a different moral compass. Can I now look my Muslim friend in the eye and tell him or her she is condemned to hell because she does not call herself a Christian? How is it that a punk teenager who walks down the isle of a church one Sunday and “prays the prayer” but never stands to live out his faith has more guarantee of spending eternity in heaven than a devout Muslim who prays 5 times a day, lives for peace and justice, and loves those around them, but does not believe and confess Jesus is the Son of God? So really in essence my main struggle comes from figuring out what I believe about Jesus as a man, as the Messiah, and as His role in eternal salvation. These are really big questions and I am simply presenting the tip of the iceberg. So to you, all my friends and family, ask yourself these same questions and figure out if you are willing to accept the consequences of your answers.
I also would like you to know that in this time of my own personal jihad (inner struggle) that the Lord has remained faithful to reveal Himself to me in clarity and Truth. His word really is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path!
Activities, stories, and personal memoirs:
*weekend in Alexandria- I spent a Friday afternoon walking the Mediterranean coast with some MESPers and Egyptians we met at our service project. Nancy and her brother Mokhles are Coptic Christians who live in Alexandria who were kind enough to show us around all day. We visited the citadel and watched the wave’s crash against the rocks, but sadly the infamous library closed right as we arrived. We had really interesting conversations about Egyptian culture, what it is like being Christians in a Muslim nation, the difference between the US and the ME, Obama vs. McCain, etc. Nancy and Mokhles were kind enough to invite us into their home to share a meal with their parents. That was the first evening I was able to truly experience Egyptian hospitality at its finest.
*Another fantastic day was spent with Coptic Christians. The Coptic Church makes 10% of the population here in Egypt. One of the local Coptic youth groups joined our team for a day of chatting, yummy food, worship, and games. They follow a very liturgical tradition stemming from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Imagine being a part of a Church that traces their roots back to Saint Mark, the apostle who brought the gospel to Egypt in the first century. In America, we are so post-modern we cannot even trace some of our evangelical denominations more than a few decades. I made some really good friends that day. It is such a beautiful thing to embrace differences in traditions and unite in one faith and belief in Jesus Christ.
* You will also be happy to know that I still remain very human during my travel overseas. I remember one day a few weeks back sitting in complete disdain for Egyptian culture. Coupled with the remnants of a bad cultural experience, I spent the day picking out every annoying, frustrating, and distasteful quality about the men, the corruption, the cheating, and even the traffic. By the next day they faded and I have since had several good experiences to redeem these frustrating qualities. If not redeem, at least override.
*So on a more spiritual note, I want to include you on the BIG question our team was presented with at the beginning of the program. Our director Dave along with two influential speakers has presented this question with the expectation that our answer will evolve throughout our time here. Before travel component we have to turn in a paper giving our opinions and beliefs. With that in mind, I will give you an excerpt of the question from our syllabus:
“Jim Wright and Paul Gordon Chandler, among others, discuss frameworks that believers often use to decide salvation boundaries—Who does and does not get into heaven? When confronting other cultural systems, peoples, and religions as a believer, it is natural to ask, ‘How is my God and my moral universe different from theirs?’”
I have been pondering this question almost on a daily basis during my stay here. Prior to MESP I think I would, and you would, answer this question very differently than now, considering that I interact with Muslims in one way or another every single day. When trying to answer the question of who gets into heaven, I automatically consider my new friends around me who live according to a different moral compass. Can I now look my Muslim friend in the eye and tell him or her she is condemned to hell because she does not call herself a Christian? How is it that a punk teenager who walks down the isle of a church one Sunday and “prays the prayer” but never stands to live out his faith has more guarantee of spending eternity in heaven than a devout Muslim who prays 5 times a day, lives for peace and justice, and loves those around them, but does not believe and confess Jesus is the Son of God? So really in essence my main struggle comes from figuring out what I believe about Jesus as a man, as the Messiah, and as His role in eternal salvation. These are really big questions and I am simply presenting the tip of the iceberg. So to you, all my friends and family, ask yourself these same questions and figure out if you are willing to accept the consequences of your answers.
I also would like you to know that in this time of my own personal jihad (inner struggle) that the Lord has remained faithful to reveal Himself to me in clarity and Truth. His word really is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Pics
Hello all.
This blog combined with Internet speed in Egypt are not very compatible, so to get pictures go to my Facebook. Maybe that will help give you a visual idea of where I am...if you like!
This blog combined with Internet speed in Egypt are not very compatible, so to get pictures go to my Facebook. Maybe that will help give you a visual idea of where I am...if you like!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Settling in...
Can you believe it? I’m going on week 3! It is incredible (miS ma’auul) what can happen in such a short period of time. We have really begun to settle in to our neighborhood and becoming familiar with the people. There are always those elderly men on the corner smoking shisha and discussing life. We have stoked out our favorite restaurants, Naema’s being one where I can buy dinner for 1LE (the equivalent of $.20). Still I am learning more and more Arabic and attempting to practice at the local food marts and taxi rides.
Now let me get out my planner so I can retrace the many activities from the past couple of weeks. First off, last week we had our first cultural activities. We were given the choice between Dabka (a Palestinian traditional dance), Belly dancing, Tabla (Egyptian drums), or cooking with Kareema. Of course I chose the two dance activities. I have yet to laugh as hard as I did the night of our first belly dancing lesson. Try to imagine this with me: our dance instructor comes a half hour early to setup accompanied by her two assistance, one of which was an Egyptian guy our age who sat on our couch the entire time staring at us not even bothering to “assist.” Awkward to say the least! Once we got started, the first words out of our instructors’ mouth were “I want pain.” The best parts of the evening were when she would attempt to correct us by grabbing our hips and manually shaking them the proper way. We will be pros by the end of the semester.
Tonight I will be going to my second lesson of Dabka class. It is completely different than belly dancing. It is hard to describe, but seems to be a combination between tap dancing and river dancing. It is really fun!
Tomorrow I am going back to my service project at a minimum security prison in Cairo. After spending hours going through security, I get to spend the afternoon chatting with Nigerian men, although there is one man from Sri Lanka and another from India. Most of them are sentenced to 20 years for smuggling drugs. These men are such a miraculous testimony of the grace of God. Every time I leave the prison I feel ministered to. They share Scripture and speak of the goodness of the Lord in spite of the horrible condition they are in.
This past weekend was spent climbing Mt. Sinai and snorkeling in the Red Sea. You know normal weekend events! Stay tuned for pictures to get the full effect. Safe to say it was a spiritual and relaxing experience.
Basically the setup of my days consist of breakfast, devos, Arabic, and either we have a speaker in the afternoon or Islamic Thought and Practice taught by our Muslim professor Shahinda. My Arabic is progressing slowly but surely and I am engaging my mind in new and profound ways through my other two classes. Thus far, we have had speakers come discuss human rights in Egypt, questioning our view of Muslims, and today our speaker discussed how Muslims can be followers of Christ and remain in their Islamic culture. All sorts of questions have been swarming my mind, but one thing has become incredibly apparent and that is how incredibly similar the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic beliefs and traditions are. It is really interesting to hear what the Qu’ran says about Jesus and how much he is revered among different sects of Islam. Of course we continually come up against the dividing wall between the two religions. According to Muslims and because they view God as a more transcendent being, it is unfathomable to think that God came to earth as a man. We are so lowly and unclean, how could such a holy God enter into this world? Understandable right? As one Muslim put it, “God does not shit.” This is coming from the mindset that excrement is one of the most unclean parts of a human. So the thought of Jesus as God incarnate and His death and resurrection are not recognized. BUT the life of Christ, the miracles he performed, and the love of his followers are greatly adhered. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we have had our view of God handed down to us from generation to generation. We see God as relational with more human characteristics than as a tangential Being. Even among Eastern Orthodox Christian they have a very different view of God and saints and sacraments. It is really interesting to hear my Islamic teacher talk about Mohammad the Prophet. You could place her in any Sunday school back home and by listening to the way she talks about God you would think she is a Christian just like the rest of us. She uses the same lingo to describe Mohammad that we use for Jesus. I know back home it is easy to disregard Islam as an illegitimate religion, but now living here among Muslims I cannot refute the testimonies of the people living around me. Maybe it is easy to do hold misconceptions at home because we really do not know any Muslims and the only perception we have is through pro-Israeli media outlets than show a side of Islam that does not hold true to the message in the Qu’ran. How many of us are ashamed at the perception Christians have among the rest of the world? I know personally I have had to refute misleading observations that Christians are hypocrites who just say they believe in God to get to Heaven. There is a spectrum misconstrued beliefs in all religions because religions are full of fallen human beings.
There is so much more and I hope to be posting in the future. I do know one thing for certain, the Lord has been faithful the answer so many questions that have come up. When I was in Uganda I struggled with so many difficult questions, I ended up confused and critical of the world. Much of that was due to the fact that I left God out of the picture. I tried rationalizing my way out of the questions I held. I should have run to him. Now whenever I am lost or confused I remember His word is Truth and the Holy Spirit is there to guide and direct me. There is a river of peace flowing through me day to day that comes only from the Father.
Please keep me updated on life back home, I don’t want to miss out on everything. You are in my thoughts and prayers daily.
Love you all.
Peace.
Tara
Now let me get out my planner so I can retrace the many activities from the past couple of weeks. First off, last week we had our first cultural activities. We were given the choice between Dabka (a Palestinian traditional dance), Belly dancing, Tabla (Egyptian drums), or cooking with Kareema. Of course I chose the two dance activities. I have yet to laugh as hard as I did the night of our first belly dancing lesson. Try to imagine this with me: our dance instructor comes a half hour early to setup accompanied by her two assistance, one of which was an Egyptian guy our age who sat on our couch the entire time staring at us not even bothering to “assist.” Awkward to say the least! Once we got started, the first words out of our instructors’ mouth were “I want pain.” The best parts of the evening were when she would attempt to correct us by grabbing our hips and manually shaking them the proper way. We will be pros by the end of the semester.
Tonight I will be going to my second lesson of Dabka class. It is completely different than belly dancing. It is hard to describe, but seems to be a combination between tap dancing and river dancing. It is really fun!
Tomorrow I am going back to my service project at a minimum security prison in Cairo. After spending hours going through security, I get to spend the afternoon chatting with Nigerian men, although there is one man from Sri Lanka and another from India. Most of them are sentenced to 20 years for smuggling drugs. These men are such a miraculous testimony of the grace of God. Every time I leave the prison I feel ministered to. They share Scripture and speak of the goodness of the Lord in spite of the horrible condition they are in.
This past weekend was spent climbing Mt. Sinai and snorkeling in the Red Sea. You know normal weekend events! Stay tuned for pictures to get the full effect. Safe to say it was a spiritual and relaxing experience.
Basically the setup of my days consist of breakfast, devos, Arabic, and either we have a speaker in the afternoon or Islamic Thought and Practice taught by our Muslim professor Shahinda. My Arabic is progressing slowly but surely and I am engaging my mind in new and profound ways through my other two classes. Thus far, we have had speakers come discuss human rights in Egypt, questioning our view of Muslims, and today our speaker discussed how Muslims can be followers of Christ and remain in their Islamic culture. All sorts of questions have been swarming my mind, but one thing has become incredibly apparent and that is how incredibly similar the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic beliefs and traditions are. It is really interesting to hear what the Qu’ran says about Jesus and how much he is revered among different sects of Islam. Of course we continually come up against the dividing wall between the two religions. According to Muslims and because they view God as a more transcendent being, it is unfathomable to think that God came to earth as a man. We are so lowly and unclean, how could such a holy God enter into this world? Understandable right? As one Muslim put it, “God does not shit.” This is coming from the mindset that excrement is one of the most unclean parts of a human. So the thought of Jesus as God incarnate and His death and resurrection are not recognized. BUT the life of Christ, the miracles he performed, and the love of his followers are greatly adhered. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we have had our view of God handed down to us from generation to generation. We see God as relational with more human characteristics than as a tangential Being. Even among Eastern Orthodox Christian they have a very different view of God and saints and sacraments. It is really interesting to hear my Islamic teacher talk about Mohammad the Prophet. You could place her in any Sunday school back home and by listening to the way she talks about God you would think she is a Christian just like the rest of us. She uses the same lingo to describe Mohammad that we use for Jesus. I know back home it is easy to disregard Islam as an illegitimate religion, but now living here among Muslims I cannot refute the testimonies of the people living around me. Maybe it is easy to do hold misconceptions at home because we really do not know any Muslims and the only perception we have is through pro-Israeli media outlets than show a side of Islam that does not hold true to the message in the Qu’ran. How many of us are ashamed at the perception Christians have among the rest of the world? I know personally I have had to refute misleading observations that Christians are hypocrites who just say they believe in God to get to Heaven. There is a spectrum misconstrued beliefs in all religions because religions are full of fallen human beings.
There is so much more and I hope to be posting in the future. I do know one thing for certain, the Lord has been faithful the answer so many questions that have come up. When I was in Uganda I struggled with so many difficult questions, I ended up confused and critical of the world. Much of that was due to the fact that I left God out of the picture. I tried rationalizing my way out of the questions I held. I should have run to him. Now whenever I am lost or confused I remember His word is Truth and the Holy Spirit is there to guide and direct me. There is a river of peace flowing through me day to day that comes only from the Father.
Please keep me updated on life back home, I don’t want to miss out on everything. You are in my thoughts and prayers daily.
Love you all.
Peace.
Tara
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Quick note...
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Shukran (thanks)
Shukran (thanks)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Where do I even start? I have been in Egypt only one week and so much has happened. I cannot wait to see what the coming months will bring. Tomorrow I will begin classes, but for the past week we have been making attempts to become acclimated. Orientation week was full of events. We arrived mid-afternoon on Wednesday to be kindly welcomed by all the MESP staff. Once we made our way across Cairo, we came to our new home in Agouza. The rest of the week has been filled with cultural briefings (i.e. clothing, safety, language, cross-gender relations, transportation, and health) and field trips. Typically the pattern was education then practice. Learn about transportation through Cairo then go out and grab a taxi. Naturally the most difficult aspect has been the language barrier. Already I have picked up quite a bit of Arabic; it is what we refer to as “survival Arabic.” These are all of the words and phrases we need to know in order to get around town and have basic conversations. We will be learning to read, write, and speak Arabic in the classroom, but I believe I have learned the most practicing it with locals.
There have been great moments of bonding for our team. This is a community full of some of the brightest college students from around the country. Every one is incredible and completely unique in them self.
The culture is completely different from any other I have experienced thus far. All of you know my travels have remained in sub-Saharan Africa where tribal traditions and hospitality flourish. Here in Egypt the people are quite different. I knew coming into the program that I would be taking on a new role as a woman. I have accepted that I need to dress and relate to men in very modest ways to the point of not even making eye contact with them. This lesson sunk in deeply one afternoon when our team was separated into groups of two (one guy, one girl) and sent off on a scavenger hunt through Agouza. You know me, assertive Tara, walked up to a man and asked for directions. He would only speak to my partner Josh when helping us find our way. From that point on I was not able to address men with Josh present. Sometimes it can also be frustrating when men constantly stare at us girls, knowing it is not simply because I am white. Sexual harassment is very common, but we have learned the best ways to respond in case something happens- shouting to draw a crowd and yelling the Arabic word for shame eyish. I have yet to sort through my feelings on this matter. I follow the guidelines out of respect for the culture, but there is something about my role as a woman that makes me uneasy.
Learning street life and language, my team, and the beginnings of the classroom are the highlights thus far. Academically we are really exploring our biases as Christians towards Muslims. We are warned from bringing complaints about Islam to the table that cannot in turn be used against Christianity. “Play by the same rules”-words from our director Dave. In the same way that we are largely ignorant and inexperienced in understanding our own religious traditions, we are not in a position to judge or deem another religion “wrong” simply because it is different than our own. I have not personally reasoned the Trinity, but fathers before me have. Just like us, Muslims have had their traditions handed down to them generation after generation. If we can take our eyes away from all the differences, we might realize how much we are alike. Are we not all made from the same Creator? How do you know that your beliefs do not exist simply because you were born into them?
There is so much more, but I will hold off until another time. Please continue to pray for me. If you are one of those people that would like specific prayer requests you can always ask the Lord for safety and provision as well as an open heart and mind. My prayers have been for the Lord to be my tongue, whether that is for learning Arabic, interacting with the locals, silence in times of submission, or communication among the team.
There have been great moments of bonding for our team. This is a community full of some of the brightest college students from around the country. Every one is incredible and completely unique in them self.
The culture is completely different from any other I have experienced thus far. All of you know my travels have remained in sub-Saharan Africa where tribal traditions and hospitality flourish. Here in Egypt the people are quite different. I knew coming into the program that I would be taking on a new role as a woman. I have accepted that I need to dress and relate to men in very modest ways to the point of not even making eye contact with them. This lesson sunk in deeply one afternoon when our team was separated into groups of two (one guy, one girl) and sent off on a scavenger hunt through Agouza. You know me, assertive Tara, walked up to a man and asked for directions. He would only speak to my partner Josh when helping us find our way. From that point on I was not able to address men with Josh present. Sometimes it can also be frustrating when men constantly stare at us girls, knowing it is not simply because I am white. Sexual harassment is very common, but we have learned the best ways to respond in case something happens- shouting to draw a crowd and yelling the Arabic word for shame eyish. I have yet to sort through my feelings on this matter. I follow the guidelines out of respect for the culture, but there is something about my role as a woman that makes me uneasy.
Learning street life and language, my team, and the beginnings of the classroom are the highlights thus far. Academically we are really exploring our biases as Christians towards Muslims. We are warned from bringing complaints about Islam to the table that cannot in turn be used against Christianity. “Play by the same rules”-words from our director Dave. In the same way that we are largely ignorant and inexperienced in understanding our own religious traditions, we are not in a position to judge or deem another religion “wrong” simply because it is different than our own. I have not personally reasoned the Trinity, but fathers before me have. Just like us, Muslims have had their traditions handed down to them generation after generation. If we can take our eyes away from all the differences, we might realize how much we are alike. Are we not all made from the same Creator? How do you know that your beliefs do not exist simply because you were born into them?
There is so much more, but I will hold off until another time. Please continue to pray for me. If you are one of those people that would like specific prayer requests you can always ask the Lord for safety and provision as well as an open heart and mind. My prayers have been for the Lord to be my tongue, whether that is for learning Arabic, interacting with the locals, silence in times of submission, or communication among the team.
Allah yisallimaku (May God preserve you)
Tara
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