November update

It's mid-November in Cairo and the temperatures are now routinely in the 70s. The summer heat of upper 90s lasted through the first week of October and then abruptly withdrew as things cooled into the 80s. I have to admit that it was not nearly as hot here this past summer as I feared--I expected Phoenix days, but they never really came. The only problem is that as the temperatures cool, they burn rice fields and trash so the pollution is worse. Here is a picture of typical street in Maadi.

Our clean air respite (in addition to room air purifiers in our flat) is the bike rides in the wadi (arabic for "valley"). There are a couple of wadis here that were carved out of limestone by ancient rivers. Interestingly, you can find petrified wood and seashells, which makes one wonder what the land of Egypt looked like in eons past. My bike rides have come with a price lately as about a month ago I decided to try going fast down a small hill and only succeeded in catching my front tire in the soft sand and flying over the handlebars and banging myself up. It was nothing serious but the obvious scrapes drew conversations and people shaking their heads at my apparent lack of judgment. Karan stays in the more even and level part of the wadi while I venture up into the highlands where there is more interested terrain. So you can see their point.

Alex is improving in homesickness, but still adjusting. He made the JV soccer team at school. 60-70 boys tried out and only 16 were selected. That helped alot, however only a week later, they had to pick the 11 who would make the travel team, and he wasn't selected. The team will travel to Abu Dabi in the United Arab Emerites in about a week. His consolation is that in the local scrimmages and tournaments, he has played more than some of the travel boys (who have complained audibly). I am hoping this will be a motivation for him to work hard on foot skills and shooting between now and next Fall. Our consolation is that we won't be paying the $800-900 to send him to Abu Dabi, especially if he wouldn't have played much.
We were able to use that savings to add to his school trip in February called Week Without Walls. WWW is a chance for the students to choose one of several trips all over the world for adventure or service. He could have gone to Petra in Jordan or space camp in Turkey or house building in Ghana or culture touring in Moscow and St. Peterburg Russia, or trekking in India in the Himalaya foothills (among several other options), but he chose orangutan rescue in Borneo (Indonesia). He was very excited to say the least and it helped Egypt seem less difficult. Plus about a month ago I found a sports subscription channel that has some US football games (though the 7-10 hour time difference and the fact that Alex's school week is Sunday-Thursday makes it more difficult to watch games).
Actually his homesickness has been related less to Egypt itself and more related to his private school. The social groupings are not as permeable as we were led to believe. The high school has about 40% very wealthy Egyptians who band together and some US kids from oil families who also have their own subculture. He has managed to find a couple of other new guys and hang with them, and now he is making some new soccer friends. The other major adjustment is that the teachers here are more difficult and demanding than his middle school in the States since this is a college prep school. I have to say that both Travis and Brett found college more demanding than they expected after having been in one of the alleged top school districts in Washington state. So he is learning to step up in several arenas. Another benefit here has been that his youth group experience has by far been more positive than either of our two older guy's experiences.
On the church front, I still have no new senior staff, so the water is still flowing down onto me in the bottom of the Dead Sea. The next phase of my cultural boot camp has been dealing with our African Ministry. Perhaps 6-8 years ago the church began their work in refugee ministry for those mostly from Sudan. Since then they have worked with several start-up efforts who provide various services like education, food, housing, medical, etc. The problem came when there was so many different activities and some passing through of funds to these partner ministries that the reach exceeded the grasp. It got too big too fast and couldn't be managed with sufficient accountability. So now most of that has been let go and we have only a few remaining partner ministries in refugee education, medical clinic, training pastors to return to their home countries, women's benevolence ministry to various small projects, and a small less-expensive school for ex-patriot kids. All of those relationships need to be restructured and renegotiated to fit under government guidelines. It has taken awhile to BEGIN to figure out how that should look.
We also started spiritual small groups in poor sections of Cairo that have grown to 3000 people. We are not sure to what extent that is 3000 people growing in discipleship or how many come because there is some possible financial benefit (one leader calls them "rice Christians"--those who call themselves Christian only to get food). Some of these groups led to the start-up of fellowships that band together for worship (they are not churches, since churches have to be licensed by the government). The problem is there are only a fraction of the people from the small groups who go to the fellowship worship times. Yet we have sent a fair amount of money from donors to this ministry without fully knowing how it is being spent. So now in this new era of financial accountability (brought on by a former staff member who embezzled quite a bit of money less than two years ago), we are asking for receipts and reports, etc. The Africans first response was "What's a receipt?" We have now progressed to beginning to ask the question if these groups and fellowships are going to ever grow up to be self-sustaining so we can begin new works. It is not unlike wondering if your children will ever grow up and leave home, so you begin to teach them to get ready for that day.
Which brings me to the culture boot camp. These changes are not without pain and resistance. Whereas in the West we think in terms of guilt-innocence (right vs. wrong), the Middle East is more rooted in shame-honor, while Africa is more power-fear based. So when we expect someone to think through the ethics of not spending money for purposes you stated, as long as it goes for a good cause, what's the problem? Though they may bow and call you "Sir," SOME will find a way to manipulate and not disclose the full truth in order to get what they want. Trying to document this to sit down and challenge them is like trying to capture smoke. When you are anal and controlling like me, this becomes a significant stress issue. I am also learning that though most of our Africans outside the mother church are Sudanese, the people running the show are Nigerian. Sudanese are among the gentler, less aggressive Africans. Nigerians are more opposite of those traits among Africans.
Nevertheless, some here who are from a more prophetic stream (including some Nigerians) have stated that they feel God has brought me here to clean up the rapid growth problems and deepen the spiritual foundation. So God's calling vs. people pleasing becomes a daily prayer topic for me. My friend Richard reminded me, "Remember what God has been pouring into you these last two and half years since leaving Garland." We still feel a strong sense that we are where God wants us to be, stress and all. I continue to claim Matthew 11 "My yoke is easy and my burden is light" to remember that most of the stress comes from what I bring on myself by taking responsibility for more than is mine.
No matter what your response to the most recent elections, remember the priority of Scripture regarding government. 1 Timothy 2:1-3, "I urge that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior." Romans 13:1, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." 1 Peter 2:13-14, 17, "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, … Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." Prov 21:1, "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." Our hope is in God and not in man.

October Reflections

Well our trip to the White Desert didn’t work out because Alex got sick. Several teens from the youth retreat the weekend before contracted some food related issue. A few days of antibiotics and he was fine. So we will wait for the next Islamic feast day in early December and try to go with a new family with one of Alex’s friends. If we had gone that weekend, the highs would have been in the upper 90s, so later will be better. Right after it has cooled into the upper 80s and is very pleasant. Fall has finally arrived.
Alex is still in the hunt to make the junior varsity soccer team. We thought today was the day to announce the team, but it seems that there is one more cut still. I am having a hard time putting all this in God’s hands. I am afraid that without soccer, Alex will spiral down further in his culture shock adjustments. Plus a parent from last year told me that several Western kids who had talent and performed well on their middle school teams were cut, while a couple of obese Egyptian kids made the team. The coach is Egyptian and team play is not their strong suit. Yet they didn’t win any games in tournament play all last season (there are few home games). So you would think they would catch a clue …. who did I say was struggling with culture shock?! So God and I are wrestling through this issue as I place Alex in His loving hands (even when the immediate results don’t seem so compassionate).
Karan and I had dinner last night with the widow of the former senior pastor. She showed us where he fell from 10 stories trying to belay down three feet to their balcony after being locked out of their apartment. It was, of course, an incredibly emotional and tragic story. I cannot even begin to imagine what that was like on so many levels … She also shared that every year when they flew in to Cairo from a month off summer vacation, as they descended they felt the spiritual oppression. She said the whole family would often drive back from the airport in silence. She also shared some fairly amazing dreams and visions that people (some in a different corner of the world) had right before and during the horrible accident. The content of those dreams and vision were all about the spiritual warfare surrounding the event. People saw things with spiritual lenses in that very location before the fall actually happened or was known. It was a stirring reminder of where the battle really lies even in things that look so mundane and ordinary. It was also a reminder of the incredible privilege, responsibility, and battle that this ministry truly is!
Visitors would sometimes come to see them and observe the trash in the streets and the rubble all around and remark, “How can you live here??!” Maadi is much greener and nicer, but you still have trash, rubble, broken sidewalks, wild drivers, and feral cats and a few dogs that roam the streets. But if you choose to look up at the flowering trees and the amazing culture and the smiling faces of what many believe is the kindest and gentlest people in the Middle East, you can see something quite different. It’s all in where you look. You cannot come here into such a foreign culture and in the midst of intense spiritual warfare without a clear sense of calling. So when those inevitable days of discouragement and frustration come, you flow with it and remember that it’s not about me and my comfort and convenience, rather it’s about God’s kingdom. I have not ever been in a place with more potential for Kingdom impact than here.
We have included some pictures of Egypt to give you a taste of things you don’t always see in tourist photos. Life is quite different for so many people in other parts of the world. So as the global economy is freefall meltdown, remember Who holds the cards.

Steve and Karan

So It Begins ...

Dear Friends and Family,
It’s my turn to share reflections on our transition to Egypt. It has been wonderful, exhausting, stretching, and surreal all at the same time. There is so much that comes at me in a given day that it is hard to describe. Egyptian culture is very top-down driven—everyone needs to check their decisions and issues through the guy at the top to cover their posterior. Added to that is that the church model of leadership has also been top-down. So to bring the idea of leaders equipping and releasing team in a very collaborative way is an idea the leadership wants, but the practice in everyday life is slower in coming.

The absence of senior level leaders poses challenges that have felt like much of the time like drinking from a fire hose and being the Mississippi delta—everything seems to flow down to me. A friend from Spokane wrote me recently, “I hope you’re not continuing your old habit of trying to do everything and please everyone.” Though the system wants to push me that way many days, I have found a steady and consistent small, still voice from God (after I reach my saturation point) that says, “Stay true to who I have made you to be and what I called you to do.” At our leadership retreat this weekend, the leaders prayed that I would know everyday what God wants me to do and leave the rest. It’s nice to have leaders tuned into that idea on board with you. This has also been the most responsive elected leader board that I have ever worked with. Our retreat this weekend was very much an experience of unity of spirit and casting vision that was motivational for all of us!
We were right on the verge of bringing in a candidate for Director of Administration when he suddenly pulled his name when his aging parents became ill. So now I’m back to square one, but then it all happened in such an eerie way that I have to stop and ask God what He is doing. It has been my desire to add senior staff from somewhere besides America to make us a truly international church. So I wait to discover what this startling turn of events might be, in what seemed to me to be my administrative lifeline and rescue boat hitting an iceberg and sinking.

Ministering to so many cultures has been amazing. I told our British worship director that I don’t know if I could ever go back to just a one culture church. The synergy and learning from different perspectives is amazing. I am awestruck to think that we have usually about 2-3 years to transform their spiritual perspective and ignite the passions of people from all over the world before sending them back to their home countries. (About 30% of our congregation turns over every year). I have never seen a church that balances growing deeper through small groups and growing outward through outreach that incarnates the presence of Jesus to affluent neighbors and under-educated and under-resourced refugees. I also think this has been the best worship service of any church we have been in. This Fall we are trying what we started at Garland to offer contemporary services that have somewhat different flavors. So far the responses have been very encouraging. We even want to offer some of our ethnic groups chances to lead worship in their own cultural styles every few months.
Alex meanwhile has hit that 2 month culture shock wall. He wants to go back to Spokane really bad. It started right before his birthday when he realized he wouldn’t have his close friends with him to celebrate. He has a couple of new guys he has as friends, but the social groups at school annoy him. His school is 30-40% affluent Egyptian and also has a sizeable affluent group of kids from oil families from the US. Couple that with the social brutality of a typical high school and you have lots of opportunities to grow—and be miserable in the meantime. This all has brought back my own memories of how much I hated Brownsville, Texas when I moved there right before my senior year of high school in 1971. Yet that year in south Texas did much to shape me spiritually and just introduce me to the cultural dynamics that I now experience on a much broader scale.

In the meantime, we are planning some tourist trips. This first week of October will mark the end of the Islamic feast of Ramadan and the October 6 holiday celebrating Egypt’s revisionist history view of their battle with Israel in the late 1970s. Ramadan has been interesting to watch things slow down during the day as Muslims eat or drink nothing (including water) from sunrise to sunset. Then at dusk they eat about three times more calories than they would normally and have one more feast right before sunrise. They tell me that in other parts of the Middle East that it is quite this food oriented. They spend more time with family and friends, so it’s like Christmas (without the commercialism) for a whole month. Next year Ramadan will begin about 11 days earlier. Anyway, this coming long weekend, we will take a trip to the picturesque White Desert toward the Libyan border to drive off-road vehicles and camp under the stars with our own Bedouin guide. Then in mid December when Travis and Brett come, we hope to take a week to go down (450 miles south) to Luxor to the Valley of the Kings and Queens to see all the temples of another site from an ancient kingdom capital (there are about three different capitals and concentrations of antiquity sites).

For those of you wondering about recent news of kidnappings, etc., that took place in a more remote area considerably south of Luxor. The security in Egypt is huge because they need the tourist income to survive as a country. Most expats feel safer living and moving around here than in the big cities of America. Remember to check the website www.maadichurch.net if you want info on the church. Bye for now!

Through the fog...

August 2, 2008

I am having trouble putting this house together in a way that will work. I found that as flexible as I think I am I need structure to function.
I did buy material and am having sheers made for the living area. I have had wonderful help getting that far and have a plan for our bedroom. The furniture here is very basic, so Steve has agreed to buy a few pieces. We are having a few made that will house baskets for storage, plus a wicker chair made for me that I can curl up in and read, have a quiet time, get away. I am so excited. We will start with that and work into rugs and a more comfortable living area. It will all take time, in spite of my impatience.


This week, I had my first cry since here. It was about silly stuff, mainly being so dependent and feeling so incompetent. I wasn't even sure how to mop the marble floor. I called a new friend, who is probably sorry she said she would help. Ha. She came and helped me find a place for most stuff and helped me start cleaning. Oh my gosh, that was 2 days ago and I am still not done.. It doesn't help that I am at VBS every morning, then tracking down material, tailors, food, etc...

VBS starts Sunday and I have recruited helpers, so I will have ample help to so what will be done. I am as prepared as I can be until 7:30am Sunday morning.

Steve in his very wise ways, said that the VBS "situation" is the first shot over the bow. People will ask of me and I have to be sure it is what I want to do and can do. I caved to the “we are desperate”. I know better, but have been a bit out of practice. Haha The Lord is letting me learn a lot as we jump in to this world. I like it, mostly. :)

We woke up this morning to standing water in the laundry room. The water heater leaked and is leaking, now, into a bucket. The plumber is supposed to come Monday, because today is a holy day and we are gone tomorrow to ride in the Wadi. Oh well, the tank will leak until it is empty. Never a dull moment. Church was good. We are meeting more people little by little. It is such a good church.

Travis, the youth pastor, has spent an afternoon playing wii with Alex. I am excited that we are in a place where there is a great youth group. I am hopeful at least one Flora boy will benefit from a good youth group. I am finding that I cannot survive without the help of people here. It is all so new and different and I only know my American ways in the land that is very familiar to me. In reality, we all need each other. Here the body of Christ (at least with my 3 week experience) has to work together because we are all from different countries and speak different languages. We have to rely on what is common, not uncommon among us. It is wonderful. I am the beneficiary of others' experience and support. I love this. There is life here and it is the Lord's.

August 5, 2008

Things are good. We have two more days of VBS. It has been hot, but all seem to be doing pretty well with it. I just sweat my way through it. Ha!! I am getting smarter each day, which means each day works better. who would have thought that snacks would be so stressful. Ha. I will be ready to do it on my own next year. I'll be great with food by then...

I went downtown to the fabric souk to get curtain, pillow and chair material. What an adventure. There are stalls, LOTS of them, some as big as a carnival booth at a school fundraiser Many things in the flat are Elvis red velour. I am not crazy about it, so I am seeking to change it. Though we have gotten fabulous deals on material, I am going to have to slow down. I am eager to make it feel like home, with some warmth and pillows. We have had people over for dinner 3 times, rather spur of the moment, and the starkness doesn't bother them. :)

Every now and then, today being one of them, a wave of overwhelmedness comes. I know it will pass, so I let it come. It is all a part of the adjustment. Pray for us. Steve is under a heavy load with NO senior leadership staff on board. He is talking with a guy about the church administration position, and is looking to set up pastoral search committees for two, maybe three other positions. People are returning from their home countries, so life will get busier in the next couple of months.

Alex begins orientation next week and is excited, though a bit nervous for all of it. This is going to be a great place for him. God is good.

August 21, 2008

Greetings from Maadi!!!  We are here 6 weeks today.  It is amazing.  I reread the two posts above that are just now getting posted and I am amazed at all that has happened.   Vacation Bible School (VBS)  ended very well.  No children got sick on my snacks and we minimized the ants and bees as we served outside.  Yipee!  It was hot, but with so much going on, the kids totally enjoyed themselves.  We went through water and sweated our way through it. Ha!

Alex is going full blast at school. He started out in Arabic 1, but having only our Arabic taped lessons this summer, his lack of exposure to the language and his not so great ability to draw has left him frustrated. He was immediately expected to copy phrases from the board, and then tested on the accuracy of his writing. He is expected to know the alphabet this week and each letter has about 4 forms, so it is overwhelming and we cannot help him. We have called on our Egyptian staff at the church, but even they were reeling from the amount of homework and understanding he was supposed to have in such a short time. After much discussion, he is switching out to Spanish ( at least I can help him some) on Sunday. He will learn two languages at once, but Arabic at his own pace. We were very disappointed, but it isn't worth the stress on him with all the adjustments in this new land.

Youth group is wonderful and meeting just around the corner. He is meeting people at church and at school, trying out for varsity soccer, doing homework and finding his rhythm here. It is good. We are thankful.

I am so very thankful I am not working. It is interesting that since we have moved here, we have had a zillion things break, quit working, and simply die, from hot water heaters to toilets, to outlets, air conditioners, phone lines, and both cars that the church has for staff here. I think we must be in the right place, for so much to happen to try to discourage us. Knowing this helps, but it adds to the stress of living, and there have been days when it feels very heavy. It just means we are adjusting and it is part of the process. I am happy to report, none of us have been sick, so I am finding a way to feed the guys, even a few guests. Ha!!! It will be safe for you to come visit us!!!!

We went to the Red Sea and it was such a beautiful blue against the stark, brown, dry dessert. We snorkled, the reef being very near the beach, and saw amazing fish. It was gorgeous and cool in the hotness of the summer wind. There were ships going up to the Port to ready for passing through the Suez Canal. The desert by the sea is vast, it is no wonder Moses was lost for forty years and needed the pillar of fire and the column of smoke to lead him. Ha Ha. Everything looks the same, mountains and dunes, no trees, no bushes, no houses, just sandy land. We were able to see the Sinai across the Sea. Very cool!

We are adjusting as all three of us have our areas to learn. Steve continues to be all as he looks to begin staffing senior staff positions as well as figure out how to release the staff here to do their best for MCC. It is complicated and now getting busier and busier with everyone returning. Day by day we are settling. Pray for us. Though we are thrilled to be here and know that there are challenges, we need wisdom in making it home. We are eager to enter into the life of the church in relational ways, not just tasks. Pray for the staff coming that they will be a good fit with us and this land as we together do the work before us. Pray also it will be soon.

We remain in His grace...

We have arrived in Egypt!

Good afternoon from Egypt!!! I wanted to send out a general email to let you know we are here and semi up and running. Ha! Once Steve returned to Spokane, we continued at 100 mph to get everything done to leave. It was a push. We were exhausted and so sick of sorting that we felt like just giving it all away (of course Steve couldn't quite bring himself to that solution!).

We were supposed to leave for Tahoe to relax and catch our breath on Thursday, but didn't leave until Saturday, noon, arriving at 3 AM on Sunday. Our time there, though shorter than planned, was still the oasis I needed to continue. There were days, when I wondered if we were really going to make it. God is so good and we did. We were able to see Steve's dad and my mom in Texas, shop, see relatives in Portland, finish packing, get the UHaul loaded, drive to Seattle and make our flight on July 8th. Of course from June 21-July 10 we traveled by plane or car 12 out of 20 days. Still we made it fine, with God truly making the way. We got through customs without any extra taxes/tariffs, and got to our flat with ALL of our 27 boxes and bags in tact. Truly a GOD thing.

Alex and I have been staying up way to late and sleeping too late in the day. I have been trying to get on this time, but it is hard. Steve has preached two weekends, so far and it is good. There is SO much new and though I feel very vulnerable at this point, I know I will learn in time. I have cooked a couple of meals in the flat and am doing laundry as I write, so I am making SLOW progress, but that is part of the process, I guess. :)

Many of the expats are back in their home countries, right now. They will return mid August, because school starts then. Alex starts new student orientation on Aug 10. He has met two guys, at this point, one 9th grader and one senior. As predicted, life is very slow for him. He is taking it in stride and resting, bored, but knowing it will change.

The church is in transition, so Steve is busy. He is looking for a church administrator, as well as connecting with the staff and beginning to learn the staff and many cultures here. We have VBS the first week of Aug and I will help with that. They have me in charge of the snacks. God has a sense of humor. I am barely figuring out how to feed my family, much less all these children. They are desperate, with people still in their countries, so will have to spend a bit more time with me to teach me, so I can work with the kids. I have a week and a half to figure it out. Oh my gosh....

Steve and I went bike riding in the Wadi (desert) yesterday. It was cooler, mid 90's with a wonderful breeze, so even though we left later than planned, it was do-able. I admit, I am wiped today, but not working, I have time to rest, which is good. There is so much to organize here and shopping for food takes so much time. Alex will be glad when I figure it all out. :)

We are definitely strangers in a strange land, but it is right. Pray for us. Everything takes time, and there are many stops for grocery shopping. The fruit and veggie stand, the market for packaged/canned goods, the butcher or different store for chicken and meat (still haven't made that run yet), the pharmacy... Then everything fresh has to be washed in Clorox and air dried. Steve and I are going to have to be careful in that regard. He struggled while here without me and I have already had a down day, though I think it was more exhaustion than anything else.

Thankfully, the weather hasn't been too bad. Definitely hotter than Spokane, but not Las Vegas heat yet. It fluctuates, but we have been doing well, in spite of all the sweating. We LOVE email. I think of you all. Our home is open for visits, but wait until I learn more. Ha! Hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer.

Fondly,
Karan