After visiting parents in Texas in June, we took some days off in our timeshare in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. It was a wonderful time and served as a graduation celebration for Travis.
At church, we began a trial Saturday night worship service at church (to complement the African service and Friday night service) to see if it would open up additional ministry opportunities. Since the work week here is Sunday through Thursday (mosques worship Friday mornings), Friday nights proved to be a challenge for some people’s schedules with school activities and work events. So after the seven week trial period, we thought it was worth the extra investment to continue as ministry things kicked off this August. The ministry year has started with good energy and enthusiasm (it’s been an 8+ out of 10, Bob!). We have had a good influx of new people who have become involved. (Over the last two years with the world economy down, we have had fewer expatriates (“expats”) arriving, especially families. This year that trend has slowly begun to reverse).
We have also re-established key outreach partnerships that had been put on hold. One of the things that drew us to this church was the great outreach opportunities. It has been our goal to redevelop outreach to bring it back to the center. We have partnerships with two schools for Sudanese refugee children, an institute to train pastors for African churches, a prison ministry to non-Egyptian inmates, a more affordable K-8 school for expat families, a women’s service organization (involving many non-churched women) that helps the needy local population. We are praying about finding a local medical ministry opportunity. Though all of this is positive external results, the real foundation and energy is helping people see and embrace how God is working in their everyday life. Steve continues to keep working on this focus for himself as he lets go of past patterns.
Karan is now full-time at Cairo American College (CAC). She not only is doing “Learning Support Services” for sixth grade, she also teaches two classes of sixth grade language arts. So her work load has definitely increased as she is working long hours learning a new curriculum (back to her days at Shaw Middle School). We have joked that Karan’s life verse is now Genesis 15:12, “As the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell over him, and a thick and dreadful darkness descended.” Even with all the extra work, she loves what she is doing.
She is able to impact student’s learning in real and tangible ways, while being embedded in a great sixth grade team. She also likes being less spread out among grades and administrations as last year. Naturally this makes for adjustments with Steve working both Fridays and Saturday nights (Karan’s days off). One of the compensations is that we will take one weekend off a month. Not coincidentally, a couple in the church that own a resort condo on the Red Sea 1½ hours away, have offered it to us to use. So God has provided a retreat place not too far away! We still are working on the relationship dynamic change that both of us working full-time brought our last few years in Spokane and are now before us again. (Do you ever wish you could arrive at a comfortable place that you don’t have to grow and adapt anymore?!)
Alex played short-stop in the varsity baseball tournament that was here in Cairo in late May. He had a great tournament, especially defensively and hit two doubles and a few singles and sacrifice bunts.
He had a great summer back in Spokane for 5½ weeks renewing friendships and even making a few new ones. He did break his thumb during Hoopfest (world’s largest 3 on 3 street basketball tournament with over 20,000 players). That limited his activities including receiving batting coaching. He was still able to take driver’s ed. Now we have to figure out how to log an additional 25 hours of driving time in Egypt so he can try to get his driver’s license next summer (the legal driver learning age here is 18). He loved being there, but at the same time he looked forward to returning to Egypt to his friends and activities here.
Alex made the varsity soccer team and is one of the starting mid-fielders. The team travels to Brussels the second week of November for a tournament. This has been an even more challenging academic year with chemistry, integrated math 3, third year Spanish, advanced placement English, a very detail-heavy American history class, and speech. Junior year is supposed to be the hardest year at CAC. Next summer, Alex wants to look at the University of Washington, which is fairly challenging to gain admission. Brett recommends Western Washington University, but Travis warns Alex not to become a hippy eco-nerd if he goes there. We will also look at some other state schools next summer. Alex is also involved in youth group and likes it a lot. It is a great supportive group.
Travis finished his internship here in Cairo at the end of May and graduated in June with his bachelor of arts in international relations. He did very well in his internship which taught him some marketing and public relations skills. But he could hardly wait to return home and escape living in Egypt, not to mention being at home again with his parents. He is now working as kitchen manager in a sports bar in north Spokane, but has had his hours reduced, which is bringing considerable financial strain. He is looking intensely for a permanent job that can actually pay the bills (especially with student loan repayments starting soon). Let us know if you have some leads in sales or marketing or public relations.
Brett is in his fourth year at Western Washington University in Bellingham. He is finishing the coursework for a photojournalism major this quarter, but has also decided to major in graphic design. If his portfolio at the end of this year is accepted, then he is moved into the final senior sequence of courses next year. We still find it hard to believe that our math and science high school student has gravitated into the art end of the spectrum! Brett stayed on campus this summer to do a journalism internship and take two courses (and ride his mountain bike often enough to have two significant crashes and a mild concussion—he now wears body armor and traded up to a full suspension bike). I think the highlight of his summer was a mountain bike trip to the trails of Whistler—ride the chairlift up to the top and cruise down on groomed biking trails. He is still living in the same house with some other Christian guys, and still attending the same small family church.
We love hearing from you all. As busy as life is, we need each other to encourage and be encouraged in community. We welcome visitors and would love to stay up to date on your lives!! We give you incentive with a picture of El Gouna on the Red Sea (in case the previous Luxor pictures were not enough). You hardly know you are in Egypt—the water is warm and the snorkeling and diving world-class.
Overcome By Grace,
Steve and Karan
No comments:
Post a Comment