We are fine and do NOT feel in danger in our Maadi home. The demonstrations in Tahrir Square are several miles away from our south suburb. Maadi is filled with a mixture of expatriates (“expats” = those living in a foreign country) and Egyptians. There has been no focus on foreigners in the demonstrations, and in fact, the Egyptians have taken great effort to care for their homes and the homes of their expat neighbors. Some embassies and large companies have removed most of their people; they will tend to err on the side of caution. There is also concern in not having their people going without food and resources if things deteriorated. We do not want to leave because we feel we are supposed to be here to help people. There is a sense of euphoria among the Egyptians that at last things can change for the better.

That is not to say that we haven’t experienced a wide range of emotions over the days. This is our first experience of revolution and you hear a wide range of hugely conflicting reports. On Friday, as the mosques ended services in the early afternoon (reportedly guarded by Egyptian Christians so their Muslim brothers remained safe), we began our African service. We spent much of that service praying for peace and righteousness in the country. When our 5 pm service began, we did the same until suddenly at 5:40 we were told that a curfew was declared for 6 pm. Within a few hours, the Internet was shut off by the government. We sat watching television most of the evening as the demonstrations gained momentum.



On Saturday, we woke up and drove out to our desert biking valley and had a nice ride after filling our car with gas. Then around noon our cell phones stopped working. The curfew was moved up to 4 pm. So we sat in our homes, isolated and nervous as we wondered what was coming next. This was the day that government responded violently against the people in what turned out to be well over 100 were killed. Reporters were attacked. One freelance photo-journalist from our church was shot with a shotgun by the police from 100 meters away even though he was simply walking with his cameras on a nearby bridge. He was injured and sore, but did not suffer any serious injury. Al-Jazeera reporters were attacked and some arrested, as the Arabic channel of Al-Jazeera was taken off the air. Meanwhile, the US State Department was doing the diplomatic shuffle trying to desperately figure out the best way to respond to the situation without alienating whichever side would become the eventual power holders. Clearly sentiment favored the protesters.



The televisions then reported that police had left to defend their stations or go home. Rumors flew that Mubarak (whose name means “blessing”) had told them to abandon their posts to promote chaos with the hope the people would beg him to provide security—a rumor only. Then we heard that a couple of prisons had thousands escape (or according to another rumor: were released to promote further chaos). Either way, now there were criminals at large and no police. That evening we began to hear sporadic gunfire, including automatic weapons. We closed all of our shutters and locked ourselves in. We were afraid to go out (though Steve sneaked out in the dark to peek at the street and only saw a few Egyptians walking by and a couple of small campfires down the street). We have to admit that Saturday night was tense as we went to bed to the sound of gunfire through the night thinking: “So this is what a revolution and its resulting chaos feels and sounds like.”



As we awakened on Sunday morning, we walked out onto the street to check the scene and see if our car survived the night. It was then that we discovered that the Egyptians (and a few other nationalities) in our neighborhood had stayed up all night to guard our street. As it turns out, all over town these neighborhood groups had become the police force. Barricades had been erected on every street in Maadi to stop any and every car driving after curfew. Looters were caught and turned over to police (sometimes after being beaten). One story claims that some looters on a distant edge of Maadi were lynched. It was the US wild west of 1880s with vigilante justice. We realized that all along we had been safe in our homes because our neighbors had been watching out for us. Steve rode his bicycle around town to check on the church and let the stragglers from the Sudanese congregation know that church had been canceled for them on Sunday morning. Finally the military had begun to move in. On the dark side, the Egyptian National Museum was broken into and a few artifacts destroyed. Some stores in the Maadi Grand Mall were looted and burned, but most shops here are still in tact. Yet more rumors state that those apprehended had police or government credentials, implying that they were sent by the regime to disrupt the peace. How ominous is that if it were true!!



By Monday, things were much calmer and it was time to stockpile some food. It was at the grocery store that we first heard of the mass exodus of embassy and large company employees and families. The news was scrolling the ticker that the US State Department was urging Americans in Egypt to leave as soon as possible. This was another one of those times of conflicting emotions. “Do they know something we don’t? Will we be the only Americans left in town? Who will be left to go to school? Will the church need to shut down, and if not how will we pay for everything with so many people leaving?” We packed a carry-on suitcase to be ready to go on a moment’s notice. Adding to this anxiety is the panic and terror from loved ones back in the US who hear the sometimes sensational news reports. We have some young women here whose parents in the States are in tears.

On the other side of the emotional ledger were those long-termers who had been through times of previous evacuations (like during the Gulf Wars). They explained that this was typical to evacuate at the first sniff of trouble. Since the 1979 Iran revolution that resulted in embassy hostages for 14 months and Americans trapped in Iran with no way to get out, they will not take any chances. They explained that things were not nearly as dangerous for foreigners as the news media is portraying them.

When we met as a church staff, we were all unanimous in our desire to stay here and minister to people. No one felt threatened or afraid. We all felt that this was an unprecedented time to talk and encourage and really focus on our mission to advance God’s kingdom. There have been chances to talk with neighbors and neighborhood watch people all night long! One Egyptian said to me in talking about the sense of community and helping, “This is Egyptians at their best.” Starting Tuesday, we have met in our worship space under the open-air canopy to sing and pray. There has been a wonderful spirit among those who have stayed behind. We want God to use us in a mighty way.

One worry has been what to do with Alex’s schooling. Right now, his school (Cairo American College [prep school]) hopes to reopen next week. Alex hopes the same since he is quite bored without the Internet until today. The evacuees will not return for at least a month. This will be quite interesting—it may be Alex, some other non-American expats, and Egyptians. Talk about cultural immersion. All of this has set up opportunity for great conversations with Alex. As it turns out, he is as anxious to stay here as we are. The thought of returning to Spokane for school in the middle of the year is not appealing. If school does not reopen for a month, we will have to face that possibility.

It is now Wednesday—the day after Mubarak’s speech refusing to leave—there is a new sense of differing opinions emerging. Some are ready to say they have succeeded enough and let’s resume life. Others are now quite angry with his stubborn resistance. As we write this, Tahrir Square is filled with anti-government and pro-Mubarak protesters clashing. We all pray that this so far mainly peaceful demonstration will not deteriorate into violent anarchy. Naturally speculation is that the government has sent this group to disrupt and cause chaos to derail the anti-government protesters. We are reminded in Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea. … Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Many Christians are wondering if this is a step in the fulfillment of Isaiah 19. Changes are certainly well underway.

A less tense scene from our Christmas trip (Karan, Brett, Alex):


Please keep praying for us and for Egypt!
Steve, Karan, and Alex