Another Year Winds Down in Cairo

Cairo sunset

       Okay, okay we know we have fallen hopelessly behind in updating our blog.  We are fine; no protests or riots have swept us away.  Our lives have been extra busy and when we finally get a day off (or a week off after Easter), we lay around like a wet Kleenex® to recover.

      As the news has reported, the NGO (non-government organizations) crisis has tapered off as a tool of xenophobia, however Egypt is still a cauldron of emotions.  Though the foreigners being held were released on bail (ransom?) of $330,000 each, the issue has not been resolved.  The presidential election includes a healthy dose of finding someone who will not be influenced by the West.  The judge that released permission for the NGO workers to leave has been censured due to public outcry.  Some NGO and relief organizations have had licenses refused (including an Egyptian Christian charity for orphans) under the banner of protecting internal stability.  Democracy is taking a hit!

      The runoff election of the next president comes in mid June between what the media is describing as an old regime candidate vs. an Islamist.  Then the Parliament must draft a constitution (the drafting committee being comprised of a majority of Muslim Brotherhood members which is causing no small amount of protest).  A huge question is the degree to which the military will hand over actual power (not just the appearance of power).  For decades, they have had deeply vested monetary and power interests in how Egypt is governed.  So the outcome will take months, or more realistically, years to unfold.  People are naturally fearful of all the uncertainty and there is a palpable withdrawal into emotionally safer places.  Street crime (mostly purse snatchings) and robbery are still up so that Cairo has become a bit more like other big cities in the non-violent crime arena. 

Cairo street in February 201

  Yet these are the times that God is dramatically on the move.  People’s hearts are most open in a time of crisis.  We dare not shrink away and miss the where God is moving!  As 2 Timothy 1:7 says: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

            Our church in Maadi has shared in the anxiety.  We face the reality that the number of expats in Egypt is down and it affects us.  We now have one large service on Friday night and our African worship service on Friday afternoon.  A few of the “old-timers” fondly remember the old days when things were much more carefree and the church had lots of programs and a big buzz they could come to drink in.  As we have focused more on a strategy of equipping and launching missional believers to engage their world, there is less emphasis on “the buzz.”  There has been progress, like when we gathered our small group leaders for the quarterly sharing/training dinners, the group leaders report that their members have experienced significant deepening of relationships with God and one other.  Another “old-timer” remarked this year how much deeper the sharing is at these dinners has been than when we first started four years ago.  We have also increased the percentage of congregational involvement in the ministries of our mission partners (refugee schools, bible school to train African pastors, prison ministry, etc.)  One partner shares about their ministry in worship services each month to promote our missional vision.

Tahrir Square one year later with traffic moving

            We have also continued to grow in our understanding and partnering with sub-Saharan African culture.  Over the last few years, we have raised up and trained African leaders to lead the African congregation, which has involved handing over authority and responsibility to them.  As necessary and helpful as that has been, we have encountered how different our cultural perspectives actually are.  Western vs. African views of leadership are quite different!  Westerns operate with shared leadership model that empowers those under the leaders.  Africans see the pastor as a chief with a great deal of power and honor who is usually not directly challenged.  They do find “other ways” to get what they want.  So we have experienced many indirect and nuanced conversations, and lots of talk around you but not to you.  The African “chief” also has an entourage of sorts who give him loyalty and support in return for him helping with things they need.

Cairo sandstorm (khamseen) March 2012

            Whereas Western culture has a very individualistic mentality of: “provide for yourself and pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” Africans are much more collectivistic.  Resources are shared and so there is expectation that if you have it, you should share it (hence saving for the future is much more difficult).  For instance, at Christmastime our African leaders wanted to give 200-300 bags of food to those attending the African church service (some are well-to-do and others are refugees).  The Western leaders wanted to give food only to the needy and not at a church service (so it wouldn’t be seen as a “bribe” to attend church).  The Africans saw it as a way to “encourage” their people to feel that the church cares for them.  We have had many, many more learning opportunities as we try to meld two leadership systems operating with some different rules.  It has been a growing (and sometimes exhausting) experience, but we are moving forward!

            It has also been a busy year for Karan at school as she had to give up one of her free periods this year due to scheduling challenges.  She has special education classes she teaches as well as being a part of classes where special ed students are integrated into regular classrooms in both 6^th and 7^th grades.  The year also had its challenges with scattered incidents of high demand (and unhappy) people which was a drain on Karan’s emotions.  Next year she will have only 6^th grade special ed because of the larger number of incoming special needs students in that grade.  Her schedule will be somewhat easier, but she will still be short one period for planning and collaboration.  We are trying to figure out how to pace the schedule better next year to lower the stress level (and resulting winter sickness).

Flame tree in May

            We will be back in Texas on June 23 for 9 days, then in Spokane from July 2-July 24 (for Steve) and 29^th (for Karan).  Karan is taking 6 days July 15-20 to attend a professional conference in Chicago on team-teaching (special ed and regular ed sharing a classroom).

            On to Alex ... after applying and being accepted in two private and two Washington state universities for admission, he ended up at Gonzaga University in Spokane.  We didn’t think he had much chance to get enough financial aid to attend, but low and behold he received enough grants so that it was only $1500 more per year than Washington State University.  Alex is elated to be in a smaller university (yet still in Division I athletics) and one located in Spokane near his friends (and brother Travis).  Gonzaga is a Catholic Jesuit school so his intended business major should have a moral and ethical foundation included.  Just this week he also found out he can work half-time at Gonzaga this summer as a part of work study.  So he is very excited about that.

Alex at London tournament in March

            Alex has also had a great year so far in his sports at CAC.  He started on varsity in soccer in the Fall, basketball in the Winter (where he won coaches choice award), and now just finished baseball season.  You might remember that these sports all involve tournaments out of Egypt.  So Alex has been to London (4 times), Belgium, and Qatar.  He just returned from a baseball tournament in London where he won all tournament honors and had a tournament high 10 stolen bases.  He went 4-4 batting in his last game with a double, two singles, and a triple.  He also has a significant case of “senioritis” and can’t wait for school to be over as he takes finals this week.

Brett makes souvlaki (gyros) in Athens

            Brett made his last trip to Egypt at Christmas, so we went to Greece for 6 days.  Travis is no longer able to come now that he is out of college).  Brett will be graduating (finally) this June in graphic design to complement his major in visual journalism that he finished last year.  He discovered his interest and skill is strongest in the production end of graphic design.  He is going to be doing an internship July-September for a firm in Seattle that may lead to a permanent job.  So we pray he can have a good entry level job in the challenging US job market.  Brett’s post-graduation trip will be to Rome and Florence in June.  We cashed in our air miles and will meet him for 11 days in Italy (visiting Rome and Florence mainly) and then take him with us to the Republic of Texas to see grandparents.

Sorry I can't get it to rotate!

            Travis is still working for Verizon as a sales rep at a branch location in Spokane Valley.  He does well as a salesman and won an award for top salesman in the district in February. He still wants to move up into marketing with Verizon.  His former Egyptian internship boss here in Cairo keeps telling us to have him become a sales rep for her organic energy drink in Europe or South America.  He also recently chose and purchased his very first car—a 2005 Subaru Legacy all wheel drive.  He can now get rid of the 1989 Chevy Caprice gas-guzzling car that we forced upon him four years ago.

            Steve was in Romania in May teaching a marriage class at a seminary, plus speaking in two churches on Sunday morning and evening, doing seminars on marriage, small group outreach, and one session with youth from several churches from villages in southwest Romania.  He stopped off in Budapest for a day of bike touring on his way back and wandered the streets for over an hour with his 50 lb. suitcase searching for his hotel.  But all turned out well and he is now recuperating back in Cairo.

            Sorry this was so long in coming!  You can always follow the church blog at www.maadicommunitychurch.com/blog for articles.

Follow Steve on Twitter at "srflora"

Follow Karan on Facebook at “Karan Wooley Flora”

Political & Economic Crises in Egypt

 One year ago this month, the uncertainty of the Egyptian Revolution drove our church to pray every day at noon under the canopy tent where we worship.  We had electric and desperate worship services that found God waiting for us every week.  As things calmed over the next few months, we slipped back into business as usual as we searched for a “new normal.”  Now one year later, in a less dramatic (but no less ominous) way, we still face uncertainty and insecurity.  We wonder where we will be in February 2013 and what we will be worried about then?  We wonder if the Revolution will accomplish its hoped for ends of freedom and liberal democracy, or will it really turn out to be a subtle military coup or a move to a conservative Islamic government?  We wonder as Egypt’s economy flirts with an impending insolvency, will that turn out to be the real threat to our safety that drives us from this land as starving people might turn desperate.

 

Abdul Naga criticizes NGOs

      The current crisis with selected NGO (non-government organizations) has the potential to be a larger shift than the Revolution a year ago.  Egypt claims that these particular NGOs (whose charters are to promote democracy and freedom) have actually sown seeds of dissent and promoted chaos with the intent to de-stabilize and over-throw Egypt.  Furthermore, some hint that the US government is behind this.  And more than a few firmly believe that Israel is manipulating the US to weaken Egypt to this end.

       On several levels, it seems hard to believe that someone would buy into the illogic of this train of thought (such as: why in the world would the US want yet an unstable, less-friendly power on the Western flank of the Middle East to complement the one on the eastern flank?).  It seems more likely and logical to me that the current government is trying to divert attention from their own issues and performance to find a scapegoat in “foreign influences.”  Yet I have talked to a few educated, well-intentioned Egyptian followers of Jesus who believe these charges of anarchy.

      I found this profoundly discouraging, but then realized how naive and bias I still am—even after nearly four years of living in Egypt.  In the end, whether or not I agree with them is really not the point.  The real issue is: how can I understand the world view of someone from a different culture (particularly when we worship the same Lord)?  I continue to learn that I have lived a sheltered life oblivious to how the rest of the world thinks.  In the Middle East, their view is that America’s policy of unconditional support for Israel (and anything that Israel does), alienates virtually all Egyptians, Arabs, and Persians.  It seems that everything in politics in this region comes back to this fundamental issue.  If I am to understand the people of this region, then I have to grapple with their realities.

Revolution tensions over peace treaty

      I am learning that the issue is much more complex than I had imagined.  I have learned that there is a profound lack of peace, justice, and mercy on ALL sides.  I have learned that there is plenty of hatred and intolerable violence all around.  For me, Micah 6:8 has become a central passage guiding how I evaluate the actions of any government or person: “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  The principle is the same in the New Testament when Jesus says it all boils down to this: Love God, love people.  And love for people can be measured in how we deal with the least of these (the most disadvantaged who have no way to repay you).

      To be a global Christian is to set aside my presuppositions and prejudices of my “tribe.”  Bob Roberts (Baptist pastor in Dallas-area who has written much on the need for a global church movement with local application) has talked with Middle East government and religious officials who ask, “Why do you Christians hate Arabs so much?”  Bob says in a tweet: “Biggest challenge for global Christians? Seeing nations as God sees them w/kingdom eyes vs nationalistic or political eyes.”  In the Middle East, this means being an advocate for all people groups to be treated justly and compassionately to protect their basic human rights.  In the end, I have to realize that I am here in Egypt as an ambassador for Jesus, not for my home country.  When I am overcome by the desire to defend the latter, I lose my focus on the former.  I also have to realize that how long I am here is not really my call; it’s God’s call if I am truly His unconditional servant.  As we sing in a worship song: “My life is in You, Lord.  My hope is in You!”

Egypt Revolution One Year Later

Cotton candy with your tear gas?

We still remain fine and not in danger from the protests and violence of recent months.  Those very unfortunate incidents are mostly in and around downtown Cairo.  We are several kilometers away.  That being said, from the optimism of the Revolution a year ago until today, there has been a definite slide away from law and order.  The country is being "governed" by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) who are: 1. Trained in military strategies, not government procedures, 2. An integral and well-heeled part of the former regime who want to protect their position and resources.  While the army was hailed as heroes a year ago, since then security forces have shot protestors and abused women in the streets, saying protestors were attacking them first or "foreign influences" are responsible.  The internal police were the villains in the Revolution, so they were conspicuously absent and/or reluctant to get involved. So lawlessness has increased.  What started as purse-snatchings and occasional break-ins and car thefts has escalated into bank robberies in broad daylight and heists of armored cars.  Now a soccer riot in Port Said ("Sy-eed" which is 75 miles northeast of Cairo) kills over 74 people and police prevention/intervention was missing.  Again none of this has happened in Maadi, but it is clear the newly elected Parliament needs to establish a new constitution and a president elected.

First day of the new Parliament.  Wake up!

   Now six Americans (one the son of the US Transportation Secretary) involved in an NGO (non-government organization) to promote democracy in Egypt are being prevented from leaving Egypt and are staying at the US Embassy to avoid possible arrest.  I am guessing they are being suspected of being part of the "foreign influences" destabilizing Egypt by advocating for freedom.  It is a diplomatic crisis that may suggest fracturing in the foundation of the relationship between US and Egypt.  Layered in with the saber-rattling between the US and Iran, it is not the best time to be an American in the Middle East.  In answer to the next question some of you have already asked, "Because we are called by God to be here and hope we are making a difference."  There is great anxiety among the average Egyptian--Muslim and Coptic Christian.  There is also a rise in despair as the the Revolution seems to have stalled or feared to have been hi-jacked by various groups vying for control. The ex-pats are more fearful and cautious, plus they are certainly fewer here than three years ago.  Some company and diplomatic jobs are being filled by unaccompanied men, while families remain back in their home countries.  All of this provides tremendous opportunity for ministry.  We have to remember what 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline."  1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear."  Our goal is to engage people around us to bring hope and encouragement.  God does His greatest work when in the darkest times when we least expect it (just like with the crucifixion and resurrection)!

Alex senior picture

   Now for the personal update.  Karan is still a learning support services (aka special education) teacher in the middle school at Cairo American College (prep school).  She has had her contract renewed for another year.  She still loves what she is doing, even if it is exhausting some days.  Alex finished soccer this past Fall with a tournament in London where he scored a team-high four goals for the tournament.  An even bigger highlight was getting his braces off in November.  He is now in basketball (in London this weekend for a tournament) and their end of season tournament will be in Belgium.  (No, the school does not pay for any of these trips.)  Then it's on to baseball in March.  Alex has been accepted at Western Washington University (Bellingham), Washington State University (Pullman), Gonzaga University (Spokane), and Whitworth University (Spokane).  Alex wants to go to Gonzaga (to watch their Division 1-A top twenty basketball team), but the $33K tuition per year will need immense amounts of financial aid for that to happen.  His next choice is Western Washington University where Brett is.

Athena temple in the Parthenon

   Brett is working in his final year of college to complete a graphic design major and is beginning his job search.  He was here with us at Christmas.  We spent five days in Athens, Greece and it was glorious.  The cool weather and mostly sunny days were balm to our frazzled souls.  We were able to relax, see amazing historical sites, eat yummy Greek food (and Karan drank lots of Greek wine), walk around in a place with Christmas everywhere, and laugh together as a family. Travis wasn't able to be with us this year, due to his work schedule. He continues to work for Verizon and we are thrilled that he not only has a job, but one in which he is doing so well.

Delphi oracle in Greece

   Please continue to pray for Egypt.  We need and appreciate your prayers for our family.  God is good. We are thankful to be here at this time and in this place.  It is a privilege!
   You can also follow Steve's sporadic tweets on Twitter: @srflora  And check out the Maadi Community Church blog at www.maadicommunitychurch.com/blog

Salafi Party & Shari'ah Law in Egypt

Nour (Light) Party Views

Sheikh Hamdī Abd al-Fattāh

First open elections in decades or longer

Salafi Nour Party platform is moderate. It is comprehensive and without fanaticism toward anyone. Among its priorities is the call to implement sharī‘ah law, but it emphasizes to do this gradually.

            If you compare Egypt, with all its civilization and history, Jordan, Turkey, and Malaysia all have higher tourist incomes. This is because we rely on luxury tourism only. We can boost conference tourism, which not only can bring more money that luxury tourism, it also profits the nation scientifically as doctors and professors bring knowledge in addition to money spent on airfare, hotels, clubs, and general expenses. There is also medical tourism. We should build world-class hospitals that will draw the majority of medical travelers from the Gulf and from Africa.

            We will also promote luxury tourism, but only that which is religiously legitimate. It is not necessary to mix the sexes on the beach. We have many unmarried young men. When they view these mixed settings the result can be one of sin. What is the problem with establishing some family-only or single-sex chalets, where you can enjoy yourself freely without temptation? Turkey has done this, for example. Should there not be freedom for this, is this not respect for freedom? You might say we should be open-minded, but I reply I don’t want anyone to see my wife. So as you call for freedom for the other, I also call for the freedom to keep my wife from being seen. But are we forgetting about the tourists from the Gulf when we concentrate on Europe? Gulf countries have more tourists, and Egypt is the closest country to them. Right now, they are going to Turkey.

            Yes, Muslim-Christian relations here in the village are very strong. It is friendship, not just greeting each other in the streets. If there are problems, even between two Christians, we come to the church to help solve them. Every day we sit to solve problems between Muslims. Often we sit to solve problems between Christians. But what happens is when there is a problem between a Muslim and a Christian the media twists the issue somewhat to become a religious matter. They take refuge in religious chauvinism and turn it from a personal struggle into a religious one. There are occasions where a Muslim boy and girl will make an improper relationship, and the same with Christians. But if it happens between religions, we must treat it with reason and wisdom in the same manner we would otherwise. We don’t accept any religious chauvinism in either direction.

Long lines for hours to vote in November

            When will jihad return? If a nation attacks America, will it not respond militarily? It is not permitted for Muslims to announce jihad unless their lands or honor are violated. If they are not attacked, they will not attack others. it is permitted for Muslims to respond in the manner of which they have been violated. If he destroys my house, I will not stomach this, I will destroy his house. But I may not destroy two houses. If you attack me, I have the right of defense. This is even international law. Is Israel a democratic country? No, it is a Torah-governed country. Why then does the world protest if I say I want an Islamic state which implements sharī‘ah law? If jihad is made mandatory and our women are taken, it is permissible to take them in kind, but it is not necessary. In sharī‘ah we have what is called ‘exchange’. If there is a prisoner taken he can be swapped.

            Today, many Copts feel that jiziah is a form of contempt or shame. But does he not pay taxes? Fine, we will cancel the word jiziah, and call it taxes. We’ll say, ‘Pay your taxes, and what will you get in return? No one will attack you in your worship, or your doctrine, or your homes, or your persons, or your money, or your honor. You will have complete security, and have your protection guaranteed. If you don’t want to enter the army, you won’t have to.’ the perspective of Muslims toward Christians if the sharī‘ah is implemented. We will treat them with righteousness, respect, friendship, and justice. In terms of rights, everyone will be the same. There will be no difference between a Muslim and a Christian. In terms of their family affairs – marriage, divorce, inheritance – we will not apply sharī‘ah here but they can judge themselves. They will have all rights.

           The prophet said, ‘What is for them is for us,’ which means, if I can take salary, or gain positions, or have houses, or …, in everything that has to do with putting together a government there is no difference between Muslim or Christian. Even the high positions in government, and there will be equivalence in their salaries as well. As long as they don’t kill me, or raise a weapon against me, or attack me, I am obliged to protect them and give security to them and their houses of worship as well. I represent the district, not just those who vote for me. This is democracy, and it is also sharī‘ah. I will treat the Christian like the Muslim, and in fact be sure to be responsible for them. Of Christians it says, ‘You will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, "We are Christians."’ (Quran 5:82)

            But the most difficult religion, which hates all of humanity, is that of the Jews. They hate Christianity also. In Palestine, do they make any difference between Muslim and Christian? No, they will kill them both. So the Jewish religion has the most hate for humanity, but as for Christianity, there is friendship, ‘because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant’ (continuing verse above).

Reaction to decades of corruption and violence in 2011.

           Nour party will work on developing education. Statistics show the most intelligent children in the world are Egyptian. But as soon as he enters school he becomes the stupidest student in the world.

            Is democracy the rule of the people by the people? No, for us ruling is only for God. as concerns the roots of sharī‘ah, all are in agreement. new interpretations, consistent with the modern era  has to do with the details, not with the roots. We reject a religious state. Why? A religious state is one where the ruler states that what he decides is from God. No. We want a civil state which is ruled by sharī‘ah. If the ruler makes an error we declare his error, and if he is correct, we say thank you and accept it.

            But if a matter transgresses the will of the majority, we will accept it. But we respect freedom in everything except that which is against the established principles of religion. And we respect all minorities. The religious state, as the media makes out that we believe in, is the equivalent of Europe in the Middle Ages where the church ruled by God’s law and there was no room for discussion. The church ruled as if it was in the place of God. We say we are not in the place of God on earth. No, we present the law of God, and we implement the law of God, but not with haughtiness or pride.

            Must a woman cover with the hijāb, the niqāb, or is she free to wear what she wants? Nothing religious will be imposed on anyone. We will advise only, and the one who refuses is free. You are a Christian, and you will raise your children to be Christian. I, likewise, am a Muslim and do the same. But if we take someone like the liberal ‘Amr Hamzāwī, who says I will let my children choose their faith… Do the traditions of Egypt allow someone to do this? There must be preservation of the identity of Egypt. You are an American and you have your customs, but is it acceptable to implement your customs on the people of Egypt?

Note From Steve: Words of intention in politics are not always the same as resulting actions. Things are usually more complex than news media outlets reports them to be. (The Salafi are considered to be more conservatively Islamic than the Muslim Brotherhood who won the majority of parliament seats.) Many Egyptian Christians (Copts) are far from comforted by the election results.

Prayer Revival in Egypt 11.11.11

"I saw signs of the beginning of revival that I have never seen before!" an Egyptian evangelical leader.

On 11.11.11, Egypt had a historic prayer meeting. Egyptian leaders are saying there has been a significant spiritual "shift" in their country and we are trying to make sense of it all.

- 71,000 attended the all-night prayer meeting in Cario.

- It was the largest Christian event in Egypt for over a thousand years

- It was held at the cave church on Cairo's largest garbage city, Mokattam. This church is called St Simeon the Tanner Coptic Orthodox Church.

- The gospel was proclaimed during the Prayer event and some people responded to the challenge call to follow Jesus.

- Prayers for healing were made at midnight and some people were healed of physical problems.

- Since the event, one Egyptian Christian leader said "The heavens are clean! It is easy to pray!" He calls it the beginning of revival.

- Up to a month ago, there was absolutely no promotion for this event. No flyers. In fact, the organizer was still undecided on whether to host it on Friday or Saturday.

- It was an Egyptian event. Buses took people to this event from all over Egypt with almost no foreigners.

- In September 2009, a prayer meeting was held in Egypt where the leaders, including the main organizer of this event, heard God say that President Mubarak would receive "no grace" in 2011. They also heard God tell them that there would be bloodshed, persecution and the burning of churches. But if God's people would come, and hear His voice, and repent, then He would hear their prayers.

- The passage on repentance that was referenced in the 2009 prayer meeting was the Bible passage read at the beginning of the prayer service. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.2 Chronicles 7:14

- On 9th October, 2011, when many Coptic Christians were killed in Cairo, Christian leaders met for 3 days of prayer. During this time, they announced their intention of a prayer event for Egypt, which culminated in this event.

- Muslims joined Christians for prayer at this event and they were told by the Priest that they did not have to change their religion but they needed to know that there is one Savior, Isa [Jesus Christ].

- Since the prayer meeting a few days ago, Cairo has experienced highly unusual rain, clouds, lightning and thunder during a month which normally gets only .15 cms of rain.

- In a decision by Pope Shenouda III the day before the meeting, evangelical leaders were banned from the stage. Dr Rev Sameh Maurice, Pastor of Cairo's largest evangelical church called Kasr El Dobara, was scheduled to lead prayer on the main stage but instead stood and prayed among the participators without complaining.

- Last Wednesday, Father Simon, who started the cave church [The Monastery of St Simeon the Tanner], had a vision of a bright light and a mountain that was lifted up and removed. He was told to prophesy and heard God say that "you will hear wonderful news this year!"

Revolution 2.0

 We are still fine. The violence from Sunday, October 9 was once again near downtown Cairo not out in our south suburb. The mood of the country is another story. I have been looking for some way to measure and describe the mood of Egypt since returning for our fourth year. I can only give impressions, but people are feeling uncertain and worried. In response to uncertainty, people draw inside more. They are waiting, so they are living life more cautiously. There are without a doubt fewer foreigners living here than 1 year ago, and even less than 3 years ago when we first came. School attendance is down 25% at Karan's school and probably about the same at church. So the energy level is lower and the stress level higher. I have talked with men who are now here working this year while their families are living back home. The large corporations are struggling to fill jobs because qualified people are reluctant to come, so that means fewer people working longer hours (in industries that already demand 60-70+ hour work weeks plus constantly being on-call). More stress on top of exhaustion for some.

      So we all wait to see what will happen with the parliamentary elections in a month or so and the presidential election next Spring. Then came the worst violence since the Revolution with over 25 people killed--mostly Coptic Christians.  (See the first-hand report below)  Initially the military government claimed that the protestors had attacked and killed soldiers so the army was only defending themselves.  The still state-run media broadcast this news and called for the people to come and defend the army, creating a sectarian frenzy.  Now the military has claimed one solider was killed and the TV stations blamed and over-reactive news reporter for their false report.  The attempt to drive a wedge between religious groups is denied by various voices.  Some are blaming "foreign elements."  One false report claimed the US would send troops to protect the Coptic churches--that would only increase the anger and paranoia of a foreign invasion with religious overtones.  People speculate as to why the military turned on its own citizens, however no one really knows why, but there has certainly been a change in the game.  Will the military dig in their heels and claim they are sick of all the protests?  Was this religiously motivated?  Will the military now have to bow to domestic and international pressure to accelerate changes toward human rights and democracy (remember they are a remnant of the previous regime)?  We wait and see--just like we have been doing for nearly 8 months.

      Most important of all, we remember that God is not frantically pacing back and forth in heaven wondering how things came to this.  He has His hand firmly on the wheel.  He is in control and His purposes will be brought to pass (even if we are not around to see it).  We look for spiritual opportunity.  Our midweek prayer for Egypt last night tripled in size.  We are brought back to remember what made us strong in February--desperate dependence on God and focusing on what really matters.

A Firsthand Account: Marching from Shubra to Deaths at Maspero
by Sara Carr (journalist)

 The march from the Cairo district of Shubra was huge, like the numbers on 28 January. In the front row was a group of men in long white bibs, “martyr upon demand” written on their chests. A tiny old lady walked among them, waving a large wooden cross: “God protect you my children, God protect you.”

The march started down Shubra Street around 4 pm, past its muddle of old apartment buildings, beat up and sad but still graceful compared with the constructions from the Mubarak era next to them - brutish and unfinished-looking.

       A man explained why there were bigger numbers than the march last week in response to the attack on the St. George’s Church in Aswan: the army had hit a priest while violently dispersing Coptic protesters in front of the Maspiro state TV building on Wednesday. A video posted online showed a young man being brutally assaulted by army soldiers and riot police.

      At a traffic underpass at the end of Shubra Street, at around 6 pm, there was the sudden sound of what sounded like gunfire. Protesters at the front told those behind to stop - the march was under attack. Rocks rained down from left and right and from the bridge, underneath which protesters were taking shelter.

Some threw stones back. Behind them, protesters chanted, “The people want the removal of the Field Commander.” The stone throwing eventually stopped sufficiently for the march to continue. A teenage boy crossed himself repeatedly as he moved forward toward the rocks.

      Darkness fell just as the march reached Galaa Street. “This is our country,” protesters chanted, led by a man on a pickup truck full of speakers. An illuminated cross floated through the darkness. At the headquarters of state daily newspaper Al-Ahram, a single rock was thrown at the door, likely a comment on its coverage of violence against Copts.

      Outside the Ramsis Hilton Hotel, the chanting stopped momentarily - the exuberance of having escaped the attack in Shubra faded as the march rounded the corner toward Maspiro. It was immediately met with gunfire in the air. As protesters continued moving forwards, the gunfire continued.

      Suddenly, there was a great surge of people moving back, and something strange happened. Two armored personnel carriers (APCs) began driving at frightening speed through protesters, who threw themselves out of its path. A soldier on top of each vehicle manned a gun, and spun it wildly, apparently shooting at random although the screams made it difficult to discern exactly where the sound of gunfire was coming from.

      It was like some brutal perversion of the military show the armed forces put on for the 6th of October celebration three days before. The two vehicles zigzagged down the road outside Maspiro underneath the 6th of October Bridge and then back in synchronicity, the rhythm for this particular parade provided by the "tac tac tac" of never-ending gunfire, the music the screams of the protesters they drove directly at.

      And then it happened: an APC mounted the island in the middle of the road, like a maddened animal on a rampage. I saw a group of people disappear, sucked underneath it. It drove over them. I wasn’t able to see what happened to them because it then started coming in my direction.

      Later, as riot police fired tear gas at another small attempt at a demonstration and fires burned around Maspiro, I found on the floor part of one of the white “martyrs upon demand” bibs the men had been wearing, and took it home. It had been ripped in half.

       The Coptic Hospital tried its best to deal with the sudden influx of casualties. Its floors were sticky with blood and there was barely room to move among the wounded, the worried and the inconsolable.  A man asked if we were press, and whether we’d like to film the morgue if we “were strong enough.”

      The morgue was a harshly lit two-room building surrounded by men and women screaming and hitting themselves in paroxysms of grief. In the first room there were two bodies, middle-aged men on the floor next to the fridge, which we were told held three bodies. In the other room there were the bodies of 12 men of varying ages.

      A young woman sat by one of them clasping his hand and wailing. Vivian and Michael, who were engaged to be married. Michael had been crushed, his leg destroyed. Next to Michael was the body of a man whose face was contorted into an impossible expression. A priest opened his hands and showed me the remains of the man’s skull and parts of his brain. He too had been crushed.

      Outside a woman said out loud to the dead, “How lucky you are, now in heaven!” A man screamed, “We won’t be silent again.” Even while the wounded were still being brought in, state TV was reporting that Christian protesters stole weapons from the army and killed soldiers, and that the busy foreign hands are back again, still trying to destabilize Egypt.

      There should be a finality in death, an unchallengeable truth when it happens with the simple brutality of last night. But even when death happens on Maspiro’s doorstep, it can be rewritten, in order to lend a twisted sense where there is none, to justify the impossible and, above all, to sabotage any attempt to consider that the problem is within us, not without.

Back in Egypt for Year 4!!

We have arrived back in Egypt with no problem. We had a great time in the Pacific Northwest (in their unusually cool summer), including a week each in Whistler and Victoria. Karan finished her graduate class and application to renew her teaching certificate for Washington. Cairo's weather is slightly cooler than normal (upper 90s now), so Texas must be taking all the heat for themselves! We should have spent our last week in Texas instead of our first week so we could readjust to the heat!



On the political front, things are heating up in Cairo as every Egyptian is glued to their TV set to watch the Mubarak trial--an unprecedented thing in the Middle East. But no one knows how justice will occur in this complex situation. A speedy trial is not necessarily a fair trial, and may cover over 30 years of issues. It doesn't help when you read things like this from a defense lawyer: "Mubarak actually died in 2004 and an impostor has been ruling Egypt as part of an American/Israeli conspiracy!" Jerry Springer are you watching?!

Here is a clip from an Egyptian newspaper about a poll regarding upcoming elections this Fall. So far no real evidence that extremists will be voted in.

Poll explores Egyptians' views on presidency, parliament and foreign relations
By Safaa Abdoun / Daily News Egypt/August 1, 2011

CAIRO: Twenty-seven percent of Egyptians have said that a Muslim Brotherhood majority in parliament “would be a good thing,” according to a poll by Newsweek and Daily Beast conducted by Douglas E. Schoen LLC and Thawra Stats.

The poll which encompassed 1,008 randomly selected Egyptian adults from 19 Egyptian governorates between June 24 to July 4, surveyed Egyptians’ opinions on a variety on issues from Israeli relations to the upcoming president.

On the parliamentary elections, which is tentatively scheduled to take place the coming November, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party scored a plurality of support at 17 percent.

Thirty-five percent of the poll’s respondents said that a Muslim Brotherhood majority would be a bad thing while 38 percent weren't sure.

Liberal Al-Wafd Party got the support of 11 percent of the respondents with the National Democratic and the Free Egyptians parties both scoring seven percent. The remaining parties on the scene all got five percent or less.

In a race between the three presidential hopefuls, Amr Moussa, Mohamed ElBaradei and Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh; Moussa, the former secretary-general of the League of Arab States scored 47 percent. ElBaradei scored 17 percent and Aboul Fotouh scored 16 percent both coming in close with the 18 percent of undecided respondents.

On the other hand, when asked who they will vote for in an open race, 27 percent said they are undecided, 16 percent chose Moussa and ElBaradei came in next at 12 percent along with former prime minister Ahmed Shafik.

When it comes to foreign relations, “less than one-quarter surveyed say the US, regional ally Saudi Arabia, media power Qatar, or regional rival Iran had the best interests of the Egyptian people in mind during the revolution,” stated the poll.



Alex returns from the US on August 8. Karan starts school on August 7, while Alex starts classes on August 14. Over the summer in the US we visited six colleges. Alex likes Gonzaga University (in Spokane) best, then Western Washington University (in Bellingham where Brett will finish this year in Graphic Design-Production track). Brett is finishing up his summer working in graphic design at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center near Santa Cruz, California. Travis has been promoted to sales with Verizon and was employee of the month his first month in his store in Spokane Valley and sixth in the district in overall sales in June. We think he has found his niche and he is certainly making more money than before (finally).

Karan ended her summer in the US with oral surgery. It turned out that her dead front tooth that received a root canal 27 years ago finally gave up. So she had to had a periodontist insert a metal post in her bone/gum and then a dentist glued the old tooth back in place to hold for a year (hopefully). Then next summer she has a false tooth placed on the post. It's a better procedure than a bridge. We have video of Karan on her "anesthesia" pill to prepare her for the surgery. It is a condition no one has ever witnessed in this straight-laced belle from Arkansas. We may have to auction the video on Facebook to help pay surgery costs!



Love to hear from you! Karan is on Facebook at "Karan Wooley Flora", and Steve is on Twitter at "srflora". We still feel quite safe in Egypt (Cairo is one of the safest big cities in the world), but please keep us in your prayers nonetheless.

Steve and Karan