May 19

May 19

We hiked around Cairo and tried our best to avoid getting run over.  So far I actually quite like this city.  Even though Leah and I are probably two of maybe ten white people in a metropolis of about 15 million people, it’s easier for us to get lost in the crowd here and so we don’t get hassled nearly as much.  Still, it’s impossible for us not to stick out like a sore thumb and accordingly we’ve received numerous welcomes from onlookers.  “Welcome to Egypt!” 

 We saw some interesting things today: a vendor selling pigs’ feet, a whole cow freshly slaughtered and sprawled out on the sidewalk, a cyclist with an enormous tray of pita balancing on his head weaving his way precariously in and out of traffic, etc. etc. etc.  In a city this big in a country like Egypt in the continent of Africa there’s really no end to the variety of sites, sounds, and experiences.

What else?  Leah bought an English nursing textbook at a local bookshop to brush up on her medical knowledge.  We ate lunch and dinner at Gad (cheap Egyptian fast food chain with a great selection that includes Western and Egyptian cuisine).

We wandered around a bit at night.  A guy with a bucket of paint came up to Leah and started painting her arm without asking if it was okay.  I guess he was going to give her some kind of painted tattoo and then ask for money.  He got aggressive and grabbed her arm.  We escaped unscathed.  Weird experience…

I keep realizing how fortunate we are.   Since arriving in Egypt we have seen for the first time in a long time the reality of extreme poverty and its devastating effects.  For instance, tonight we saw numerous street people including a beggar woman with a grossly swollen leg, crying street children dressed in filthy rags, and another beggar woman dressed in niqab (popular all-black Islamic outfit that covers a woman’s entire body with the exception of a slit left for her eyes) who looked me directly in the eyes and said in English “please help me” as I quickly passed by.  It happened so quickly and there were so many people and there was so much commotion I didn’t really have time to react but I felt guilty about it afterwards and I really shouldn’t attempt to justify my neglect.  My heart is truly broken for these precious people.  They are hurting, they are suffering, they are dying, and many of them without hope, without Christ.  It is almost inconceivable to me to think that many Christians today somehow find a way to turn a blind eye to the horrendous poverty and overwhelming need in the world.  We need to wake up and to rise up.  We need to stop living for our comforts, our children’s comforts, our stuff, our pension plans, our retirement plans, and all the empty enticements and fading commodities this world has to offer.  It’s all vanity.  It’s all meaningless.