Egypt - Part 7 - A Surprising Empathy

Morals For this last one, what surprised me was not something I learned. Instead, I was surprised by how well I can relate to muslim culture. I grew up in a Southern Baptist Church with black and white morals. The concept of morality has never been difficult for me. I’ve always believed in right and wrong. It’s so engrained in me that I have difficulty empathizing with moral relativists I know. There is no question that Muslims have a strong sense of morality. The Koran is full of moral law. Now I certainly don’t agree with all of the morals they have, but I can empathize with them easily based on the fact that they have morals. A strong part of my testimony is when I realized that Christianity is more than a set of rights and wrongs. The Bible has a list of rights and wrongs that no human has any hope of following their entire life. But God stepped in, became a man and paid our price for our sin. Christianity is about accepting God’s grace more than it is about rights and wrongs. It is this lesson that both Muslims as a culture, and I as a person need to learn. That we need to lay down our own struggles to obey every rule and accept God’s grace through his son Jesus. I can easily empathize with someone who is trying to live up to a moral code and has difficulty doing so. I have the same story. This revelation shocked me more than anything else. p.s. I know moral relativists have their own code of morals. I just don’t identify with their set of morals as well as I can with the mindset of Muslims. At least that’s what I get from first impressions of Muslim culture.

Egypt - Part 6 - Casual Mosque-goers

Nominal Muslims / Radical Muslims I knew that there would be cultural Muslims just like there are cultural Christians, but seeing that acted out was an experience. Radical Muslim men are very easy to spot, that is they all have a spot at the top of their forehead. Due to praying so often at the mosque, the top of their forehead develops a visible callous. It’s obvious that there are those who have this callous, and those who don’t. All the Muslims there are Muslim in some sense. Most people practice fasting for Ramadan. It’s more in the life altering realm that people start to ease off traditional Islam. Not everyone goes to prayer five times a day is a good example. But the best example is probably... Western Influenced Fashion It was interesting to see what practices became part of the culture so much so that the meaning is lost. The most visual example of this was the way the young Egyptian women dressed. Most women, wore a head cover. Some wore the full burka revealing nothing but there eyes, others wore just the head cover exposing their face. I saw many examples of young Egyptian women wearing a head cover, but their clothes were western, and even skin tight. Though the laws of Islam were obeyed, they were covered from the top of the neck down to their wrists and toes. Some women even had gloves on. But the clothing styles were obviously western.

Egypt - Part 5 - Standards and Holidays

A Happy Religious Holiday Islam is known for being a strict religion with a very long list of solemn rituals. This side of Islam is visible everywhere in Egypt. Several times a day I would hear the words "Come to Prayer! Allah is Great" chanted in Arabic over the megaphone. More than once we had to cross the road to avoid a mosque whose attendance was so high people started lining up to pray along the side walk. But there was a much less formal and even happy side of Islam that I got to see in Egypt, Ramadan, which operated similarly to Christmas in many ways. There were traditional Ramadan decorations all over the city. Streamers were zig zaged between high rise apartment buildings. Christmas lights (though I doubt they were called that) are also strung along windows. Fanoos (Arabic for lantern) were hung outside of shops and homes that were beautifully decorated. If you look, the Fanoo in this picture has certain familiar arches on it. There was an atmosphere of happiness and goodwill. My favorite example of this took place while I was purchasing a bookmark for Stephanie with her name written in Hieroglyphics. I joked with the woman writing her name saying, "How do I know this says Stephanie. I mean, you could write "Your wife is ugly" and tell me that it said Stephanie and I wouldn’t have any way to know the difference." Her response was simply, "Oh, but you must trust us. We would not do that to you during Ramadan, so you can trust us." Of course it’s still true, that this lovely bookmark may say "Your wife is ugly." Also, many people told me that during Ramadan, people get a lot more time off to spend at home, and not as much gets done. This also has to do with the fact that they don’t eat from sun up to sun down, so they are sleepy during the day. The soap operas on TV tend to be more engaging during Ramadan because they know people will be relaxing at home. It was just neat to see that a religion so foreign to me, yet it developed a religious holiday time similar to Christmas. Note: Yes I know that the reasons we celebrate Christmas are different then the reasons Muslims celebrate Ramadan. But you cannot deny that a large bulk of what we associate with Christmas is cultural tradition, and not religion. Engineering Standards In the third world, there are often no building standards. Often, all that is needed is approval from a city official, which of course can easily breed corruption. This was not the case in Egypt at all. Even though the building codes were probably not as strict or extensive as exist in the USA, they still exist. That’s important. Fanoo shaped decoration Streamers between Apartments An Egyptian Market Some old buildings

Egypt - Part 4 – Smiles and Esplanades

Before I go into the specifics about what surprised me, I want to point out that most of my observations come not as an American, but as an American who has lived in East Africa for a year. Since Egyptian culture has more in common with Uganda than with America, I found myself making Egypt vs. Uganda comparisons rather than Egypt vs. America. A Friendly Atmosphere As is customary in America, I didn’t say anything as another person entered the elevator. But to my surprise, the man asked my name and then offered me a cookie. This was one of many instances where I experienced the friendly and social culture in Egypt first hand. The Egyptians I came in contact with, which were a mixture of Muslims and Christians, were quick to smile, laugh and help the silly foreigner. It surprised me a lot. People were not shy about showing the Americans new things. One man was not shy about asking me for a light. Another encouraged me to get a video of him blowing beans into the mouths of pigeons he was selling, though I never got an answer about why he was doing this. One of my favorite memories from the trip was giving a very long list of food orders at McDonalds for my entire team with a Muslim woman. She was very kind and patient with my inability to speak Arabic and scribbled mess of a list. It included such items as a McArabia. It was just nice to admit my lack of Arabic skills while being accepted. I even joked with her. Even though I didn’t belong to their culture, every Egyptian I met made me feel welcome and not just because of the tourist dollars I brought. Actually, I didn’t have any money the whole time until someone gave me five Egyptian pounds. Divided Highways Driving in developing nations can be a scary experience for westerners, and an even scarier experience for former Transportation Engineers. Nobody pays attention to the lane lines, honking is used to communicate such things as "hello" or "good job," and stop signs are no where to be found. In Egypt however, it was nice that all two way roads were divided. It took a lot of stress off my nerves. I haven’t posted any picks yet, so I think I’ll just post five a day in no particular order. Old Fairhaven Building

Egypt - Part 3 - The blinders come off

Ever read a story with a shocking truth revealed at the end of the story that causes you to replay previous moments of the story through your mind? Whether it’s the true allegiance of Severus Snape, Norman Bates mental health or Mr. Darcy’s social skills, the climactic revelations give the reader a new perspective on previous scenes, and he or she replays them through their mind looking for new information to support the revelation. While in Egypt I felt like the main character of a story who had come to a climatic revelation about the world around him. I replayed numerous stories from my life with new perspective. Stories I didn’t even know I remembered. The blinders had come off. I went from completely uninterested in all things regarding Middle Eastern culture to hungry for more information. Along with replaying latent memories in my mind, I started asking team members, who have studied Middle Eastern Culture extensively, tons of questions. The answers to many of those questions, surprised me. Not because I found the answers strange, quite the opposite. I found many of the answers relatable, exciting, welcoming and even inviting. I realized that not only could I identify with the culture, I could enjoy being immersed in it. Like I said, surprising.

What's Stephanie been up to?

Hello everybody! This is an update to let everyone know what i (Stephanie) have been up to. Since we have been back in the U.S. (we got back around mid-July) I have been gradually getting larger and larger. At times its hard to believe that my due date is still 6 weeks away. It feels both very very far away, and also very close. I can't wait to meet our little boy. The pregnancy has been very healthy, with no problems, which is terrific since we have been traveling around so much and did not have a regular doctor for quite a while. This summer Greg and I enjoyed visiting family, and living with his parents in Houston. Many things were difficult to adjust to again (and not the least the heat and mosquitos) but we have been gradually getting back into the swing of American life. I was very excited to be in one of my best and oldest friends' (i've known her since I was one year old) wedding about a week and half after we got back into the country. She had 3 pregnant bridesmaids out of 5! I also spent some time studying for the GRE (I need a larger vocabulary!) and doing some work for Greg's mom. In mid-August we moved up to where we are now, Colorado Springs. I was hoping to substitute here until the baby came, but unfortunately, it takes at least 3 months to get a certified substitute license in Colorado, even with a teaching certificate from another state, and they can not hire you until you have it. By that time the baby would be born, so there's not much point. But now, instead, I get to help out at the eMi office here in Colorado Springs. I have been helping with office administration tasks, such as check processing and mail outs. It's a nice place to hang out and work. Another great blessing in our lives this fall has been obtaining health care! I came into the country pregnant, so regular insurance was out of the question. But volunteering with eMi right now and living on support doesn't just pay a whole lot, so I qualify for medicaid. So now I once again have regular doctor appointments (I haven't really had that since we left Uganda)and will be having my baby at a great hospital here in Colorado Springs. So that's a short update on my life. Were settling in nicely here, and I think we've even found a church we like. Except Greg hasn't been yet because he's been in Egypt. But I think he'll like it. It's called Boulder Street Church. It's on Boulder Street. Very creative naming. -Stephanie

Egypt - Part 2 - Preconceptions

Be honest with yourself for a moment. What comes to mind when you think about Muslims? Not just Muslims, but Muslims in the Middle East? Preconceptions are a great taboo in our culture. We would all like to believe we don’t have any preconceptions or prejudice, but I think if we are honest with ourselves we would recognize what rubbish that is. Before I continue, I want to make clear that I am speaking about Muslims in the Middle East. I have numerous friends who are Muslim in America, a few from Bangladesh. My preconceptions of Muslims living in the Middle East never applied to them. In the Blog entry I wrote prior to leaving, I stated: "I really don't know much about [Muslims] besides what few Muslim friends I've made in America and what I see on the news which we all know are not an accurate representation of Muslims worldwide." Right there, I state that I know I can’t use what I learned on the news to form an accurate understanding of a foreign culture. However, after my visit to Egypt, I realized that I had preconceptions anyway. And they were smashed. What I didn’t write about in my previous blog entry was how I didn’t expect to be changed. I was open to change, but I doubted it would occur. I thought I would return from Egypt with the same heart and opinions towards Muslim culture that I left with. Before I left, I thought Middle Eastern Muslim culture was the ultimate antithesis to Western culture. I assumed there would be no way I could relate to such a foreign mentality and belief system. Not only was my heart and mind changed during my time in Egypt, so was my desire. It scared me how one short week in the Middle East had such an impact on me. In the same blog entry mentioned above, I asked this question: "Is there something God wants to do in me during this trip that is connected to the location?" The answer, was yes, and I’ll tell you why in the blog entries next week.

Egypt – Part 1 – The Basics

I know I was cryptic about where I was going online, but I’ve now learned that I can publish that our project trip was in Egypt. Before I tell you about what happened on the project trip, I’ll tell you a little bit about Egypt. Egypt was taken over by Muslims in 642. Interestingly, the Gospel was already present prior to this. There are many theories about how the Gospel came to Egypt, but what is important to note is that it was present prior to Islam. The reason I say that is important is because unlike many countries in the Middle East, Egypt gives a lot of freedom to Christians. It is legal to be a Christian. There are churches all over Egypt. However, you may only be born a Christian. Everyone’s ID card identifies whether you are a Christian or a Muslim. If you are Christian, you are welcome to convert to Islam. If you are Muslim, you are not allowed to convert to Christianity. Your ID will say Muslim unless you get an act of court, or you leave the country for ten years and reapply for an ID. So, Churches have to give the impression that they are only ministering to their own. They are not allowed to evangelize to Muslims, and if it is discovered that they are, their ministry can be shut down. Of course, a lot of religious persecution does not come at the government level. Muslims are taught that Christians are disgusting. Not only are they infidels, but they don’t bathe themselves regularly. Muslims who convert to Christianity say that one of the biggest steps for them was learning that Christians are not filthy awful people. Of course, these are just stereotypes. Muslims and Christians get along well in Egypt on the surface level. There is no open war between the two groups, and little open animosity. If a Muslim meets a Christian, they treat them with respect as a human being and vice versa. But there is hidden animosity towards the other on both sides. Muslims can quickly turn violent when a Muslim they personally know becomes a Christian. It is not uncommon for Muslims who become Christians to be beaten or killed by their own family members, while police turn a blind eye. Therefore, Christians who were born Muslim must be very careful. They must only show their ID when they cannot avoid it, and they must not be seen going to church or associating with Christians to much. So, one of the ways the Church reaches out to Muslims is by offering social programs. Churches will offer daycares, health care, and other services at reasonable prices for both Christians and Muslims. This provides a good way to share the kindness and love of Christ without evangelizing. The counts of Christians in Egypt vary between 1 to 5 million. As often is the case with numbers, the truth is somewhere in between. But never the less, Egypt has the strongest presence of Christianity in the Middle East. There is great potential for what God can do with Egyptian Christians. Pray that the Church of Egypt rises to that potential. The eMi project was to provide the ministry we served with plans for a new center to help continue their current ministry on a larger scale. The project trip was heavy on architecture and light on civil engineering. I didn’t get to do as much as I hoped on the project trip, but now that we are back in the office there is plenty for me to accomplish. Also, I think the extra time allowed God to move in me in ways I’ll begin to describe in the coming, already written, blog entries. Check here daily for a bit.