Sweet Christen

I was so incredibly nervous when I woke up this morning. I didn't get much sleep last night - I kept thinking about how it would be to finally meet Christen (pronounced Christine), and hoping that the toothbrushes I had were the right size for her brothers. My stomach was a bit upset - so I decided not to tempt fate - I got started on the "Magic Pills" which are essentially Imodium AD on steroids. Hedi was feeling run down, so she stayed at the hotel again.

Christen's village is farther out than the others, and my stomach was in knots by the time we pulled in. Would she be one of the children that ran to greet us as soon as we got out of the vans? Would she be waiting in the church? I knew one thing for certain - I wanted - scratch that - I NEEDED to make sure that Amy M. was with me today. I know myself pretty well, and when things get really emotional, I tend to be a crier. I knew Amy would get it. That's not to say that the others wouldn't have understood, but I just know Amy the best.

The church was made out of white bricks held together with a grey mud. We were warned that if we needed to use the restroom we had two choices - we could go to the building where they would have the dental and vision clinics, or we could use the stalls in the back of the church that were just holes dug in the ground. I chose to hold it.

I helped Amy set up the home visit groups until Brad decided to pull a Brad and tell us that if our group was ready, we needed to go. Our translator was Marro, and she and I had already had a couple of really great talks this week, so I felt very blessed with the pairings.

As we left the church, I said something along the lines of, "I hope I can shake some of these nerves before we get to Christen's house. I'll meet some families, say some prayers, and be a little bit more emotionally stable by the time we get to her place".

We crossed the street and Amy asked our guide whose house we would be visiting first. He glanced down at his list:

"Chisten H.F."

My heart dropped. I wasn't ready! She couldn't be first! I started wringing my hands together, and I could feel panic sweat start to bead up on my forehead. I needed to get the bag I was carrying situated so I didn't have to waste time digging for the gifts.

Then I slipped and sloshed mud all up on my Toms and the tops of both feet. Keeping it classy.

We turned into her "neighborhood", and her "house" was on the right. As we walked through the doorway, we faced a set of concrete stairs that were very steep and very narrow. And they went up four stories. As I rounded the first turn, I looked through a hole in the wall by the bottom of that particular landing and saw a cow chewing its cud in a dug out basement. Interesting. We kept turning and climbing until we were finally at the top. The stairs went directly up to their "apartment", and the mat held their shoes. I decided it would be best to go ahead and leave my muddy Toms there next to theirs. I wondered which ones were Christens as her mom came to the entryway and told me I didn't have to take my shoes off. I told her I didn't mind at all and that I didn't want to drag mud into her house. (The houses are tediously cleaned for our visits and I wanted to acknowledge and respect that.)


Then there was Christen.

She smiled at me shyly and reached out to shake my hand. Her mother tried to get her to hug me, but she wasn't having it. And I was okay with that.
She's SO TINY!! Her hair was done and she had an orange headband on which matched my orange shirt. We were twinkies!

But I was blocking the entryway, so I walked on in and sat on the bench that Marro directed us to. The room was wonderfully lit with natural lighting, and the walls were seafoam greens, blues, and white. The cool tile felt wonderful on my tired feet.

As I sat down and situated my bags, I turned to see Christen's twin brother George walking in the room. He was holding a large gold picture frame that was wrapped in Saran Wrap. He handed it to Christen, and as he did, it tilted a bit and I saw the picture I had sent of my dog, Pretty Girl, right square in the top middle of it.

I burst into tears.

In fact, I'm crying now just thinking about.

Christen proudly presented me with the frame, and what I saw next only made me cry harder. Next to Pretty Girl's picture was the one I had sent of myself, and every letter/drawing I had sent her.
It is such a humbling, incredible feeling. I mean, I know I'm awesome, but in all seriousness - in the big scheme of things, who am I? I'm just a person. And they have me framed on the wall with my dog like we're celebrities, or, even better, family.
Through my laughter and my tears, I decided to go ahead and hand out presents first. I knew that if I tried to talk or pray, I'd probably drown all of us in my tears.

I don't know that I have ever felt this kind of happiness before. It was exploding from my soul, and was the best high I've ever felt. It radiated out of me; the atmosphere was electric. They brought Christen over to me and I handed her a small back pack that had the Texas A&M University-Commerce name and logo on it, and explained that it was the bag I had carried at University with me up until graduation, and that I wanted her to have it as a reminder that girls can succeed in school too.

The princess keychain was to remind her that every little girl is a princess and should be treated as one. I reminded her that being a princess comes with the responsibility of taking care of others too, and helping her mother because mom is the queen. :) There was a keychain I had made myself, and I told her that I had a matching one on my keys back home. I pulled out my yellow TAMUC shirt and I told her that I wanted her to wear it and play in it, and get it dirty so she could make her own memories in it. I showed her the water bottle that had the tooth brush, tooth paste, and floss picks in it as well as the pink pair of scissors and crayons for school. I finished by telling her that there were a few other goodies for her, but I would let her open it later when things had calmed down a little bit.
Her smile was so genuine, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at the bag and me and her mother. Her mother had teared up when I told her about the bag and the tshirt. There's really no way to describe the love that was blanketing the room.

Then I busted out the bags for George and their little brother Abanub. Their eyes got SO BIG when Marro told them that the bags were for them. They had the toothbrushes plus a water bottle for George, and glow sticks for both. I had some extra ones, so I showed them how they worked, and told them that it was best to use them at night, but that if they lit them earlier, it was okay because they would stay lit for awhile. Little Abanub found the toy car in the bottom and was entranced with it the rest of the time.

We talked about how things were going, and what we could pray for. Their mother gets really bad headaches and nosebleeds (probably from the heat), so if you're the praying type and could add her to your list, it would mean the world to me.

When I asked what we could give thanks for, her mother said, "For you. For all you do for us and for coming to see us."
Cue more tears.

I prayed for the family, and when I finished, her mother looked at me with tears in her eyes, and said, "That was a beautiful prayer. You are very good at praying".
I looked at her and said, "It's easy to talk to God when you feel so much emotion. When you realize that you've been waiting your entire life for this very day". And I truly meant that. It was my purpose. This was my extended family, and finding them was the most incredible thing in the world.
Before we left, Christen sang me a song she had learned at AWANA, and I was able to record it. It was a beautiful experience. I told them that if I had room in my bags, I would take them all home with me. The guide asked if he could go too.

As we said our goodbyes, and I walked down the stairs, I started crying again. I turned to Amy and said, "How do you leave? How do you walk away from these people that have just entirely changed your life?" She smiled. I knew there was no answer. You just do. As much as it hurts, it is necessary because there are other kids that have been waiting all year for these visits.
I met so many wonderful children and families. I got to meet a beautiful little girl that is sponsored by Amy's sister. They had a picture of her and her husband on the wall, and Amy started crying when she saw it.

It was an emotional day. A wonderful day. The most incredible day.
We ran into Christen, her mom, and a few other little girls as we were walking back to the church. They were on their way to the dental clinic so Christen could get some teeth pulled. Her mom had pulled the teeth herself, but the roots remained stuck down in the gums. I asked if I could go with them to the clinic, and Marro agreed to go with me while the guide took Amy back to the church.
One of Christen's friends looked at Christen and then held out her hand and nodded at me. And Christen reached up and took my hand.

I cannot explain to you how great her tiny little hand felt in mine. She was beginning to trust me, and she smiled while we held hands and danced as Marro called to let Ehab know what we were doing. Then she started frowning. She was speaking in Arabic, but I knew something was off. Sure enough, she was told that something had happened and we were to go immediately to the church. I kneeled down and told Christen that I was very proud of her for going to the dentist to get her teeth fixed. I warned her that it would probably hurt, but to be strong and brave even if she was afraid because it would be so good for her as she got older. She smiled, and even hugged me goodbye as did her mother.

Even though I wasn't sure what was going on, I felt incredibly blessed to have gotten to see Christen twice in one day.

When we got to the church, Amy and our guide were coming out, and told us that they had been told to head TO the clinic. When we got there, the door was shut and locked, but after a few good knocks, we pushed in past the group of people lined up outside. I couldn't find Christen outside, so I hoped she was inside so she could get her teeth looked at.

As soon as we walked in, Brennan looked at us and said, "Americans in the vision room! Now!" They were frantically closing down Gloria's dentist station, and there was an odd feelinging in the air. It added to the heaviness in the room already soaked in humidity and a child was screaming in the back of the room. We couldn't see them because they were around a corner. I went into the room, and not even two minutes later Marro came to tell me that the screamer was Christen, and did I want to go be with her. OF COURSE I did. As I rounded the corner, Brad said to freeze as he counted American heads. As soon as he was done, I continued around the corner. Brennen tried to tell me to back into the room, but I looked him straight in the eye and said, "La! No!" and went to find Christen, covered in sweat, screaming her lungs out, pressed against her mother who was trying to hold her still as one of the dentists tried to dig the root of her tooth out. It didn't seem like the numbing medicine had had enough time to work. I learned later from my mom that it is incredibly difficult to numb the area around a root that has rotted because the infection messes it up. Oy. So I did what I had to do. I walked over, grabbed her flailing hand, squeezed it down by her lap, and used my other arm to restrain her legs. She's a squirmy little thing.

It was probably only 7 minutes until another dentist came over, gave her more numbing medicine (we had to hold her still while a large needle was in her gums), and found the right size instrument to extract the remainder of the tooth, but it felt like an eternity. I prayed the entire time - for strength for her and her mother, and for understanding for Christen so that she hopefully wouldn't hate me for helping. I got to hold her in my lap for a few seconds afterwards, but she freaked out because she thought it meant she had to go again, so I handed her to her mother, and got a hug from them both. I think I even saw a tiny smile escape from her swollen face.

As it turns out, there had been a bit of a bum-rush on the clinics from over eager village members, so for the safety of everyone there, the higher ups decided it would be best if we went ahead and packed up a little early.

The entire ride back to the hotel I had the biggest smile on my face. I had to apologize to Brad later because initally, I had been very bitter about him choosing to go the villages instead of camp...but now...I get it. I can't imagine coming back to Egypt and not going to see my family. It brings them so much joy, and it brings just as much joy to me. I've never felt this way before.

Go to transformegypt.com and click on GIVE. Then click on SPONSOR A CHILD. You will see a list of all the kids that need to be sponsored. It's $30 a month, and it's legitimate.

Not to mention that it will change your life.

Much love,
*L*

Oh, the Heat!

Let me start out by saying that I know heat. I spent seven years going to a summer camp in Texas that didn't have A/C. One of those summers I was wearing a back brace that was a quarter inch thick...and plastic. I've been to Eypt twice before. I've spent all day in the summer around sweaty kids. 

I have NEVER experienced heat like I did today in Place Number 3 (PN3).

I felt like I was in God's microwave - being heated from the inside out, and no amount of water could quench my thirst.

I went on home visits with Heidi and our new friend, Chris from California, today. We met so many wonderful kids and families today. Neighbors brought over babies, and we listened as parents bragged on their educationally ambitious children, and asked for summer trade programs through the church to help the family make more money.

The girl that was our guide was 13 years old, and she and I skipped through a lot of that village. In the heat microwave. I taught her 'skip' in English, and she taught me 'run' in Arabic. There came a point in which this 28 year old was gasping for breath and she looked at me, hooked her arm in mine and insisted, 'run!'

So we ran. Until I couldn't. But man, did we cover some distance before I pooped out. In fact, there's a part in Nate's video on facebook (part 2 I believe) that showcases our skip/running. We had a grand time.

 

After the visits were done, we returned to the church. The vision clinic was in full swing, and I helped cheer on the decision to choose glasses before being swarmed by the kids in the church.

I didn't have any gifts to give them, but that didn't stop one little girl from tapping on my hand sanitizer that was clipped onto my bag. So, I decided to share. All of a sudden, there were roughly twenty tiny hands being shoved under the spout of my hand sanitizer. I gave each one a small dollop, and moved to the next. 

Funny thing was, none of them knew what to do with it once it was in the palm of their hand. Hand sanitizer. What a concept. 

I showed them how to rub their hands together, and once they had done that, they came back wanting more. I had no translator. So I mimicked smelling my hands and gave a thumbs up with a happy smell face and when they nodded yes, I said, "You're good! La ('no' in Arabic) no more." Such a small gift had made them so happy - and it costs me $5 for five. Which is about 1/6 of what most of their parents make a MONTH.

Eventually, I went upstairs to check on the dental clinic. And by "check on" I mean to get out of the direct sun light. :)

I mainly took pictures and stayed out of Gloria's way.

 As it turns out, my mom has worked with Gloria down in Mexico. She spoke highly of my mom, but she is quite the hard worker herself. She works specifically with children, and is very good with them. Many came to her with a tooth or two that were completely rotted - making them very difficult to pull. 

Gloria managed it.

When the time came to close up shop, I organized and packed her suitcase for her, and we were off on our way back to the hotel. I was so drained at dinner that I barely lifted my head the entire time. 

I am so excited for tomorrow though, it is unbelievable. Tomorrow, I get to finally meet Christen - the little girl I have been sponsoring for the past year and a half. I have gifts for her and her two brothers, but as the time draws near I wonder if they'll like them or if I got gifts for the right ages...I can't remember if her second brother (she has a twin as well) is older or younger.

I AM SO EXCITED!!

Much Love,

*L*

Meet Sameh

These kids - they never stop. Even when they get a break from school they don't spend their days playing in pools or going to the movies. They help their moms by running errands and cleaning the houses. They help their fathers by raising ducks and farming. And when we show up, they are all smiles. They don't act resentful or like their lives are lacking anything. It's just how it is for them. You can't miss what you don't know I suppose.

There was one little boy that really stood out to me today.

Let me introduce you to Sameh.

Sameh isn't doing too well in school, and he was very embarrassed about it. It broke my heart to see this sweet little 9 year old boy think that we would be upset with him because school isn't his thing. His older sister had just dropped out of school - right before her senior year. We assured him that it was okay if school wasn't his thing, and we diverted our conversation to something he was good at - drawing. He didn't have any to show us, but said that he liked drawing anything and everything. You could see the light return to his eyes, and we showered him with encouragement.

His grandmother has a bad knee and a bad back, and I immediately recognized that standing would not be easy for he, so I assured her that we would be more than happy to sit on the ground with her to pray and take a picture with the family.  After the prayer, I moved next to her for the picture, and as soon as I sat next to her, she reached out and grabbed my hand. Our translator, Neveen, was speaking with Chris and Sameh, but this did not stop the grandmother from speaking to me in Arabic and it was clear that she was thanking me for being considerate of her pains. After the picture was snapped, she pulled me in for a hug and started crying. Through her tears she kept talking and pointing at her knee and back. I patted her back and told her I understood pain that could not be seen.

It was in this moment that I felt God more strongly than I had the whole trip. Here I was speaking English to a woman that spoke none and she was speaking Arabic to me even though I know 8 words - none of which she was using - and we understood each other. I grabbed her hand and bowed my head and prayed over this woman like I've never prayed over anyone before. 

There was no shame, no embarrassment, just two women wrapped in the embrace of the Lord. We hugged, and she kissed my hand at least 30 times. 

Here she was, living in a mud hut, and she was loving on me like she'd known me for years. For a picture taken on the ground and a prayer said in the midst of pain.

It's important to note that when we go on these home visits, we are given the nicest seat in the home. It would be culturally insensitive to refuse, so there were many times that women in their 70s and older sat on the ground while we sat on benches and beds. For me to offer to join her on the ground was amazing for her.

For me, it was simply following the lead of Jesus. He washed his disciples' feet. He calls us to be servants. 

Today, this woman gave me the opportunity to serve in a way I never had before. 

And it was incredible.

Sameh still needs a sponsor. Sponsoring Sameh for only $30/month provides Sameh and his family with food, medical care, discipleship training, and hope.  Most sponsored children and their families survive on $1-2 per day, barely enough to provide one meal a day for most of the family. It will take pressure off of Sameh to help provide, and hopefully allow more time for him to draw and just be a kid.

If you are interested in sponsoring Sameh Magdy Samy Ayad, please click here.

Much Love,

*L*

Hey! Don't Stand There Please!

Right now I am sitting on the patio behind our hotel room that I only discovered 30 minutes ago. It is warm outside, but there is a nice breeze, and I am listening to Arabic music play down by the pool for what I assume is either a birthday party or engagement party. They have a camera crew and lighting. It's pretty exciting - there were even fireworks at dinner. 

We went to Place Number Two (PNT) which was MUCH closer to our hotel (only 30-45 minutes instead of an hour and a half). We drove through a lot of other places, so the going was slow and bumpy, but we made it without much of a hitch. We did leave an hour later than planned, but I was on time for the original time...Egypt is the only place I can seem to be on time to personal things, which I suppose is better than no where. :)

Heidi wasn't feeling well, so she stayed in the hotel.

I thought I would be going on home visits with Amy again, but this is the first year we've set up a dental/vision clinic for the people that live in the places, so Brad asked me to stay and keep order in the "waiting" room. Everyone was so excited to finally have a dentist (let alone THREE) in their place, so there was a lot of gawking and random people not there to get anything done clogging up the area, but everyone was pretty compliant when we asked them to move on. 

**Side note** The music has gotten so loud that the base was shaking my table...and I'm a good 60 yards away. They must be deaf. Gracious. Anyhooo...

There was no A/C, but the windows were open and we weren't in the sun, so I'll chalk it up as a win.

There was a lot of sweating, a lot of teeth pulling, and a lot of interested on lookers. 

I had to create a "no stand zone", and started twirling little girls in order to keep them out of it. I was drenched the entire time I was in there, and I made lots of new little people friends. With all of the children minus one or two, it was pretty easy to communicate even though we spoke different languages. At camp, the children go to advanced private schools and travel frequently, so they all speak English fairly well. The same is not true of children that live in other places. They don't have anyone to practice their English with, so it's more difficult for them to retain, and a lot of them will even admit that English is their least favorite thing to learn in school. But communicating is still fairly simple when you just go with it...so I did. And we had a blast. One little girl had me tossing her in the air...she'd just stand in front of me with her back to me and point 'UP!'. Her name was Amy, but I called her Little Amy to avoid confusion with the three Amys we brought to Egypt with our group (one of which Little Amy was actually named after!)

There was a great group of girls towards the end of the visit that I took a lot of pictures with, and I let them take some with a disposable camera. Try explaining a disposable camera to a child that has never even heard of one...it's impossible. They simply could not believe that it would only take 27 photos. Each one of them tried multiple times to crank the turny thingy (here I am being all technical, I know), and try to take a picture - even though their four other friends hadn't been able to. They were nothing if not persistant...and absolutely adorable.

Part of the group went back to the hotel early, but I chose to stay because one of the girls was getting some teeth pulled and I had promised her I would stay. I went in with her, and had her hold my hand. She squeezed the life out of it a few times, and even though she freaked out quite a bit, she remained very brave and strong and was able to make it through two teeth being pulled - both of which broke off from the roots which then had to be dug out. It was rough, and even I was almost in tears by the end of it. But I was so proud of her because she was SO strong and brave. She's never seen a dentist before - and she made it through like a little champ. :) My sweet, sweet, N. She even smiled when she hugged me goodbye as she left. I will never forget her and her strength.

Dinner was a buffet at the hotel, so we didn't have to wait nearly as long (thank goodness). My room key messed up again, but was taken care of just as quickly as last night.

I hung out with Amy for a bit after dinner, and now I need to go find the sheets from our visits yesterday so I can send her the pictures we took of the children we visited in the correct order. I cannot wait to see Christen in two days. I'm over the moon about it!

Much love,

-L

PS: I would like to note that it's been at least 30 minutes since my side note, and the party is still going strong. They do like to party!

(They went until 12:30a)