Twice in one day. I must be avoiding packing.
Happy Sinai Liberation Day. You think I'm kidding--its a national holiday. In 1973 Sadat signed a peace with Israel and got the Sinai back; later he was shot for it. Ironic how peace works around here. Word on the street has it that Mubarak gave a seven hour speech today concerning the momentous event. Wish I could've been there.
Actually, this weekend I was at a Coptic retreat center about an hour outside of Cairo called Anafora. Saturday, was maybe one of the best days of my life. All my essays were finished and I could do nothing to plan for the next stage of life. Anafora is so granola, as Claire would say. They grow their own food, all completely organic, so that they don't have to buy bread that is subsidized by superpowers that will remain unnamed. We stayed in rooms that are shaped so that they stay cool in the day time and warm at night. Chelsea, Dina and I shared a bed that was covered by a mosquito net and pretended that we were jungle princesses. They don't use electricty, just candles. I did get eaten alive by mosquitos before I got in bed the first night, but I suppose that's the price you have to pay. We finished reading The Little Prince, and I decided that I never want to become like the grown-ups. I wish you could all come to Anafora with me; this is a place that will live in my memory representing a moment of peace.
Tommorow about half of the group will get on a plane to America and we will say a goodbye that doesn't have an "I'll see you when" on the other end. We're planning a reunion at my house someday, because I'm Egyptian and we can eat Bilila every morning at my house. After that my daddy and sister are coming. Yesss, I can wait to see them. My adventure isn't over though, my sister is joining me and six of my friends in a journey to the "other middle eastern country". Next Sunday I'll celebrate my second Easter of this year in Jerusalem. Did you know the Eastern and Western churches celebrate Easter on different days? They do.
Its time to go now. There are words to say, movies to watch, and things to pack. I just thought I'd drop a note and give you a reason to celebrate today--I mean the Sinai is as good a reason as any.
Monday, April 25, 2005
The Abuna
This is an essay I wrote for Conflict and Change. It might be a little out of context--its a lot of stuff I've been thinking about in life. Enjoy if you will.
Faith Like a Child
Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 18:4)
Abuna Elias Chacour stepped into a room lined with students who had waited with excited anticipation to meet the man from Galilee and author of We Belong to the Land; they smiled, he sat down, looked around the room and told the students that their smiles meant hope. A strong advocate of peace, dignity, and justice, Abuna Chacour lives a life of conviction. Not only listening to the word of God, but also doing what it says. With that said there were many points the Abuna made that resonated truth, while other elements of his message were unsettling. It is beneficial to consider what I found to be strong points of the Abuna’s message, but I will also explore those aspects that are more difficult to accept.
Abuna Chacour often remembers the words of his father when discussing the reason for the life he lives. A statement he repeated both in his book and to the students is this: “We are not allowed to repay injustice with injustice.” Abuna went on to explain that when an injustice is committed no amount of reparations can heal the wound. The question then follows: what shall the wounded do with their pain? Each one should remember, so that the injustice will not be repeated and others’ suffering will be circumvented. This premise sets up a radical model for reconciliation and forgiveness. In other words, those wronged must forgive without forgetting. In practical terms, Abuna has not forgotten his right to return to his land in Biram, but he will not return by force or at the expense of others. He went on to describe the ability to forgive as a gift from God.
This model is righteous and just. The Abuna takes the moral high road free of any residue of vengeance that one might expect to observe. Yet, these ideas are radical and forgiveness is difficult, indeed, a favor from God. How can the Abuna expect individuals on the ground to adapt this moral high ground? This question leads to a fundamental difference between traditional western Christian belief and the Abuna’s ideas. In the face of every human being, the Abuna sees God. There is not a trace of the idea of “sin nature” anywhere in his theology. He speaks of cooperation and the global community, but in glance around the world I am confronted with pain and suffering at every turn. I do agree that man was created in the image of God. There is something sacred and unique in the fact that each face I see bears the image the Creator, and so I wrestle to reconcile the evil in the world with the status of mankind as children of God. I Corinthians 13 emphasizes the essentiality of love and hope to life on this earth, these things cannot, must not be forgotten. The Abuna told us that revenge is easier than forgiveness, but then calls mankind to a higher standard. Skepticism and the threat of mutual self-destruction cast shadows on this idealism. Perhaps the Abuna’s hope in mankind is what Jesus meant when he spoke of becoming like a child. I do not take these ideas lightly, for Abuna Chacour is a well-thought out man not only does he speak these ideals he also lives them by faith.
I am confronted with an even greater challenge when I turn to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Abuna presented the conflict as an existential problem; he described it not as war of religion, but a war of identical claims on the land by two nations. Later, he presented a type of solution in a single statement: if the Israelis want peace and security, then they must pursue justice and dignity. If God is a God of justice, then it must follow that when justice is served then there will be peace. In this way, the Abuna presented the interests of the two sides as synonymous. Studying the conflict for a week brings me to the understanding that the interests of the two sides are not synonymous, in fact, many interests are mutually exclusive. Then, do I give up resigning the people of the area to destruction? This cannot be the answer, because the Bible calls for hope and compassion.
The proactive paradigm of Abuna Chacour is inspiring and indeed makes practical sense in this life that I am living. Chapter seventeen of We Belong to the Land is entitled: Get Up, Go Ahead, Do Something, Move! The Abuna explained that this call to action is his translation for the word “blessed” in the context of the beatitudes (Matt. 5). The problem of suffering in the world is daunting; an individual cannot alleviate the pain of mankind. And yet, this invitation to do something, to move situates the ideas of hope and justice on a micro level and in a position where progress can be achieved. When the Abuna bids me get up, go ahead, do something, move I hear the voice of Jesus calling me to follow him. He has not asked me to change the world, but he has called me beyond apathetic living. I cannot solve the problem of two nations with identical claims, but I can respond to the girl crying in the dorm room next door. I cannot write a theory for racial reconciliation in the United States, but I can go to intercity Marion and show Netnet she is loved.
Although it is more tangible to “do something” about injustice on the local level, thinking about suffering on the global level must not be forgotten. There is a place for study and compassion of areas I have never been and people I have never met. A comprehension of the larger world aids in understanding my own neighborhood in Upland, Indiana. Understanding the desperation that leads a person to use a bomb to kill himself and bystanders shows what a life void of hope looks like.
Violence, desperation, and injustice are universal, the example of Abuna Chacour, Ghandi, and Martin Luther King Jr. point to answers of peace, hope, and justice. The life of Abuna Elias Chacour is a direct response to the hope that he retains in the goodness of mankind and the justice of God. Perhaps his idealism is reflective of the foolishness of a little child, but recall, Jesus called his followers to faith like a child. Doctrinal differences aside, Abuna Chacour is living his life by the standards of the upside down kingdom that Jesus established in his followers. Struggling to understand I sojourn onward, and perchance someday I too will become like a child.
Faith Like a Child
Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 18:4)
Abuna Elias Chacour stepped into a room lined with students who had waited with excited anticipation to meet the man from Galilee and author of We Belong to the Land; they smiled, he sat down, looked around the room and told the students that their smiles meant hope. A strong advocate of peace, dignity, and justice, Abuna Chacour lives a life of conviction. Not only listening to the word of God, but also doing what it says. With that said there were many points the Abuna made that resonated truth, while other elements of his message were unsettling. It is beneficial to consider what I found to be strong points of the Abuna’s message, but I will also explore those aspects that are more difficult to accept.
Abuna Chacour often remembers the words of his father when discussing the reason for the life he lives. A statement he repeated both in his book and to the students is this: “We are not allowed to repay injustice with injustice.” Abuna went on to explain that when an injustice is committed no amount of reparations can heal the wound. The question then follows: what shall the wounded do with their pain? Each one should remember, so that the injustice will not be repeated and others’ suffering will be circumvented. This premise sets up a radical model for reconciliation and forgiveness. In other words, those wronged must forgive without forgetting. In practical terms, Abuna has not forgotten his right to return to his land in Biram, but he will not return by force or at the expense of others. He went on to describe the ability to forgive as a gift from God.
This model is righteous and just. The Abuna takes the moral high road free of any residue of vengeance that one might expect to observe. Yet, these ideas are radical and forgiveness is difficult, indeed, a favor from God. How can the Abuna expect individuals on the ground to adapt this moral high ground? This question leads to a fundamental difference between traditional western Christian belief and the Abuna’s ideas. In the face of every human being, the Abuna sees God. There is not a trace of the idea of “sin nature” anywhere in his theology. He speaks of cooperation and the global community, but in glance around the world I am confronted with pain and suffering at every turn. I do agree that man was created in the image of God. There is something sacred and unique in the fact that each face I see bears the image the Creator, and so I wrestle to reconcile the evil in the world with the status of mankind as children of God. I Corinthians 13 emphasizes the essentiality of love and hope to life on this earth, these things cannot, must not be forgotten. The Abuna told us that revenge is easier than forgiveness, but then calls mankind to a higher standard. Skepticism and the threat of mutual self-destruction cast shadows on this idealism. Perhaps the Abuna’s hope in mankind is what Jesus meant when he spoke of becoming like a child. I do not take these ideas lightly, for Abuna Chacour is a well-thought out man not only does he speak these ideals he also lives them by faith.
I am confronted with an even greater challenge when I turn to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The Abuna presented the conflict as an existential problem; he described it not as war of religion, but a war of identical claims on the land by two nations. Later, he presented a type of solution in a single statement: if the Israelis want peace and security, then they must pursue justice and dignity. If God is a God of justice, then it must follow that when justice is served then there will be peace. In this way, the Abuna presented the interests of the two sides as synonymous. Studying the conflict for a week brings me to the understanding that the interests of the two sides are not synonymous, in fact, many interests are mutually exclusive. Then, do I give up resigning the people of the area to destruction? This cannot be the answer, because the Bible calls for hope and compassion.
The proactive paradigm of Abuna Chacour is inspiring and indeed makes practical sense in this life that I am living. Chapter seventeen of We Belong to the Land is entitled: Get Up, Go Ahead, Do Something, Move! The Abuna explained that this call to action is his translation for the word “blessed” in the context of the beatitudes (Matt. 5). The problem of suffering in the world is daunting; an individual cannot alleviate the pain of mankind. And yet, this invitation to do something, to move situates the ideas of hope and justice on a micro level and in a position where progress can be achieved. When the Abuna bids me get up, go ahead, do something, move I hear the voice of Jesus calling me to follow him. He has not asked me to change the world, but he has called me beyond apathetic living. I cannot solve the problem of two nations with identical claims, but I can respond to the girl crying in the dorm room next door. I cannot write a theory for racial reconciliation in the United States, but I can go to intercity Marion and show Netnet she is loved.
Although it is more tangible to “do something” about injustice on the local level, thinking about suffering on the global level must not be forgotten. There is a place for study and compassion of areas I have never been and people I have never met. A comprehension of the larger world aids in understanding my own neighborhood in Upland, Indiana. Understanding the desperation that leads a person to use a bomb to kill himself and bystanders shows what a life void of hope looks like.
Violence, desperation, and injustice are universal, the example of Abuna Chacour, Ghandi, and Martin Luther King Jr. point to answers of peace, hope, and justice. The life of Abuna Elias Chacour is a direct response to the hope that he retains in the goodness of mankind and the justice of God. Perhaps his idealism is reflective of the foolishness of a little child, but recall, Jesus called his followers to faith like a child. Doctrinal differences aside, Abuna Chacour is living his life by the standards of the upside down kingdom that Jesus established in his followers. Struggling to understand I sojourn onward, and perchance someday I too will become like a child.
Monday, April 18, 2005
To Whom it May Concern
Sorry, to those of you this doesn't concern.
Des Moines girls. Why is it that we have fallen out of contact? I mean, I'm probably the worst--couldn't even find your email addresses a couple of months a ago when I had the desire to send you a mass email. Natalie Fatalie, thanks for your comments--I'm excited about Africa. Lisa--I didn't forget your birthday. I was in the middle of Turkey on the day and I thought of you and I remembered how at Challenge we staged your birthday and made you a cake, but it wasn't your birthday at all. Feigan, my CCU friend and I talk about you all the time, and I wonder how things are going for you at your new school--thanks for you note. Anyway the point of this is that I want you (any or all of you) to send me an email so that I can make contact with you again. I love you all.
Des Moines girls. Why is it that we have fallen out of contact? I mean, I'm probably the worst--couldn't even find your email addresses a couple of months a ago when I had the desire to send you a mass email. Natalie Fatalie, thanks for your comments--I'm excited about Africa. Lisa--I didn't forget your birthday. I was in the middle of Turkey on the day and I thought of you and I remembered how at Challenge we staged your birthday and made you a cake, but it wasn't your birthday at all. Feigan, my CCU friend and I talk about you all the time, and I wonder how things are going for you at your new school--thanks for you note. Anyway the point of this is that I want you (any or all of you) to send me an email so that I can make contact with you again. I love you all.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
The "g" is Silent
There are gnats everywhere. The "g" is silent, one of the girls so kindly informs me. Yes, I know the "g" is silent. What you don't know is that I love to mispronounce words, it gives me a strange kind of joy. That was a tangent. I was telling you about gnats. There are clouds of them everywhere I was walking around at dusk today and I just kept my hand at the level of my eyes to shoo them away. They are seeping into every proverbial nook and cranny of our flat; their dead bodies lay scattered in our kitchen, bathrooms, and bedroom. Emily thinks they're a remnant of the plague. At least they're not cockroaches; we found a couple of those last week and I screamed. Not sure why. Just did.
I hung out with my Aunt Amani the other day. We visited the "Middle East Map Makers" located on the second floor of an unmarked building. Up winding stairs a little man sits at his desk surrounded by maps measuring and sketching with tremendous care. He asks visitors to sit down in his tiny office and exchange pleasantries. A good time was had by all.
Sick a gnat just fell off the ceiling and down my shirt.
Next we visited a bookstore that was eerily similar to Barnes and Noble except with an Egyptian twist. Then we were headed to a hafla (party) in Zamalek at my Uncle Fouad's place. That's when we were distracted by the flat that my dad lived in as a kid and my parents lived in right after they were married. It was in shambles, because they are redoing it, but I stood there imagining the young couple making the small space a home and my heart was glad. There was a Harley-Davidson chilling in the lobby of the building and I smiled. Next we headed down an alley near the flat where we happened to run into the man who used to dress up as Santa Clause at Christmas time for the benefit of my dad and his sister (Amani). The weird thing is he doesn't look like he could be more than fifty, but he has to be because he was an adult when my dad was a kid. Unsolved mysteries of Cairo.
There was a man selling chicks on the street the other day. Yep, little bouncy balls of yellow feathers for sale. Later that day I found out that one of the boys had bought two of the small chickens and took them home as pets (Are pets allowed? Not sure). The chicks were named Peeps and Momken they were fast friends, that is until one night when the boys brought the chicks to a MESP gathering. They were the life of the party until Peeps, at least we think it was Peeps, met his untimely demise under the crushing weight of an unsuspecting foot. Good thing I wasn't in the room when his guts splattered everywhere, there may have been more screaming.
Here's something I hate: Empty dorm rooms. This will all be over soon. Flashbacks to a cold December night standing in the English parking lot. I hate the concept of moving out--maybe that explains my aversion to packing. At least we'll live together again soon.
Welcome home Costa Rica. You and your family are on my heart and it cries for you.
Goodbye and Goodnight. As Margaret would say P in the ME.
I hung out with my Aunt Amani the other day. We visited the "Middle East Map Makers" located on the second floor of an unmarked building. Up winding stairs a little man sits at his desk surrounded by maps measuring and sketching with tremendous care. He asks visitors to sit down in his tiny office and exchange pleasantries. A good time was had by all.
Sick a gnat just fell off the ceiling and down my shirt.
Next we visited a bookstore that was eerily similar to Barnes and Noble except with an Egyptian twist. Then we were headed to a hafla (party) in Zamalek at my Uncle Fouad's place. That's when we were distracted by the flat that my dad lived in as a kid and my parents lived in right after they were married. It was in shambles, because they are redoing it, but I stood there imagining the young couple making the small space a home and my heart was glad. There was a Harley-Davidson chilling in the lobby of the building and I smiled. Next we headed down an alley near the flat where we happened to run into the man who used to dress up as Santa Clause at Christmas time for the benefit of my dad and his sister (Amani). The weird thing is he doesn't look like he could be more than fifty, but he has to be because he was an adult when my dad was a kid. Unsolved mysteries of Cairo.
There was a man selling chicks on the street the other day. Yep, little bouncy balls of yellow feathers for sale. Later that day I found out that one of the boys had bought two of the small chickens and took them home as pets (Are pets allowed? Not sure). The chicks were named Peeps and Momken they were fast friends, that is until one night when the boys brought the chicks to a MESP gathering. They were the life of the party until Peeps, at least we think it was Peeps, met his untimely demise under the crushing weight of an unsuspecting foot. Good thing I wasn't in the room when his guts splattered everywhere, there may have been more screaming.
Here's something I hate: Empty dorm rooms. This will all be over soon. Flashbacks to a cold December night standing in the English parking lot. I hate the concept of moving out--maybe that explains my aversion to packing. At least we'll live together again soon.
Welcome home Costa Rica. You and your family are on my heart and it cries for you.
Goodbye and Goodnight. As Margaret would say P in the ME.
Friday, April 15, 2005
Schedule
I'm coming back someday. You need a lab science to graduate. Be in my classes.
BIB272 Inductive Study of the Bible 3.0 MWF 11:00-11:50
CAS340 Intercultural Comm-CC-WR 3.0 MWF 9:00-9:50
SPA101 Elem Spanish 4.0 MTWF 1:00-1:50
CHE100 Chem for Living 4.0 MWF 2:00-2:50
CHE100 Lab 0.0 T 8:00-9:50
HIS385 Am Conts. Dev:Inst Powers 3.0 MWF 3:00-3:50
BIB272 Inductive Study of the Bible 3.0 MWF 11:00-11:50
CAS340 Intercultural Comm-CC-WR 3.0 MWF 9:00-9:50
SPA101 Elem Spanish 4.0 MTWF 1:00-1:50
CHE100 Chem for Living 4.0 MWF 2:00-2:50
CHE100 Lab 0.0 T 8:00-9:50
HIS385 Am Conts. Dev:Inst Powers 3.0 MWF 3:00-3:50
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
They are Us and We are Them
I'm back from my long absence and all you faithful blog friends of mine deserve a lengthy entry that you're probably not going to get. I don't know how to relate my travels so I will give a quick recap now and integrate that as it comes up--otherwise you'll have to see pictures and hear stories upon my return Stateside.
Recap:
While we were in Istanbul, another bomb went off in Lebanon and our plans changed quite a bit. We spent two weeks in Turkey instead of the expected one and ended up doing a tour of the Churches of Revelation. Next we moved on to Syria and then the Jordan. The Dead Sea is cool. Reading on a bus makes me sick. We stayed at 15 hotels in 21 days. Andrew, wrote more about all this read his site (andrewulasich.blogspot.com).
So last weekend when we got back I wrote 5 essays in one day and then I wanted to gouge my eye out. Once again I have renounced procrastination and have vowed to do better in the future. That excuriating day marked the end of our Peoples and Cultures Course and the beginning of Conflict and Change. The main part of Conflict and Change is the peace summit that we will be having in Cairo. I am now Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian human rights activist. Half of us are Palestinians and half of us are Israelis. For the next week we research like crazy and then we debate. We have decided that we are probably going to solve all the problems over there and then MESP will be famous. Or probably not. Anyway, its interesting, enlightening, and challenging. Studying this conflict is about so much more than the Middle East. It is a story of the human condition. I have been asked not to remove myself from this history, but to enter in. To view it from the ground. The more I do that the more I come to understand that they are us and we are them.
The past three days Abuna Elias Chacour (Abuna is the Arabic word for "father" within the context of the church) has been with us. He is a Palestinian priest who lives in Israel (author of Blood Brothers and We Belong to the Land--read them ASAP). He talked to us about the conflict, but mostly we just talked about life. Abuna Chacour is a man of peace, love and hope and when he looked around the room told us he loved us and that we were so beautiful to him I actually believed him. Usually, I hate it when speakers say that kind of thing. He said a lot of things about Christianity and faith that made me uncomfortable. Looking at the Eastern Church tradition has opened my eyes to many questions.
The other day I visited my Great Aunt and Uncle Leila and Fouad with my grandparents and Aunt Amani in Zamalek. My crazy Great Uncle Soupi also joined us. It is such a strange feeling for me--getting to know my extended family independent of my parents. Tunt Leila filled me in on a little history of the Ghali family. I served tea in Arabic and learned a few more vocab words. I also won a great victory when I finally convinced the ladies to sit down and let me do the dishes--I'm learning to play the game; I've become increasingly stubborn. I haven't been able to win this victory at my grandparents house yet, but today I received a promise that next time I would be allowed to do the dishes. And believe me I won't forget. This must sound ridiculous to you, I don't know how to explain it--I mean why its so important to me. Maybe its an Egyptian thing. That afternoon I was so thankful that I am here in Egypt--its times like that for which I came. I just ended up getting a whole lot more I suppose. Uncle Soupi drove me home. I only thought I was going to die a few times. He insisted I pay him with a kiss on the cheek and then insisted on waiting on the street until I waved at him from my balcony. He also interrogated me regarding our security here in Egypt--what can you expect from a retired police general?
More to come. I'll keep you updated about the debates and whatnot. I think I'll win.
Oh yeah, and although I'll be here a while longer, my program will be over in just a short couple of weeks. Stop sending letters, postcards, and small treasures to the address you have. I'll post my g-rents address as soon as I get my act together and remember to bring it when I'm at the internet. In the interim I think bhanson has it.
Time to fly. I'm out.
Recap:
While we were in Istanbul, another bomb went off in Lebanon and our plans changed quite a bit. We spent two weeks in Turkey instead of the expected one and ended up doing a tour of the Churches of Revelation. Next we moved on to Syria and then the Jordan. The Dead Sea is cool. Reading on a bus makes me sick. We stayed at 15 hotels in 21 days. Andrew, wrote more about all this read his site (andrewulasich.blogspot.com).
So last weekend when we got back I wrote 5 essays in one day and then I wanted to gouge my eye out. Once again I have renounced procrastination and have vowed to do better in the future. That excuriating day marked the end of our Peoples and Cultures Course and the beginning of Conflict and Change. The main part of Conflict and Change is the peace summit that we will be having in Cairo. I am now Hanan Ashrawi, a Palestinian human rights activist. Half of us are Palestinians and half of us are Israelis. For the next week we research like crazy and then we debate. We have decided that we are probably going to solve all the problems over there and then MESP will be famous. Or probably not. Anyway, its interesting, enlightening, and challenging. Studying this conflict is about so much more than the Middle East. It is a story of the human condition. I have been asked not to remove myself from this history, but to enter in. To view it from the ground. The more I do that the more I come to understand that they are us and we are them.
The past three days Abuna Elias Chacour (Abuna is the Arabic word for "father" within the context of the church) has been with us. He is a Palestinian priest who lives in Israel (author of Blood Brothers and We Belong to the Land--read them ASAP). He talked to us about the conflict, but mostly we just talked about life. Abuna Chacour is a man of peace, love and hope and when he looked around the room told us he loved us and that we were so beautiful to him I actually believed him. Usually, I hate it when speakers say that kind of thing. He said a lot of things about Christianity and faith that made me uncomfortable. Looking at the Eastern Church tradition has opened my eyes to many questions.
The other day I visited my Great Aunt and Uncle Leila and Fouad with my grandparents and Aunt Amani in Zamalek. My crazy Great Uncle Soupi also joined us. It is such a strange feeling for me--getting to know my extended family independent of my parents. Tunt Leila filled me in on a little history of the Ghali family. I served tea in Arabic and learned a few more vocab words. I also won a great victory when I finally convinced the ladies to sit down and let me do the dishes--I'm learning to play the game; I've become increasingly stubborn. I haven't been able to win this victory at my grandparents house yet, but today I received a promise that next time I would be allowed to do the dishes. And believe me I won't forget. This must sound ridiculous to you, I don't know how to explain it--I mean why its so important to me. Maybe its an Egyptian thing. That afternoon I was so thankful that I am here in Egypt--its times like that for which I came. I just ended up getting a whole lot more I suppose. Uncle Soupi drove me home. I only thought I was going to die a few times. He insisted I pay him with a kiss on the cheek and then insisted on waiting on the street until I waved at him from my balcony. He also interrogated me regarding our security here in Egypt--what can you expect from a retired police general?
More to come. I'll keep you updated about the debates and whatnot. I think I'll win.
Oh yeah, and although I'll be here a while longer, my program will be over in just a short couple of weeks. Stop sending letters, postcards, and small treasures to the address you have. I'll post my g-rents address as soon as I get my act together and remember to bring it when I'm at the internet. In the interim I think bhanson has it.
Time to fly. I'm out.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Everytime it Hurts
Hello friends. I am posting to inform you of some sad news. Yesterday as we were leaving Jordan a bomb went off in Khan-el-Khalili, which is a tourist market in Cairo. Apparently the story is all over the news in the U.S. so I wanted to let you know that everyone in our group and all my family members are safe. We arrived in Cairo last night after an incredible journey--more on that later.
My heart is breaking for this place. and hoping for peace in the Middle East.
Many essays to write--not enough time or words to express what I want to say.
I'm out.
My heart is breaking for this place. and hoping for peace in the Middle East.
Many essays to write--not enough time or words to express what I want to say.
I'm out.
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