Busy! Crowded! Traffic Congested in the streets, allies, and side roads! Trash scattered throughout the city! Horns!
Upon entering Egypt, I had always dreamt of standing at the base of these Great Pyramids and gazing up to see the wonder that, that old ancient civilization built thousands of years ago. Still, the explanation of all these pyramids unsolved with lingering questions and mysteries. I had always imagined a camel, sand, windy, hot, and busy with tourist- at least that part was correct. I never thought that I would have the honor to travel to this place after a year of traveling the world and seeing so many other natural and man made wonders.
Cairo always appealed (in my thoughts) to me in a fashionable way- with high rises, luxury homes, lush parks, smiling people everywhere you walk, etc. Boy- was I ever in the wrong pattern of thought… flying into the city laid a thick fog, a.k.a.-pollution. You could see it from the sky- it surrounded Cairo like a blanket and where the blanket ended; there begin the desert with only the Pyramids standing in the distant. Alone.
Side Track: When we arrived, we had the privilege to meet George (Matts contact), who was our age and who helped us out in the time we stayed in Egypt. George is an Egyptian- but more than that, he is a brother in Christ. His character replicated Christ in such a pure manner. He glowed with love and joy. He was a servant no matter the cost- either through his personal time or money, etc. It didn’t matter, he was there for us, willing to just hang out and talk. His devotion to us really meant a great deal for me personally. I loved having the opportunity to sit and talk with him, about his life as a believer in Egypt, as a student, the hopes of his future, and much more. George-(when you read this) – the devotion you have for Christ in a world that is dominated by Muslim culture- shows an abundance of faith- a secure faith you have- I know you will stand for Christ no matter the penalty- your joy shines deeper and wider than you even know, your love is from the Father and you do give it freely because you understand that it isn’t yours to hold on to. Thank you for taking the time to hang out with us, to guide us, and mostly to encourage us once again that believers around the world are standing strong for Christ in such difficult times. You, my brother, will always have an impact in the Kingdom of Christ in Egypt! Keep strong brother- may the Bless and protect you as you spread the Gospel of Truth to all you meet!
we had a tour guide- Henie and it was a funny day because at this time- a majority of us were tired of going, going, going, and so he would talk and none of us had a huge interest now- all we wanted to do was look around and be amazed- but we received valuable information on the pyramids….well maybe? :>) It was unbelievable to stand at the base of the pyramid and look up and try to imagine thousands of men working on this day after day. The bottom stones were far bigger than me course, the middle pyramid had been made littler than the Great Pyramid, but if you walked to a certain distant- it was an optical illusion and you would think that the middle was bigger than the Great. I was always in shock of the engineering minds of these wonders- how grateful and blessed I was to see them. Then came the riding of the camels..my camel name: Mickey Mouse- right! The ride around the pyramids and Sphinx really wasn’t that much fun…it hurt (if you know what I mean)- I asked multiple times if I could get off and walk! Because of time, later that night we traveled to the Red S
ea- we rode on an 8 hour bus ride to chill in the sun all day and swim in the most beautiful water. Ha, I laugh at the fact that we rode 8 hours to just chill on a beach and then drove back later that night. The Sea truly was a relaxing time and another day to just be in awe of Gods work through creation. As we arrived late that next night in Cairo, we were leaving the following day in the morning for a 3 hour train ride to Alexandra. We were excited about this place because there were catacombs, a planetarium, the Mediterranean Sea, and the history of the city. Well- we arrived and walked to the catacombs, Matt being an excellent guide! I absolutely loved walking through the streets and really embracing culture. I have come to love culture and embracing the people’s everyday lives. We were in Alexandra for just a half a day- only having time to visit the Catacombs and walk along the beach and eat at Pizza Hut for Keltons Birthday. The next day, we came back to Cairo for our last day to hang out together as a small group. So, we traveled a great deal that week and once again we were all blessed to see wonders of the world that people just dream of doing one day. Cairo wasn’t what I thought it would be, but I am thankful for it because again, I learned that only Christ should be the one that fulfills me and not traveling to another country or seeing another wonder… that becoming satisfied in life means becoming like minded in Christ and desiring Him and Him alone. Of course, we have our desires and I truly believe the Lord allows some of these desires to take place, but again, I realized that Christ is all I need and desire- I don’t need pyramids, exotic islands, waterfalls, etc. to be satisfied in Him, I am humbled that He has allowed me to see all of this at the age of 25. The wonders that I have seen is such the opportunity to Glorify Christ and His works evermore. So, this was Cairo in a nut shell. Hope you enjoyed it. Enjoy the pictures below–More to come!
