Day 20, June 28, 2014

Woke at 5:00 am, showered and ate another awesome breakfast with lots of olives.  We spent most of last night packing up.  Raghab took us to the airport and we said good-bye to Cairo and to Africa.  I can't believe 3 weeks have flown by.  We flew from Cairo to Istanbul, then to Toronto, Canada and finally to Atlanta where April was waiting for us right on time.  One of our bags didn't make it.  Hopefully, we will get it soon.  Boy, does it ever feel good to be back in the good 'ole USA.  We can speak the language and drink the water!!  God protected us with His angels and we are safe and sound at home again with our family.  Nothing will ever compare to the sights we saw, the experiences we lived and the emotions we felt.  Thanks again Bright School for blessing me with a memorable trip I shall never forget!

Statue and cactus at our hotel in Cairo.

Adam weighing our baggage. 

Interesting rock formation at the airport in Cairo.  Pretty strong rope!  Ha ha

Flying over the Mediterranean and leaving Africa.

Gordon zonked on the flight back.

All Brody wanted to do when we got home was wrestle Poppy.

Day 19, June 27, 2014

Woke at 8:00 again and had another wonderful bath and great breakfast.  I can eat all the olives I want to here!  We left with Raghab to go to the Nile River.  It is much larger than I thought.  Then we went to The Natioanal Egyptian Museum.  WOW!!!  Thousands and thousands of artifacts from thousands of years ago.  Some of their inventions are still used today  like the thimble.  We walked around seeing mummies. tombs and all sorts of ancient artifacts.  It was amazing! Did I mention how scary the driving is here.  I'm glad Gordon didn't rent a car.  Raghab gets us there safe!  I don't think Egypt got the research about how bad smoking is for you, because I think every man in Egypt smokes.  It's giving me a sore throat.  I asked Raghab (who has four children-2 are Drs., one is a lawyer and one is an engineer), who is 63 years old, what season it was here and he said summer.  Isn't that weird when in Kenya it was winter.  Did I mention it is H-O-T here????!!!!!!!  On the way back from the museum Raghab took us to a Christian souvenir shop who were friends of his.  We got three pyramids and the Sphynix.  Then he took us to a clothing shop and we got t-shirts for everyone.  Then back to the hotel to FaceTime Brody, but we found out that the time changed back one hour here today so we missed him.  He had already left for camp at McCallie.  So we will call him tonight.  Now it is a 6 hour difference since the time change.  Their weekends are Friday and Saturday for their religious reasons.  They work on Sundays.  It was very hazy today.  By the way at the papyrus museum, two of their guests had been Barbra Bush and Sting.  I just heard Howard Baker died.  He was a solid guy and a graduate of McCallie School.  We are relaxing now, because we have to leave at 6:00 am for our flight home.  Can't believe it is almost over.  Please, pray for safety for our flights from Cairo to Istanbul to Toronto to Atlanta.  Then a 2 hour drive home.  Thank you Bright School for this amazing beyond words lifetime experience!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Light and sound show last night at the Pyramids.

Light and sound show at Pyramids.

Woman baking bread in this outdoor oven this morning.

I've never seen a truck covered in barb wire before.  This was an army truck.

The Nile River!  We put our hands in it so we could say we touched the Nile.

A great shot with the palm trees and three pyramids.

A beautiful wall of flowers we passed while walking today in Cairo.

Adam hanging out with the Sphynix (I never spell it right) in front of the Egyptian Museum.

 Below is a young girl on her donkey in the road we were driving on.  We had to stop to let a camel pass at one time.

Day 18, June 26, 2014

Slept till 8:00 am and took a wonderful bath.  Ate a awesome breakfast buffet.  This hotel is called MovienPick or something like that.  Met our tour guide named Raghad and he drove us to a papyrus museum were we learned how paper was made a thousand years ago.  Very interesting process made from a green plant, not a tree.  Of course we bought some.  Then we listen to a perfume presentation which only Adam was interested in for you know who (Erica!!)  haha.  Then we had one unbelievable day.  We each had our own camel and rode to the Pyramids across the Sahara Desert.  It was hot!!!!  They put a headpiece on Adam and me, so we looked like the Prince and Princess of Arabia.  Gordon had a hat on.  When we got off the camels at the first pyramid, Adam started climbing the pyramid.  He was about half way up before the guide started waving for him to come down before the police got him.  Of course, when he got down we saw a sign that said "NO CLIMBING".  We got to go inside of the medium size one and saw the tomb.  Everything has been taken out of them and put into the Egyptian Museum that we will go to tomorrow.  We rode to the Sphinx, but you couldn't get close to it.  During WWII the Italians shot this nose off of it for target practice.  What a dumb move!  Everything was just surreal!!!  I couldn't believe we were there.  We spent the day there and then drove back to our hotel around 4:00 pm.  The driving here is crazier then Nairobi.  There are no lanes or traffic lights.  Four lanes of cars are fighting for two lanes.  They honk at each other and nearly miss hitting or scraping each other.  I jumped twice because I knew we were going to be hit.  Facetimed with Anna and April.  Then blogged.  We are going to eat dinner, then go to a light and sound show at the Pyramids tonight at 8:00 pm.  Then back to hotel and crash again.  I'll tell about the light show tomorrow.

Kitty and April, look recycling in Cairo!

Learning how papyrus is made from that green plant.

Cleopatra!

A woman walking down the street carrying a load on her head.

Adam and I riding in style!

Pyarmids overlooking us in the Sahara.

Adam standing on one of the stones that can weigh up to 15 tons.

Gordon taking a break.

Gordon humping it!  Ha Ha

Adam climbing before the police see him.  Bad boy!!!

This camel's name is Charlie Brown.

Going down under inside the pyramid.

SPYNIX

A rich and very old landscape.

Day 17, June 25, 2014

Morris and Mellie took us to the airport from Dorcas's house.  We sat there till 2:10 am and finally boarded.  Flew over night (6 hrs) to Istanbul.  When we landed we went to an information booth to see about getting a taxi and there was another girl there getting info too.  We started talking to her and she asked if she could go with us because she was alone and she would pay half of the taxi.  At first, I thought it might be a scam or a plant to try to steal from us.  But it turned out she was a journalist from Brazil and lived in New York City.  Her name was Sherriann.  When she was in college in New York she was a personal shopper for Nick Nolte and his family.  She was very nice and helped Adam shop for Erica.  There is a pic of them haggling with a 12 year old boy I put on yesterday.  We got to know her well, and we all had a lot of fun together.  We had the taxi drive us to the Asia side of Turkey so we could say we went to 3 continents.  Then we went to the Blue Mosque.  It was definitely a tourist attraction, but I wasn't real impressed.  From there we walked to the World Bazar.  Probably the largest in the world. Adam went nuts buying stuff for Erica with our money.  Ha ha.  Erica, I've never seen him shop like this.  He was so particular and had to get it just right, so he used Nick Nolte's personal shopper topic out things for you.  So feel honored.  Finally, after thinking we had lost Adam and searching for him in this huge, huge place we found him looking for more stuff for Erica.  Then we took a taxi back to the airport and found a wifi cafe and got to check email and blog.  Then flew out at 6:10pm to Cairo.  Cairo is gigormous.  13 million people live here and it is 100 kilometers from top to bottom.  That's like Chattanooga stretching from where it is now to half way to Atlanta.  It took us about 1 1/2 hours to get to the hotel by taxi.  I have to give Gordon credit, he got us a good hotel to stay in here.  We have a bungalow.  It is not far from the pyramids.  We crashed in bed around 10:30 pm.

Sherriann and me.

Adam trying out for "Mr. Istanbul".

One of the 100 hallways of the Grand Bazar.

Adam carrying half of our luggage in Cairo airport.

Day 16 June 24, 2014

Water fall at Morris's farm.

flat tire

Euclyptus trees

100 pounds of coal

Istanbul, Turkey

Standing in front of the Blue Mosque.

HAGGLING N WORLD BAZZAR

WORLD BAZZAR

DAD READY FOR CAIRO

Got up this morning at 6:15 am and had tea.  Took another African bath with a bowl of water.  Then we loaded up and drove to Priscilla, Morris’s mother’s farm.  It was a much bigger house but she used a black kettle over a fire for her stove.  Morris, Esther, another of Morris’s sisters (remember he has 10 brother and sisters),  Junga and I hiked straight down about a half a mile to the river where the cows go to drink.  It was through bushes and brambles and cow piles.  On the way down Morris made me climb an avocado tree and pick avocados for Junga.  When we got to the river there was a beautiful waterfall.  Morris said it was his favorite place in the world.  I could see it would be a perfect place for a quiet time.  My left leg got stung by stinging nettles.  The farm was on a hill and was beautiful land.  We had breakfast back at the house.  So much for my bath this morning.  On our way back to Morris’s house, we had a flat tire.  Of course, Junga was the man.  He changed it using a screwdriver as a crank as we all stood along the dirt road.  They broke limbs with leaves off of trees to lay on the road to warn other drivers to slow down.  After we finally got back, I finished all my packing and went to the school to check my email for the last time.  I don’t know if we’ll have any internet at the hotel in Cairo.  So then we loaded up the car and said our sad good-byes.  I really hated saying good-bye to Luka.  I had a fondness for him.  I truly hope he can get to America to go to college.  I told him he could live with us if he did.  We drove all the way to Nairobi which was over 4 hours.  Did I mention how crazy the driving is here?  I have to close my eyes, cause It looks like were going to hit a car coming at us as we pass every time.  On the way, we stopped about half way at a mental institution where Junga has a son.  We stayed in the car as he visited him.  We could see some of the patients moving around in the yard like zombies.  Morris said they keep them drugged up.  We finally arrived at Dorcas’s house thinking the boys would already be there, but they weren’t.  We waited an hour before they showed up.  I ran down the stairs of her house to greet them.  Brandon got out first with a Tanzania shirt on and I hugged him, then Adam got out and I hugged him.  Finally, Gordon got out with an almost full beard and as I hugged him he started crying and couldn’t talk.  He said he just missed me and loved me so much.  It was a sweet time.  They made it to the top and saw the sunrise, but it wasn’t easy for any of them.  They had lots of stories and pictures which we all shared.  Then Brandon had to leave first to go to the airport cause he left at 10:50 pm.  We stayed at Dorcas’s, because our flight to Istanbul was not till 2:10 am.  We are all pretty weary. Please, pray for our safety in Cairo.

Day 15, June 23, 2014

So last night I stayed at Morris's house.  Again I felt bad, because they gave me the only extra bedroom, they have and his mom, sister-in-law and friend, all three slept on the floor on a mattress together.  This morning it was beautiful sunshine but very windy.  Sat outside and read my Bible and ate breakfast.  Then watched Morris and Junga get water out of their well.  Interesting.  I have some pics of it.  Then I learned from Miriam the African way to wash clothes in a bucket.  Then Morris, Junga, Jeff, Joseph and I all walked the three miles to the Africa Bright School.  The children all came running again, high fiving, and hugging me.  I set up an obstacle course for them which they loved.  Then I taught them how to throw frisbees, and they laughed and laughed.  Next I got out the parachute again and we did a mountain collapse and an igloo where they are all went underneath the parachute.  They thought that was so cool.  Next, I put small balls and beach balls on the chute and the kids shook them all over the place.  But what really got them is when I put the rubber chicken on and they popped it high up in the air.  I asked Judy and Monica what the tuition was for a year and what the uniforms and shoes cost.  They said that the tuition was 3,000 shillings a year and the uniform, shoes and backpack were 2,000 shillings.  All together that's about $50.  The little girl I showed a pic of on my first day there with the baby brother that she was caring for all day was there again today as a local.  I asked Judy and Monica if they would give her a discount scholarship and they said yes.  They would make it 1,000 shillings.  Which is about $35.  I said I would pay that for her to come.  So after we said good-byes, the little girl took my hand and led me to her home down the dirt road.  Morris was a little behind us.  Her mother came to the gate and wouldn't let us in.  I asked her if she was her mother, she said no.  I asked the little girl, Helen, if the lady was her mother and she said yes.  Morris got there and told her why we were there.  Of course we are surrounded by 100 children following us and even some adults.  She told Morris her husband would not let the child go to school.  She had to take care of her little brother.  Morris told her she was throwing away a wonderful opportunity and we left.  As we were leaving, an adult from the crowd came up to Morris and asked if we could talk.  We went into the home of Morris's friend that we went to the other day in the rain.  She said she has 8 children with 2 in college and 4 in high school and 2 in elementary school which she pays for all herself.  Her sister was a prostitute and drunk and had a 5 year old girl she locked in the house everyday and night while she went out partying and drinking.  This woman went and got the child from her sister's home a month ago and her sister has never even asked where the child is.  She asked could we give the scholarship to her.  This touched my heart.  We said yes and called the teachers and told them.  This little girl's name is Mary.  We took her to the uniform store and got her a uniform.  She was so happy.  I payed her tuition and hugged her so hard and gave her dirty little face a ton of kisses.  I don't know if this five year old child had ever been hugged or loved on.  I prayed with her and her guardian aunt.  And we walked the 3 miles home.  God is so good!!!  I face timed with Anna about her job interview.  Then blogged and packed up to leave in the morning.  I can't believe our time here is over.  We will drive to Nairobi in the morning and meet the guys.  I don't know if we will have internet at the hotel in Cairo or not.  I hope so.  Love all of you!!!

Mercy and Duncan up front and Rahab (a friend), me, Priscilla (Morris's mother), Miriam (Merc's sister).

Junga pulling up the water from the well.  The rain water comes down the gutters into the well.

Then they pour it into the jug.  Duncan's being a helper!

Mercy's kitchen.  This is the whole kitchen.  She has a two eye gas burner.  Everything else is done by hand.

Luka teaching computer technology at Morris's school.

Priscilla, Duncan and me trying to relax and catch some African sunshine.

Morris and Junga in front of Morris's school.

This is Joseph holding their ladder I just climbed to the top of the wall in the background on.

Junga can do everything.  He is sewing a hole in my suitcase bag.

Mercy is sweeping with a broom made of tussock grass.

Washing my clothes the Kenyan way!

Teaching the children how to throw a frisbee.

Part of the obstacle course I set up for the kids.

This was the biggest hit of all!

Monica, me and Judy with the school's new name-AFRICA BRIGHT SCHOOL!!!!!

This is poor Helen whose parents would not let her accept the scholarship.  Notice she has no shoes.

This is Mary who will be getting the scholarship before she got her uniform.  She would not smile.

This is Mary after getting her uniform.  She was so happy!

Hugs and kisses are what it's all about!

Did I mention it was cold here?