For over a week I've been working off four lists of tasks that I'm trying to complete before getting on a plane on Wednesday afternoon. I've gotten a lot checked off my lists. I WILL get more done tomorrow. My lists help me prepare to be gone for a month.
This year especially there is much I can not prepare for. I don't know how we'll find the situation in Ma'adi (our neighborhood) or in Cairo when we arrive. I suspect that we will find things more changed than we ever have before. I suspect that tensions will be running high in the streets and among my students at seminary. No doubt you've seen the news of the protests that have erupted since Saturday's sentencing of Hosni Mubarak and the acquittal of his sons and other former government officials. In addition, June 16 and 17 are the scheduled dates of the runoff presidential election. The two candidates are as polarizing as can be. While I'm eager to experience the election and the announcing of results first-hand, I know the results of the presidential election will likely lead to more violence.
Because of all the uncertainty of what's happening in the streets, sight seeing will probably be kept to a minimum this year. I hope to use that opportunity to spend more of my time and energy engaging with the people in our neighborhood and finding opportunities to listen to their stories - even when I can't always understand them because of my poor Arabic.
These are some of my preparations this year. As always, I'm grateful for the prayers that you have and will continue to offer.
Thanks for following along and taking an interest in my journeys.
Amy(almost)-in-Egypt
This year especially there is much I can not prepare for. I don't know how we'll find the situation in Ma'adi (our neighborhood) or in Cairo when we arrive. I suspect that we will find things more changed than we ever have before. I suspect that tensions will be running high in the streets and among my students at seminary. No doubt you've seen the news of the protests that have erupted since Saturday's sentencing of Hosni Mubarak and the acquittal of his sons and other former government officials. In addition, June 16 and 17 are the scheduled dates of the runoff presidential election. The two candidates are as polarizing as can be. While I'm eager to experience the election and the announcing of results first-hand, I know the results of the presidential election will likely lead to more violence.
Because of all the uncertainty of what's happening in the streets, sight seeing will probably be kept to a minimum this year. I hope to use that opportunity to spend more of my time and energy engaging with the people in our neighborhood and finding opportunities to listen to their stories - even when I can't always understand them because of my poor Arabic.
These are some of my preparations this year. As always, I'm grateful for the prayers that you have and will continue to offer.
Thanks for following along and taking an interest in my journeys.
Amy(almost)-in-Egypt
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