Tribes, Truces and Trousseaus

It's Day 3 of a 3-Day truce between fighting tribes here in our city.  Yesterday, John and I were given the "all clear" by our local friends to walk through town and teach an English class.  As we were walking along the main road, sirens began blaring and a long procession of SUVs with dark-tinted windows passed, followed by armored vehicles with military personnel brimming over.

The "parade" lasted only a few seconds but the vibe on the street definitely changed.  Citizens paused to see where the caravan went.  They began talking to one another.  We weren't sure what to do next.  I looked at John and said, "Well…what do you think?"  No one was scurrying so we took that as a good sign.  We proceeded to our appointment without incident.

After our class, one of our friends asked if we had phone service. We checked and did not.  We had different carriers so we wondered it if were a city-wide problem.  It was.  We discovered later that the government had shut down the phones for a 2-hour period as the military made a sweep through particular neighborhoods for suspects and weapons (at least that's the word on the street and Twitter).

Phone service was restored and nothing really seemed to come of the earlier events.  Life continued on.  Our friend, Musa*, is planning a boat trip with Australians today.  I asked if they were concerned about the security situation here.  He laughed and said, "No.  Australians and New Zealanders never care about that.  They come anyway."  I guess Crocodile Dundee mentality runs deep there.

I'm not sure how the next few days will progress with the exception that in all this Jesus sees and knows the hearts of every person.  We are encouraging our local friends and  I continue to make plans for our daughter's upcoming college graduation and soon-following wedding.  A wonderful friend of mine wrote and said,  "Can you imagine the stories you'll have to tell your grandchildren from this time?"

Yes, it will be quite the story. 

_____________________

*Not his real name.

Another "Snow Day"

Today's a political "snow day" for us.  On Friday, what seemed to be a skirmish between high school students turned into a tribal feud that has continued through today.  We've read various accounts of why and who, but it still remains a bit unclear.

We do know that the clashes are between two tribes, one Nubian and the other Arab.  These tribes have deep roots of resentment that stem from the Nubian forced relocation (by Arabs) in the 1960s from a near-Nile residence to a more desert terrain.  

Yesterday we received 2 calls and 1 visit from our local friends updating us on the city happenings. They also included warnings for us to stay in.  You see, we live in a Nubian village.  As of yesterday, the villagers placed a checkpoint at the front of the village so that they could control who comes in and out.  The threats between tribes still continue.  The police have been onsite, then off, then on again.  

Egypt in general continues to have country-wide problems and a localized one such as this just creates more instability. The army arrived yesterday via helicopters and armored trucks and are now scattered throughout the area.

I'm shocked sometimes at myself at how "normal" such a heavy military presence seems to me.  I try to imagine what my reaction would be if I saw the same thing in our hometown in the U.S.  I can't.  Yet here it's become a part of every day life.  

We purchased groceries on Saturday not knowing all that was transpiring just a few short blocks away.  Now we pray and wait for the "all clear" from our friends.  There's no immediate threat to us.  We just don't want to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Much of what is being discussed is that both groups want justice.  However, justice has very different meanings depending on the group you are talking to… So it's with much love for these dear people that we pray for Jesus to reveal Himself to them so that true justice and mercy can be applied in only the way the heart can really understand.

"Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,

    and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

    blessed are all those who wait for him."

Isaiah 30:18

Haboob

Life is never dull in our sandy city.  This week we experienced a series of wind storms called haboob.  Funny name, I know.  They aren't like the ones in Sudan where you would see a wall of sand coming your way and you knew to run for cover.  They are more subtle here.  The sky turns from blue to a light brown, the wind kicks up and next thing you know you are right in the middle of it.

We were with some friends taking an afternoon boat ride when the haboob hit.  I had my sunglasses with me (thankfully) so as to avoid all of the sand pelting my eyes.  My skin has never looked fresher.  The point of the trip was to visit a Nubian village and eat lunch.  By the time we arrived, I had a tan complexion.  So did my other boat mates.  We were covered.  We brushed ourselves off as best we could and had a lovely time.

The dust continued for another day which means our home had a thin layer of dust on everything.  Nothing is sealed here so even with everything closed, dust still finds it's way in.  So do ants, but that's another story.

We received word that elections should be coming soon here and to remain "vigilant" when walking out and about.  (That's the word the U.S. Embassy uses when issuing it's weekly updates.)  If you ask 10 different people on the street about the elections, you will hear 10 different opinions.  We try to remain apolitical through it all because 1) it's a two-edged sword and 2) political reform is not the point of our presence.  So we do a lot of listening, asking questions and trying to understand.

One such discussion was with a local man in our village who is extremely sharp.  He speaks at least 5 languages and is well-versed in just about everything.  He dropped by our home one evening and discussed his latest project.  We discussed the sandstorms, the elections and his current work.  Soon he took his leave and said that he and his wife would come back next week.  

Yesterday he returned but without his wife.  He explained that she is expecting their first child and was experiencing trouble.  The doctor ordered bed rest and that is where she was.  We listened as he poured his heart out about their worries and his wife's concern.  John listened as I served tea.  We sipped and discussed until he changed the topic.  At the end of his visit, I presented him with a bag of items for his wife to relax.  I had included a bottle of Bath & Bodyworks bath gel, lip gloss and a Yankee candle.  (Any woman anywhere would like that…)  I included a note telling her that we were praying for her.

As he began to leave, John asked if we could pray for him and his wife.  Our friend agreed.  After, he hugged John and paused.  Then he hugged him again.  He was visibly moved.  He later sent an email thanking us for the gifts and for the prayer.  

So while the "big things" in the country are happening, "big things" of the heart are taking place as well.  While God firmly has a handle on world events, I also believe He is fully aware of individual events…caring, moving.  Allowing us to demonstrate the "personalness" of God is our greatest privilege.  The wind is shifting…subtly, sometimes imperceptibly but knowing that just like a haboob, we find ourselves in the middle of what God is doing.  So great.