Service Project Oct 19, 2024

The two branches in Cairo had a joint work project today. The other missionary couple has found a building to rent to create a "gathering place", primarily for the Arab branch, but open to all. The place will have internet, computers, and recreational items to attract members and friends of the Church. The building needed a lot of work and, as can be seen in the pictures, quite of few people came to level the backyard and hand carry in bags of sand.  I help load many, many bags of sand. The international members are mostly from the USA and are employed by governmental entities. The Arab branch members are from many areas, including Sudan, Lebanon, and Syria. 



We walked from our apartment to the gathering place and back. It was a 34 minute walk each way. The neighborhood we are living (Maadi) is rather pretty with the many trees, but few sidewalks exist and one must constantly dodge cars walking. We both had a rather sleepless night last night and are looking forward for jet lag to depart.

 


 We stopped at the grocery store on our walk home and spent 1,679 Egyptian pounds. Luckily, the exchange rate is about 49 Egyptian pounds to 1 dollar. Therefore, this was less than $35.






 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dinner with Daud's Family and Trip to Alexandria with Whipples

Image
  We had dinner with Daud and his family. I wore the shirt that he wife sewed for me. They are still waiting to be relocated to Winnipeg, Canada. We took a one-day trip to Alexandria to visit two NGOs with whom we have projects and considering others. The new couple, Dave and Maire Whipple came with us. This is the Citadel on the coast. We visited a Roman museum. Here is Kathleen viewing the many pots preserved. Here is the travel that existed in the Mediterranean Sea thousands years ago. The museum had many ancient coins, some going back to Alexander the Great. Kathleen looking at a burial sarcophagus.  This was a Christian mummy that had a painted head. They even mummified crocodiles. Kathleen and Steve at a mural. The Whipples and Walstons with the leaders of Don Bosco in Alexandria. Welding training in Don Bosco in Alexandria. Dave Whipple in Don Bosco training area. Kathleen in Don Bosco Alexandria. We were told that the roof over this facility was made of asbestos and ne...
Read more

Valley of the Whales and Youth Activity

Image
  On Feb 28th we took a trip to the Valley of the Whales or Wadi al Hetan. Here there are more than a thousand fossilized whales that have been found. The area used to be a large sea millions of years ago. Ironically, this is the same day that the Trump administration decided to bomb Iran and start a regional conflict. It is a lot of desert here now, but there were mango swamps millions of years ago. Many different kinds of whale bones have been discovered here. There was quite a evolution of different whales. These rocks contain remains of fossilized mango swamps. More desert. We went when the weather was quite cool (for Egypt) and there was a breeze. The temperature was probably in the 60s. The area was interesting to see. We traveled there with the other missionary couple, Dave and Maire Whipple. Interesting rock formations. You can see in the middle layer of this rock a whale skeleton. The next picture is a monument to celebrate the valley of the whales. It was probably 30 mile...
Read more

Elder Bednar visit Nov 22, 2025

Image
  We had a priesthood leadership council training meeting on November 22, 2025 that was led by Elder Bednar and our Area Presidency, Elder Perkins, Parrella, and Back. They are pictured in the back of our villa where we hold church in Cairo. Elder Whipple and I had a lot to accomplish to prepare for the training. He coordinated all of the travel and I the work preparing the facility and food. It all worked well and we were spiritually fed. I was impressed with Elder Bednar's presentations and the practicality of what he taught. He requested that we not try to keep detailed minutes but to seek for impressions of the spirit and write these down. Much of the meeting was question and answer. I actually made a couple of comments in the meetings, which might be unusual for me in such settings.  Here is a larger view of our chapel and Elder Bednar. After the training meetings Elder Bednar visited the Gran Imam of Egypt. When he finished we met him at the Magdi Yacoub Hospital where w...
Read more