khan el-khalili

Dating back to 1382, Khan El-Khalili is full of exotic charm and smells! I have now gone twice, and had a ton of fun both times. Each experience was new, and each provided chances for me to practice bartering... and all of my new Arabic vocabulary!

With great finds, and new friends, Khan El-Khalili is breath taking. It is a continuous maze of narrow alleys, leading sometimes up steep, uneven staircases...

Pictures just do not do any justice - any my attempts are lacking by far!! These are just a few to try to give you an idea.

Enjoy.

nile adventures

The first time I saw any rain in Cairo... and the last (so far!).

I just really love this archway... hidden by all the goods that are being sold in Khan El-Khalili

Just check out the beauty that hidden inside Khan El-Khalili

Looking down one of the many alleyways at Khan El-Khalili

Looking around, as we ate our meal outside Khan El-Khalili

... only in Cairo

And to think there is one of these on almost every street corner... Some much more beautiful than others..

The view at just outside of Khan El-Khalili

This is Mary Carmen, as we enjoyed a rest from the hustle and bustle of Khan El-Khalili!

arba'a wa nuus

Sitting in limbo on Cairo's margins, an hour from city centre, Arba'a Wa Nuus is a very poor area on the Northern outskirts of Cairo. The poorest and most marginalised refugees live here. The needs are very great indeed.

For the past few years refugees, mostly from Sudan, have made their way to Arba'a Wa Nuus because rental prices are lower than in the city. It is one of the few places where refugees have assembled in numbers large enough to make a visual difference. Most have little hope of leaving and still less to hope for if they stay. No one seems to know exactly how many people fleeing Sudan have ended up in Cairo.

Every Wednesday, Mary and I will drive out to Arba'a Wa Nuus to teach English to the teachers at the Sudanese refugee school. Today was my first time out; we interviewed each teacher to assess their level of understanding and usage in English.

One of the questions we asked, was for them to tell us about their family. The entire time I was sitting there, I was on the brink of tears. Each story riddled with pain, separation from family, from everything. There was no end to stories about the Janjaweed, who either destroyed, stole or killed everything in their lives.

Today I prayed, "Father, give me your heart for these people". His heart is overwhelming.

This is a very sad day for me.

masakin al shorta

This is the community I now call home.

My roommate Mary Carmen; she is from Queretaro (the most beautiful city), Mexico!


In front of Nama's shop on our street. Nama is the cutest lady there is; she speaks absolutely no English. The only thing I can really say to her is "shukran" (thank you); I've got that one down pat! I hope to have tea (shay) with her soon. There are often many people in front of her shop. This is where I buy water (mayya) and eggs (beid).











Many boys play football on the street, often oblivious of cars until the last second. Notice the tree to the left. In the middle of the night, we heard a loud crack; this is what we saw in the morning. I thought it was funny.











These tracks carry cars full of garbage (how it's collected here). There are often many men that roam these tracks. I walk this way to catch the metro.












This is our front gate to our home. My team leaders (and family) lives upstairs, while Mary Carmen and I live in the downstairs apartment. What is missing from these pictures are the millions of stray cats you will find on any given street. They are afraid of people... I am not too friendly with them... :S
















Our door is straight ahead, while our team leader family's door is above.
















This is my new kitchen! I love to do the cooking for Mary Carmen and I. Breakfast is really my thing, as Mary Carmen is not a morning person (and I really am here!). We have hot water (which is amazing), a small fridge to the right and our propane cooking stove (similar to a camping one) to the left.

Arabic coffee (ahwa arabie) is my new found favourite drink.

arrived at last!

At such an early hour, I should be sleeping. However, I feel far too rested to sleep any longer. Awoken by the call to prayer, resounding from the nearby mosque; it doesn’t seem so foreign anymore.

The actual trip to Cairo went well. I found myself extremely exhausted, experiencing dizzy spells as I tried to unpack. Flying into Cairo felt like a dream. Looking out my peep hole of a window, I could see the desert sand rush towards us. For a moment, it seemed like we would touch down on that sand. In just enough time, asphalt appeared under the landing gear, and we came to an abrupt halt. Once inside, we were ushered down uneven marble stairs, into a narrow hallway. The narrow hallway opened up into a large room full of lineups and activity. Welcome to Cairo!

Driving in Cairo is something else! In some places, there are lines. No one uses those lines however. Even on more major streets, four lanes quickly become five or six. The horn is used regularly, as a means for traffic control. Both very new and very old cars are full of dents!

Thursday marked my first day working with the clinic. I met my mentor Ruth and her husband Jon. This week, a few clinics were set up all over Cairo. I participated by examining children’s eyes at the Maadi Community Church. The moment the first group of children walked through the gates, I felt my heart grow ten sizes! I can’t explain why; I felt so full, even though I had yet to do a single thing! Maybe this is what it means to be walking where He leads. In many ways, this is the beginning of making my dreams reality. He has placed these people in my heart, and I can already feel His love for them (if only a portion).

Many shops are closed on Friday, some all day, while others only during prayer and the message (which is played over the loudspeaker at the mosque). This is also our “Sunday”. We attend a church called Maadi Community Church (MCC), which is a conglomeration of believers from all over the world. The service is in English – you cannot know how thankful I am for this!! It was fantastic to praise Him with so many from around the world. You can see more on their website: http://maadichurch.com/

It does not seem like I left home almost a week ago. I have found my little place in my community. This week, I tried my best to tidy things up to make them feel like home. We have so much potential in our little apartment. I will try to post pictures of our community later.

Thank you for holding me up in your prayers! It means so much to be part of the functioning Body!

Heather