I belong with you, you belong with me..

I have one of those countdown Apps on my phone. The one that gives you the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the moment you're waiting for. It's currently set for the time my plane is scheduled to depart from Cairo to NYC. Every time I think about that day I get overwhelmed with emotion. I'm nervous about making my connecting flights. I'll be exhausted and short on time, but I'll be one step closer. One step closer to hugging my Mom and Dad. I can't even express the joy that fills me when I think about my sister..oh my. You know all those corny phrases? The ones put on signs, bumper stickers, and pinterest pins about sisters being best friends? They're true.
My sister has been my truest rock in the last 5 months. She shows her emotions in complicated ways..but she has been there for me every step of the way. She listened to my tears and fears. She's the one who told me she didn't want me to leave, but would support me if I did. She's kept that promise. She's the one who said nothing on the phone as I poured my heart out and just needed someone to listen as my heart broke over my decisions. She's the one who told me she needed me home, but that it was my decision and she would support me, but would be mad if I came home for any reason other than myself. I could go on for paragraphs about Sam. If you have a sister, I hope you understand. I hope you know the love and connection that I have been blessed with. I can't wait to see her finish out her senior year of high school. I can't wait to see her. I can't wait to go home.

It doesn't make leaving that much easier though. As I spent this morning getting my little guy ready for school my heart fell to pieces. I was kneeling down helping him put his favorite Spiderman shirt on while he was playing peek-a-boo with my bangs. He sang me a song as I put his socks on and listed all the friends he planned to see. He asked if he could put on his shoes and listed the rest of the tasks we needed to accomplish before he left. "I'm Ready?", he asked, I nodded. He ran to his Mom, informed her he was ready to go, grabbed his backpack, and with half a glance as he walked out the door yelled, "Bye, Danna! See you soon!"

Pretty soon it will be me walking out that door. I'm trying to get ready for that moment. He won't be able to prepare. He's too young to understand the distance..the time. I'm just hoping he's young enough to forget. That after a few days he won't ask where I am. That his heart won't break as mine will. His big sister knows i'm leaving. She wants to come visit me in America. I wish I could see her become the young lady I know she can be. I wish I could watch his vocabulary explode and his world get bigger and bigger. It's a strong force, but the one from home is stronger. I'm certain for many, many reasons that i'm doing what's right. God has been good to me here. He's good all the time. He's made my path clear, and I'm following him as best as I can.

Please pray for a smooth transition and for safe travels.


7 Days 19 hours 50 minutes and 42 seconds. <3

-A

So many song titles come to mind...

I know I should probably give a great explanation. I should write out beautiful words based on my feelings. I should tell the story on why I'm going home in less than two weeks. I just can't do it right now. My thoughts and emotions make no sense to me. My heart is a disaster. I'm having life experiences that I just don't want. yet, I'm here. I am living and experiencing despite what I want. So for now I'm going to tell you some things I'm looking forward to, okay? if it's not okay, click the little 'X' or the red dot in the corner of your screen. Yes, i'm a little bit edgy these days. Sorry.

-My family is a "duh" on the list. As are my friends.
-A shower with both hot water AND water pressure. That will be glorious.
-CHIPOTLE!!
-A decent pizza
-Chik-Fil-A(Are you seeing a trend?)
-English speaking people..everywhere!
-Laundry room INSIDE my house and not in a separate building.
-My car that I can drive where ever i'd like. :) Im quite excited!
-Autumn!! But not the cold. It's gonna be rough adjusting to weather again.
-Bacon wrapped stuffed peppers! My uncle so kindly sent me a picture of the ones he was eating as I'm typing this. Punk :)
-My cousin's Puppies :) Mia and Charlie
-My sweet cousin Stacy Rae is getting married and I get to be there!!
-No more lizards in my bed :) Or Cockroaches in the shower :)

Today concludes a 3 day weekend for the kids and sleep is calling me. But before I go, please take the time to watch this video. It is SO well done, and so important that it's information is shared. So please. Watch and share with the people in your life, so we can make a difference in someone else's.

If you feel so inclined to learn more or donate to the Boys Home, my friend Marla blogged about it this week. I encourage you to check it out..

Thanks All!
-A-

Just a little favor

A lot of heavy things are happening right now, friends. My mind is stretched and my heart aches. I can't say much more, but I'm asking for prayer as I make decisions. Pray for my safety and my heart. Pray for my family back home, and my family here. Oh, and i'm still sick, please pray that I can kick this cough!

Thank you.
much love in Christ,
Amanda

Just keep Swimming.

So it's been a while. It's been a crazy month. I feel like I have so much to say and yet no words. So i'll try anyway. :)

It's September and that means the start of school for the kiddos. K started a couple weeks ago and it was going well until she was out sick for a few days getting the rest of the house sick. This nasty flu/cold thingamajig kept A from missing his first week of school and kept us all cranky once we got it. I'm slowly recovering myself :) But the kids are looking up which is good! K is excelling in school, she's ahead of all her classmates in many areas and was the first student to open the teacher's treasure box for completing a booklet. When I saw her coming off the bus with her prize, i jumped up and down and hollered a "Woo-Hoo". Needless to say, the bus maiden thinks i'm nuts, but my girl knows i'm proud. That's what matters, right?

I'm sure a lot of you are curious about how things are with the events of last week. If you don't know what i'm talking about, the American Embassy in Cairo was attacked by protesters and a flag was torn down and burned. That same week Americans were killed at a consulate in Libya, and several other embassies were attacked all over the Arab world. Seeing as I live in Cairo it causes many of us to stop and question what it's like. Honestly, things don't feel much different than before. Vague threats from Obama, even more vague responses from Morsi. But i'm in no immediate danger. No more than I was when I first came. At this particular moment i'm still here. It could change, but now i'm here.

Things I'm looking forward to:
The chance of rain i just heard about- how weird would that be? :)
This weird alignment of planets over the Pyramids at the end of the month that only happens every few thousand years- if it can be seen through the smog.
A starting pre-school! He's going to be slightly traumatized by being left there, but i think he'll love it and thrive once he's comfortable.
My boss is trying to snag me a copy of one the top selling books in the middle east right now. It's about the Revolution and is completely out of stock. Her friend is the author and is looking around. If not, it's on Amazon, but a hard copy from the author would be cool!


I've been busy, sick, tired, happy, confused, homesick, and loved over the past couple weeks. All I know, no matter what, I am thankful. God is good no matter what. It may seem bad, or scary, or inconvenient, but He provides my daily bread in every form. I can't complain. I trust Him and I'll follow Him no matter what that plan may be. Pray for me in that, please.

God Bless,
Amanda

A little bit of life

Sometimes my thoughts and emotions just overwhelm me.  Sometimes that's why I can't write. Other times it's because I don't feel like I have anything to say. Who wants to read random thoughts, right? Then I get complaints, "Why haven't you blogged? You're behind on posts you know..etc" But I can't. I can't write a crappy post just for the sake of posting. Now though? NOW i'm in one of those moods where I HAVE to write. I have to get these jumbled up thoughts out no matter what they turn into. Apologies in advance ;)

Let's start with the fact that I have been so incredibly blessed with my host family. I can't even express what it's like to be here. Yeah, it's often a crazy mix of emotions and figuring things out. It's a 'do you just say "Bless you" when the two year old sneezes, or do you teach him to say 'Hamdelelah' because it's muslim tradition?' kind of situation. When the response to things is supposed to be: Thank God, God Willing, or God Bless what do I do? We aren't trusting/speaking to the same God..So I can't give the impression that I am..but it's rude. It's really not too difficult. It's not something that comes up as often as you'd think, but it does on occasion. Keeps me on my toes. :) Long story short though? I love these people. M is a very special friend during a special time in my life. I love that the two yr old, A, and I have our own bedtime routine. I love that K shares all the good things she did in school that day so I'll tell her I'm proud. I'm thankful that M and I are so on the same page about my place here. To replace no one, but to be a friend and tool in the training up of some amazing kids. Cookie taste tester has been added to my job description, and if you know me at all you already know this is hard. Not the eating part, but the critiquing. Today I got a lecture because I said the brownie cookie was nice even though it was slightly dry. haha..I'm learning to pay closer attention to detail, and not just with cookies :) All in all, I can hardly remember the awkward days when I first arrived. I'm now a functioning member of this foreign family!

I'm learning a lot about myself. It's kind of funny, but really eye opening. M often says she thinks i'm here for a bigger reason than just the kids. I'm here to find myself-as cliche as that sounds, I whole heartedly think it's true. I've been stripped away from everything I know. No family. No friends. No church. Just me and Jesus hangin out in the Middle East together. He's totally taking care of me. I'm being stretched and grown and it's incredible. Tomorrow I'm going to my new church for the 3rd week in a row. I have a couple "friends" who I catch up with all while meeting new people every week too. I enjoy and connect with the sermons. I'm adjusting to the style of worship. I'm thriving in the fellowship. Have you ever stood in the same place with people from ALL OVER THE WORLD singing and just worshiping the risen Christ? I have..and you're missing out if you haven't. I miss Redeemer. I miss the people who have supported me for most of my life. I miss my pastor. I miss my pew at the front of the sanctuary where there is little distraction and my family beside me. I love Redeemer Church..and I always will, but I feel like something clicked now that I'm at MCC. I can't explain it..just know that i'm good. Not only am I around other Americans, but I'm around other christians every week. and it's awesome. :) I'm hoping to get some Arabic lessons started in the next few weeks- all the locals I've met have told me I have a knack for the language. It would be pretty great to communicate better. Pray for guidance and a flexible schedule!

So my friends and family. I'm HAPPY. I'm exhausted most days- between nearly 12 hour days and the polluted air it's inevitable. But I love my work. I love the people I live with. I love the food(i've become quite adventurous with it by the way). This country, with all of it's history and heart ache and confusion is making its' way into my heart. They say once you take a drink from the Nile you always come back(or something like that) and I feel like after a few sips i'm already hooked. God is so good. I can't ever say that enough. Thankfully, I never have to stop. 

Amanda

oh. and Happy Birthday, Dad :) Miss and love you!!

Life is..?

Things I could probably live without:

-The lizards I find all over my room- including in my bed.

-The cockroach we killed in the living room.

-Not knowing what people are saying 90% of the time.

-Having to be driven around, rather than driving myself.

-Sweating from just sitting outside.

-Having to brush my teeth with bottled water because my stomach still gets queasy.

-Cleaning nail polish off my 2 yr olds hands.

Things I love:

-When a little boy comes running Into the room saying, "Danuh! Danuh! Pee pee hamem! Good boy!" after he successfully used the toilet ;)

-Looking through my photos with K and telling her all about each person and event.

-Laughing with my boss. We have some really great moments.

-Baskin Robins ice cream and Egyptian cuisine together.

-A behavior chart that ends the day with a perfect score(for the kids, not me ;))

-Finding a hundred pictures of K in the same pose on my phone.

-Dance parties with balloons.

-Long talks with old friends despite the distance.

-The endless possibilities of my future :)


Life is crazy. Lots of love and laughter. Lots of sadness and heartache. Endless Ups and downs. But my faith is strong and my heart is full of hope.

Life is Good.

Don't drink the water..

There wasn't any actual water drinking involved..only sealed bottled water anyway. I was sick though. for a few days, too. ew. I have to say that it's pretty embarrassing when you have flu like symptoms, one boss sends you to bed in the middle of your work day, and the other boss takes wonderful care of you. Yes, it was embarrassing--it was also a wonderful testament to the people I work for. They made sure I had proper medicine, foods to eat, a doctor came to see me and  they also insisted I had adequate time off. I was so so thankful for them this past week. I'm feeling good as new now and closer with my "family" then before.

Ramadan is nearing it's finish and my "typical" day will change yet again. On the table for discussion right now is whether we will fly to Sharm El Sheikh for Eid(The Festival of fast-Breaking). Its a 3 day feast, or something like it, after Ramadan. Sharm El Sheikh is worth a Google Image Search. It's a gorgeous place at the Red Sea..i'm hoping to get a little diving in if we go :) It'll be nice when school starts and things are more settled. 

Speaking of the Red Sea..today I drove over the Nile again..it just blows my mind to think this huge river was blood at one time. Or that I may get to swim in the very water that God parted for the Israelites. I mean..whoa. I literally live minutes from the pyramids. I drove by those today as well..and I couldn't help but read some of Exodus when I got back home. I want to soak it all in. Give God all the glory. Let Him into my life to over power the Islam that coats my life here. In the same hour that I marveled over the Nile, I walked by a building that had  "RIP Bin Laden" in Graffiti on it. I saw a little boy no older than 7, who washing cars on the side of a road, with his family for money and dressed in rags. I later stood in the place where hundreds of people have died fighting for their freedom and haven't gotten very far. It was a sobering day.  It's going to be a humbling year. I was thankful to get back to my private room, in my house with guards, to order a pizza and eat oreos. It makes me ready to go back to my real home to help my sister pick a college. To see my cousins get married. To be comfortable. But please tell me where in scripture it says to be comfortable? Tell me what reasons other than selfishness and fear that I would abandon this awfully beautiful place? Think on that one. Something is happening here. I'm not sure what, but I can't quit. Check out this conversation:

M: Need anything from the Pharmacy?

Me: Some nail polish remover and hand soap, please!

K: Amanda, it's not good to wear nail polish. You can't pray.

M: It's okay, K.

K: Amanda, DO you pray? 

Me: Yes, I do pray.

K: But you cant have a manicure when you pray!

M: K, she prays but she prays differently than we do..

K: oh..*sits quietly*

My boss proceeded to explain to me what K meant about wearing nail polish. Basically they wash in a certain way to cleanse before they pray and the nail polish blocks the nails and so they aren't pure. That's not my point though. I'm DIFFERENT. Kids notice these things. She knows I look different. She knows I speak differently. She knows I don't fast during ramadan, and she's asked why. She knows I pray, but she knows its not like her family. I don't know if i'm here just to learn and to expose. I don't know if i'm planting seeds and/or if i'll see any fruit. I don't know God's plan for me other than my goals as a Nanny. But I know that he's big. I know that he's more powerful than any being. I know that he can use regular, imperfect me..in whatever way he chooses. So i'm here with arms open asking Him to take me and break me and use me for his purpose only. I miss home..but I'm needed here..maybe for more than just potty training. Pray that the Lord equips me with whatever it is I need. I'm nothing without HIM and he will provide.

    

                                   I'll leave you with a few shots from my trip to the city today:

Told ya there are pyramids!

Nile

The next two are in Tahrir Square

<3 Amanda