1 down, 51 to go

Hello from the continent of Africa :) It's been quite a week for me, so i'll start from the beginning. 


Last Saturday, the 23rd of June, I said goodbye to my friends and family as I was leaving the following day for Cairo, Egypt! I had been offered a job, and would be staying there for a minimum of a year caring for two children ages 5 and 2. The goodbyes were hard and tearful, but the whole way through I knew I had made the right choice. Sunday morning came and my family drove me to the airport. There were more tears, but my excitement soon took over. After nearly 24 hours of traveling I arrived at the Cairo International Airport on Monday June 25th. My new boss was waiting for me along with one of my charges(the child I am caring for) and we set off for home. On the drive, I marveled at the architecture and the people. There is such a drastic diversity here. The way of life is so different, yet so much of it I love already. I drove by the pyramids as well-but I didnt have a camera on me at the time. M(My female boss) promised to take me there when the weather cools off a little this fall. She's so good at sharing culture and things with me. We have great conversations comparing our home countries. We are slowly becoming friends.
The first couple days were rough in terms of Jet Lag and nerves. It took most of the week to get on the right sleeping schedule, but I'm well adjusted now and enjoying things much more. The children are sweet and fun, but they ARE children so I have some work to do :) After 5ish full days of work, we left for the Mediterranean sea. It's a nearly 3 hour drive to the coast. A solid 2 hours looking only at desert. Like this:

                                                     But the end result was worth it:

 Here at the beach we spend our days in the garden, in the pool, at the beach, and when the sun sets we head to the playground that's conveniently right across the road from our house. M's family and best friend are also here, so we meet up with them often. It's been fun and tiring thus far, but I still love it.
Simple things are becoming a kind of 'normal' for me now. So you may have a question or five about things I hardly think about. Please feel free to ask and I'll try and answer when I can :) My goal is to update weekly, but things here are quite busy. I'll do the best I can!

Please pray for my continued adjustment to the culture and family. Everyone is so friendly here which is very helpful, but it's not quite home. Also, pray for my spiritual health as it will be a month before I am back in Cairo where I can attend a solid church. It will be a challenge for sure!
Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers. They mean so much to me. 
God Bless,
Amanda