A busy two days

For the second time in as many weeks, we found ourselves yesterday under the care of armed guards who didn't speak our language!

This time, we were traveling back from the Sinai Peninsula after a 2 a.m. climb to the summit of Mount Sinai, arriving just in time to watch the moon set to the right while the sun rose to the left. (It's standard in Egypt for Americans traveling outside Cairo to be joined by security forces; our van driver had avoided the added rider on the way there by telling the police we were Canadian.)

The climb itself was grueling. By God's grace, we couldn't find the tougher path we'd intended to take (3,700 steps straight up, called the "Staircase of Repentance" by the monks at the monastery below) and instead shared the way with hundreds of pilgrims and perhaps even more locals calling out "Need camel? Want camel?" Suffice it to say we now understand why Moses was pretty unhappy when he had to go and get a second set of tablets.

Our first camel ride came today, when we visited the pyramids and sphinx, perched just outside Cairo. Haggling with the camel owner was an adventure in and of itself, though we were greatly aided by Sherri and her amazing Arabic skills.

Speaking of Sherri, I'd like to share with you a bit about this wonderful family that has hosted us here. Many of you may remember the Ellingtons from their visit to Westminser last year. Dusty and Sherri and their boys (Clayton and Christopher) became good friends while he and I did our doctoral work at Duke. Rather than taking a more conventional, Stateside position, they both sensed a deep call to service here at Evangelical Theological Seminary, a school that trains pastors for the Middle East.

Of the many inspiring traits of this family I could mention, I'm perhaps most overwhelmed by the way in which they've immersed themselves in Egyptian culture, eagerly studying Arabic, living in an Egyptian (rather than expatriate) neighborhood, sending Clayton to school with almost all Arab and mostly Muslim kids. I'm struck by the Christian witness they offer simply by living faithfully, openly embracing the Egyptian culture (which is very different from ours!) on its own terms. I know they'd covet your continued prayers as they adjust to life here and grow in their knowledge of language and culture.