My First Angel

My time here is marked by those who change my life everyday. I want to take some time to highlight those people and introduce them to you, hoping they will have just a small impact on your life too through their stories.

Friendship comes in many forms. However, there are those whose friendship with you is absolutely priceless and life changing. Anwar Nabil is one of those friends. Since our first meeting, Anwar has been changing my life moment by moment.

Anwar is a Sudanese refugee who came to Egypt over seven years ago as a youth. He grew up with his mother and two younger sisters, his father absent for most of his life in the Nuba Mountains. Anwar has slowly opened up to me about his past and memories, revealing to me things he has never told anyone. When he was a teenager, he came to Cairo with an uncle hoping for a better future in an unknown country. Without any guidance, he quickly fell into the life style of the first generation of gangs in Cairo. However, a transformation took place in his life when he attended a church retreat. Since then, Anwar has had a desire to reach the gang youth and children that will be the next generation of South Sudan. His ministry is based around his love of music- singing and playing guitar to bring hope to his community.

My walk with Anwar has been full of excitement and fun. I first met him on the staff retreat, the only refugee in the pool with goggles. Our first conversation came after he beat me in a swimming race. He invited me to do some children’s programs with him at his church and I started attending his children’s music program. The hour long bus ride to his area would give us a chance to talk about a lot of things.

This is when I realized Anwar was special. He would speak of how the Sudanese community needed to take more responsibility and help each other rather than depending on the handouts of others. He had dreams of leading his people when they returned to their home country. He wants to give children and youth the tools they need for future leadership. Anwar has many dreams, but what impresses me is that he is not slow to act on them.

Inspired by his passion and equipped with a monetary donation from some friends, I decided to give Anwar a chance to fulfill those dreams. He had been working as a cleaner/ security guard in the office, humbly washing and mopping all of the time. He enjoyed his job, but it was not his passion. With the money I was given, I was able to sponsor Anwar and have him moved to the youth office where he is today. Since the move, he has done administrative work for the team, but also has been active in many programs helping the youth. In addition to his children’s programs, he is involves himself in the sports program and English schools. His biggest project is a youth hip hop program every Friday night in which gang and non-gang members come to practice their talents of rapping in a positive environment.

However, working with the youth can sometimes be dangerous for him. As a young Sudanese male, he is a target for the gangs. In early October, Anwar was attacked by gangs that knew he associated with rival gang members through the youth program. The scars on his neck and cheek are reminders of this day. He has had his wallet and cell phone stolen as well.

Despite these problems, Anwar still continues to joyfully serve. He is now one of my teachers at the school we started in Hielasher. He started a sports program for the Outlaw gang members in his part of the city. There is never a night Anwar does not have a program to help his community.

For the first time since we have met, Anwar shared with me that he wants to come to America to get a better education before returning to Sudan. Most refugees discuss their desire to come to the states within their first conversation with me. Anwar and I have spent long bus rides together and deep conversations on a balcony, but he had never mentioned this before. He said that he would even go to high school before wanted to attend university. I was inspired by this. Again, this is a sign of his humility and willingness to work hard. I’ve personally tutored Anwar and I see his potential. I believe that he doesn’t need an education to achieve some of his goals, but a great education would make him an inspiring leader for the rest of the community.

Continue to pray for Anwar as his follows his heart in ministering to his community.

Second Grade

Here is my second grade class roster:

1. Okello
2. Apio
3. Kenedy
4. Christopher
5. Sameol
6. Asha
7. Ali
8. Godfree
9. Yohannes
10. Agustino
11. Nancy
12. Heaven
13. Lime
14. Bakita
15. Muahib
16. Alia
17. Taban
18. Friday
19. Rizik
20. Chang

This class is full of energy, both good and bad. I have them for two classes- English and religion. The biggest challenge is that the kids range in age 6- 19. Despite the craziness of the room, they are really starting to grow on me. I hope to have some pictures up soon!

Getting into the routine

So I've been in Cairo for a week now. Unpacked, freezing, and over the jetlag, I am now settling back into the "routine of Cairo" (and yes, I said freezing- there is a constant coldness here as a result of the lack of indoor heating and desert nights). My flat is comforting, especially now with the internet and television (plus some few kitchen items I brought from home).

Teaching second and third grade has been interesting. My second grade class has 17 students, ranging in age from 6 to 19. This makes an exciting mixture of attention spans, reading levels, and understanding. However, my 6 year old can do much better than some of the other students in the class. My third grade class is full of 7 & 8 year olds with a group of 13-16 year olds. I mainly teach English and have been suprised at how much the students haven't learned up to this point. One would think "My name is" and " I am from" would be things that would have been taught during the first 4 months of class. The lack of curriculum certainly has contributed to this. The other problem is that English class has always been taught by "volunteers." Volunteers from America, Canada, the UK. Volunteers here for 3 weeks, 6 months, or 5 years. A different volunteer every day. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I will be their teacher until June. Discipline hasn't been too much of a problem. It's amazing what a sticker or some markers (referred to as "colors" by the students) can do for a classroom. The kids here are used to being hit or yelled at constantly. That will not be the case in my classroom. I hope to also get some picture dictionaries copied for them so they have a book and I have a guide. Overall, I am looking forward to the next few months with these kids.

We also started the Adult English Program. With the help of some friends, I have been able to start two schools. One is located at Gugu and the other is about 1.5 hours from my flat. Each is two days a week, for two hours. We will be teaching English, mathematics, social studies, and science. I have a good number of teachers, something that a lot of schools lack here. I even have "real" teachers from Canada. So far, we still just have a lot of students taking placement exams and many returning students that have forgotten that it was "the first day of class." That's how things work here, but in a few weeks school will be in full swing. I was able to get all of the books copied at a good discount and the students were really excited to receive them. The books donated from the high school provided a great source for the compilation of these books.

I have some other projects that I will update on later. For now, I am thankful that everything is working out and I can't wait until Cortney gets here in a week!

Books for Africa

Wow! Things are already off to a great start. I don't want to be overly optimistic, but this email from Books for Africa is promising. There is a lot of work that needs to be done, but it is extremely possible. If you know any organization that would be willing to help in this effort, please let me know. I am currently looking for some sponsors to cover the costs. Thank you to everyone who referred me to this organization. This is the chance to get books for several schools in the area.

Dear Bobbie,

Thank you for your inquiry, I am very pleased at the timing of your message. Books For Africa is interested in offering you a 40-foot donated containerof Primary textbooks and reading books.

Normally, our recipients pay atleast $9,000 towards shipping charges. However, since we have not yet sent a container to Egypt, we want to take advantage of this unique need in your community. Your group or another of your affiliates will be required to clear thecontainer at port and pay related port and customs charges, at least $1,000. We prefer to ship the container to an Egyptian NGO or government entity that has experience clearing a container at port. Therefore, you must determine if the group receiving the container has the capacity to clear the container at port and transport the books to the sites where they will be housed. Further, we request that this group be willing to provide us with photos that document the receipt and impact of the books on the children.

How long do you plan to be in Cairo? We could pack the container within thenext 6 weeks, then count about 2 months at sea. It is not necessary that you be in Cairo when the container arrives, since ideally you want an Egyptian from a local organization in charge of clearing it, as long as you are confident that your group will receive its books. You may want to set up a collaboration with 2-3 other groups, since this amount of books is plentyfor several sites, if not more.This will be an immense pleasure to take forward. Do remain in touch so we can address any of your questions right away.

I arrived in Cairo safely on Wednesday. The flight was long, but with no problems. I was able to come back to my flat and take a nap. I had plans to go get the English books copied, go to the grocery store, and get dinner but they were delayed by my overwhelming exhaustion.

It never really rains in Cairo. However, it rained of course on the day I arrived. While it wasn't pouring, the constant drizzle is enough to cause problems on the dusty streets of this city. Cars have poor windshield wipers and mud flows everywhere. The last time I remember it raining was on the day I arrived in September and one other day while I was here last time. People have told me I bring blessings. I don't know if bringing filthy drops of water from the sky that ruin the street for days is exactly a blessing.

I was able to organize all of the school supplies in between some naps and visiting friends. I was able to give my friends their Christmas presents, leaving some speechless and almost in tears. It's amazing what a small present can do to someone who doesn't celebrate Christmas anymore because of conditions here.

Obviously I'm still somewhat jetlagged as I write this post at 4:30am, but that will soon fade. I will go to Maadi Community Church in the morning. I start teaching again on Saturday in Hei el asher. I am looking forward to getting back into a normal, busy schedule. I'll keep you posted!

For those of you who have been reading my blog, I have now made it possible for anyone to leave comments rather than only those having an account! Sorry about that!

Thank you!

As I prepare for Cairo, I can't help but be thankful for everyone who has supported me since my very first visit, during my stay, and while I was home. My bags are finally packed, full of wonderful supplies for Gugu and my programs. While it wasn't easy getting everything into two 70 lb. bags, the joy that these materials will give is indescribable.

For everyone who has supported me, thank you!