Ma'a as-salaama Middle East

We are leaving Cairo and by that the Middle East... Travelling here has been a good experience for us. We tried to count the kilometres we travelled by bus it must be around 4000 in total.
We have seen much of the beauty of this region, in people, monuments and nature. And we got an idea as well of the struggles and difficulties - and our hearts are with our friends who are affected by the war right now.
I am happy to go home now but I know it was not our last time coming here.

There's some things we will surely miss as they made up a big part of our everyday experience... :-)

Koshary... The best and cheapest streetfood Cairo has to offer. Pasta, lentils, onions, chickpeas and tomatosauce. We had it nearly everyday...

"Welcome to Egypt\Cairo\Alaska?\..." The tone varies from wellmeaning and friendly to harsh and almost threatening :-).

The call to prayer. And to hear the microphone check right before it goes on...

That oriental feeling... Shesha and a cup of mint tea... (Don't stone me for that).

The grinning faces of camels. I love camels.

The adventure of riding in taxis - will we get the normal or the tourist price?

Our australian friends farting through a fan.

Hearing arabic - I really enjoyed getting used to the sound of it. Maybe someday I will be able to talk as well.

The picture shows St Catherines monastery - allegedly the place on Mount Sinai where Moses met God who talked to him out of a burning bush. We dind't have that one "burning bush" experience. But we felt God was with us during all this time and showed us his heart for this region.

There is HOPE

Just got news that both, Rana and Sam from Lebanon might still be able to come to Freakstock... That would be so cool!!!
Rana was just offered a flight on the 29th, and since Sam is in Cyprus now it might be possible for him to come from there...

It's weird how the situation changes in just a couple of hours.
Thanks for praying everybody...

***

Tonight we will be on the nightbus to Cairo again, having two more days in the city to do everything we didn't manage to do before and then we are flying home...

Happy.

Cairo

Thanks for all your prayers for our friends in Lebanon. As far as we know they are fine - some have left the country, the others are trying to keep up with normal life... It seems that none of them will be able to come to Freakstock, but they are in our hearts anyway.

Now. Cairo. I must confess I have been quite tired during the last week and half staying here in Cairo, some extra temperature and smog has not helped much... BUT we had very nice company. We met Hannes (Jesus Freaks Stuttgart) totally unexpected and spent the whole week hanging out with him and some friends!! That gave us a nice break of being "only" tourists which we enjoyed a lot.

Cairo is an overwhelming city with 17 million people living very closely together. Rich and poor, educated and illiterate all side by side. It reminds me much of India, the little backstreets, lots of children playing, fruit stalls, tea houses, men sucking their sheesha - as well as highly educated business students hanging out in western style coffee places and bars.
On our first night we sat by the Nile watching the people passing by and I felt I like this city. Maybe it's the water :-).

Salaam aleikum - PEACE BE WITH YOU

I can't believe the news. The countries we've just been to and that got close to our hearts are turned upside down once more in the terrible mess that's going on at the moment.
Beirut a city that had not yet become fully alive again is being pressed down once more. The last thing this country needs now is yet another war in which civilians will again suffer the most. We crossed those borders that are blocked now, travelled the roads that are being bombed - the one to Damascus as well as the ones in the south of the country. Our friends are living in those places. This conflict suddenly is a very "personal" one.
And by this I am not only thinking about Lebanon. Israel has become dear to us, as well as Syria has. Friends have served or are serving in the Israeli Army; we have seen attempts to find ways out of the riddle, saw a generation completely frustrated with the whole situation...
I want to see change happening. I want to see Gods plans of hope and future for this region and its people lived out. I know that the arms of Jesus are long and strong enough to embrace the whole area. And I know that only his love will overcome hatred and violence. That is what I am hoping and believing for, maybe you can join in...

We just received an email from our friend in Beirut - he wants to come to Freakstock this summer but with all ways in and out blocked this might not be possible - as well as applying for visa etc. I actually wanted to ask if anyone might want to support him with funds for the flight but it has turned to something more essential
now...
If you are into PRAYER then please remember our friends in Beirut - it would mean much for them and us if we could welcome them on Freakstock! (Next thing would be the funds then... let us know if you want to support their coming financially :-) rockthecasbah(a)web.de)

Nothing is impossible...

And hey, we are fine in the everyday chaos of Cairo :-)

love
Rebecca*

In the desert...

We spent some wonderful days in Petra and Wadi Rum in the south of Jordan, hiking, playing around in the desert and riding on camels (fulfilling some dreams...). Just some pictures*


My Camel's name is Sabhan, Hajo's is called Samhan. Felt like Lawrence of Arabia, but our backs hurt afterwards :-).

Selim was our guide in the desert, during break we cooked tea over a small fire. I like the bedouin ways, the idea is to take just as much of nature as you need. And passing strangers are allowed to do the same. I don't know if that still works today, I guess most of us have lost the feel for "just as much as I need".

Life in Tel Aviv

If we don't blog it usually has one of three main reasons:
1.We don't have internet access
2.Nothing is happening
3.A lot is happening
This time the later one was the case. During the last week we met some nice people in Israel. The first one was Christian from the Jesus Freaks Goerlitz, whom we met in Paris during the most unorganized and chaotic outreach we have experienced so far... Then we met a guy from Jerusalem Street Productions, who is doing a lot with music and media. They also were running a club until recently when they had to leave the building. It was one of the only alternative music spots in mostly conservative Jerusalem, and they helped a lot of youngbands getting started, for example the now internationally famous punk bandUseless ID. Now they are looking for a new location. We had a great time together until we were interrupted. Beeing part of the army our friend received an order that called him to an military operation. The incident included the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier which has still some dramatic consequences. We won't go into politics here.

The next couple of days we spent in Tel Aviv, mostly on the beach and shopping. It was a nice and enjoyable contrast programme to the serious and spiritually charged up atmosphere in Jerusalem. We bought some nice clothes with skulls on them as well as Crocs...
We happened to be at the White Night, an annual event wich combines music shows, museums open all night long, flee markets and street art. We were hanging out on the street with some drinks, just watching the crowds of young people pass by and feeling comfortable. We always have to tink about how cool it would be to have some Jesus Freaks over here who are willing to invest in the people. Tel Aviv is the most modern place in the middle east I guess, and lots of alternative people are living here in communities. Actually some people are getting prepared to make a convoy to Israel, I am really looking forward to find out about their experiences. This is an impression of the flea market by night.

And one more thing that is funny and sad at the same time: Todays local newspaper writes that Jewish, Muslim and Christian residents wer able to unite to oppose a planned international homosexual parade in Jerusalem. One of the speakers was saying: This is the holy land, not homo-land. Well I think there are more important things to aim at and unite for than blaming people that are different. And I am convinced that Jesus would act much more graceful with them than todays religious people.