Travels and other random happenings

Gotta love kids...

2008-12-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here are a few examples of the great conversations I've had with the Carpenter kids.

While we all were sitting at the table having a nice lunch, Samuel proposes, "Hey Casey, when we get home, maybe you can borrow one of my mom's swimsuits and we can go out on the trampoline and throw eggs at each other." That's gotta be the best pick-up line I've ever heard.

Caitlin, upon inspecting my passport declared: "Oh, no, you're orange!" So the picture scanned a little funny... I know.

Samuel, again at the dinner table: "Casey, don't you ever feel sad not having anyone to cuddle with." "Yes Samuel, I certainly do..."

Elliot: "Sit still, I'm not done fixing your hair. Samuel made the other side look really bad."

I love the honesty :)

The Most Secure Airline Ever

2008-12-20T07:56:00.000-08:00

My last few days in Egypt were really meaningful. One of the main purposes in coming was to just watch, listen, and feel the "heartbeat" of this nation. I feel like I've really had some good opportunity to do just that. The people I have met here are so amazing; so gracious and committed to the work they are called to. I've also met some wonderful people from South Africa who are just "following the call" as well. We spent the final day in Cairo visiting some of the tourist sites, the coptic area of town and such. It was a good day. Then came the fun adventure...

So I know that El Al is the most secure airlines in the world, but I'm not sure I was prepared for this. Once I passed the myriad of security checkpoints I felt very safe. But the process just to get to that point was really quite comical. Granted, I probably looked a little nervous; I had to go to the bathroom very bad before I started the questioning and didn't realize it would be another hour and a half.... Also, I suppose it looked a little suspicious: a single woman traveling alone at night from Cairo to Tel Aviv; with a big suitcase, an Arabic Bible, a notebook with a lot of Arabic phrases and Egyptian phone numbers; two cell phones and a few electronics; and I had stopped through England, Ireland, The Netherlands and Egypt prior to entering Israel... so they may have thought I was a "runner" or something. I don't really know, but I certainly set off a few red flags in their mind. I was one of two people who got severely grilled. Everyone gets questioned and searched, but not exactly to the degree I did. They removed every last item from my bags and sifted through it all to the last bobby pin, x-raying everything, and asking me in detail about pretty much my whole life, along with some very odd questions. They actually had four or five different people working on me at the same time. I finally convinced one of them to escort me to the ladies room and assured her I wouldn't look so nervous after. They pretty much made me remove any. and I mean ANY, article of clothing I was wearing that had any metal on it. I didn't have anything to hide, but they were going to make sure of that. They actually took everything away from me and said I'd get my carry-on back at the gate. It was red-tagged, and they took me out of the line at the gate and went through the entire questioning process, and scanning, again. I finally passed and was permitted to get on the plane... but I saw the same security agents eyeing me the whole time. Man, I'm really glad I didn't have anything to hide. But if I ever did, I know they now have a "file" on me. So I feel confident that I could make it through CIA interrogations at Guantanamo now.

Once I made it to the Israel side, there was no problem at all...except for getting my hair-straightener back - which they said was a security violation and I couldn't travel with it. They promised to mail it to me in the US if I answered some more questions and filled out a form in Tel Aviv. We shall see if the very expensive ceramic appliance ever makes its way from the chaos of Cairo to the serenity of Casey's doorstep...highly unlikely.

From the Desert

2008-12-15T10:20:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give you all an update from the middle of the Egyptian desert. Things are going great here. I had a few encounters with panic getting here. I was dropped off in Cairo at a bus that was coming here. My other travelling partner was unable to attend this leg due to some important meetings, so I went solo. The bus was full of mostly men, leaders from other fellowships, most of whom spoke no English and looked like "what the heck is the scared blonde girl doing on this bus...?". I arrived at the facility, literally a compound in the middle of nowhere and it was swarming with people; people who were staring at the strange foreign girl with the big suitcase. I finally found the person in charge and was ushered to my room; a lovely little place, albeit infested with mosquitoes who seem to have a preference for American "O negative" blood. I lost it for about 30 seconds before I pulled myself together and remembered that my name means bold, courageous warrior. I went into the meeting alone, something like a pork chop at a Bar Mitzvah...Once my professor and his team arrived they really took me under their wing. The base leader here is wonderful - absolutely hilarious, always telling jokes. There is a team from South Africa here as well that have been in Egypt for the past 11 days just visiting the persecuted churches and strengthening them.

I've met several people, but there are so many that don't speak any English. They are all very kind though. The spirit of this conference is very encouraging. It is really focusing on equipping church members and leaders to fulfill the Great Commission and reach unreached people groups. They are feeding me well - I get to eat with the speakers which is nice :). The professor asked me to help present some of the profiles for the unreached people groups tomorrow, so that will be a fun experience. They hope to come back here frequently in the future and hold training seminars for missions and cross-cultural evangelism. Overall, it's a wonderful experience - except for the swarming mosquitoes.

I met a gentleman who is a professional photographer for the main Christian magazine in Egypt (although it is not advertised as such). He has written a powerfully prophetic song called "Cairo will sing to Jesus" and has put it to a video. We watched it today and it is very inspiring. I will be here for several more days before I head on to my next leg of the journey. I hope my blood donations are enough to satisfy the "bank" of mosquitoes here, as it seems they've discovered they have a taste for the foreigner...

Til next time...

Casey

Update from Cairo

2008-12-13T13:06:00.000-08:00

I wrote a rather long update about my first two days in Cairo on my Facebook, and tried to copy it here, but for some reason it won't paste....so I'll try to give a decent update.

I left Dublin and got stuck in Amsterdam for a day due to technical problems with the plane. After several hours on the runway they decided to cancel the flight. Needless to say, it was a very late night with meager sleep. I spent the next day walking around Amsterdam, waiting for my evening flight. I ended up missing some rather important meetings in Cairo with Helen, but I suppose all worked out ok. I finally made it to Cairo and to my host home, which is a lovely flat in the Ecuadorian embassy building in a nice part of town.

My first day in Cairo was baptism by fire. I don't think I could've absorbed more sights, sounds, smells, and cultural bombardment. It was beautiful, eye-opening, somewhat terrifying, yet fabulous all at once. We started at the pyramids of Giza. Traffic, which is normally as oppressive as the spiritual atmosphere, was very light due to the Islamic feast time and so we were actually able to do a lot more in the day. The pyramids are breathtaking; a display of ingenuity and wonder - relics of a rich history juxtaposed on the skyline of a frantic metropolis. Tourists abound here, as do the local merchants, vying for your business. The prices reflect the typical price inflation for tourists: I had to pay 60 Egyptian pounds for site entry, while Helen only paid 2 as an Egyptian citizen. We then headed to the medina for some bartering and thick Turkish coffee. This is in the Islamic quarter, right near Al Azhar, the principle Islamic training center in the Middle East. We were literally bombarded in the medina, with vendors certain that they had exactly what I wanted for the best price. I quickly learned you could offer a tenth of what they started at. I got quite a bit of Christmas shopping done. After an amazing lunch and a nap we headed to trash mountain for an unparalleled experience.

This mountain is literal trash, most of Egypt's in fact, and the residents make a life out of collecting and sorting it. It is poverty unlike anything I've seen. About 85% of the residents are Christians. I wanted so badly to document the experience and take photos, but it seemed to shame them, so I refrained. God is really doing an amazing work among these people. It is quite a long story, but an Orthodox priest is having tremendous success with ministering in this area. There are some caves in a certain location where they hold charismatic services several times a week. People come from all over Egypt to participate. They have healing and deliverance meetings after the main service. We went to this - and it's almost indescribable. There are so many people who come for prayer that they have to wait and get a number. The priest prays for each one, often staying til past 1am so no one leaves without ministry. I saw at least 100 people get radically delivered from all sorts of things. This is the most "untame" event I've ever witnessed, and the vulnerability of it all would be quite incompatible with the neat and clean ministry we tend to engage in. I mean no disrespect in comparison, but there was an obvious power in public confession and deliverance. It is having such impact that many Muslim Imams are sending people to be delivered as they acknowledge they lack the power. There had to be at least 25 fully veiled Muslim women there for prayer. It was simply amazing. So all that was my first day...

The next day we went to the pentecostal church in Cairo, which is brimming with life. They are seeing incredible fruit, and equal threats. My hosts took me to lunch at a nice restaurant on the Nile where we had a LOT of amazing food. Helen and I shopped some, had many really important and quality conversations and visited the cathedral where they are doing much work among Sudanese refugees. We had a brief but significant meeting with a certain deacon who worked with Brother Andrew for 18 years until he got evicted from the country he was working in. He now operates a very potent niche ministry here that is meeting a significant felt need in the Middle East. In the evening we spent some quality time at home and talked about dreams and visions and how God will possibly work in the near future.

Today, I had some "quality me time" prayer walking around Zamalek, the embassy region. At first, it was a bit unnerving, as it was the first time I'd been without an Arabic translator for some length of time. I did ok, although I so wish I could communicate better with the people. My Arabic is so limited and choppy right now, and it is such an investment of time and work to study it. We spend the afternoon on a river boat on the Nile with takout from the local shwarma shop. We met with some ladies that will prove to be key contacts, and good friends. We had a lovely time. Tomorrow, I head to the desert on my own to be with my professor and another team of people. I admit I am nervous about doing this leg on my own, but He will strengthen me and surround me with the right helpers...

To Cairo and Beyond...

2008-12-09T02:28:00.000-08:00

So the family I'm staying with is hilarious. I can hardly understand them. This morning I was asking Mary if the dual voltage sign on the plug in in the bathroom meant that I could use my straightener without a converter. She replied "Oh, I don know aboot dat. Tree weeks agoo me sister-in-law came from de US and gave me one of dem vaporizers to use, you know, with vicks? Well I plooged it into the wall and it began a smolderin, and Lord, I tell you, de smell of the vicks and the smoke on the smolderin socket, it was wicked!"
Yesterday I drove the coast up to Galway. It was one of the most beautiful drives ever. The roads were very curvy and apart from the cows blocking a segment of it, there were very few cars. I kept trying to stop and take photos but there's nowhere to pull aside. I'll have to upload more later, as now I'm on a timer with this internet cafe :).
I can't say I'm entirely impressed with the food, although I'll certainly eat more than my weight in Egypt with the hospitality rules and all. Mary did make me a nice bowl of "porridge" this morning, as the ham and bacon have been recalled recently in Ireland due to some scare about feed contamination. Great - I had it the first night...guess I'll survive.
I fly into Cairo tonight...well, at 2am to be specific. I'm a little more than nervous, it took me some time to figure out what to wear so I don't appear too "western" or oblivious to cultural things. Today is a little windy and chilly, but Dublin was colder for sure. It seems crazy that I still have over two weeks left on this trip.
God gave me great peace last night. "Now you comfort me. See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory." Isaiah 12:2
Tip 'O the Day: Let the cows go at their own pace...they own the roads.
Til next time from Cairo!
Love,Case

Days 1 and 2 in Ireland

2008-12-08T03:39:00.000-08:00

Hello from misty Doolin!

I arrived in Ireland without any problems. The plane on the way to Heathrow was nearly empty, so I got a middle section with 4 seats together so I could try to sleep. I'm afraid I'm still a bit prone to "the princess and the pea" syndrome. I slept about 4 of the 9 hours - albeit quite fitfully.

The first place I stayed didn't actually have internet. But it was a really cute place. I'll try to upload photos before I leave tomorrow. It's quite cold here - frost on the ground. After the first tense half hour of repeating "drive on the left, turn on the left...just follow the car in front of you...." I did fine with driving. My first B&B was only about 20 minutes out of Dublin. I decided to head straight there and not venture into Dublin til I was comfortable driving...in the daylight. So I just spent the first evening resting, reading, and shivering. Apparently B&B business is very slow now. There are guest houses and B&B's on nearly every block, and the ones I've stayed in are empty. There was one other family in the first place, and I'm solo at this second place.

Yesterday I got up early and drove from Lucan to Liscannor, where my B&B is, right near the Cliffs of Moher. The drive was perfect. It was a crisp frosty morning. The Irish countryside was just as I imagined it would be. Beautiful rolling hills, perfect little stacked rock fences dividing sheep and cow pastures, little castle remains and quaint houses with thin smoke lines puffing out the crooked rock chimneys. I kept wanting to stop and take pictures, but that's very impractical from the freeway, and the smaller country roads are the narrowest roads I've ever driven, with absolutely no shoulder to park on. I was able to stop and get a few photos. Most everything is closed on Sundays. I happened to get lost in a really cute little town called Ennis. The shopping district reminded me of the tiny streets in Italy...yet Irish. Unfortunately most were closed and there was not a good cup of coffee to be found. So I settled for some very burnt stuff from the local Dunnes (like a Target I think) and eventually found my way to the right road again. I arrived at the B&B to find no one home, so I went out and about again for about an hour.

The place I'm staying is really adorable. A couple in their early 50's I guess, with the most Irish-looking 6-year old I've ever seen (curly red hair, freckles, very round face, and I can't understand a word he says with his accent). In fact, I can barely understand Mary and Donnel. They are...a very loud family, but hilarious too. Donnel is a beef cattle farmer. Their place is about 2 km from the Cliffs, which are astounding. Pretty sure these are the "Cliffs of Insanity" from The Princess Bride. There were only 3 other people there today when I visited. Today I'm on my way up to Galway for the day. There are many cute villages on the coast on the way up and I'll probably stop at several.

I've been reading that book. "Secret Believers: What happens when Muslims believe in Christ." It's pretty much ruining me...Today I woke up wrestling with some fear of the days ahead. I know God is with me, but there is so much unknown that I must simply walk on the "substance" of faith. I'm mostly nervous about traveling to Wadi el Natrun on my own. It is a bit longer than I'd like to spend on my own, and somehow I'm already dreading the looks of the silly American with the big bag. I may try to find a small duffel to take just bare essentials for those 4 days, rather than appear high maintenance with all my stuff for 3 weeks. Perhaps Helen can keep my stuff with her in Cairo. Please keep praying that God speaks much to me today and tomorrow, and that I get through security with no incident. They asked me a lot of questions just going in to Ireland on my own, and frankly, I'm a little nervous of how to answer.

Tip 'O the Day: Drive on the Left, Turn on the Left....
Verse of the Day: "For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will contin ue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ..." Phil 1:20

Slipping into a dream

2008-12-05T00:08:00.000-08:00

So 18 hours it is - and then I'm off to experience three weeks of crazy favor. It seems surreal - like a dream you wish was true. And in retrospect you discover it was. Those dreams are rare...

Every time I recount the many miracles God has done in preparation for this trip I am sincerely amazed. Actually I lapse into that half laugh, half cry paradox of emotions. I've basically just stood by and watched God open wide every door before I even knocked. I go fully financed, completely unaware of what to expect/yet somehow prepared, and unabashedly ecstatic to see these three nations from both a natural and spiritual view.

My first stop - Ireland. Definitely on my "Top 3" list of places to visit. I'm taking a bit of sound spiritual advice and going on a 4 day personal retreat to simply enjoy the beauty of God and hear Him speak as He prepares my heart to enter the Middle East for the first (but certainly not last) time. What better place to hear the resounding voice of the Creator? And possibly to find a great pair of boots...

Soldado Herido

2008-11-25T16:52:00.000-08:00

(Another attempt at Spanish grammar, I can't put the right accent marks in though...4/28/00)

Soldado herido- a donde vas?
Quien te ha vencido, y porque huyes?
Estabas al punto de alcanzar la victoria
y dejaste caer tu escudo en el momento de peligro.
No temas mas, todavia hay esperanza.
Hay un Vencedor en medio de tu alma.
No hay que huir.
Tu enemigo desea destruirte sin remedio.
Tal vez, eres mas poderoso con tus armas regaladas por el Gran Vencedor.
Levantate soldado herido!
Tuya es la victoria!

(Loose translation...)
Wounded soldier - where are you going?
Who defeated you and why do you flee?
You were just at the point of victory,
yet you dropped your shield in the moment of danger.
Don't fear, there is yet hope.
The Victor is in the depths of your soul.
There is no need to flee.
The enemy desires to destroy you completely.
Yet you are more powerful with your borrowed arms,
Given to you by the Victor Himself.
Get up wounded soldier.
The victory is yours.

True Vision

2008-11-25T16:50:00.001-08:00

Written 4/28/00 - in Spain.

I'd like to see as a blind man sees
with the heart and not the eyes.
To see through shaded motives;
To see through shameful appearances.
To see the wounded soul, begging to be set free.
To see an inner beauty deeper than surface graces.
To see the need behind confidence;
To perceive vulnerability in armor.
To see past the shell of the body
to the person inside.
Yet one sight inhibits the other...
Oh, to succeed with both.

What to do?

2008-11-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

Another poem written in Spain (2/10/00)

Frustrated waves pound violently
Turning the stomach of the weak.
The vessel sways, dancing to the rhythm of an insatiable anger.
Doubt flies with the wind;
Fear chokes like the absence.
Will He wake?
Shall we try?
What to do?
Now we die?

Exposed her heart pounds violently
At the mercy of hands deemed meek.
She swayed to the rhythmic dance of an insatiable craving.
Accusation flies in the wind.
Fear chokes her in its grip.
What He says?
How He tries?
What to do?
Now she dies?

Footsteps pounding violently
On the first day of the week.
Triumphant rhythm resounds the Dance that crushed the sting.
Carried on the winds of the wind
"Forever lost its grip!"
What He did!
How He tried.
What to do?
Why He died.

Keep Sailing

2008-11-25T16:37:00.000-08:00

I wrote this while studying in Spain (2/21/00)

The worthy dream fights the odds
and proves its own vitality.
A coat of arms though built secure
leaves room for vulnerability.
To sail in mist takes more than sight;
to walk in darkness more than light.
Confidence marks a trained captain
willing to go down with his pride.
The valiant heart resounds the beat
of a rhythm deep inside.
Refuse retreat when doubt entwines
the sapling in the wind.
Tough violent rains may flood the soil,
it's where the rose begins.

El Hijo Ha Venido

2008-11-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

(I'm a little uncertain of how accurate my Spanish grammar is here, but, oh well...)

Por la noche oscura
El rebano balando
Llegaron los angeles
Una cancion cantando
Ellos trajeron el mensaje de paz
Mientras durmian todo demas
La promesa antigua por fin lleguo
El amor del Padre a regalar su Hijo
Por este bebe Dios nos muestro
Su plan eterno de convenio
Riqueze vestido en humanidad
Por su propio humilidad
Con nada en mano el lleguo
Un regalo de vida el nos dio
Canta mi alma, cantad el mundo!
Pro esta obra tan gran y profundo

(Loose translation...it sounds much better in Spanish)
The Son has come

In the darkness of night, all were asleep as the flock was bleating
The angels arrived singing and bringing a message of peace.
The ancient Promise at last had arrived.
The Father's love, shown though giving His Son
Through this baby, God demonstrated His eternal plan.
Riches clothes in humanity, through His own humility.
Empty handed, He came.
He gave us the gift of life.
Sing, my soul. Let the world sing.
Of this immense and profound work.

Fabulous Pumpkin Bread

2008-11-24T12:09:00.001-08:00

This recipe is sure to impress your friends!

Fabulous Pumpkin Bread

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
15 oz. pumpkin (about 1 1/2 cans)
2/3 cup water
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground allspice (can substitute spices with pumpkin pie spice)

Grease and flour baking dishes (2 medium loaf pans). Mix together oil, sugar, and eggs. Add salt, pumpkin and water. Mix well. Stir together flour, soda and spices in a separate bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture. For variety, try adding chopped pecans or walnuts (about 1 cup) or apply pieces to the mix. Bake 1 hour at 350'. Bread holds well for about a week and freezes well too.

Procrastination

2008-11-23T23:21:00.000-08:00

I need to paint my toes.
Goodness, my room needs to be vacuumed.
Oh I've been wanting to watch that movie...I really shouldn't right now though.
Hmm, what should I make for dinner?
I haven't called her in a while...
I think I'll get my Christmas shopping done on Ebay.
Maybe I'll go to a coffee shop and study...after I finish my laundry.
When was the last time I organized this cupboard?
I need ice-cream.
How did it get to be 11 already? I can do this...after a cup of tea.
11:30...11:47...I'll wash my face then I'll work on this.

Shoot, I guess I'll finish my homework tomorrow...

Preparing for the unknown

2008-11-23T23:01:00.000-08:00

So here we go again. Another round-about the globe in less than two weeks. I can hardly believe it. There's something so glorious, yet profane, about traveling. Airports, tourist traps, living out of a tiny suitcase, communication faux pas, beholding the beauty of other cultures, new sensory overload, tickling that dream deep inside...It's like the perfect tension of the wretched waiting and rewarding gratification of a Disneyland ride. I'm so ridiculously excited to see Ireland, Egypt and Israel, yet I feel dismally unprepared for whatever the following month will bring. I have no idea what to expect, even though I've been preparing for years.