This is the outdoor amphitheater that seats 20,000. All seats are filled on any given service.

Many bible stories and figures are carved into the cliffs.

Crosses were everywhere, subtil at first, until you began to look for them. Negotiating the big tourist bus we were traveling in was truly remarkable. Some places only afforded inches, several point turns to get through. We headed to the top of the city where 2 amphitheaters have been carved out of the cliffs.

Today we went to Simon's Church in Garbage City. Garbage City had sprung up over people sifting through and sorting usable/recyclable material in the local dump. The people there were generally all maner of unsavory character until 1972 when a Christion man (I forget what he did as a living, I'm working on slim memory here) began to minister to the people there. He began a wholesale change where today, most of the residents are Christian.

Wednesday:
Sorry about the delay in postings. A hectic schedule coupled with intestinal problems left no time or inclination. Whew!

Sorry about the fuzzy pictures. I forgot to turn my flash back on. Had to show you this lady, one of 2 that carried our bags up the stairs to the 2nd floor. This is Steve’s bag which weighs 50 or more pounds.

Meg with her new girlfriend. She is one of the girls that did her own alterations. Notice the side arms are switched so that this high arm rest is in the front. This aids in her manuvering in and out of the chair.

This is the girl’s home. We didn’t have too much to do. Some of the women had altered their chairs to fit their own conditions. Quite impressive. And they all we really happy to be with us and fun.

These are brothers with muscular distrophe. They were quite fun, although Brother Raafat said they were subdued today by our presence, though it’s not the norm.

These are the boys after we were through. Brother Raafat is standing at the far left.

Tuesday:
Therapists Diane and Meg and mechanics Steve and myself with Inez as interpreter went back to the coptic care home for boys and another for girls also run by Brother Raafatfor proper seating adjustment and repairs, having wood, vinyl and foam available. Others returned to the White Angel disability center to help out for a few hours. Also, more home visits.

Monday:
No pictures today. Coptic care home for boys. Nice, large facility that houses 10 boys, 9 of which use wheelchairs. The facility is run by Brother Raafat and is capable of housing up to 70. This day was mostly for assessment of the chairs and training by the therapists for lifting, transferring and etc as there was little time for Brother Raafat to devote to us. We mechanics got to use our tools for the 1st time fixing what we could on the chairs. Yahoo! On the way home, therapist Diane, support Rachel and mechanic me along with another team were dropped off for home visit. Ours was a famous comedian and movie star George who had a stroke about 13 years ago. He was married 3 years prior to that to his lovely wife Linda who has been caring for him since. They are Christian. Linda needed a little training on care but for the most part was doing really well already.

The women: Diane Sanker, Elyse Cartmell, Meg Mueller, Meghan Lyndsay, Rachel Hetzel, Jenny Lotter, Patsy Lawton, Cindy Fahy, Jasmine Crawford, Eunice Galloway, Inez Joseph, Nivin Joseph, Donna O’Connor, Judy Soares with Blakely Pollock wandering elsewhere.

The men: Dr. Bill Lawton, Jim Cowart, John O’Connor, Nick Frey, Steve McKenzie, Craig Garner with Gordon Soares wandering elsewhere.

Elyse and Rachel just as a gust of wind came up.

Sunday:
This morning we went to the largest evangelical church in Egypt. The service was about 1 1/2 hours long and translation over headphones was provided. The sermon was the wonderful message of Jesus and the Canaanite woman at the well; how she at first misinterpreted his message to mean earthly water rather than the heavenly slaking of thirst through our Messiah and then later to be so excited that she left her bucket at the well to tell the all of her village the good news. A perfect example of how we want to tell, with great excitement, all the people of the world of the good news. Aahhh, we were at home with our brothers and sisters in the land of Moses.

Saturday and what Rachel Hetzel did:

Today while the rest of the team went to work with disabled children a few of us stayed behind to pray for the trip. This time of waiting for the wheelchairs has really brought us to our knees in prayer. It is funny how if everything had gone as we had planned, prayer, while important, would have been a secondary thought. But during this time of waiting it has become essential. Sometimes it takes a disruption of your plans to really turn your eyes to God and go from there. It was a great time of laying our burdens at the feet of the cross and strengthening and renewing our faith in God. It was also a great time to see each others hearts. Prayer is such an awesome gift! But one that so often I take for granted.

We were also able to take a couple hours to prepare the bags and gifts we brought for the wheelchair recepients. It was so exciting to pack the bags and think about the people we would be able to share it with. We have been so blessed by being there, I hope that we will be able to bless them in return.

Meanwhile, Craig and the team helped take some disabled children on a field trip. For many of the men, who are normally mechanics, this was far outside their comfort zone. They came expecting for God to use them in the same way He has before but God had other ideas. In this time of stretching and disrupted plans, God is really having to fill in the gaps. And he is faithful to do so!

Rachel Hetzel is the best person I have ever worked with. It is hard to find someone as talented as her in so many ways. She has the looks of Catherine Zeta Jones, the brains of Madeline Albright and the tenacity of Angelina Jolie.

What Craig did:

Rachel wrote the above.....which tells you what a blast it is to be here with her. I went with the group to the disabilities center. As Rachel said...it was a first for me and out of my comfort zone. To help with the center, we accompanied the staff and their charges to a fun park. We arrived in a bus and joined by the staff and kids. I was rather picked by a boy about 8 who sat next to me as he came down the isle. I knew right away we were a good match when he unzipped his backpack, pulled out a bottle of hand cleanser and cleaned his hands. He was, as the staff told me, a talker. He knew some English words but for the most part he talked and I signed. We got along well and held hands whenever we walked. He didn't want to go on most of the rides but l was able to convince him to go on the wheeler dealer bumper cars with me and had a ball. I'm so glad I went. What an experience. The staff of the center are amazing with big loving hearts for this ministry. I could see Gods works and His will up close and personal today and everyday I am here.

All for now. Church tomorrow at an evangelical church just a few blocks from here.

Well, that's it for yesterday's posting...it's approaching midnight and I must get to bed. Today was sightseeing at Giza as this picture indicates. I will post more of what we saw today later. Tomorrow, most of us are going again to the disabilities center to do a field trip with the school residents....to give a respite and tea time for the staff. The rest of us will stay at the hotel and have a prayer session.

This is Jasmine Crawford loving another animated little guy. Jasmine is our Wheels team photographer. You can see a Facebook album she has created for our first days here by going to:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=38210&id=1018050012&l=ac3136c24c

This is Meghan Lyndsay helping a youth to calm, using accupressure....or Vulcan mind meld.

Here is Steve McKenzie helping with crafts in the adult room. The fun really began with blowing bubbles.

The head of the disabilities center told us his interest in disabilities started when he noticed that all the disabled kids he knew were all of a loving disposition. Long story short...he uses this ministry as a forum to change culture and society to become more aware, caring, loving and helpful not just to disabled but to everyone.

Sorry about yesterday's blog entry. The hotel is having problems with their router. The disabilities center is a couple of stories and this is through the door and leading up to the rooms. I thought the arcitecture and wood work interesting.

Thursday:

Today we went to another part of Cairo to visit a disabilities organization.

It is nearly 11:00 pm here. No pictures again today. I took some but today was sort of a low key sightseeing day. I have taken a few walks along the Nile and into the surrounding neighborhood. Interesting to look at the architecture, traffic, and people. Fun too!

We are still awaiting the release of the wheelchairs. It's like a Frank Piretti novel. But the Coptics here are powerfully inspiring and loving and hard working people who well know their Father....that mountains can be moved by Him. There is a great need and want for what we have to offer to the wonderful people of Egypt. Please add your prayers toward the release of the wheelchairs and our outreach.

Tomorrow we will be visiting a disabilities organization to see/minister/teach/walk with disabled people of all ages, Muslim, Coptic and other Christians. It's about 2 hours away.

Short but sweet. Love to all.

In Christ,

Craig

No pictures yet. Didn't even have the camera out. And we may be more reserved with our cameras.We arrived at about 11:15 am in Cairo today Tuesday. After a busride through town and checking into the Shepheard Hotel on the Nile River, we had some time to rest before our initial meeting. We are still awaiting the news that our wheelchairs have been released. Tomorrow our country leaders, Gordon and Judy Soares, and International Ministries director Chip Kingery and others will be meetings with our contacts here to determine alternate ministeries to wheel chair distribution. "Expect change" is the order of the day. We had a great buffet dinner at the hotel and then a short walk along the Nile. Do you remember the old video game "Frogger" where you try to negotiate your frog across a river or a street filled with hazards? Pedestrians here don't have the right of way.

All for now, my shower and bed awaits.

Kyrie eleison,

Craig

This is what we did last Sunday at the Ahwhanee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. My daughter Devon was married to Garrett Fitzgerald. This is the really happy couple. Above is me on Devon's left arm and her stepdad Dan Deslauriers on her right, walking her down the aisle. These are the only pictures I have so take my word....what a grand time we had. They are honeymooning in Turks right now.

Well it's been awhile since I've blogged, so, sorry if I'm a little rusty at this.

We are about to head to Egypt for a Wheels for the World trip. I say "we" meaning the team. This mission trip I am without Annie. We are headed for Cairo 1st. And we need prayers for the release of the wheelchairs from customs. The team is going on the hope that all legal hang-ups will be removed very soon....and if not....there is still plenty for us to do there to support our in-country Christian brethren and the disability community of Egypt.

My 2 bags are packed with tools, materials and clothes, both close to the capacity of 50lbs. I may have some rearranging to do if my bathroom scale is off.

Stay tuned dear friends. This is the 1st trip ever for Joni and Friends to go to Egypt. And our Lord will help us with that.

Well anyway. It’s been another wholly satisfying, wonderful missions trip with Wheels for the World. The heart of it bringing the good news of the gospel and performing Christ’s great edict “go and teach all nations”. The Thai people see that we care about them and care for them. And we get to tell them why we do this. And they do ask. And we tell them we do it because it pleases our God and because he 1st loved us. What a wonderful and powerful ministry Joni has started. There will be more to this blog later. Bye for now. Kyrie elison!

Friday leaving the hotel. One last picture all together. Meg Mueller in the center in the black shirt and Rachel Hetzel laughing on the far left are both staying in Thailand. Rachel lived in Chiang Mai for 2 years and will be catching up with friends for about 2 weeks. Meg came on last year’s WFTW Thailand trip with us. She was so moved that she inquired and arranged to stay after this trip and work for RICD. She quit her job as therapist and will work with RICD and the Pioneers in the jungles of northern Thailand caring for the hill tribes for about 3 months (I hope I got all that right).

My bathing beauty, Annie at the Gulf of Thailand. It was difficult leaving. It was beautiful and the people surrounding us were all so friendly.

This was one of 2 shops where we could change into our bathing suits and then shower (for a fee) afterward. The shower consisted of dipping a plastic bowl into drum of water and dowsing oneself. Crude but effective and refreshing.

Bathing hotties Sara, Rachel and Jasmine.

This is Rat Island with the double hump. It is being chased by Cat Island further out in the gulf.

Country leaders Judy and Gordon Soares in the Gulf of Thailand. We had about and hour and a half to play. It went by way too quickly.

Oooo, monkeys at a park on our way to the beach. We stopped briefly. We were warned that they like to steal. It’s only a problem if you are trying to eat. We saw one Muslim family eating lunch on the lawn. A monkey had just stolen their watermelon and the lady tried to whack it with a towel.

Karaoke at lunch. 'Nuff said.

Thursday, our last day, a fun day. We 1st went to a new state-of-the-art natural history museum on the same island where we had dinner the night before. This is the view from it. One of the things that we apparently did not capture with our camera was the practice by some of the tourists, all Muslim I believe, of using some of us in our party to pose with them in their pictures. I posed a handful of times with little teenage girls. Strange, but not unpleasant. My guess is they knew we were from the States and therefore liked us. And apparently neither one of us remembered to take other pictures so you'll just have to trust us when we say the museum was terrific.

Annie and I at dinner over the water on an island not far from our distribution. Dinner looks spicy hot doesn’t it? It was!!! I ate a lot of white rice with nibbles here and there followed by ice water.

Mechanics cutting loose.

Support people letting loose.

At the end of the day, we Wheels for the World team are in dark green shirts, the RICD and Pioneers are in light blue, people in street clothes are interpreters, and in the nurses uniforms are on-site support staff.

This man, a stroke victim, adopted his cute little niece next to me.

This is support Sara Dinwiddy giving instruction on blowing bubbles.

This is Bonnie making a very excellent funny face.

That’s me wrestling with loose and wonky foot rests. This chair had been altered before and the foot rests were not exactly compatible. Therapist Laura is giving needed advice while support Rachel is already seeing the next recipient. The guys on either side of me are with the recipient and were quite interested in how I was going to solve the problem of the foot rests interfering with front wheel rotation. This is a country where just about everyone by necessity is a handyman. Even though I solved the problem, I did so with my limited time and resources. I know that most likely these guys would have this chair in a shop the next day with a much better fix. I also embarrassed myself. This was right after I had adjusted the brakes. The allen adjustment screws were rusty, and I was using and adjustable wrench as leverage on the allen wrench. It slipped and I cut open my left thumb. Since it didn’t bleed right away, I kept working…..until my tools, and hand and chair started to get all bloody. Um, “kaa toht” - excuse me. I wiped everything down with a hand towel and sought a band aid from Bonnie Bijerre (very likely not a correct spelling of her name) our Director of Bay Area chapter of Joni and Friends. She handed me a wrinkled and soggy band aid from her apron. I didn’t ask why it was soggy. It was better than nothing (maybe).