Saturday, April 30, 2005
Our Destiny is in His Hands
When we are in the midst of something we don't want to be in the midst of, it is difficult to see God's plan in all of it. I have been guilty (probably every day) of saying to myself, "What are you doing, God?" It's almost as if I'm telling Him that I could do it better and I don't personally have enough patience to wait until the end of the trial. (I'm a finger tapper). And, if you ask me, He has put me through enough trials.
As an example, when I left the states to go to Egypt, my mind was clouded over with thoughts of, "I can survive Egypt. It can't be all THAT hard." And I did. But it was. Egypt wasn't easy for me like it was for many of my fellow expatriates because I didn't have a degree in my field of expertise which would merit an American salary. Therefore, I was somewhere at the high end of an Egyptian salary making barely enough to live on for my new husband and myself. Karim had a difficult time finding work as all jobs that can be had in Egypt (thanks to the nasty economy) are had. So much of the time he was out of work. He did take one job as a teacher for just enough of a salary to pay for his transportation to and from the school. It was a ridiculous situation but necessary for his mental well-being. He simply needed to feel as if he was "doing" something, even if it didn't bring much money. Our apartment was large, but poorly equipped with an ancient stove dating back to the reign of Seti I, nasty looking parlor furniture that was not designed for everyday use and was starting to break apart, and NO coffee paraphernalia whatsoever. I had to learn to work in a kitchen with no counters or cupboards and no modern conveniences. In the bathroom, we had no shower curtain, and no way to put one up. It was like living in a lovely rats nest and living like a Bedouin. It was under these circumstances that we decided that enough was enough and we would simply have to go to America.
The only problem was that Karim didn't have an American Visa and had never been to this country. As his wife, I am considered his "sponsor"...his "guarantee" of good citizenship...but I didn't have enough money to sponsor him. I was working two jobs in Egypt, but I still didn't make enough money to reach the minimum amount called for in the Visa Application. We would have to find a "joint Sponsor". So, we looked for one, a not so easy task. We found that people are just not interested in assisting other people anymore. My family, and I love them completely, couldn't afford to do it, and those who could didn't agree with my being in Egypt in the first place and wouldn't do it. We asked friends, some of which agreed, but when the time came to fill out the papers, they found excuses not to do it. We asked friends of friends with the same result. When we came to the end of the people we knew, we tried to contact Mosques that might help, with no answer. Two years later, after much asking, pleading, and being "let down", a joint sponsor came to us. And he followed through all the way! What a blessing in disguise is he for us! We filled out the paperwork, acquired the appropriate documentations and translations and photocopies, (another difficult and weighty task) and sent it in. Within the month we were scheduled for an appointment to interview with the consul, and when we did we were approved (by a narrow margin, but approved nonetheless.) We almost weren't approved because of our financial situation. Furthermore, we were told we would need to wait for two weeks to receive the Visa in the mail. It only took two days for it to come to us, and we were out of Egypt and over the Atlantic by the next month. It took two years to find a joint sponsor and less than two months to get the visa. We knew God wanted to get us out of Egypt at a certain time for a certain reason, but we didn't know what that reason was. Why didn't he let us go earlier? Of course, he wanted us to have a better life, but I think he wanted us to go through the tough time first to be able to appreciate what was ahead. Why did He choose that particular time for us to go, and why did he speed up the process in the end? I know the answer.
Just four months after coming to America, we are finding that there are many bombings in Cairo. April 7th, a man killed himself and three tourists in Khan el Khalili, a VERY busy market which tourists put at the top of their "to do" list. Today, a bomber killed himself and injured many others (tourists and Egyptians alike) when he tossed a bomb from a bridge onto a street below in the area of the Nile between the Cairo Museum and one of Egypt's most famous Hotels. 30 minutes later, two women shot up a busload of tourists. Fortunately, the only people killed were the shooters when they turned and shot each other. I am appalled at these terrorist attacks and am concerned for Egypt's already faltering economy. It will not be easy to recover from such violence, and many Egyptians will suffer as a result. It's just unfortunate that the ones who start such blatant criminality are not the ones hardest hit. It is the ones that they feel they are trying to protect that get the worst of their brainless actions.
I believe that we were allowed our exodus from Egypt in a timely manner. God wanted us to feel the whip, but he didn't want the whip to kill us. He sped up the process for the visa and got us out "just in time". He has saved us from economic disaster, (I was a music teacher in an American school, and as foreigners are threatened, they leave and take their children with them. I would have eventually been layed off as an unnecessary educational tool.), suffering, and possibly even death.
We came through the fire, but we can still see the smoke on the horizon. It's not going to be easy for Egypt, and we will have to watch it now from afar, but we continue to support the Egyptian economy in subtle ways and regardless of terroristic stupidity, we intend to visit Egypt for the sake of family and tradition now and again. Our destiny didn't end up being in Egypt, as I had thought many times...moaning the blues, like a true complainer...No, our destiny fell to praying for Egypt, a peaceful nation which is being forced into a war with itself over...what?...And so, we pray. We thank God for "letting his people go" as it were, but as much as I scratched and scrambled to get out of there, it is a bittersweet parting, made all the more so with the current events. God knows what He's doing, however, and we trust His judgment. It is His plan after all, and despite what I may utter in the hard times, I know that I cannot do it better.
As an example, when I left the states to go to Egypt, my mind was clouded over with thoughts of, "I can survive Egypt. It can't be all THAT hard." And I did. But it was. Egypt wasn't easy for me like it was for many of my fellow expatriates because I didn't have a degree in my field of expertise which would merit an American salary. Therefore, I was somewhere at the high end of an Egyptian salary making barely enough to live on for my new husband and myself. Karim had a difficult time finding work as all jobs that can be had in Egypt (thanks to the nasty economy) are had. So much of the time he was out of work. He did take one job as a teacher for just enough of a salary to pay for his transportation to and from the school. It was a ridiculous situation but necessary for his mental well-being. He simply needed to feel as if he was "doing" something, even if it didn't bring much money. Our apartment was large, but poorly equipped with an ancient stove dating back to the reign of Seti I, nasty looking parlor furniture that was not designed for everyday use and was starting to break apart, and NO coffee paraphernalia whatsoever. I had to learn to work in a kitchen with no counters or cupboards and no modern conveniences. In the bathroom, we had no shower curtain, and no way to put one up. It was like living in a lovely rats nest and living like a Bedouin. It was under these circumstances that we decided that enough was enough and we would simply have to go to America.
The only problem was that Karim didn't have an American Visa and had never been to this country. As his wife, I am considered his "sponsor"...his "guarantee" of good citizenship...but I didn't have enough money to sponsor him. I was working two jobs in Egypt, but I still didn't make enough money to reach the minimum amount called for in the Visa Application. We would have to find a "joint Sponsor". So, we looked for one, a not so easy task. We found that people are just not interested in assisting other people anymore. My family, and I love them completely, couldn't afford to do it, and those who could didn't agree with my being in Egypt in the first place and wouldn't do it. We asked friends, some of which agreed, but when the time came to fill out the papers, they found excuses not to do it. We asked friends of friends with the same result. When we came to the end of the people we knew, we tried to contact Mosques that might help, with no answer. Two years later, after much asking, pleading, and being "let down", a joint sponsor came to us. And he followed through all the way! What a blessing in disguise is he for us! We filled out the paperwork, acquired the appropriate documentations and translations and photocopies, (another difficult and weighty task) and sent it in. Within the month we were scheduled for an appointment to interview with the consul, and when we did we were approved (by a narrow margin, but approved nonetheless.) We almost weren't approved because of our financial situation. Furthermore, we were told we would need to wait for two weeks to receive the Visa in the mail. It only took two days for it to come to us, and we were out of Egypt and over the Atlantic by the next month. It took two years to find a joint sponsor and less than two months to get the visa. We knew God wanted to get us out of Egypt at a certain time for a certain reason, but we didn't know what that reason was. Why didn't he let us go earlier? Of course, he wanted us to have a better life, but I think he wanted us to go through the tough time first to be able to appreciate what was ahead. Why did He choose that particular time for us to go, and why did he speed up the process in the end? I know the answer.
Just four months after coming to America, we are finding that there are many bombings in Cairo. April 7th, a man killed himself and three tourists in Khan el Khalili, a VERY busy market which tourists put at the top of their "to do" list. Today, a bomber killed himself and injured many others (tourists and Egyptians alike) when he tossed a bomb from a bridge onto a street below in the area of the Nile between the Cairo Museum and one of Egypt's most famous Hotels. 30 minutes later, two women shot up a busload of tourists. Fortunately, the only people killed were the shooters when they turned and shot each other. I am appalled at these terrorist attacks and am concerned for Egypt's already faltering economy. It will not be easy to recover from such violence, and many Egyptians will suffer as a result. It's just unfortunate that the ones who start such blatant criminality are not the ones hardest hit. It is the ones that they feel they are trying to protect that get the worst of their brainless actions.
I believe that we were allowed our exodus from Egypt in a timely manner. God wanted us to feel the whip, but he didn't want the whip to kill us. He sped up the process for the visa and got us out "just in time". He has saved us from economic disaster, (I was a music teacher in an American school, and as foreigners are threatened, they leave and take their children with them. I would have eventually been layed off as an unnecessary educational tool.), suffering, and possibly even death.
We came through the fire, but we can still see the smoke on the horizon. It's not going to be easy for Egypt, and we will have to watch it now from afar, but we continue to support the Egyptian economy in subtle ways and regardless of terroristic stupidity, we intend to visit Egypt for the sake of family and tradition now and again. Our destiny didn't end up being in Egypt, as I had thought many times...moaning the blues, like a true complainer...No, our destiny fell to praying for Egypt, a peaceful nation which is being forced into a war with itself over...what?...And so, we pray. We thank God for "letting his people go" as it were, but as much as I scratched and scrambled to get out of there, it is a bittersweet parting, made all the more so with the current events. God knows what He's doing, however, and we trust His judgment. It is His plan after all, and despite what I may utter in the hard times, I know that I cannot do it better.
