Global Outreach Website

Aug 05

Sorry i havent been able to tell you about the past 2 days. but we spent most of our time in Alexandria City and garbage City. This morning we took the time to go back to see the children for the last time in Garbage city and spent some time playing games and having fun. We just received news that our flight has been delayed 9 hrs and they are still working on a collecting flight in New York. So we will sit tight here for an extra night and enjoy each others company and leave at 10 am in the morning tomorrow. This puts us in a position to come back instead of 11 am on friday to 8pm on friday afternoon. Im sure all of team has emailed our family members to let them know. we miss everyone and cant wait to come back to the states to spend time with you.

Alex and Lauren

Aug 02

Hello everybody. Today was a really sad day for all of us because it was the last day of camp here at Wadi. Its weird to think about how fast this full week has gone by. We have made so many new friendships and the love that we have for the people is extremely strong. I honestly wish we had another week to spend here at camp. The day started off like any other day with breafast at 8 oclock in the morning. For some of us, we had to wake up at 7:15 and help out with another groups high ropes course slot. Even though some of us didnt get our full morning sleep we had to wake up and walk off to ourmajors fo the last time. For alot of us, our last major time consisted of just playing fun games.I know for tennis, basketball, soccer, and baseball, full matches were played and candy was passed out to the winners. As a side note, the kids here go nuts for candy. Probably more than the average American kids which is hard to believe. It\'s that they just dont get to hve it whenever they want. After majors the camp held a huge capture the flag game in the beautiful stadium under the shade. It was nice getting to sit down with a bunch of kids as different groups went at different times. You could tell that the kids dont want us to leave just as much as we dont want to. During pool time we we told we had to put up a high ropes group instead of going to the pool. what a bummer right? It was probably the hottest day here at camp so far. But for some of the guys we had our new stylish egyptian authentic soccer jersey that the camp ordered for us. Some of us took the time to skip our own rest time to go help some of the campers clean up their cabins during their cabing clean up time. It was just another way to not only show love but to get to hang out with these kids one on one. For the last activity, the camp hosted the final X-Period challenge of WAR BALL! If i didnt get to explain this the first night of blogging here it is. It is basically dodge ball in America but alot more intesnse!!! The kids go nuts and specifically tonight was important to win. Omega ended up winning not only war ball but the whole camp competition. Talk about kids getting excited to where they are almost crying. After all of this we had dinner and some of us even dress up into our worker costumes for the costume party after dinner. It was basically a huge dance party with outfits. The kids got really into it and their outfits were hilarious. We just got back in from playing a huge game of soccer with everyone crowded around. It was PI(coaches team) vs some of th campers. PI won 1-0 and it really finished off the night right. Everyone had high spirits and to all of us, the reality of us leaving in the morning has sunk in. We will be leavig camp after breakfast in the morning to take a bus 2hrs away to Alexandria by the Med sea to hang out and enjoy some relaxation. We will be having a huge seafood meal so pray for us that no body gets sick!! Everyone is fine now. After we will head back to Cairo to spend the last couple of days,

thanks for reading and praying for us. we really appreciate it and cant wait to come back home and see you

ALEX & the plagues

Aug 02

Hey forgot to tell you guys, we have a picture on our team photos page now. Its of our first full day here at the pyramids! Enjoy!

Aug 01

Hey everyone, sorry this is a day late but we had some internet problems again last night but now things are good to go. I am able to write you during our rest time today. Yesterday went really well and a lot of us cant believe that there are only a few days left here at camp wadi. Yesterday we woke up and for some reason the previous days of energy caught up to us and completely made us exhausted. We again had majors in the morning and for all of us they went really well. I have been having some trouble with stephen and i\'s kids attitudes for the last couple of days but yesterday they were great and to be honest probably the best soccer practice yet. Its always encouragin to have kids who want to be there and are smiling and having a great time. Sometimes God reminds us that these kids need love even when we dont feel like dishing it because they are not acting appropriate. We are also becoming a lot more close with these kids. Not only in our majors but throughout the day. Friendships are developing and it is really exciting to see the way our team is impacting these kid\'s lives. The girls are doing such a great job and i couldn\'t be more proud of them. The guys are showing these young men how to be great leaders as well. Yesterday was really for some of us a day of rest We didnt have to do too many activities which allowed us to either just hang out with a cabin or take a well needed nap. A group of us played a huge soccer match and had such  blast! Our arabic is getting a lot better then when we started out here. Phrases here and phrases there. Its funny to look at us trying to say these phrases that sound nothing like what were being taught. Tom and Brandt are even able to start conversations which is so neat. I really am wanting to more than just good job and thank you. We alos had a great treat. We got to go in the pool because we didnt have any ropes to do during this time. Our team had a blast and a huge frisbe game broke out and became a battle between the coaches(us) and the campers. I think it was the first time when pool was done we were all upset. The slip N slide brought old memories to us as well. The food that was served yesterday trumped everything we have eaten so far. It was really american but it tasted so good. Chicken tenders an pasta was served and a bunch of us just ate it without any hesitation. Our team is doing great on the ropes and everyday funny stories are being told about the kids. Lastly last night we had  huge talent show and it was really neat to see the alents these kids had. It showed us another side of them. It consisted of music, dancing, the moonwalk and our girls coaches even did the cupid shuffle on stage!!!! I cant believe we have 2 more days of camp then off to Alexandria. We are all becoming very sad about this. There will be another blog tonight to talk about day 7. but until then thanks for reading!

Alex

Aug 01

Today is the second to last day at camp. We are all beginning to tire but the relationships we have begun have really started to take off. It feels like we have known the campers longer than this week. Many campers are beginning to question us about why we came all the way over here to this camp. We are not able to plainly say the gospel but we are able to tell them that love is the most important thing. We want to give them this love because that is what we believe in. Hopefully this act of seemingly randomness to them, will spark something in one of them to begin to question and truly try and understand what we meant by this love that we believe in so deeply. A love that brought us to the desert, to hang out with a bunch of kids for a week teahing them sports and playing games with them. The day is not finished just yet. We still have one more activity that will last probably an hour and half.

Jul 30

We had another great day today! The team is feeling better, so thank you for those of you who prayed. The sports that we all coach began in the morning, because all of the camper\'s parents came to visit. The parents were able to see their kids do the ropes course and other activities. Our team had three sessions of ropes in a row. It was challenging but so much fun to hang out with the children. Before the parents left they were able to see the campers give testimonies of what they have been learning and how much the counselors and coaches have impacted their lives. Then the parents were able to give feedback to the camp on the microphone. To hear what they had to say was incredible. They know that we are all from churches in the States, but they still talk highly about how much they have seen their child change for the positive. The campers and their parents have truly felt the love that we have been trying to show through Jesus. It is a struggle for us all to not plainly share the gospel everyday, but the government laws will not permit this.

This is a great quote from yesterday:

Right before we all played a game we had markers to write on the camper\'s arms. We would mark once on every arm and this mark would be their life. If they were caught then they would have the mark (life) crossed out.

Camper: \"Where do i get life?\"

Stephen Ready: \"Great question.\"

Jul 29

Hello! again. Let me just tell you that today has been one of the most fun since we came to Egypt. The team is clicking with everything right now (the kids, Egyptian counselors, and the staff). We are all becoming one huge family in a way and its extremely cool that we all have one thing in common. That is the love for christ and the way we want to just love on these kids. This morning was hard for everyone to wake up. You could tell the long days in the heat were catching up to us and the different time zone is still affecting the way we function. Breakfast came bright and early needless to say. The team is becoming more healthier and realizing what our bodies can handle. We have had some close calls. Right after breakfast it was on to camp olympics!!!! This is a huge wide Alpha and Omega competition where the kids compete in all sorts of sport challenges. Listening to the stories from all of us were great. Even though in the morning we were moving very slow, once the kids came it brought out the energy in all of us and it was very encouraging to see all of us having the time of our lives. Because we are not really able to go into the pool, most of the team ventured out to our usual routine and headed to the high ropes and zip lines. We had this scheduled before and after lunch. We were probably out there for a total of 3 hrs. We all love it! and enjoy the experience and it allows us to really build relationships with the kids. I know for all of us teaching and coaching our specific majors has either been a breeze or a rough experience. It is progressively getting better and God is teaching us a lot about being humble and just to laugh. At dinner tonight a huge dance party by the pool broke out and to be honest with you it was one of the best times at camp so far. It didnt matter what country you were from it was all about having fun and dancing with your friends. Just letting you know our team should probably be elected for America\'s Next Dance Crew, just sayin......... Oh and Egyptians are obsessed with TECHNOOOO!!!!! who would have known? I love how it is constantly being played all day every day. It just makes you have a great spirit. Our team is having the time of our lives and are really experiencing things in our lives that will be remembered forever. I am so thankful for the team God has placed here and in my life. We just had the most excellent laughing hour known to man. We are all getting excited for tomorrow which is parents day! please pray for us as our love is shown to the parents of the kids we have built relationships with all week.

Until Next Time,

Alex and the 10

Jul 28

Today was the first day at camp here at Wadi. This week is the largest for the Wadi camp. We started the day preparing for the arrival of the kids. Once they got here we danced for a long long long time to techno music to pump them up and get into the camp mood. We also threw down candy from the balcony while they danced. Through out the day we have many activites (pool, treasure times, sport majors, X-period, and others). Treasure times are when the campers and counselors go do various games or the ropes course. We have high elements and a rock wall that ends in a zip line. The majority of our group has been handling the ropes area. Sport majors are the specialties we have come to help with as coaches. The sports vary from tennis, baseball, basketball, skateboarding, soccer, swimming, volleyball, and squash. We all enjoyed getting to know the kids during this block, but alot of the kids like to think they know everything worth knowing about the certain sport they are in. As the week goes on i am willing to bet we will understand the kids more and find great teaching moments. X- period today was WARBALL!!!!!!!! All of the kids are divided into two groups (ALPHA and OMEGA). It is a week long competition and for each activity point can be earned. Warball has the two teams divided with facepaint and shirt colors according to which team they are on. They then charge into the tennis courts to play an epic game of dodgeball with kickballs. This truely defines the word intense. After this adreniline surging game everyone heads to there cabins and then lights go out at 11:30 pm to sleep.

Pops here, signing off.

Jul 28

We had a great time waking up at 7:30 am today. Camp is scheduled out to the point where many activity names stay consistent throughout the week, but what takes place at each activity is different from day to day. Sport majors were earlier in the day today, which game us more energy for when we coached the sports we were assigned to. We then had a mud tug-o-war match with the kids. Sadly, we lost. They far out numbered our group of counselors and coaches which is nicknamed...PI !!!!!! Our group did the ropes course again for  two blocks this time. It is always a blast and to see many conquer their fear of heights or self-doubt is great to witness. We had one female (Monica) who did not want to go, at all. Amir, an Egyptian who works with the rope elements, spend over an hour with her patiently encouraging her to go down the zip line. She never did but i am sure she felt loved just by the consistency of his demeanor without losing his patience. X-period was the last activity we did and by this time is was dark. All of the lights at the camp were turned off and we played a game involving everybody called, Commandoes. A very, very fun game! All of the campers are dressed in black and all of the coaches and counselors (PI) are dressed in white, some of them carrying lights. The object of the game is for the campers to run all over the campus to find an Alpha cheif and an Omega cheif, but they are out in the darkness either hiding or moving from hiding spot to hiding spot. Each camper has 1 life which is symbolized by a mark somewhere on their arm. PI\'s objective is to be hiding somewhere and chase after the campers, catching them, and then X-ing out the mark. They are sent back to gain another life. Many kids thought it was funny to try and trick the PI members. And many of the campers did not consider a tag good enough to be caught, so a bear hug was more needed. The days fly bye here, going from activity to activity.

Please be praying for some of the members of the team. Some are not adjusting well to the food differences and the result is not pleasant when the majority of the day is spent outside.

Pops signing out.

Jul 27

Sorry for not updating you for the past 3 days, we have had no internet and we are very sorry for not telling you about what has been happening in our trip.

Day1

This day consisted of a ton of traveling and to tell you the truth had was one of the longest days of our lives. The flight to New York was very eventful and really brought our team together scloser than ever. we came up with a lan to name our group. We decided on te 10 plagues and for each of us we have a nickname cinsiting one of the plagues. They are really neat but i cant remember right now off the top of my head which one everyone is. All i know is myself (Alex)=young blood, Tom=m Midnight, scott= flyboy. i will hae the rest up on the next blog. The flight to cairo was a totally different story and it consisted of an 11.5 hr plane ride. IF we were not sleeping we were either watching movies or listeninf to a bunch of music. The flight into Cairo was an experience in istelf and i cant even explain the expressions on our faces. Landing was also very neat because we left the plane by stairs just like movie stars. Initially the heat was not a problem until we got our luggage and brought it to the bus where David our tour leader was waiting. Our bus ride was also very cool because the shock of being there really set in. OPur experience was encouraging because we all knew we had arrived! Cairo is such a crazy place and does not resemble Americain anyway. The lanes are not there and cars go by very crazy. We were all snapping many pictures of the sites we had seen. I probably took most pictures ever in my life. Arriving at Shepeard Hotel and checking ito our rooms was pretty easy. This hotel is stunnig because it is across the street from the nile river!!!!!! with the loud cars and boats across the street. Our view looked right into this. Dinner that night was very strange. We were all trying things we have nevr even heard of and having food stuffed into our mouths that if we knew what it was we had never put it in. I had chicken liver and didnt know till midway. Aftr dinner we had the opportunity to go and see the christian church that was right in the middle of downtown Cairo. It was such an experience because the whole team thought we were just going to see the inside but little did we know we were going to sit in on an arabic service. Wow it was really awesome and yes we had a translator! The night rocked our lives and yes we have arrive in EGYPT!

Jul 27

Day 2

It is getting late here and im trying to fill you in on everything were doing sorry if i forge anything but you can hear our stories later!. Pictures will try to come next blog. Day 2 was our most adventurous ever. We woke up and had an interesting selection of breakfast food and the exchange of money was nothing we had experienced before. After all this stuff was taken care of, we got on the road to go to Giza and see the most amazing pyramids of the world ever. These pyramids are opne of the 7 wonders of the world and on that day we had the chance to see them!!!!!! wow. Arrivng there in front of the Pyramids and me telling how  huge they are does not serve them any justice. But they are huge and i cant believe man made these. thousands of men to be exact! Taking many opictures and having the opportunity to climb and touch the pyramids was out of this world. After this we had the opportunity to have a camel ride on the top of the hill leading to other pyramids. at this hill all 3 pyramids were visable. Riding camels when pyramids re present is one of the most amazing things i have ever done in my life. When this was all finished ands the shock levels have come down we went to explosre the famous spinx. Was is a beauty!!! the enjoyment was outragous. Back on the bus everyone passed out as we made our way to wadi! CAmp wadi is the camp we are serving at this whole week 1. Arriving there really gave our team a perspective of why we are here. we are hear to serve and to love thse children. we all are head coaches in the specific sports and our team is in charge of the ropes course. After training all the teams we had dinner and had a huge service and meetings talking about what needed to be done in order to run smoothly.

thanks for reading

alex, and the 10 plagues

psalm 18