Day 93, Luxor, Egypt

Again I'm writing to you, but you still will not see this letter for some time. After a week in Cairo we took a night train to Luxor, Egypt. This was supposed to be an 11 hour train ride south. Things never really turn out like they are planned. We joined with an Egyptian team at the train station so we could do ministry in Luxor together. Our teams had to take different trains, so me and two of the girls stayed behind with the Egyptian team to take the later train. Half an hour later our train rolls up and everyone piles on. Only one of the Egyptian girls spoke English, but one of the Egyptian guys who was dropping the team off came on board real quick to speak to me. He just tapped me on the shoulder and said, "God bless you, enjoy your trip, and if someone tries to talk to you, dont. Only talk to your Egyptian friends and you'll be ok." I wasn't exactly sure what he was implying, so I just sat down and waiting for the train to start moving.

We left at about 7:30 or so. The train was very dirty and didn't smell too pleasant. I knew this would be an overnight train so I expected to catch up on some sleep. HA! That didn't work out. The train pulled out and I waited for them to turn the bright lights off. They didn't. The lights in the train stayed on all night long. The seats didnt recline far enough to sleep on, and the crying babies in surround sound made me give up trying after 2 hours of tossing and turning in my stone seat. About this time two men in their later twenties came walking down the aisle, poking the bags above their heads and questioning people. It was odd looking. They didn't look happy. I was talking to Steph about a book she was reading when the Egyptian girl sitting next to her placed her hand on the book and made a motion for us to be quiet as she stared at the two men coming. Two guys from the Egyptian team sat in the seats in front of us. As the men reached them I noticed the bruises on their foreheads....

(Here is a picture of a random Muslim with the bruise)

Muslim men carry the mark of their religion on their forehead, much like Cain. It is a brown bruise they receive from constantly smacking their heads on the ground five times a day in prayer seeking intimacy from the god of this world who does not satisfy them. They began speaking roughly with the two guys seated in front of us. They seemed to be arguing. They made one of them stand up as they patted him down. I was scared, I wont lie. We were the only non-Egyptians on the whole train, and I knew we were next. After a few minutes of arguing with the two guys, the Muslim men passed us and continued down the train. They two guys in front of us sinked back in their chairs and sighed heavily. I could tell they were very relieved. I asked the Egyptian girl what had just happened and why they were searching us. She just said not to worry that everything was okay now and that they were Islamic police. I still dont know exactly what took place that night, but I believe there was more to the story.

It wasn't too long after this that our train broke down and we stayed still for two hours waiting for another train to come drag us the rest of the way to Luxor. This made our train ride a total of 13 hours of sitting. Right before we arrived in Luxor the sun came up. I stood up to get all the bags ready in the back of the train when I noticed you could open the door on the side of the train. I pulled it open and the cool air rushed in to drag out that funk air that had settled inside the cabin during the night. I stood there a couple feet from the door eying the handrails on either side of the opening. It wasn't long before I was hanging out of the side of the train and it whizzed past the palm trees and fields of veggies. What a rush.

We arrived in Luxor and we taken to a place I cannot tell you just yet. I dragged my luggage up the stairs to find my room so I could crash for a couple of hours. I had been awake for over 26 hours and was ready to pass out. I entered my dark little room where Ruslan and Gerges (My Egyptian friend) had already been sleeping for the past 3 hours. Three beds...two on the ground...one was a top bunk......OF COURSE THEY LEFT ME THE TOP BUNK! I sacrifice myself to take the later train, it breaks down, I get no sleep, and of course they arrive before us and take the best beds. lol. Thats life, what can ya do? I just dropped my luggage and climbing into bed, not caring how much the metal bed frame squeaked. hehe. I slept in my clothes.

I woke up the next morning and they are taking showers in the bathroom. Well, not at the same time. After they are done I go in there to find everything completely soaked and dirty. Im not sure when the last time they cleaned the bathroom was, but I'm sure it was sometime in the 80's. After an interesting shower I was ready to continue the day. We had a meeting and prayed and got briefed on ministry opportunities in the area. After a day out in this crazy city we came home exhausted and ready to crash. Ruslan and Gerges again went in the bathroom to clean up.

I was sitting down somewhere when they came to me and told me that they spoke with the leader of the place we are staying, and that we have to move to another room because the bathroom is broken and the water isn't draining. I waited for them to move all of their stuff to the new room. I walk in and look at the top bunk they left me, and the REALLY small and nasty bathroom the new room provided. The first room was small....but this was almost funny small. The first room had a window that opened up so you could look at the mountain in the distance, and looked out over the city. This new room was on the back of the building and was dark and only had a window that opened up to look at another ugly building behind us. The bathroom didnt have hot water on demand, it had a tiny water heater up in the corner. I told them I would stay in the old room alone. I walk into my room, look in the bathroom at the inch of water on the ground, and then pile all the mattresses on one bed, take all the covers and do the same and use the other two beds as shelves for my luggage and computer. Oh yeah....the whole bathroom being "broken" thing.....I figured the drain was clogged from when Ruslan cut his hair. I went in there, unclogged the drain, cleaned MY bathroom and settled down into bed. Did I mention Gerges snores? Poor Ruslan. I have enjoyed having this room to myself this past week. Funny how things work out sometimes.