First TFO Trip to Egypt

CAIRO IS LITERALLY LOCATED ON THE RIVER NILE AND INCLUDES BOTH BANKS AND SEVERAL ISLANDS

  CAIRO IS THE LARGEST CITY IN AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST AND HAS A POPULATION OF ABOUT 17 MILLION PEOPLE   

WE STAYED WITH OUR MAIN COWORKER, FR MONIR BARSOME, WHO WORKS WITH THE ANGLICAN/EPISCOPAL CATHEDRAL OF ALL SAINTS  

THE CATHEDRAL HAS A LARGE MINISTRY TO THE MANY REFUGEES FROM SUDAN, AND IS LOCATED ON THE BEAUTIFUL ISLAND OF ZAMALEK WHERE THERE ARE ALSO MANY EMBASSIES AND HOTELS

FATHER MONIR AND HIS FAMILY LIVE ON A MUCH POORER ISLAND CALLED RHODA ISLAND

THEY LIVE IN A SIMPLE APARTMENT ON THE 6TH OR 7TH FLOOR (NO ELEVATOR!) BUT THE HOME IS FULL OF ACTIVITY AND LAUGHTER AMID THE PILES OF BOOKS AND SACKS OF GROCERIES WAITING TO BE TAKEN IN TO THE PRISONERS    

WE VISITED THE PRISON TWICE, WHICH IS ABOUT AN HOUR'S DRIVE OUTSIDE THE CITY, BUT CAMERAS ARE NOT ALLOWED

  ON THE WAY WE STOPPED TO BUY FRESH FRUIT, TOASTED BREAD (IT KEEPS BETTER), MEAT AND FISH FOR THE INMATES   

WE ALSO SPENT TIME WITH OFFICIALS IN THE NIGERIAN EMBASSY TO DISCUSS WAYS OF HELPING WITH REPATRIATION EFFORTS

FR MONIR IS WELL-KNOWN AT MANY EMBASSIES NOW AS HE BATTLES RED TAPE HAMPERING PRISONERS RELEASES

AND WE DID GET TO FIT IN A LITTLE SIGHT-SEEING!

 APART FROM VISITING THE PYRAMIDS AND PHARAONIC VILLAGE (GREAT TOURIST ATTRACTIONS) WE ALSO WERE AMAZED BY THE "CITY OF THE DEAD", THE INCREDIBLE "GARBAGE CITY" AND THE TRULY AWESOME "CAVE CHURCH"

A TRULY UNFORGETTABLE TRIP IN EVERY RESPECT!