So, let me take you back about 6 weeks, to mid-May, when we realized that the next 5 Thursdays we would be in 5 different countries. Our time in Lithuania ended with a flurry of travel, some planned, some unexpected.
Thursday, May 21: Klaipeda & Palanga, Lithuania
So on this special day, my wonderful, amazing, thoughtful husband and children surprised me with a overnight get-away with my friend April at a Spa in Palanga, the resort town along the Baltic Sea about 25 minutes from Klaipeda. I have never been to a spa, but I can now see why this is such a relaxing retreat! Massages! Sauna! Hot Tub! It was such a great retreat from everyday life.
The kids were able to spend that day with Liza, our much beloved babysitter:) They spent the day playing soccer, painting, reading, playing, and scooting up to LCC to play in the gym. We dream of having Liza spend a summer with us in Michigan, she has become like family!
Either Nala hurt her finger, or she thinks Liza is #1!
A little background: At the CRWM retreat in Paris, Aaron and I were able to connect with a former seminary classmate of Aaron's and her family, Anne Zaki, Naji Umran, and their boys. We were able to have a couple good conversations with them there, and our kids had a great time with their 4 boys. As we were saying goodbye, they invited us to visit them in Cairo, Egypt. And on the plane ride home, we started planning our trip. (***Be warned, if you invite us to visit you anywhere in the world, you better be serious, because we just might come!!!)
The most inexpensive flight we could find from Vilnius to Cairo included about a 9 hour layover in Amsterdam. Now that we have (finally) become savvy travelers, we looked at this as an opportunity! Our day in Amsterdam included a walk through the Dam square and on to the Flower Market. We took a canal boat tour, ate at the Pancake House (a place Aaron and I visited when we were there 14 years ago!), and (of course) found a park to play at for a while. The kids were impressed by the number of bikes, and that there is an actually bike parking garage near the train station:)
All our bags our packed:) We've learned, and this is what we took along for our week in Egypt.
Fresh stroopwaffles!
Aaron's street.
Dam Square.
Bloemenmarkt
Canal boat!
So amazing how the LONG canal boats maneuver under these bridges.
Our favorite Dutch restaurant 14 years ago...our family has changed!
Always find a park!
Bike garage?!?
On the train.
And back at the airport.
This was a trip like no other. We felt like we needed to constantly pinch ourselves that we were actually in Cairo. And our friends made this an experience of a life time, for all of us! We attended their international church (and felt like we made great friends!), rode camels around the pyramids, swam in the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria (on Jackson's 4th birthday:), visited centuries-old monasteries, held baby lions at the Cairo Zoo, sailed in the moonlight on the Nile, and drove through garbage village. Seriously, we did ALL of that! It was so amazing to be immersed in a culture with such rich history. And we learned so much of the long history of the Christian Orthodox Church, Egyptians trace their Christian heritage back to Saint Mark. So amazing!
It was also an experience to be in a predominantly Muslim culture, most visible by the women with heads covered and women fully covered. It definitely helped me confront some of the stereotypes I didn't know I held. It was also the first time I have really experienced being an ethnic minority, to be among the only North Americans in sight. Because of my blond hair (and my sunglasses;), I was asked to hold babies and have my picture taken close to 10 times a day! And our family stood out because of our own racial make-up, adoption is not legal in Egypt, so we had a few questions. Despite all of these differences, the Egyptian people were SO kind and SO friendly. Everyone approached us with respect and positive curiosity, most often saying, "Welcome to Egypt!"
What our kids enjoyed was the extended time spent with new and wonderful friends. When we asked them what they enjoyed the most about Egypt, both Quincy and Annie said they LOVED playing at the Seminary with the boys. Which just goes to show, that it doesn't matter where we are in the world, relationships are essential. Aaron and I reaped the benefits of extended time with Anne and Naji, such wise and knowledgeable people, amazing tour guides and hosts, and great sounding boards as we processed so much of our experiences in Lithuania and asked questions about what this all means in the greater context of our lives.
If you are thinking of or wanting to go to Egypt, GO!!!
We arrived at about 3am Cairo-time, Quincy was TIRED.
At church with the Umrans.
PYRAMIDS!!!
Camels!
The Sphinx
Walking up to the Mosque.
Inside. We were there during noon prayers.
Overlooking the city.
Doors inside of Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, the seminary where Anne works...
...and the boys play.
A monastery on the way to Alexandria.
The sign says: Relics of St. John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet.
All 12 of us fit well in Anne and Naji's car:)
Ice cream for the Birthday Boy!
The fortress in Alexandria.
At the beach.
Pharonic Village
At the Cairo Zoo. It was an experience...!
Feeding the guinea pigs,
the hippos,
and the goats.
On the Nile.
Anne and Naji!
The cave churches in Garbage Village.
A night of football at the club.
Our last feast with the Umrans!
Our trip to Riga was planned around the football match between the Netherlands and Latvia. And it was a place we wanted to visit with the Bikis's. It was again wonderful to have a native tour guide, Jekabs grew up in Riga, and the Bikis's lived there for a summer again a couple years ago. Again, we played in parks, but also visited museums, wandered through old town, and Aaron and I were able to have dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. The trip culminated in the football match on Friday evening...there were more than a few folks in orange in the stadium:)
On our way to Riga, we stopped at the Hill of the Crosses. This is a testament to the steadfast faith of Lithuanians throughout the Soviet Occupation. The Soviets would knock down the crosses during the day, and the villagers would replace them overnight.
Old town.
Riga at sunset:)
The game!
We returned to Klaipeda on Saturday, and had 2 days to finish packing, clean our flat, and say goodbye. We left with mixed emotions: so much to miss, so much to look forward to.
Our last walk along the Baltic Sea.
Jackson's birthday, Lithuanian-style:)
Since Jackson turned 4, we took one last trip to the KarKar park so he could go on the ropes course.
Annie.
Quincy.
A sad goodbye to Aaron's bike,
and LCC.
Vytas and Maria!
One last dinner with Yulia and Liza.
The Baltic Sea...
Thursday, June 19: Grand Rapids, MI, USA
And now, here we are, back in our big brown house. It has been so wonderful to see our kids out playing with their friends, have dinner with friends and family, and be back in our familiar surroundings. Our first night back, Aaron and I talked about how it felt like we had stepped out of the wardrobe from Narnia. So much remains the same, and yet we all have experienced so much.
Thanks so much for all your prayers and interest throughout our year of living abroad. What a year it has been!
Blessings, Betsy
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