Pictures of Egypt

I finally got my pictures back from my recent holiday in Egypt. It turns out I took almost 250! Don't worry, though, I will only subject certain people to all of them. However, I would like to post a few of them here for those who might be interested.

(NOTE- you may click on any of the pictures to open them to fullsize)

The picture above, of course, is of me standing in front of some of the pyramids. To the right is a picture of me standing on the steps of the Great Pyramid, which is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It was from this pyramid that I used my cell phone to send text messages to a few of my friends in America and Britain. It was a strange feeling really to be using such technology to communicate instantly with people all around the world while standing on stones that were erected 4565 years ago.


While on my two week holiday, I spent the first week on this Nile cruise boat. We sailed up the river, stopping at various ports and visiting ancient temples and tombs as well as other interesting sites. We also had the opportunity to see some of the local towns and meet a lot of interesting people.

The picture to the right is one of the many I took of the River Nile. I spent many peaceful hours on the deck of the boat reading books, writing in my journal, or just contemplating the beauty of God's creation.



Besides visiting a lot of tourist sites and meeting a lot of people, I also read a lot of books while I was there. One of the books I read was Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie. Part of that book was written at the Old Cataract Hotel, which is pictured here. This hotel was featured both in the book and in the film which featured Peter Ustinov as the detective, Hercule Poirot. Feeling very much like a true tourist, I visited this hotel with the book in hand when the boat docked in the city of Aswan.

The picture below is one of the many ancient temples I visited:


It's amazing how well some of these places are preserved after thousands of years. In some places, as shown in the picture below, the original colours are even still present on the stones.





It was a real adventure! As I went through all these ancient temples, I felt like a true Indiana Jones. It was great! In the picture below I'm reading an ancient message written in heiroglyphics.


Actually, I don't have a clue what it says! All I know is it has something to do with some pharaoh.

Almost as difficult to understand as the writing on the wall, by the way, is that shirt! I'm not sure what I was thinking when I put that on. I guess it made me feel more like a tourist or something!


As interesting as the ancient culture was, however, I was also very interested in meeting the people of today. The row of shops in this picture is a typical row of local shops and reminds me in many ways of many of the villages I have known in central Africa.

When you leave the resorts and boats which are filled with tourists, you see a very different world than most of the tourists see. There is a lot of poverty in Egypt. It is not considered one of the poorest countries in the world, but still statistics say that 23 per-cent of the population were living in abject poverty in the 1980s and that the poverty rate has increased steadily since then. Most of the tourists I met did their best not to see this side of Egypt, but I made a point of going out where the people were to see for myself. What I saw, in many cases, was quite sad indeed.

On the positive side, however, the locals that I met were all gems. Though I did get hassled a lot in the tourist areas by people desperate to sell their wares, when I looked past the hassle I found genuine people with a genuine love of life.

The young man in the picture above is one of many that I enjoyed meeting. He took me and some new friends I'd made out on a felucca and showed us around a lovely little island in the middle of the Nile called Banana Island.

The island was small and consisted mostly of trees bearing bananas and other fruits, though there was one small shop which was obviously there for British tourists.






The picture to the left was taken on Banana Island with my new friends. They are a lovely family from England. The dad originally came from India, so we had some fascinating conversations about his home country, especially after they found out I'm hoping to go do some work in India next year.



The picture on the right was taken on the felucca. A felucca ride is a great way to enjoy the Nile as feluccas are small open sail boats that are small enough to sit very close to the water. As a matter of fact, they are so close to the water that I was able to reach down and put my hand in the Nile at one point as we were sailing.




The only difficulty with feluccas in Egypt is that there is often no wind at all, so when that happens they have to call a motorboat in to tow it. However, it is still a lovely way to relax out on the river, and it is a great place to be during a sunset!




The second week of my holiday was spent in a hotel in the town of Luxor. The picture to the right is the view from my hotel room. As the first week had been very busy with tours of temples, tombs and such, I took it easy for most of the second week. I read a lot of books, spent time with people, and just enjoyed being there.

I also got to visit some of the local restaurants and sample the Egyptian food. On the boat, we had mostly been given British food because most of the tourists were from Britain. Once I was on my own, however, I was able to eat what the locals eat, and the food was delicious! This picture taken in one of these restaurants on my last night there.


In the second week, the only truly busy day was on Saturday because that was when I took a day trip to Cairo. It was on that day, of course, that I visited the pyramids, and I also saw the Great Sphinx, which is 4,500 years old and is the oldest truly collosal royal statue in Egypt.






I also visited the Egyptian Museum, which is truly one of the most amazing museums in the world. It houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities anywhere, including the treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb and the mummies of many of the pharaohs, including the mummified body of Ramses II, whom many believe to have been the Pharaoh talked about in the story of Moses and the Exodus. It's a strange feeling to look at his distinct features, as you can almost visualise him as a living man even though he's been dead for over 3,200 years! I wasn't allowed to take any pictures at the museum, but I carry pictures in my head that I am sure to remember for many years to come!

I also got to go inside one of the pyramids! It was an amazing experience. The path inside was so small that I had to bend over the whole way, and though I had never suffered from claustrophobia before, as I crawled deep into this ancient structure with hundreds of people crawling through the same tunnel in front and behind me, my heart raced so fast that I could almost visualise it jumping through my chest. Though it was great to have had the experience of being inside the pyramid, it was even greater to get out!

In the picture on the right I am in typical Egyptian dress. I kept this outfit and wore it to preach at the local church here in Kirkintilloch when I got home. I don't know if anybody remembers what I preached about that day, but I doubt if they'll soon forget what I wore!

I truly had a great holiday in Egypt! I got a lot of rest, met a lot of good people, and had amazing experiences. I would definitely recommend it to anyone, and I hope one day to return!

Coffee anyone?

I love coffee shops! It's not just the coffee that I love about them either. You can drink coffee anywhere, but only a proper coffee shop offers an experience. The decor and the music have to be just right. Otherwise, it might as well be a regular old restaurant. But when they get it right, for me its the perfect place to sit for hours to read a book, study, or work.

Back in 2002 to 2003, when I was still travelling all the time, I made it a habit to talk about the coffee shops I discovered in each town. I'll probably do the same thing again during my many travels in 2006, especially as many of these entries will likely be written in those coffee shops. But I've never taken the time to express my appreciation for the coffee houses here in Scotland.

When I first came to Scotland in 2001, I did not really find very many nice coffee houses. The culture was more into hanging out in pubs, and I found it very hard to locate a coffee shop that fit the standards I was looking for. However, in the last few years they have begun to pop up everywhere and are becoming very popular indeed. Some people believe that this is largely a result of the popularity of the American television series, Friends, which featured a group of young people who spent a great deal of time in a coffee shop. Whatever the case, the age of the coffee shop is definitely here in Scotland.

There are now 35 Starbucks in Scotland, though most of them are in the large cities. There are a few of them that I sometimes frequent when I'm in Glasgow, and there's a really nice one in Edinburgh that overlooks the Royal Mile. You can sit upstairs in comfortable chairs and look out over the cobblestone streets and the beautiful old buildings.

We've also got Costa Coffee and loads of other brand name franchises. However, the chain of coffee houses that I really believe to have gotten it right is Beanscene. As their website says: " Inspired by the coffee houses of 60s Soho, Greenwich Village and the Italian quarter of San Francisco, beanscene is a ‘home from home’, somewhere to kick back, relax and take life in on it’s most simple and enjoyable level." There are only ten of them so far, and once again they are just in the cities, but they are great. There is one not far from Glasgow Iranian Church where I have spent many hours preparing sermons and reading books.

Another good chain of shops is Caffè Nero. They currently have 217 shops across Britain, and they are far better than Starbucks in my opinion. Their coffee is better, and the ambience is also nicer. The only problem at the moment is that they allow smoking, whereas Starbucks doesn't, and I am allergic to cigarrette smoke so I can't stay there too long.

However, as good as all these chains may be in their own right, I don't think anything will ever take the place of a well-done locally owned coffee shop. Unfortunately, I haven't seen very many in Scotland that are well done, but we are fortunate enough to have one right here in Kirkintilloch that is well done indeed.

D'inisi is a local coffee shop that only opened here within the last few months, and it has been a wonderful blessing for me! Now I no longer have to travel half an hour's drive into the city to get a good coffee shop experience. It's owned by a local businessman who is very kind and interesting, and it has a great staff who all know me by name already. It's a great place to meet people, to read, to work, or just to sit and watch the world go by.

I suppose if my life wasn't devoted to planting churches I would be planting coffee shops. Barring that idea, though, maybe I'll just have to make sure all the churches I plant in the future are close to good ones. Rather than spending the money for an office the next church I work with could just plan cappuccinos into the budget and I could do all my work at the coffee house on the corner.

But my ramblings are getting crazy now. I've probably had too much caffeine today. I think I'll go to bed. Maybe I can write more tomorrow when I get back to the coffee shop!

A Name Change

A lot has happened this week. I've been in meetings related to the probability of starting a new church here in Scotland, I've been in communication with people about exciting plans for the future in other parts of the world, and I've also begun the process of a name change.

No, I'm not changing MY name. I'm happy enough with the name of Chris, though it would be easy enough to change one's name here in Scotland. I suppose this law wouldn't actually apply to me since I was born in another country, but if someone is born or adopted in this country that person can change his or her name at any time as long as it is not with an intention to deceive or defraud.

To do so, all one must do is start going by that name. That new name can then legally be used for all purposes, though evidence of the name change may need to be produced for some official purposes. Once a person has used his/her new name for two years the name can be officially recorded with the registrar's office. As the citizen's advice bureau notes, however, "There is no legal requirement to record a change of name but it is often advisable to do so, particularly for legal purposes, such as inheritance."

I don't actually know of anyone who has made use of this law except in the case of marriage, but theoretically if my friend Andy Martin, for example, suddenly decided he wanted to go by the name Ignacio Eduardo Reyes, he could legally do so tomorrow simply by declaring that from now on that is his name. I am pretty sure, however, that Andy would not do that for at least two reasons: 1) he seems happy enough with the name he's got, and 2) he probably wouldn't know how to pronounce Ignacio Eduardo Reyes.

But I seem to have taken a trip down a wee rabbit trail, for my intention was actually to mention the name change that I am in the process of. It is not I who am taking on a new name. Rather, it is this ministry. This ministry has really grown beyond one individual and is about to expand even more, so it no longer seems appropriate for it to simply be called Chris Lewis Ministries. Therefore, the decision has been made to call this ministry "Nothing is Impossible."

When the angel appeared to Mary to tell her that she was going to have a baby and that this baby would be the promised Messiah, it came as somewhat of a surprise to her. Besides the immensity of the idea that this baby would be called the Son of God, she really couldn't understand how she could have a baby when she was a virgin. "How will this be," she asked, "since I am a virgin?" As the angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the baby would be born as a miracle of God, he finished his explanation with the words: "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

This theme that nothing is impossible for God is repeated throughout the Gospels. However, we live in a world that is filled with people who feel like their lives and their problems are impossible. This ministry is dedicated to helping people to learn that whatever they are facing, they are not beyond God's reach. People may fail them, churches may fail them, but what is impossible for people is not impossible for God. As we move forward into the exciting days ahead, we feel confident that this truth is one that a despairing world needs to hear.

Therefore, we are changing our name. In a sense, that new name is already in place because we are declaring that new name now. However, it will still take some time before everything we do officially takes ownership of it. We are also planning to register the name soon as a charitable trust here in the UK.

So, like I said, a lot has happened this week. I wonder what will happen in the weeks to come! We face big challenges and will probably face big obstacles along the way too. But if God is the one who is giving us the vision, we don't have to be afraid because we know that with God NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!!

A day in Linlithgow

I had a lovely day off yesterday. I drove to Linlithgow, the town I lived in for awhile before I came to work at the church in Kirkintilloch. Linlithgow is an amazing little town that will always have a special place in my heart.

I visited a couple of friends from the church I was involved with from 2001-2003. One of the people I visited was one of the very first people I had the privilege of helping lead to Christ in Scotland, so it was wonderful just to see how she continues to grow and how much God has changed her in the past few years.

I also had a chance to go on my favourite walk. I walked around the loch (lake in non-Scottish English) that is pictured above. It was hot and sunny, so it was a perfect day for a walk. I have many memories of that walk, as I often took an hour or so to circle the loch and pray. That's what I did this time, and I also stopped along the way a couple of times to soak in the sunshine and read a book. Occasionally, passers by stopped and talked to me, commenting on the lovely weather. "It's a lovely day, isn't it?" they would invariably say.

Along the way, I stopped at Linlithgow Palace, the magnificent ruin that sits in the park by the loch. The palace was the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and is a favourite stop for tourists who take the time to go past Edinburgh and see the wonders of this great land. The spot of grass on the picture to the right is my favourite spot in the world to sit and meditate on life. I have spent many hours lounging in that grass, watching sunsets, praying, reading books, and just thinking. Yesterday, I returned to that favourite spot after a long absence and thought about all the things that have happened in my life over the past couple of years.

I have many great memories of Linlithgow. I had a girlfriend there (didn't last), I had a church there and started many friendships (which have lasted) that changed my life forever. I've since moved on to another place and am happy where I am, but I will also always be thankful for the rich memories that Linlithgow gave to me.I think maybe I should return for a visit more often.

Celebrating Life

This has been a very good weekend. After a year that has seen too much death and tragedy amongst friends as well as around the world, this weekend was all about life. First, my friends Narineh and Daniel had a wedding...again. Then another couple of close friends welcomed a new life into the world.

I went to Dan and Narineh's wedding in Armenia a few weeks ago, but they also followed up that original event with two more. This was partially in observance of cultural customs wherein the wedding traditionally lasts more than one day, and it was also a way of giving people a chance in more than one country to be part of the celebration.

The second event was in England, but I missed it because I was in Egypt, but the third event was on Saturday night and I had the privilege of being there. They had a night of celebration in "The Crypt", which is the site of a youth church that has been started by Queen's Park Baptist Church in Glasgow. There was a lot of music, dancing and food. The groom made a speech with the bride translating so that both Farsi and English speakers could understand, and then Narineh, Daniel and I sang How Great Thou Art again. I started the song in a key that was too high for Narineh, so we struggled through the song and didn't sound as professional as we had in Armenia, but we had a good time singing together and the people seemed to enjoy it anyhow. It was a good night. The bride and groom both looked very happy, and the bride looked lovely as she got to wear her wedding dress one more time.

During the wedding event, I suddenly felt a little after 10pm that I needed to check for messages on my phone. I had left my mobile phone in the glove box of my car, so I went out to the car to see if there was something important there. And there was! Graeme and Nicola are good friends of mine from Riverside Church here in Kirkintilloch, and the message was from Graeme. He asked me to pray because he thought Nicola was starting to have contractions. After I sang the song with Narineh and Daniel a little after eleven, I told them I needed to go so I could be nearby in case there were any complications. I arrived back in Kirkintilloch a little after 1140 and got the message that the baby had just been born.

I talked to the happy dad on the phone. It had all gone very quickly. The baby was in such a hurry to enter the world that they almost didn't get Nicola into a bed in time. Little Nathan James Adams came into the world at about 1140pm. I was with him and the family the following afternoon and had the privilege of holding the new life in my arms. I was very pleased to be able to be there with the Adams family during this blessed time and to see their handsome, healthy child.

It has been a good weekend. I praise God for the gift of life!

Spam

It's amazing how easy it is for our email inboxes to be filled with spam. People trying to get us to look at their website or product, people trying to trick us into giving them money in exchange for 6.3 million dollars, etc.

Some of my own relatives almost got taken in by spam this very week. A poor lady was dying of cancer and wanted to give her millions of dollars to a Christian organisation before she died. All they had to do was make a trip to Amsterdam to pick up the money and it was theirs. When I heard about it, I went online and found a copy of the exact same letter posted 3 years ago. Apparently she was dying then too and hundreds of people were responding to get the same money. I also found the same letter with a different name and a different location!

That particular letter turned out to be another version of the Nigerian Spam Scam which has been duping people around the world for quite awhile now. In America alone, the Financial Crimes Division of the Secret Service receives approximately 100 telephone calls from victims/ potential victims and 300-500 pieces of related correspondence per day about this scam! I passed the information on to my relatives and they stepped away from this business before it was too late.

Of course, not all spam is an attempt at fraud. Some of it is just annoying. But, all the same, I never read it. If I get email that looks like spam, I delete it immediately. And now spam has started coming to this website through the comments section of this journal. However, we have taken steps to stop the spam from coming in, not only for our own sake but also for the convenience of those who make and read the comments on this page.

In order to stop that spam from coming in, a "word verification" setting has been activated. Everyone who reads this journal is invited to click on the comments link at the bottom of each entry and to make comments and discuss the things I write about. I read all the comments and really appreciate them. When people enter the comments area they will be shown a series of characters and asked to type the characters shown. It will only take a moment and will verify that it is a real individual making the comment, thus keeping spam from inundating this page.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation in keeping this website spam free!

Change is in the air

I got up this morning and got straight to work on all the things this ministry requires. It felt kind of strange. After the last couple of years, in which I was studying full time, suddenly I was back to being full time in the ministry. Of course, this ministry continued during that time, but I did pare back my involvement by a lot in order to accomodate a very demanding load of college work. Now things are marching forward full speed ahead and the future looks very busy indeed.

It looks like I'll be very busy on at least four continents next year, and this ministry should have the opportunity to participate in the beginnings of a number of new churches around the world. Though it doesn't make for very interesting journal reading, much of my time right now is taken up in coordinating that schedule through a large number of phone calls, emails and letters. Locally, we are also gearing up for work in the community here in Kirkintilloch. I am also looking into possibilites related to the starting of new churches in this country in the future. I believe that exciting days are ahead.

The only sad part of this week's developments is that I have had to cancel my personal involvement in Africa this year. I was supposed to be there in a couple of weeks, but circumstances have demanded that my presence is more immediately required on the Scotland front. Chris Lewis Ministries will still be involved, however, as team members Hazel Bech and Dr. Mark Redwine will still be there taking care of very important business. I'm working with them on their itinerary this week and will write more in the future about their adventures in Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is a real change to go from being a full time student back to being a full time missionary/evangelist, but I am embracing the return to my work with a passion. There is nothing I love more than doing what I believe God has created me to do!