Tour Leader’s Blog

This morning we left the M/S Royal Lily Nile cruise ship. We all learned to appreciate the friendliness of the staff. The waiter who always served our group and joked with us said, “I will miss your group.” After he served he would say, “It is my pleasure.”

This morning we visited the MEDA program that partners with EACID. This program provides learning opportunities, micro-loans, educational support; and gender and child rights for working children.

It was a joy to see the children in their center. They ranged in ages from 10 to 17 years. Part of our group had the privilege of seeing the children in their work places.

One girl said, “I have learned that I have the same rights as the boys do.” One of the boys said, “I am learning skills how to treat children as employees. This will help me when I become a business owner.”

Tomorrow we will fly back to Cairo. We want to visit Old Cairo. Bob Kroeker wants to take the group to the community were he and Joyce lived during their short MEDA term in Egypt.

The Behind the Veil - Experiencing Egypt tour is coming to an end. We have received many new insights that have taken us behind the tourist veil. Today Lil Bartel spent time talking with a 16-year-old child worker who sews with her mother. Her life and that of her family has improved because she has learned how to market their products. Ingrid Friesen spent considerable time talking to another 16-year-old girl child worker who wants to study at Harvard. Their dreams are exciting to hear.

We were blessed to meet and listen to the dreams of these children. We are grateful that MEDA through its partners is making a difference and we can be a part of the change.

~ Wilmer Martin

This morning we left the M/S Royal Lily river boat early to visit the Valley of the Kings in Thebes. We wanted to visit the tombs before it got too hot. We visited three tombs plus a few persons also visited King Tut’s tomb.

In answer to Ingrid Friesen’s question, “Did this society spend much more time talking and preparing for death?”, Emad reminded us that the tomb and its preparations were how one got from this life to the hereafter, to the better life. Egyptian civilization was built by faith, not by slavery. The king was considered the son of God. He will take you to a better life.

As we sail on the beautiful M/S Royal Lily, we see the fertile Nile valley with villages and farms. At the locks of Esna we had the opportunity to shop with the vendors from their small boats. One vendor was chased by the police for coming onto the lock without paying. Bob helped him to sell two more outfits for the Galabeye Party tonight. Carlee takes the record for buying the most garments for several members of her family. They would throw the garment in a plastic bag and then the extra garments were thrown back with the money in the bag. From the arguments among some of the vendors, Donovan Nickel surmised, “I think we just observed some territorial issues.” One vendor could not be distracted from making a sale even if he was being pushed and swatted. Noreen and Kevin obtained a nice tablecloth with napkins.

As we sat on the upper deck relaxing, reading and visiting, Murray Martin said, “This is not hard to take!”

~ Wilmer Martin

Before visiting the great Pyramids of Giza, one of the seven wonders of the world, everyone wanted to have the experience of riding a camel. Gabrielle, 13 months old, rode with her dad Ryan. Chris, did you tell your camel to bite your wife Maria? In spite of being bitten by her husband’s camel, Maria said the camel ride was the high point of the day.

We marveled at the awesome structure of the pyramids. Our guide Emad said that they are designed as a collapsed building. We also visited the Solar Boat Museum beside the pyramid which was discovered more recently. The Pharaoh had the boat built and dismantled and buried by the pyramid. This was to be used to transport his body to the next life when the time came for him to meet God.

Yvonne Martin made the comment as we looked at the size and structure of the boat, “Consider the technology of the pyramids and the solar boat at the time of the Pharaohs and contrast that to what we experienced yesterday at Garbage City.” This observation is worthy of more reflection and conversation.

Tonight the group spent about three hours enjoying fellowship and conversation around the dinner tables. Both the food and fellowship were nourishing to the soul. We are learning to know and appreciate each other. We come from two states in the US and four Canadian provinces.

Tomorrow we will experience more of Ancient Egypt as we visit the famous Cairo Museum.

~ Wilmer Martin

Today our Behind the Veil - Experiencing Egypt MEDA tour visited MEDA’s program in Garbage City. What a moving experience! We drove to a school where boys can come in the morning or in the afternoon after they get off work. The first thing they teach them is to sign their names so they can sign for their pay. One of the boys wanted to play a game (Four in a Row) with James Redekop and he kept winning. He beamed! Another boy wanted to use Noreen Neufeldt’s camera to take pictures. They are teaching photography at the school. Noreen said he took the best picture of the pictures taken. The students and the teachers were fascinated with one-year old Gabrielle Redekop, our youngest tour participant.

We visited the girls’ program in another area of the city. Their paper recycling and weaving programs were fascinating. Items purchased were especially meaningful since we know the beautiful products all came from the garbage that we smelled and saw all around us.

The Cave Church in Garbage City, which seats several thousand worshipers, was built over the last 25 years by the Christians who live in this community. The church is built into the side of the mountain and the carvings - of Christ, the empty tomb, and other stories - that are carved into the rock are spectacular. Several carvers were working during our visit.

One tour member said, “It is so good to see our MEDA dollars at work. I also could not help but think of the contrast to my grandchildren at home.

~ Wilmer Martin

TourMagination was one of the corporate sponsors for this year’s annual MEDA Convention. We chose to use this event to highlight our 40th anniversary.

On Friday morning we hosted the breakfast and conversation with keynote speaker Stephen Kreider Yoder, San Francisco bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal. Yoder challenged us with his more than 35 years experience working at the Journal and reminded us that we are “in the World but not of the World.”

In our display area we highlighted our MEDA-sponsored tour, our Oberammergau tours and our other tours for 2010 and 2011. It was very rewarding to meet many tour alumni and other persons interested in our tours.

When Henry and Charlotte Rosenberger congratulated me on our 40th anniversary, it created good conversation. We have met and traveled with so many people. Many friendships and discoveries have been made over the last 40 years.

MEDA also promoted my new book, “Building Bridges,” in their literature and bookstore. Following the Saturday evening session, I had a book signing at a table outside the bookstore.

Janet and I always enjoy attending and participating in the MEDA Conventions. This year we were pleased that Audrey Voth Petkau and her husband Terry could also participate. As Audrey said, these are our people!

~ Wilmer Martin