This was a day with friends.

First I need to say that Denise has been an extraordinary host since the day I arrived. My little refirgerator has been stocked with breakfast provisions. She had the repair man come to fix the air conditioner in my rooms. Her arabic is good enough to help me order food and pay for taxis. She gave me laundry soap for the washing machine. And she helps me across Cairo streets and warns me of sidewalk obstacles I might not see. I have learned about her work and her friends and daily life here in Egypt. We've had a great time together and I am really thankful to have such a good friend by my side.

This evening we took a taxi to visit our friend Rabab. We first met in 2002 when Rabab was a young career woman working for an NGO (Women and Society of Giza). She came to Iowa and was a delegate to the 2004 Joining Hands consultation in Tacoma, so we spent most of a month togehter that year. The next time I came to Egypt she was married to a fine man, Adel, and we celebrated Eide with her entire family. The next time I came she had a beautiful baby girl, Mariam (who is now a lively 3-year-old). And when we saw Rabab this evening we met her new daughter, just one month old. Rabab and Adel have formed a new NGO, in addition to their "day jobs" and are very active members of the Joining Hands network here. This is one of the friendships I treasure--and I hope I'm still coming to Egypt when Mariam becomes a capable and compassionate woman like her mother.