Journey Back to Eden.pdf - St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Chicago

72 DECEMBERDECEMBER 15, MONDAYAlmost as a follow-up to my last visit, I traveled into downtownCairo to the American embassy this morning with a young mannamed Emil. He wanted me to represent him to the attaché or theambassador, to give him a letter of recommendation, and to speakon his behalf so that he might get a visa to go to the United States.I agreed to accompany him to the embassy because he so muchwants to go, and because he and his family have been so hospitableto me whenever I have come back to Cairo from the desert.I know that the embassy gives these visas to fewer than one infifty of those who ask for them. The number dispensed to youngunmarried men is even lower, because it is assumed that they willnever return to Egypt, even if they arrive in the States with just a“tourist” visa. I explained this to Emil and his family. They understood,but they still wished us to go. So off we went to the horrorsof Cairo’s traffic and came to the embassy. We took our seats andwaited for hours.Finally, the attaché decided to see me before he saw Emil. I wasinvited in to his office. We spoke for a while. He asked me if Iplanned to go to the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai. I toldhim that I expect to go there eventually. He reached under his deskand gave me a bottle of brandy to give to the abbot. He explainedthat he realizes this is a Greek Orthodox monastery, but he knowsthe abbot of the monastery and he wishes to send him a gift, evenif the abbot uses it only for “the occasional thirsty guest.” I agreedto take it. He made no reference to the young man I had broughtto the embassy. He made no reference to the letter of recommendationthat I wrote for Emil. I spent ten minutes with him in pleasantriesand took my leave.A few minutes later Emil was called into his office and cameout in no time at all with a visa! The attaché said to him, “I knowyou will try not to return to Egypt when you enter the UnitedStates, but I may give a visa to whomever I choose, and I choose togive one to you!” I was quite surprised at the attaché’s attitude. Ihave no assurance that this will continue, but at least this once hewas accommodating. Apparently, he does not disdain the Copts,nor apparently did he even disdain my defense of them. He has hisown wits and his own ideas, and he chose, in this case, to open adoor.