Jenn and I have been blessed to have her mother with us in Egypt for the last two months.  This has given us the excuse to further explore the museums and pyramids, but also the historic Coptic churches of Egypt.  At the top of the list is St Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria where the evangelist himself is buried.  St Mark’s was the target of a terrorist attack back in 2017, which killed six people.  (Security there is heightened - indeed, all churches have security).  But this is especially poignant given that Christianity in Alexandria begins with the martyrdom of St Mark.   There he lay, deep below the cathedral in a crypt that also somewhere stores the remains of fifty three patriarchs of Alexandria including the great saints Athanasius and Cyril.  My family and I were privileged to get access to the crypt were we could see the modest grave through a little portal. (Isaac and Adessah are holding their nose in the picture because it’s kind of musty).  It is always something special when you can see with your own eyes a little part of biblical history.  The kind of history that is normal here is extraordinary to us North Americans for whom real biblical artifacts can only be imagined.  Anyway, it is a real blessing to be in n a place with this kind of heritage.