Ancient Egypt, Missionary Work, Kaua'i

So far I have learned the following about ancient Egypt from a PBS documentary I am enjoying:

1) Egypt is considered the first great civilization
2) Compared to other cultures, it was pretty great to be a woman in ancient Egypt. We hear all this fuss about having our first female president. Did you know Egypt had a female Pharaoh 3300 years ago?
3) It was also great to be a man. Well, if you are into polygamy that is. Most pharaoh's had their "main" wife - but they also had "minor" wives - a harem if you will. As a peace offering, many kings from surrounding lands sent their daughters to be part of the harem.
4) Egyptians were very concerned with their knowledge of death. They had a Book of the Dead that contained instructions for passing through to eternal life. If you failed to recite the proper words or do the proper things you were out of luck. Hmmm - that sounds like something I have heard before....
5) There are claims that the LDS facsimiles that are in Book of Abraham come right out of the Book of the Dead.
6) One Egyptian pharaoh is credited with the idea of using diplomacy as a tool for power and peace (over conquest). He is also credited with using "mass media" as a propaganda tool -by founding Fox News errrr, I mean sending out writing on rock-shaped beetles.
7) Obelisks, such as the Washington Monument, were first built in ancient Egypt (by that female pharaoh I told you about)
8) Monotheism was first born in Egypt - an idea that is now prevalent in, well, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Ronald McDonaldism.


The other day I was thinking that my favorite thing about missionary work was this: You put on a little black tag and people open up to you. You sit in their living room, eat their food, hear and see their problems. Diagnose their problems and prescribe a writ of ancient text and ask them to apply daily. Repeat. That was as close as I will ever be to being a fly on the wall of real people. Well, until I reincarnate.

Exodus 34
19 All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.

20 But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.

You got that? Good.

The thing I didn't like about being a missionary is that it wasn't in Kauai. And it wasn't with Jenn. Combining those two, plus a better-than-wave pool wave pool = life is good.