Imagine living in place that has a thick cloud constantly hovering over you (that is pollution and dust), a place where dust storms and different heats are your seasons, a place where honking and swerving to the right and left is a constant part of driving, a place where stories of persecution and someone passing away that you know is normal, a place where women need to be aware and covered to protect themselves, and a place where rioting and unrest is felt. There are so many words needed to explain this country of Egypt.
We’ve now been here just around 3 weeks yet Egypt amidst the suffering, dust, honking, and chaos has a simple beauty that arises from the land. Christians are proud to suffer for Jesus, women have a pure beauty in their heart only realized when you sit and get the honor of holding their hand, Egypt is a safe haven for many refugees, it’s a land f promise, and is the very land spoken of in the God breathed scripture so many times. Wow what a privilege to be here!
During our time, we’ve stayed in Cairo walking and praying, and visiting churches. We went on a 6 hour train ride to a town, got a police escort for safety reasons (which was a great experience for me), and got the honor of staying at a Bishop’s house in that town. We got to sit and eat with him, hearing his wisdom and getting to just watch, taking in so much. We attended the Easter week of services for the Coptic church, which was quite an experience that entailed chanting in Coptic and Arabic, eating very late , incense burning, the standing up and sitting motion numerous amounts of times, services lasting from 4-12 hours 3 times a day, then finally a huge Easter feast with so much meat!
During the week we got to serve the women that live in the house. Every day their life is cooking and cleaning in this one house. Even though we didn’t speak Arabic we got to so embrace and love them and they us. Would if someone you didn’t know and couldn’t communicate with, loved you? Jesus removes all barriers, even the language barrier, and it’s amazing to see! I have never experienced someone loving me without even being able to speak to me; these girls so impacted me and moved my heart!
We also visited a school and another Coptic church seeing God touch and minister to many, through us. As we left the town the Bishop asked us to go serve at an Egyptian wedding, in another town. This is where we have just returned from. We cleaned, raked, decorated, and did take down—we worked very hard and got to enjoy great food and many mosquito bites J . Now we are serving at another Christian compound, getting much needed time to pray and intercede for Egypt.
As we have freely attended these church services and wedding, I can’t help but think of the persecutions. We’ve met people who had someone they know murdered for being a Christian and we constantly hear of more and more each day. People are being killed in churches and in their own home right around us. Yet Christians continue to stand and boldly have their church services and even have gone to the point of tattooing a cross on their arm to proclaim it in boldness. They declare in boldness that Jesus is worth it!
Sitting on top of a roof looking over the land of Egypt I can’t help but sit in silence asking in my heart, how am I here? Who am I that I could get to be in Egypt? Who am I hat I could travel Africa and be in this land? That God would grant the desire of my heart? I have done so much wrong but yet I am here. The answer is this: Your love never fails and never gives up on me! Your ways are higher than mine, Your plans higher than my plans!
Please pray for us as we continue to serve and journey here in Egypt. Please pray that God continues to use us to encourage a midst the persecution and unrest! Pray that God binds us together continually as a team with one heart and one mind. May God bless you and may you be encouraged by all that God is doing in Egypt! Hundreds of Muslims are coming to know Him daily!