At Least TEN Trusted Christ During Our Egypt Visit
Four Churches, Six Days—A Week That Will Never Be Forgotten!
“These people are, for the most part, Coptic Christians; they are steeped in a works salvation, and they desperately need to know that their hope is found in CHRIST ALONE—nothing else.” This is what D___ G___ shared with me before our trip to Cairo. D___ is a veteran missionary to the country of Egypt, and he knows the false hope so many Coptics have in a different Gospel. I flew out of Boston on May 31 with 4 wonderful men: G___ O___, G___ W___, C___ S___, and P___ L___. M___, my working partner and translator from Morocco, met us in Cairo. Together, we met up with our host pastor G___ and began an adventure that was intensely evangelistic: meetings, services, and meals with several Egyptian pastors, with amazing sightseeing wedged in as God gave us opportunity.
The need in this city of 23,000,000 is immediately apparent. We preached at four different churches: two in the city, one in “New Cairo,” and one at a midway point between the two cities. One church was a brand-new Sudanese church, already brimming with members. The others were a mixture of Coptics and former Muslims. Most had one thing in common: they placed their hope in a mixture of formalism, religious tradition, and a heritage that forged a proud identity that brought little peace to them. Our host pastor G___ had been trained by D___ G___, and he knew that “Christ Alone” would be a truth the people desperately needed. During the meetings, 10 people professed Christ openly. The people were so thrilled with the preaching and doctrine they were taught that they invited us back before we left. One of the pastors in our group will be returning in August of this year to preach another conference!
Our mission was one of encouragement as well. C___ S___ has taken gifts and supplies to missionaries around the world for many years, and on this trip, he and I brought goodies for the host family. The pastor mentioned that his family had gone through a season of discouragement recently and that our visit was such a help to them. I mention this because so many of you have prayed and given OVER AND ABOVE your monthly support to help make this trip happen. Please see what you generosity has helped accomplish!
Of course, we saw the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Nile River, and the National Museum of Egypt. Spectacular as these sights were, we came to REACH PEOPLE. What a blessing! Even now, we are contemplating our journey, as opportunities have opened, both in Tajikistan (north of Afghanistan) and Baghdad. God has directed us to reach the 10/40 Window, and we are learning that He is willing to open “impossible” doors. The only things that will limit us are doubt and fear, and those are quickly melting away as we watch God do miracles! Thank you for playing such a vital part. I have numerous prayer requests, which I will share soon. Today is for rejoicing!
Missionary #6505