Preparing for Egypt

In slightly more than 48 hours, the Outreach Egypt vision team will be departing for Egypt – at least most of them. Several will be following later in the week. We’ll arrive in Cairo Wednesday afternoon/evening after nearly 24 hours of travel! The beds will be most attractive when we arrive at the seminary (where we’ll be staying) later in the evening.

Our team is 12. Our leader is Marilyn, who has more trips to Egypt and the Middle East than she can count! Others on the trip include Bill from Chattanooga and with ECO, Peggy and Deena from West Hills Church in Omaha, Kimmy, Sara and Tim from Claremont Pres in Decatur, GA, Russ from First Pres Boulder, Hubie from Eastminster Pres in Marietta, Roger and John from Redeemer Church in Snellville, GA, and me, Tom, also with The Outreach Foundation and Third Church, Richmond, VA. Unfortunately, Janice from Boulder broke her hand and is unable to travel with us, as is Joni, also from Boulder. Please be praying for us by name and for healing of Janice’s hand.

The majority of our time will be spent in the Cairo area. We will visit with seminary officials and students as well as Synod of the Nile leaders. We will also be visiting a number of new church developments in the area. God is at work in Egypt by opening doors for new church developments to occur. It’s amazing that in the midst of a country that is so heavily Muslim (~90%), the government is facilitating growth of Christian churches. Praise Him! We’ll share some of those stories with you.

A Christian Church in Upper Egypt built in the 1800s needs much work to be suitable for worship. This church and others like it are part of the "church redevelopment" efforts of the Synod of the Nile.

On Tuesday, November 17, we will fly to what’s known as Upper Egypt, which is actually south of Cairo! We’ll spend three nights in Luxor, visiting with churches in redevelopment. We’ll tell you more about that in future blogs. We’ll also visit ancient Egyptian sites like the Temples of Karnak and Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. We’ll return to Cairo on Friday the 20th, preparing to depart for home on Saturday the 21st.

Our blogs will come as frequently as possible given sketchy internet access.  Check this location regularly for updates, photos and stories of people we meet.  That’s the most important part – meeting and being with fellow Christians to learn their stories. Mission is all about relationships. Jesus sent His disciples out to be in relationship with others and share the Good News. We look forward to meeting some of His contemporary disciples and perhaps even sharing Good News ourselves. Please pray for safe travel, good health, and strong team building. But also pray that we will see God’s hand at work, that we would be changed people for who we meet and what we see, and that we would be an encouragement to those we meet.

For the team, grace and peace.
Tom