What a rollercoaster the last few months have been. What an experience, what an adventure, what a lesson it has been. Late in December, we were told that sending a team to Egypt was back on the table. It would happen in February, but there were still many steps that needed to be taken to ensure safe travel, productivity, and a specific calling to this region of the world.
A few months prior, one of the teams in Cyprus was looking for ministry opportunities and met a man with an incredible story. I cannot share the details of his story online, but it includes finding salvation while in prison, running for his life from his own family (who found a Bible in his home), and a divine meeting with the person responsible for freeing him. This man has since helped build a growing ministry in the Middle East, and he invited the team to stay in his home for the month. He also (by chance?) had a connection in Egypt.
A few members of the squad immediately contacted the connection and began working on a proposal to send a team to Egypt for a month. The proposal process was long and trying. A lot goes into sending 7 people into a country that has never had a World Race team, with a host that no one has met. If you follow the news you know that Egypt is not the most stable country right now, and you may have heard about the many attacks that have occurred in the last few months. None-the-less, the proposal was approved. We were notified early in January and were asked to knock out a few details about the trip. As the process went on, problems arose. Variances in location and communication created roadblocks to maintaining safety. Cultural barriers would result in confusion and a little frustration. Finally, due to the last minute change in the route, an additional $11,500 would need to be raised for this to happen. All of this would prove to be mere speedbumps on the way to what God had planned.
As unsure as I was about a general calling from God, I was more in doubt about my personal calling to this specific region. Why would God put me specifically on this team? Why Egypt? Why me? He would answer any doubts I had within the first few days.
I decided that I wanted to be “all in” with whatever God had for me this month. I would say yes to each opportunity, I would make it a goal to grow closer to Him and to learn from this experience.
Our first day, the host was going over our plans for the month, “Our first stop will be a hospital in a poor community where we will spend a few days praying for patients and staff, interacting with college students, and speaking to doctors, nurses, and others about Jesus Christ. Can one of you preach at a service held there?” (Paraphrased) All eyes were on me. Yeah, I’m in, I’ll do it. (I’ve never preached a sermon in my life, what better way to start than speaking to doctors and hospital workers?)
Through a few nerves, and a translator (Arabic), I spoke about my own experiences in the medical field and the impact that doctors have had on my life. I read Luke 8:40-48 about the woman who was healed from 12 years of bleeding by merely touching Jesus clothes. I pointed to the doctors’ ability to heal people in more ways than physical. Doctors can offer healing, hope, and the love of God to each patient. Giving time and looking people in the eyes are reflections of Jesus himself and who He has called us to be. I tied this into our calling using Romans 8:28 and spoke the message of God’s love for us and salvation through Jesus Christ using 1st John 4:7-10. I closed with some words of encouragement for the work that they were doing in the hospital.
Our next stop was school. One part of the school was specifically for children with special needs. This is one of the best special needs schools in the region, and is Christian run. Many Muslim families are reached because of the desire to have their children in a good school. The other half of the school is split between Muslim and Christian students. They have all of their classes together (except for religion classes). While there we visited each classroom and spoke English, answered questions, and handed out candy! We also had a soccer game against some of the older students in the middle of the courtyard while the whole school watched and cheered. I’m pretty sure we lost…
As it would turn out, the headmaster of the school had food prepared for us and invited us into his office. He studies English and is planning to expand the school. In preparation for this, he is traveling to America to practice English and to speak at a few churches. Guess where he is going. Knoxville, Tennessee (remember when I was questioning why I was specifically placed on this team?). I exchanged information with him and am looking forward to hearing him speak when the race is over.
We would spend the rest of the month on a complex in the middle of nowhere… which was amazing. This complex was our reason for traveling to Egypt in the first place. There was housing there, a small farm, a prayer room, and many construction projects! We began construction on the soccer field (which we had raised money for), we refinished some benches, constructed a fire pit, and built a roof onto a building that will be used for training. Construction projects in developing countries are fun, but they are never easy. Tools and supplies are not readily available, so creativity is a must. We spent many days digging holes, mixing concrete, making our own bolts, fixing broken tools, re-digging holes (sandstorms fill them in pretty quickly), and spreading large mounds of red dirt around the field.
We began each morning as a team in the prayer room. We had an hour of spontaneous prayer and worship together. Throughout the day we signed up for thirty minute time slots for personal prayer time so that the prayer room was utilized all day. The goal was to change the spiritual atmosphere at the complex and throughout the region. I can say that on a personal level, it worked. A goal of mine was to increase my prayer life and this was the perfect opportunity. Granted I did not pray the whole time I was in there, and to be honest I got bored many times… but this was definitely a time that I felt the presence of God all around us.
I also had the opportunity to share what I have learned about leadership with members of the team. It was great to see individuals stepping up in different areas to create a great team atmosphere. Andrew Hershey did an outstanding job connecting with our hosts and leading productive feedback sessions. Nathan Streyle took the lead on the construction projects and delegated jobs throughout the month. Adrian Riney volunteered to prepare lunch every day, even after committing to the Daniel Fast. She also sanded benches and wrote and shared beautiful songs during our prayer and worship times. Bradley Costiloe led workouts and turned work into fun by playing country music and counting each shovel-full of dirt. Hakeem Helmy, who is half Egyptian, gave tremendous encouragement and spoke life into each person on the team. He also is a great cement mixer. Shea Hendry taught English and developed a great relationship with our host’s children, who absolutely adored her. Shea also sanded benches, dug holes, and did just about any other job that was required.
The last week that we were there, while we were still working on the half-constructed soccer field, our host received a phone call. A man wanted to sponsor 50 Muslim students to come to the complex and hear the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. He had one question, “they will need something to do; do you have some sort of sports complex or activity they can enjoy?” …Well, we’re building this soccer field… how cool is that?
The team worked together well, the work was physical and spiritual, the relationships we developed in Egypt were irreplaceable, and God’s hand in this work was undeniable.
