Egpyt part 1

Right now I'm sitting outside at a conference center in Wadi, Egpyt, about 100 miles south of Cairo. It's probably about 105 degrees right now, out of the sun. So far, the trip has been great. Up to this point, we've mainly done sight seeing things, but last night began a three day conference that we will be attending here in Wadi. The conference has in attendance people from many different countries, and it is focused on how to reach the Muslim world for Christ.

Probably the coolest moment I've had so far is being among several thousand Egyptian Christians in Kasr Church, as we worshipped together the name of Christ. Knowing how much it cost them to be a believer among the Muslim population of Cairo is truly awe-inspiring.

I'm not able to post pictures right now, but I'll be sure to post some as soon as I return. Thanks again to those who are praying for me and to those who supported me financially to be able to come. God bless.

Heading to Egypt

Tomorrow, I will be on a plane heading to Egypt. I'm going with a team from the Gathering at Perimeter Church. We'll spend the first few days checking out the normal sights. Then we'll head down south of Cairo to a missions conference. And our last few days will be spent with the Zabbaleen people, who are basically the garbage collectors of Cairo.


Thanks to all who helped make this trip possible for me by supporting me financially. And thanks to all who will help sustain me on this trip by praying for me. My prayer for myself and for my team is to be radically changed. To come to know better the God of the Arabic Christians, who aren't Christians because of heritage or because it will create a comfortable life (FAR FROM IT), but believe because it is Truth. I desire my heart to be lifted it from it's cold state and to experience the wonder of who God is by seeing Him working among the believers in Egypt, and seeing Him afresh in His living Word. I desire humility. I desire to grieve over the nations as God does, wanting them to be reconciled to their Maker.

Thankful for community

Ecclesiastes chapter 4 talks about how two are better than one. Well...I agree. Community is a wonderful thing. This is a picture of my discipleship group. We just came back from Lake Hartwell this past weekend. It was a great time of riding waverunners, playing poker, and making up random games using a tennis ball. Things that all create great bonding time between men.

We just got done meeting together tonight. We had great conversation about where God has us right now as single men. It's great to be able to share with a group of guys beyond the superficial conversation most of us partake in throughout the day. To have a group where you can share struggles openly and bear one another's burdens is a huge blessing, and one that should be taken advantage of.

My encouragement, if you don't have a group of men or women who know you well and can speak truth lovingly into your life, is to please get one. No man is an island. Even though it's scary to be vulnerable, you will come to know God in deeper, fuller ways because of it.