the youthgroup

When I first got here I didn’t look forward to working with the youth as much as I thought I would have. I had much rather been with my Egyptian friends hanging out trying out my Arabic. But after the first couple of weeks of getting to know these kids I have realized how much I LOVE working with them. They are some of the sweetest kids I know, and all the cultures that are able to intertwine together is amazing. We have South African, Australian, Egyptian, American, Candian, Brazilian, German, and Swiss kids that attend every week. This past month I and the other leaders have realized that most of the kids didn’t really understand what worship was all about. They would whisper, joke around, interrupt, and obviously not be giving praise to our God. We’ve been praying about the need for the kids to understand the reason of worship and to have a heart for it. Tonight Jon’s (a leader and the worship leader) guitar string broke right as the first song started. So he hopped on the piano instead. After a song or two he took the night into a different direction then what we had planned but what we needed. A night of worship. We brought pens and papers for them to write what God is to us, what attribute they were thankful for. After sometime of praying and singing together. I felt God leading me to read what I had written. That God is an amazing Artist, and that I’m so thankful that we can see and be apart of his creativity... Then some other youth read what they had written as well. God is their father, God is strong, that He loves us too much, that their thankful he has redeemed them. Opening up to their peers, the family of Christ. The youth were able to pray and sing in freedom thanking God for who he is. It was really cool to see the change of the atmosphere from the past weeks to tonight. We tried to make clear that worship is not just something we do when there is music and singing, but a daily way of living our life out for our loving God.
Knowing that these kids were able to praise the Lord in Cairo tonight with free hearts was a cool experience for me to be apart of. God is here among us, and we are honored to be in his presence. Isn’t that worth being thankful for?

He Listens

I am writing to let you share in the joy of my miracle! I wrote some of you with the prayer request about the pain in my foot from my bunion. I hobbled around my apartment for days! I was in a lot of pain and afraid that I would have to come back to the states for an operation. My roommates and small girls group prayed for me and the next day it got worse, not better! While sleeping I couldn't even have the blanket covering my foot, it was too painful. The next morning, I took a step and started crying. I literally cried out to Jesus to help me! The song "Every Step I take, I take in you Jesus" became very real to me. I went to a doctor and he said I needed treatment, medicine, and an x-ray. I started on some anti-infalmatory medicine. I took only half the medicince for 2 days and felt completely better. I have not experienced any pain at all since then, its been about 2 weeks now. I am so grateful to God for this healing! I know it could have taken a lot longer to become better and could have been a lot worse. Thank you to everyone who prayed for me. Know that God heared you!!