Where to begin...
After about four weeks of classes and evangelistic outreach, we had a break for 10 days. I had contacted an old acquaintance a few weeks before coming to New Zealand -- "Glennem from Blenheim," as we called him on Teen Missions Team 93033 - Zimbabwe, 1993. Glen and his family have lived in Nelson, New Zealand (NZ), for the last several years. Nelson is located on the northern edge of NZ's South Island not far from kilometers and kilometers of bush treks and beautiful beaches. This was my only real plan for the break - the ferry to Picton and on to the Buckley's in Nelson. Up until a week before I left, I didn't have a travel partner, and I suddenly realized that I didn't want to travel alone for 10 days. So, I prayed, and the next morning my roommate told me her travel plans had fallen through. My response? "Praise the Lord - I asked God last night for someone to travel with!"
Mirjam and I took a ferry across the Cook Strait which is known as one of the most dangerous sea passages in the world. We were highly favored both ways, though, and had nothing but sunshine, dolphins, and beautiful scenery. There were actually 11 of us from the school on the same boat, which was a lot of fun. Mirjam and I took the bus to Nelson and spent two days with the Buckleys, who were great to hang out with. God blessed us with hosts who love homemade espresso drinks and even took us an hour up the coast to see the golden beaches of Kaiteriteri.
Afterward, we took the bus to Blenheim and the TransScenic railway through Kaikoura. The open-air observation car was an amazing way to see the east coast despite the sometimes overzealous, teenaged ruggers (rugby players) on board with us. Mirjam and I sat with two lovely old English women on holiday from Essex. They were quite amused with Mirjam's dredlocks ("Are they your real hair?") and our knitting/sewing projects.
One of the school staff members connected us with a fabulously hospitable couple in her hometown of Christchurch. Nick and Jenny picked us up from the rail station and took us to their home where we each had our own private bedrooms. This was the first time either of us had slept alone in a room since we'd come to NZ! Our first full day was spent driving Nick's old manual, column-shift work van on all over the area (constant self reminder = "left side, Heather"). Mirjam and I hiked along the crater's edge above Governor's Bay and enjoyed amazing views. We had to run briefly from an onslaught of Orks (obligatory Lord of the Rings reference - sorry, I'll try not to let it happen again). Ok, it was a group of 40 or so identically-clad hikers. Still, it was fun to pretend. Then we had coffee at Lyttleton Coffee Co. in the little shipping town of Lyttleton. It was defintely the cutest coffee shop I've been to in this country. It was so great, I bought the closest thing I will most likely purchase to a NZ t-shirt. Check out the artwork on my Flickr.com site.
A couple of our schoolmates arrived in Christchurch our last night there, and Nick brought them over for a dip in the spa with Mirjam and I. Then we picked up a camper van for relocation to Wellington. The company we drove for made a mistake in calculating the charges, and when I pointed it out, they decided to overlook the $135NZ discount they gave us! We drove through the NZ Alps by way of Arthur's Pass to Greymouth. Our last day on the South Island was Mirjam's 22nd birthday which we spent driving up the west coast and back across to Picton. Our friends had made it back there as well, so after a mussel dinner in Havelock, we hung out at their backpacker (NZ travelers' hostel). There we met several other travelers from Finland, England, Scotland, Germany, and Austria. Our Scottish friend met us on the ferry back to Wellington and spent the whole day hanging out with us.
Everything was going well until the parking lot of the camper van park. (Note: any of my family members reading this are not allowed to laugh at or mention the following story at any point in the future.) We unloaded the grey water from the van and were preparing to refill the fresh water tank when, OH JESUS! I side-swiped the stupid, yet functional, metal pole guarding the little pavilion over the dump station. I was a little upset. Fortunately, I had Mirjam along to cover me in prayer. I resigned myself to losing my $400NZ deposit, while she quietly asked for a miracle. When I presented the situation and our camper van to the nice man at the office, he said he would take a look at it. He then proceeded to refund my $400 and gently send us on our way!
God is good. And He loves me.
The Lord has continued to bless me despite everything that's been thrown at me that could steal my joy. During my time away, there was more turmoil on the homefront. Wow, the Devil never quits. I am believing for a miracle as, once again, I am faced with a complete turn-over of tenants and the prospect of an empty house on June 1st. Please pray for the provision of a reliable, godly tenant to rent the whole house for at least 6 months. Also, I am trusting God as my advocate with the potential numerous mediations as I return home. I am looking forward to connecting with the one God has set aside for my house and being released from the stress that has felt like a millstone for quite some time.
Since we've been back, we've had a series of amazing speakers at the school. Just previous to the break, we had a Vinyard pastor from Christchurch come up to us to speak to us mainly concerning the gift of prophecy. In actuality, he and a dear lady from the local Anglican congregation spent the majority of three days praying and prophesying over each one of us. We've also had many occasions to pray for each other and speak into one another's lives. Another speaker we had was Cecily Hill, a pastor from Auckland, who ministered for 49 of her 51 years as a single person. Hearing her experiences in ministering to people at the margins of society, healing the sick and doing so as a single woman were both encouraging and inspiring. This last week, we had Justin and Jenny Duckworth speak on perseverance and sustainable community living. I'm really looking forward to spending the night at their camp in Ngatiawa next weekend. I'm really praying that the Lord uses them to restore some of the hope in Christ-centered community that's been damaged by the discouragement I've encountered over the last couple of years.
The rest of the school, minus a few of us stragglers, drove up to Tauranga this weekend for an artists' seminar being held by David Pierce. I got to stay behind to spend time with Jesus and do things like have people over for dinner, have a soaking-in-the-Spirit time at the house, visit Ngatiawa, and write this journal entry. Please pray for me as I seek the Lord for direction beyond the school including a two-week visit to California on my way home and the possibilities of going to the Rainbow Gathering with the Jesus Kitchen and traveling to Beruit with a team from my church, The Salvage Yard, this summer.
Feel free to check out the photos I've posted at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/
For more info. on the Jesus Kitchen and NLM, go to: http://www.steiger.org/2008/
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Kapiti: Part 1
My trip has been really interesting from the moment my friend Joel dropped me off at the bus stop in Minneapolis. It seems like the Enemy has been busy trying to throw whatever he can at me to foil all the good things the Lord has been trying to do. I will say, though, that the Lord's blessings have outweighed them all. The first couple of weeks were full of anxiety and distraction, but I've been slowly learning how to lay those things at God's feet and not pick them up again immediately. I've been surprised more than a few times being blessed unexpectedly - from free lattes to beautiful sunlight streaming through the trees on a mountainside hike. There are a few things that I've been asking God about. I'm still waiting for answers, but this is a pretty amazing place to do it!
On the crowded bus to Chicago, an old college friend popped up the stairs and sat in front of me. He'd decided earlier that afternoon to go to Guatemala! I spent the next day tramping all over Chicago and waiting in line for his passport renewal. I was on time to the airport, but the flight was delayed. The snow storm that dumped 6" on Minneapolis delayed all the flights at O'Hare with rain. So, I also missed my connecting flight to New Zealand in San Francisco. I got rerouted to Sydney. The upside to a 10-layover was that I got a day visa and went to see the Sydney Opera House and explore the downtown area a bit. I got to Wellington 16 hours late, and my luggage was lost, but my lovely friend Jemma was there to pick me up.
The next day, I was to be picked up to head to Waikanae. When that fell through, I got to spend the day with Jemma. We went to her church, Blue Print, a young-adult congregation right in the heart of the city. The next morning, Jemma's cute British roommate, Laura, took me down the cable car and around town to the train station where I I caught a train to Paraparaumu. I finally met up with the rest of the students on a farm outside of Waikanae. Later, I was taken to the house where I now live with 4 other women from Germany, Canada, and Minneapolis.
The first couple of weeks were rough only because the Enemy was hard at work causing trouble at my house back home. There will need to be a mediation upon my return concerning the issues I have been unable to resolve from here. I have had also had additional financial expenses because of the situation. I am very thankful that my friends Kitty and Shaggy have been available to help sort things out while I've been away. Beth Chaya, my mentor, has also volunteered to intervene and help sort out the financial issues. It's a huge blessing to know that someone as wise and trustworthy as these three are covering me while I'm away. The Lord is also helping be to combat the attacks of anxiety that are becoming less and less.
As far as the school goes, it's been really positive. The classes run three days per week and have been mostly taught by David and Jodi Pierce, who head Steiger International. My pastor, Mark Johnson, was also here 2 weeks ago, which made me feel right at home. I am incredibly blessed by the One-on-One partner I have been matched with. She is a lovely woman of prayer from the local church. We hit it off right away. God has really used her to reveal His love for me (coffee, dark chocolate, and a bike!). My favorite day of the week is Friday, our Seeking God Day. Walking on the beach, hiking up the hill, and going on dates with Jesus has been amazing. The house I live in is only 2 blocks from Waikanae beach, where you can walk for hours. It's not too far to the countryside here, either, where you can start a 4 hour bushwalk through a semi-tropical jungle at the edge of town. The steep decline at the end tore me up a little bit, but it was definitely worth it!
We have also been reaching out to the community in several ways. One example was a community during a big bike race held in town. We helped one of the local churches serve food and coffee, do face-painting and games with the children, perform music, and entertain the spectators with tall bikes, spinning poi, and bicycle jousting. Only one of the students got hurt slightly -- my Finnish friend Miika lost the cap to a tooth he broke three years ago. I'll have to post the video online of him playing his guitar at the event -- for anyone who knows my old roommate Bryce, it's like watching his Finnish brother! At first, it was disappointing to see how few of the local congregation were there to help, but for many this was something that was truly outside of their comfort zone. The people attending the bike race kept asking why we were offering them free snacks. The whole thing seemed quite out of the ordinary for this community, but we had a lot of positive feedback. It was really hard knowing that I was missing the wedding of one of my closest friends at that moment, but I prayed that they would be blessed. The busyness of the day helped make it easier.
My friends, Stephanie and Greg, also live here and work at a little restaurant near the beach. I've been getting to know the staff there, and each of them are open to us as Christians. One guy, Matt, has been asking a lot of questions about God, so I've been hanging around to answer them as well as I can. There's also a lovely Maori girl named Robyn, who has really accepted me into their little circle. There are a couple younger kids working there also -- Anna, Cain, and Paul -- that I've become friendly with. I'm hoping that the Lord will continue to give me more opportunities to share Jesus' love with them. There was also a kid I met on the bus, Josh, that I'd appreciate your prayers for. We had a good initial conversation, and I'm hoping that God continues to have our paths cross over the next month.
Next week is our break from the school, and I'm really excited! My roommate, Mirjam, and I are heading to the South Island for an adventure. I will be visiting a man who was a leader on the first mission trip I ever went on 16 years ago.
Feel free to write me, if you have a chance - I love mail!
Heather Penzel
14 Titoki Rd.
Waikanae 5036
New Zealand
Thanks!
On the crowded bus to Chicago, an old college friend popped up the stairs and sat in front of me. He'd decided earlier that afternoon to go to Guatemala! I spent the next day tramping all over Chicago and waiting in line for his passport renewal. I was on time to the airport, but the flight was delayed. The snow storm that dumped 6" on Minneapolis delayed all the flights at O'Hare with rain. So, I also missed my connecting flight to New Zealand in San Francisco. I got rerouted to Sydney. The upside to a 10-layover was that I got a day visa and went to see the Sydney Opera House and explore the downtown area a bit. I got to Wellington 16 hours late, and my luggage was lost, but my lovely friend Jemma was there to pick me up.
The next day, I was to be picked up to head to Waikanae. When that fell through, I got to spend the day with Jemma. We went to her church, Blue Print, a young-adult congregation right in the heart of the city. The next morning, Jemma's cute British roommate, Laura, took me down the cable car and around town to the train station where I I caught a train to Paraparaumu. I finally met up with the rest of the students on a farm outside of Waikanae. Later, I was taken to the house where I now live with 4 other women from Germany, Canada, and Minneapolis.
The first couple of weeks were rough only because the Enemy was hard at work causing trouble at my house back home. There will need to be a mediation upon my return concerning the issues I have been unable to resolve from here. I have had also had additional financial expenses because of the situation. I am very thankful that my friends Kitty and Shaggy have been available to help sort things out while I've been away. Beth Chaya, my mentor, has also volunteered to intervene and help sort out the financial issues. It's a huge blessing to know that someone as wise and trustworthy as these three are covering me while I'm away. The Lord is also helping be to combat the attacks of anxiety that are becoming less and less.
As far as the school goes, it's been really positive. The classes run three days per week and have been mostly taught by David and Jodi Pierce, who head Steiger International. My pastor, Mark Johnson, was also here 2 weeks ago, which made me feel right at home. I am incredibly blessed by the One-on-One partner I have been matched with. She is a lovely woman of prayer from the local church. We hit it off right away. God has really used her to reveal His love for me (coffee, dark chocolate, and a bike!). My favorite day of the week is Friday, our Seeking God Day. Walking on the beach, hiking up the hill, and going on dates with Jesus has been amazing. The house I live in is only 2 blocks from Waikanae beach, where you can walk for hours. It's not too far to the countryside here, either, where you can start a 4 hour bushwalk through a semi-tropical jungle at the edge of town. The steep decline at the end tore me up a little bit, but it was definitely worth it!
We have also been reaching out to the community in several ways. One example was a community during a big bike race held in town. We helped one of the local churches serve food and coffee, do face-painting and games with the children, perform music, and entertain the spectators with tall bikes, spinning poi, and bicycle jousting. Only one of the students got hurt slightly -- my Finnish friend Miika lost the cap to a tooth he broke three years ago. I'll have to post the video online of him playing his guitar at the event -- for anyone who knows my old roommate Bryce, it's like watching his Finnish brother! At first, it was disappointing to see how few of the local congregation were there to help, but for many this was something that was truly outside of their comfort zone. The people attending the bike race kept asking why we were offering them free snacks. The whole thing seemed quite out of the ordinary for this community, but we had a lot of positive feedback. It was really hard knowing that I was missing the wedding of one of my closest friends at that moment, but I prayed that they would be blessed. The busyness of the day helped make it easier.
My friends, Stephanie and Greg, also live here and work at a little restaurant near the beach. I've been getting to know the staff there, and each of them are open to us as Christians. One guy, Matt, has been asking a lot of questions about God, so I've been hanging around to answer them as well as I can. There's also a lovely Maori girl named Robyn, who has really accepted me into their little circle. There are a couple younger kids working there also -- Anna, Cain, and Paul -- that I've become friendly with. I'm hoping that the Lord will continue to give me more opportunities to share Jesus' love with them. There was also a kid I met on the bus, Josh, that I'd appreciate your prayers for. We had a good initial conversation, and I'm hoping that God continues to have our paths cross over the next month.
Next week is our break from the school, and I'm really excited! My roommate, Mirjam, and I are heading to the South Island for an adventure. I will be visiting a man who was a leader on the first mission trip I ever went on 16 years ago.
Feel free to write me, if you have a chance - I love mail!
Heather Penzel
14 Titoki Rd.
Waikanae 5036
New Zealand
Thanks!
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Next Stage: New Zealand!
At the end of my last entry, I mentioned that I was applying for the Steiger Leadership School on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand. Well, it’s time! In a few short weeks (Feb. 26th), I’ll be flying from Chicago to Wellington, just an hour from the little beachtown of Waikanae. I should explain how I got to this point - first who Steiger is, second my history with them, and third how I came to this next step in my ministerial journey. These last few months have been a hard journey in letting go of everything that makes sense in trusting God to be who He says He is. I’m not sure if I have any more faith than when I started this journey, but I am sure that He’s still loving and working on me.
Steiger International began as a Bible study on a pier in Amsterdam. Punk rock was at its peak in Europe, and David and Jodi Pierce purposed themselves to reach out to skinheads and other radical sub-culture youth. Using music, art, drama and the living Word of God, they began to travel into communist regions and eventually the world ministering the love of Christ in places where most Christians would fear to tred. Thousands of broken, angry, and hopeless young people have turned themselves over to Christ through the ministry of the band No Longer Music (NLM), and 35 other ministries based in 9 countries. Learn more at .
I think that it was my freshman year at Northwestern College when I first went to Hardcore Bible Study at the People’s Center on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank. I sat in the upper part of the theater seats in front of a small stage with a few friends from school. The man teaching was also part of the rock-worship band and had ties to Steiger. I went with them to the New Age-inspired Rainbow Gathering two summers in a row to serve food to hippies and homeless travelers as part of the Jesus Kitchen. I came and went from this little group over the next 6 years as it changed and moved and grew. When the Hardcore Bible Study became The Salvage Yard Church of Jesus Christ, I was there, and later also became a member. For the last two years, I’ve been a part of the Servant Leadership Team there and recently became the head of the Salvage Yard’s prayer ministries.
I’ve been traveling abroad in ministry since I was 13 years old and built structures for a Bible School in Zimbabwe with Teen Missions International. Since then, I’ve been to 6 countries in this capacity and many more as a visitor. As an adult, I have grown in my identity and calling as an intercessor, and been radically changed through an internship at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. As a graduate student at Bethel Seminary, a desire in my heart to become a Spiritual Director was awakened. My hope and desire is that through my experiences at the Steiger Radical Missions School and time spent with Jesus there, these many pieces will begin to come together in a more specific calling for my life and ministry. I have few preconceived ideas about what the Lord will do in me while I’m there, but I am excited that He has amazing things in store for me over the next few months. Please pray for me during this important time!
Since ending my career as a teacher at the end of July, I have been blessed to work several jobs and have been able to save a significant portion of the finances required for my travel and tuition expenses. If you are moved to do so, please help me to emerge from this experience debt-free. Donations can be made online at Paypal.com by clicking the link belowm or checks can be mailed to me directly. Thank you!
Heather Penzel
2731 17th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Steiger International began as a Bible study on a pier in Amsterdam. Punk rock was at its peak in Europe, and David and Jodi Pierce purposed themselves to reach out to skinheads and other radical sub-culture youth. Using music, art, drama and the living Word of God, they began to travel into communist regions and eventually the world ministering the love of Christ in places where most Christians would fear to tred. Thousands of broken, angry, and hopeless young people have turned themselves over to Christ through the ministry of the band No Longer Music (NLM), and 35 other ministries based in 9 countries. Learn more at .
I think that it was my freshman year at Northwestern College when I first went to Hardcore Bible Study at the People’s Center on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank. I sat in the upper part of the theater seats in front of a small stage with a few friends from school. The man teaching was also part of the rock-worship band and had ties to Steiger. I went with them to the New Age-inspired Rainbow Gathering two summers in a row to serve food to hippies and homeless travelers as part of the Jesus Kitchen. I came and went from this little group over the next 6 years as it changed and moved and grew. When the Hardcore Bible Study became The Salvage Yard Church of Jesus Christ, I was there, and later also became a member. For the last two years, I’ve been a part of the Servant Leadership Team there and recently became the head of the Salvage Yard’s prayer ministries.
I’ve been traveling abroad in ministry since I was 13 years old and built structures for a Bible School in Zimbabwe with Teen Missions International. Since then, I’ve been to 6 countries in this capacity and many more as a visitor. As an adult, I have grown in my identity and calling as an intercessor, and been radically changed through an internship at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. As a graduate student at Bethel Seminary, a desire in my heart to become a Spiritual Director was awakened. My hope and desire is that through my experiences at the Steiger Radical Missions School and time spent with Jesus there, these many pieces will begin to come together in a more specific calling for my life and ministry. I have few preconceived ideas about what the Lord will do in me while I’m there, but I am excited that He has amazing things in store for me over the next few months. Please pray for me during this important time!
Since ending my career as a teacher at the end of July, I have been blessed to work several jobs and have been able to save a significant portion of the finances required for my travel and tuition expenses. If you are moved to do so, please help me to emerge from this experience debt-free. Donations can be made online at Paypal.com by clicking the link belowm or checks can be mailed to me directly. Thank you!
Heather Penzel
2731 17th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Monday, September 15, 2008
An update at last...
It is far beyond time for a wrap-up of my experiences in Egypt, Israel, and the Netherlands from the spring of 2007. To be honest, this will probably be more about the call of the Lord on my life than my time in the Netherlands. It will be a lot about the pieces the Lord has been putting together in my life and the process that has taken. So, I apologize in advance for the length and expanse of subjects I’m going to try to cover. Hopefully, the picture will be relatively more clear in the end.
The last leg of my journey with Dr. Pat in April, 2007, was to Hardewijk and Amsterdam, Netherlands. My team and I stayed in Hardewijk, a little Dutch town a couple hours outside of Amsterdam. Hardewijk also happens to be the hometown of one of the most distinct examples of part of the call on my life: Brother Andrew. Brother Andrew is a man that was a forerunner of smuggling the Word of God into closed countries. Now, he focuses on supporting and encouraging believers in the Middle East as well as building bridges between Christian and Muslim groups and being a voice of social justice in the region. He is a man whom the Lord sends on special missions in His Name. As passionate as he is, he is equally humble and down-to-earth. He even let me borrow his bike to tool around town! It was a joy for us to meet with him in his home, and it stirred my heart that someone had already done something similar to what I want to do. It felt good to know that although it’s not a traditional form of ministry, it’s something that the Lord is raising up people to do (and I’m not crazy for thinking outside of the box!).
After a couple of days with my team, I left them to spend a couple days in Amsterdam. My friend John, whom I used to work with at First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry and is a grad student there, hung out with me and we had a lot of good times. Two things I had noticed about the Dutch were their love for bikes and their very well-trained dogs. Thankfully, my neighbor at the YWAM base where I stayed let me borrow his bike to get around. If I lived anywhere else in the world, I think I would feel the most at home in Amsterdam. The green, the bike paths on every major street, and the laid-back culture is beautiful!
The neighbor on the other side of my room was Iranian man named David. My last night in Amsterdam was spent with him and a bunch of other YWAMers. As David and I walked back to the base after watching a movie at a friend’s house and he shared with me his story about applying numerous times for a visa to the US to be with his family. He was on his 7th attempt and in a state of real confusion about his role at the YWAM base and the Lord’s purposes in delaying his entry to the US. He also shared about how Jesus tends to communicate to Arab people through dreams and visions and is widely accepted as a righteous prophet who healed the sick. To me, it was a divine appointment after coming from Israel and Palestine to meet a man from that region with a faith in the Lord and a hope for Jesus to be revealed in the Middle East as the healing Savior.
After my return to Minneapolis, a large number of new friends began traveling through. Two of these friends, Ben and Patricia were organizing a camp out in Montana to connect their traveling friends with one another. It was a joy and a privilege to help them make plans and pray for “Christian Summer Camp 2007”. We traveled to the mountains with a group of 12 people and made it only creaming one deer along the way. The whole week was amazing! I made 30 new friends from all over the US and got to see God move in people’s lives in ways they’d never experienced before. It was an adventure with the Lord that I will also never forget.
That fall, I began the Masters of Divinity program with an emphasis in Global and Contextual Studies at Bethel Seminary. Although I had cut down working to four days per week and was only taking two classes, the busy schedule was incredibly difficult for me. Trying to shift my brain to student mode after teaching the high school level for 4 years was rough. There’s no way I would have made it through except for the grace of God – for real. As the school year progressed, my job allowed me to cut down to just three days per week, another huge blessing. I realized that though I have a heart for reaching out to people from all over the world, I wanted to shift my focus to strengthening and encouraging those people. Despite the fact that I changed my emphasis to Pastoral Counseling, I still didn’t feel whole-hearted about pushing through what looked like would amount to five years of study. Then in the spring, I took a class in Spiritual Direction and it seemed like 2 of the biggest pieces of my life suddenly fit together! These were the pieces of intercession, set on fire particularly through my experiences at the International House of Prayer, and that of ministering to other believers. I cried, I was so blessed by the revelation.
(For a definition of Spiritual Direction, please visit: http://www.sdiworld.org/what_is_spiritual_direction2/what-is-christian-spiritual-direction.html )
With that said, I also realized that my life needed reorganization so that my top priorities – Jesus, prayer, and my house – could reclaim their rightful places in my life. So here it comes: I quit my job, put school on hold, and went out of town for a month. Ok, the going out of town part was mostly for enjoyment, but it sure was incredible. I went from Minneapolis to Glacier National Park, Seattle, Oregon, and finally to northern Idaho for Christian Summer Camp 2008. Now, I’m starting a new job as a tutor and a new role at my church as the head of prayer ministries. I'm also in the process of applying for the Steiger Leadership School on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand. Please pray for me as I try to reorder my life, begin a new season of work (I need another job, too), and trust the Lord to make my steps sure.
Photos can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/sets/
The last leg of my journey with Dr. Pat in April, 2007, was to Hardewijk and Amsterdam, Netherlands. My team and I stayed in Hardewijk, a little Dutch town a couple hours outside of Amsterdam. Hardewijk also happens to be the hometown of one of the most distinct examples of part of the call on my life: Brother Andrew. Brother Andrew is a man that was a forerunner of smuggling the Word of God into closed countries. Now, he focuses on supporting and encouraging believers in the Middle East as well as building bridges between Christian and Muslim groups and being a voice of social justice in the region. He is a man whom the Lord sends on special missions in His Name. As passionate as he is, he is equally humble and down-to-earth. He even let me borrow his bike to tool around town! It was a joy for us to meet with him in his home, and it stirred my heart that someone had already done something similar to what I want to do. It felt good to know that although it’s not a traditional form of ministry, it’s something that the Lord is raising up people to do (and I’m not crazy for thinking outside of the box!).
After a couple of days with my team, I left them to spend a couple days in Amsterdam. My friend John, whom I used to work with at First Avenue and the 7th Street Entry and is a grad student there, hung out with me and we had a lot of good times. Two things I had noticed about the Dutch were their love for bikes and their very well-trained dogs. Thankfully, my neighbor at the YWAM base where I stayed let me borrow his bike to get around. If I lived anywhere else in the world, I think I would feel the most at home in Amsterdam. The green, the bike paths on every major street, and the laid-back culture is beautiful!
The neighbor on the other side of my room was Iranian man named David. My last night in Amsterdam was spent with him and a bunch of other YWAMers. As David and I walked back to the base after watching a movie at a friend’s house and he shared with me his story about applying numerous times for a visa to the US to be with his family. He was on his 7th attempt and in a state of real confusion about his role at the YWAM base and the Lord’s purposes in delaying his entry to the US. He also shared about how Jesus tends to communicate to Arab people through dreams and visions and is widely accepted as a righteous prophet who healed the sick. To me, it was a divine appointment after coming from Israel and Palestine to meet a man from that region with a faith in the Lord and a hope for Jesus to be revealed in the Middle East as the healing Savior.
After my return to Minneapolis, a large number of new friends began traveling through. Two of these friends, Ben and Patricia were organizing a camp out in Montana to connect their traveling friends with one another. It was a joy and a privilege to help them make plans and pray for “Christian Summer Camp 2007”. We traveled to the mountains with a group of 12 people and made it only creaming one deer along the way. The whole week was amazing! I made 30 new friends from all over the US and got to see God move in people’s lives in ways they’d never experienced before. It was an adventure with the Lord that I will also never forget.
That fall, I began the Masters of Divinity program with an emphasis in Global and Contextual Studies at Bethel Seminary. Although I had cut down working to four days per week and was only taking two classes, the busy schedule was incredibly difficult for me. Trying to shift my brain to student mode after teaching the high school level for 4 years was rough. There’s no way I would have made it through except for the grace of God – for real. As the school year progressed, my job allowed me to cut down to just three days per week, another huge blessing. I realized that though I have a heart for reaching out to people from all over the world, I wanted to shift my focus to strengthening and encouraging those people. Despite the fact that I changed my emphasis to Pastoral Counseling, I still didn’t feel whole-hearted about pushing through what looked like would amount to five years of study. Then in the spring, I took a class in Spiritual Direction and it seemed like 2 of the biggest pieces of my life suddenly fit together! These were the pieces of intercession, set on fire particularly through my experiences at the International House of Prayer, and that of ministering to other believers. I cried, I was so blessed by the revelation.
(For a definition of Spiritual Direction, please visit: http://www.sdiworld.org/what_is_spiritual_direction2/what-is-christian-spiritual-direction.html )
With that said, I also realized that my life needed reorganization so that my top priorities – Jesus, prayer, and my house – could reclaim their rightful places in my life. So here it comes: I quit my job, put school on hold, and went out of town for a month. Ok, the going out of town part was mostly for enjoyment, but it sure was incredible. I went from Minneapolis to Glacier National Park, Seattle, Oregon, and finally to northern Idaho for Christian Summer Camp 2008. Now, I’m starting a new job as a tutor and a new role at my church as the head of prayer ministries. I'm also in the process of applying for the Steiger Leadership School on the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand. Please pray for me as I try to reorder my life, begin a new season of work (I need another job, too), and trust the Lord to make my steps sure.
Photos can be seen at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjael79/sets/
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Palestine
"When you minister on the front lines, you can't be selective. You will only limit God's grace."
- Labib Mandanat, Director
Palestinian Bible Society
Israel reminds me of the US in the 1950's with a little of Cold War Berlin thrown in. In the segregated US, people feared one another based on the color of their skin. In Cold War Berlin, a wall separated East from West, communist from capitalist. In Israel and Palestine, these patterns of fear, separation, and injustice are duplicated in a Middle Eastern context with global consequences. The greatest challenge in visiting this conflicted region was refusing the constant demand to choose a side and instead choose Jesus.
The day we arrived in Jerusalem, the Palestinian Bible Society's (PBS) bookstore in Gaza City was attacked by Muslim extremists. At two o'clock in the morning, the guard, a Muslim himself, was attacked and beaten, and a bomb filled with metal bb's was detonated in the shop. Two internet cafés were also bombed that night indicating that the attacks were toward businesses that represent western ideals to the extremists who attacked them. This reminds me of the fire-bombing of churches and businesses in the segregated South, white or black, who were seen as supporting the threatening ideals of civil rights and racial equality. Although many whites in the South lived peacefully alongside their black neighbors (albeit on the other side of the railroad tracks), the racial extremists made life very dangerous for the minority. The voice of the extremists also influenced the views of their more moderate neighbors. Similarly, in Gaza the day after the attack on the PBS Bookstore, the Palestinian Culture Authority stood publicly in solidarity with the PBS staff at the site of the bombing. However, the day we visited and delivered 250+ much-needed Bibles, a Muslim business woman was car-jacked and her business bombed.
The fear and injustice is not limited to Palestinians attacking one another. One night, I had the chance to hang out with an American friend in West Jerusalem. We walked from the Arab east side, through the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, to his apartment building – the tallest building in Jerusalem. From his apartment window, we had a fabulous view of the ancient city lit up on a dark Shabbat evening. People were out in mass, enjoying the night air and the street performers on Ben Yahuda Street after a quiet day of rest and prayer. My friend and I walked through the crowds to a coffee shop. He pointed out the numerous places that had been bombed out along Ben Yahuda, some as many as two or three times. At the coffee shop, we first passed through security before sitting down to order. A strap separated the seating area from the sidewalk, and we sat and talked about the historical and political factors contributing to the current tension there. Suddenly, a young man with a backpack ducked the strap directly behind my friend. Every eye in the shop was trained on him as he nervously found a spot to sit in the shadows alone. In a moment's time, either a brave server or the security guard went over to the young man, had a short discussion, and the man left the way he had come in. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps he was troubled and having a bad night, or maybe there was a bomb in that pack and he'd just chickened out. Thankfully, our lives went on as usual after that experience, but I gained a fresh understanding of life on constant red-alert.
In reference to Cold War Berlin, there are also physical walls that separate the people in Israel. Those with the most freedom, it seems, are foreigners. In state of Israel, there are three types of people: Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis, and Palestinians. The Jewish and Arab Israelis have relative freedom of movement thanks to their state-issued passports which also lend them an identity. The Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have no such identity nor do they have freedom of movement. Fear and common sense greatly determine the movements of the Jewish people. Arab Israelis face regular harassment by Israeli soldiers at each check point. Palestinians are basically limited to whichever locality their papers indicate they are from. For example, Salwa Awad, born and raised in Gaza, has not seen her family there in over six years. When she was married 30 years ago, she had her papers changed to Bethlehem where she has since lived with her husband, the president of Bethlehem Bible College. Since the second intifada, thousands of Palestinian workers similarly lack permission to cross into Israel to work, and the unemployment rate among them varies from 40-60%.
We visited many locations throughout Palestine: Bethlehem, Jericho, Gaza, Nazareth, and Hebron . Some of these places, like Jericho, are now limited to one entrance with a road-block style gate. Others, like Gaza, have a fifty-foot wall encompassing the city and its suburbs. It has been compared to a maximum security prison of 1.5 million people. Inside some of these walls are refugee camps where four generations of families have lived since their homes and lands were confiscated to create an Israeli state. Other walls, like that in Hebron, separate Palestinians from Jewish settlers in the same town. In Hebron, a Jewish settler and extremist slaughtered 29 worshippers inside the mosque located at the Tomb of the Patriarchs. There was a monument in honor of the shooter erected nearby until public outcry caused it to be removed. The hills that were once included in Bethlehem are now on the outside of the walls and have Jewish settlements on them. Some Palestinian shops in Hebron have Jewish homes built on top of them.
Like all politically-charged areas, the propaganda is everywhere. So are the everyday experiences of the people on all sides. Many Palestinian Christians have the opportunity to leave to attend post-secondary schools in the west. Few return, and I don't blame them. For this reason, I greatly respect the men and women who choose to stay in or return to Palestine despite the difficulty. These people, like my friends Simon, Sireen, and Labib, are forced to choose a side every day. On our travel bus, Labib acted as our guide explaining many of the sights we could view from our windows. At one point, he stopped mid-sentence. I could tell that he was processing his next words very carefully. He was between stories and evaluating whether or why he would share the next information on his mind relating to the injustices all around us. He chose not to continue with his train of thought and explained why. In every passing day, he had a choice to make – the choice between holding offense against people he was justified in calling oppressors or denying his heritage and experiences. Perhaps the most poignant moment of my inaugural trip to Israel was to hear this man of God say that each day, he had to choose Jesus. It was his only choice. It is my only choice.
Like my Father in Heaven, I love Israel. I will pray for them and their salvation as the apostle Paul asks me to. Walking through the Orthodox neighborhood, down Ben Yahuda Street, and taking pictures with soldiers younger than myself, I was blessed to remember that Israelis are people too - people trying to live their lives, who are loved by God, and are overshadowed by fear. I met many beautiful Palestinian people who also love the Lord and are challenged to love their enemies like I may never understand. These people serve Muslims and Christians throughout Palestine and pursue reconciliation with their Israeli family in Christ on a daily basis. I look forward to seeing them again someday.
I began the Master of Divinity program at Bethel Seminary this fall with an emphasis in Global and Contextual Studies. I hope that studying Arabic under Salwa in Bethlehem will be a part of my program. I am also looking into studying abroad in Northern Ireland as a part of a Masters program in Reconciliation Studies. Please pray for the PBS, the people they serve, and the nation of Israel. And me too. Thank you!
- Labib Mandanat, Director
Palestinian Bible Society
Israel reminds me of the US in the 1950's with a little of Cold War Berlin thrown in. In the segregated US, people feared one another based on the color of their skin. In Cold War Berlin, a wall separated East from West, communist from capitalist. In Israel and Palestine, these patterns of fear, separation, and injustice are duplicated in a Middle Eastern context with global consequences. The greatest challenge in visiting this conflicted region was refusing the constant demand to choose a side and instead choose Jesus.
The day we arrived in Jerusalem, the Palestinian Bible Society's (PBS) bookstore in Gaza City was attacked by Muslim extremists. At two o'clock in the morning, the guard, a Muslim himself, was attacked and beaten, and a bomb filled with metal bb's was detonated in the shop. Two internet cafés were also bombed that night indicating that the attacks were toward businesses that represent western ideals to the extremists who attacked them. This reminds me of the fire-bombing of churches and businesses in the segregated South, white or black, who were seen as supporting the threatening ideals of civil rights and racial equality. Although many whites in the South lived peacefully alongside their black neighbors (albeit on the other side of the railroad tracks), the racial extremists made life very dangerous for the minority. The voice of the extremists also influenced the views of their more moderate neighbors. Similarly, in Gaza the day after the attack on the PBS Bookstore, the Palestinian Culture Authority stood publicly in solidarity with the PBS staff at the site of the bombing. However, the day we visited and delivered 250+ much-needed Bibles, a Muslim business woman was car-jacked and her business bombed.
The fear and injustice is not limited to Palestinians attacking one another. One night, I had the chance to hang out with an American friend in West Jerusalem. We walked from the Arab east side, through the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood, to his apartment building – the tallest building in Jerusalem. From his apartment window, we had a fabulous view of the ancient city lit up on a dark Shabbat evening. People were out in mass, enjoying the night air and the street performers on Ben Yahuda Street after a quiet day of rest and prayer. My friend and I walked through the crowds to a coffee shop. He pointed out the numerous places that had been bombed out along Ben Yahuda, some as many as two or three times. At the coffee shop, we first passed through security before sitting down to order. A strap separated the seating area from the sidewalk, and we sat and talked about the historical and political factors contributing to the current tension there. Suddenly, a young man with a backpack ducked the strap directly behind my friend. Every eye in the shop was trained on him as he nervously found a spot to sit in the shadows alone. In a moment's time, either a brave server or the security guard went over to the young man, had a short discussion, and the man left the way he had come in. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps he was troubled and having a bad night, or maybe there was a bomb in that pack and he'd just chickened out. Thankfully, our lives went on as usual after that experience, but I gained a fresh understanding of life on constant red-alert.
In reference to Cold War Berlin, there are also physical walls that separate the people in Israel. Those with the most freedom, it seems, are foreigners. In state of Israel, there are three types of people: Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis, and Palestinians. The Jewish and Arab Israelis have relative freedom of movement thanks to their state-issued passports which also lend them an identity. The Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have no such identity nor do they have freedom of movement. Fear and common sense greatly determine the movements of the Jewish people. Arab Israelis face regular harassment by Israeli soldiers at each check point. Palestinians are basically limited to whichever locality their papers indicate they are from. For example, Salwa Awad, born and raised in Gaza, has not seen her family there in over six years. When she was married 30 years ago, she had her papers changed to Bethlehem where she has since lived with her husband, the president of Bethlehem Bible College. Since the second intifada, thousands of Palestinian workers similarly lack permission to cross into Israel to work, and the unemployment rate among them varies from 40-60%.
We visited many locations throughout Palestine: Bethlehem, Jericho, Gaza, Nazareth, and Hebron . Some of these places, like Jericho, are now limited to one entrance with a road-block style gate. Others, like Gaza, have a fifty-foot wall encompassing the city and its suburbs. It has been compared to a maximum security prison of 1.5 million people. Inside some of these walls are refugee camps where four generations of families have lived since their homes and lands were confiscated to create an Israeli state. Other walls, like that in Hebron, separate Palestinians from Jewish settlers in the same town. In Hebron, a Jewish settler and extremist slaughtered 29 worshippers inside the mosque located at the Tomb of the Patriarchs. There was a monument in honor of the shooter erected nearby until public outcry caused it to be removed. The hills that were once included in Bethlehem are now on the outside of the walls and have Jewish settlements on them. Some Palestinian shops in Hebron have Jewish homes built on top of them.
Like all politically-charged areas, the propaganda is everywhere. So are the everyday experiences of the people on all sides. Many Palestinian Christians have the opportunity to leave to attend post-secondary schools in the west. Few return, and I don't blame them. For this reason, I greatly respect the men and women who choose to stay in or return to Palestine despite the difficulty. These people, like my friends Simon, Sireen, and Labib, are forced to choose a side every day. On our travel bus, Labib acted as our guide explaining many of the sights we could view from our windows. At one point, he stopped mid-sentence. I could tell that he was processing his next words very carefully. He was between stories and evaluating whether or why he would share the next information on his mind relating to the injustices all around us. He chose not to continue with his train of thought and explained why. In every passing day, he had a choice to make – the choice between holding offense against people he was justified in calling oppressors or denying his heritage and experiences. Perhaps the most poignant moment of my inaugural trip to Israel was to hear this man of God say that each day, he had to choose Jesus. It was his only choice. It is my only choice.
Like my Father in Heaven, I love Israel. I will pray for them and their salvation as the apostle Paul asks me to. Walking through the Orthodox neighborhood, down Ben Yahuda Street, and taking pictures with soldiers younger than myself, I was blessed to remember that Israelis are people too - people trying to live their lives, who are loved by God, and are overshadowed by fear. I met many beautiful Palestinian people who also love the Lord and are challenged to love their enemies like I may never understand. These people serve Muslims and Christians throughout Palestine and pursue reconciliation with their Israeli family in Christ on a daily basis. I look forward to seeing them again someday.
I began the Master of Divinity program at Bethel Seminary this fall with an emphasis in Global and Contextual Studies. I hope that studying Arabic under Salwa in Bethlehem will be a part of my program. I am also looking into studying abroad in Northern Ireland as a part of a Masters program in Reconciliation Studies. Please pray for the PBS, the people they serve, and the nation of Israel. And me too. Thank you!
Egypt
“Relations are more important than rules.” - Abuna Menes Abdul Nur
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they?” Matthew 6:26
These are the quotes from the beginning of my travel journal from Egypt and Israel. I don’t think that I can express fully how I was impacted by my trip to the Middle East, but I can share some of the experiences and stories that I got to take part in. This is the first of a three-part series.
A group of 9 relative strangers from the Midwest (and one Californian) traveled from Minneapolis to Cairo, Egypt, at the beginning of April. We had an express purpose: to encourage and strengthen people who were suffering persecution whom we also consider to be out spiritual brothers and sisters. We arrived in the city of 6.8 million people after midnight following a momentary visit to the flowering tulip fields of Holland. With a few hours of sleep, we awakened to take our first adventure in an officially Muslim state.
Lili met us in the lobby of the hotel. “Lili” is not her real name, but then I never did learn what it was (most of the names in this story have been changed to protect the identities of those abroad). It didn’t matter, though, because we instantly knew her heart through the love and joy she showered on us. Lili took us to Kasr Al Dubara, the largest evangelical church in the Middle East, which also finds its home in Cairo. There we met Reverend Menes Abdul Nur. “Abdul Nur” means “slave of light” in Arabic. Here was a 70-plus year old man who had poured out his life for the love of Jesus Christ. As soon as our group entered the office, the peace and love radiating from Abuna (“father”) Menes’ face won our hearts. He instantly became my Egyptian spiritual grandpa. After sharing stories with us and loading us up with gifts, we prayed for him, and the Spirit of the Lord showed up. It was amazing.
We got to see a lot of sites in the area, including the Great Pyamids of Giza, which I had long dreamed of seeing in person. The truely life-changing experiences of this trip, however, were with the people we met there. One night we met three people at a restaurant owned by a Christian businessman. As long as we spoke in english, our new friends Adam, Meg, and Mark seemed to be at ease. However, Mark spoke mainly in Arabic, and the volume of his voice seemed to make Adam and Meg nervous. If the non-believing staff heard Mark telling his story, things could go very badly for all three of them. Mark was from Alexandria and had been recently imprisoned on trumped-up charges based on the false witness of some people who knew him. While imprisoned, he was tortured with electric shocks while tied to a metal chair in an attempt to make him denounce his faith in Jesus. Meg seemed especially fearful of becoming suspect by the restaurant staff. At one point, her fear overcame her and she got up and left. Her husband, Adam, explained that this was because they had already been “separated” for two of their seven-year message due to their Christian activities. Meg did return a short time later, thankfully, and I was blessed to have the chance to pray for her and share a word of encouragement from the Lord with her.
The story of another man was also shared with us. Joseph was from a village in Upper Egypt, the region along the southern part of the Nile River. As a result of his Christian faith, he received death threats from people who were hostile to his beliefs. The government of Egypt at the national level supports religious freedom, but they are often unaware of the goings-on at the local level. Joseph was forced to leave his home and his family and travel to Saudi Arabia to find work. After several years there, the knowledge of his faith reached the ears of people who also sought to have him imprisoned. He refused to deny his faith and therefore had broken glass ground into the palms of his hands. By a miracle, he was released and returned to Egypt, but he could not work. He had never received medical treatment, and much of the glass was embedded in his hands. Through the donations of supporters of Dr. Pat’s ministry, News Service 2000, Joseph was able to have the glass removed. While we were in Egypt, he was with his family for an annual weekly-long vacation. The local government of his family’s village had determined this was the maximum amount of time his family would be allowed to leave the village to be with him.
We also had the joy of getting to know Pastor Jack and his family. Jack is a gregarious traveling evangelist who has led thousands to Christ and planted numerous churches in his 15-year ministry. He, with his wife Rose, and four beautiful children, minister in house-churches, delivering Bibles, preaching, and leading worship. One night, my team member Mary and I piled into Jack’s Fiat with the whole family and visited a church in a flat on the outskirts of Cairo (well, at least I think it was the outskirts, but I really don’t know where we were). We were treated with usual Arabic hospitality to tea and warm greetings before the service began. A 10 year old boy, the pride of the church, played piano while several other teens led worship. Jack told us that since they were up to around 30 regular attenders, this church was ready to plant churches in new neighborhoods. We greeted several of the excited church-members before quickly and quietly exiting the building, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves as foreigners. We met the pastor of the church we had visited on the way back to the hotel. He had been covering for a pastor at another church. He gave me his card, which I returned to Jack for safety reasons, and I gave the pastor a scripture the Lord had put on my heart for him.
On a sight-seeing trip to Khana al Khalili, a large market, we stopped to drink Turkish coffee at an outdoor café. A young Muslim woman, whom I later found out was named Nelli, approached us seeking alms. The baby in Nelli’s arms had thick black eyeliner and a port inserted in its arm for frequent shots. I quickly gave her 10 Egyptian Pounds (about $1.25), and shooed her away. She seemed a little overwhelmed by the gift - small to me, but immense to her - and seeing the tears in Nelli’s eyes, and I immediately felt convicted that I’d just made a big mistake. I pulled Lili aside as we were about to leave and asked her to translate for me. We found Nelli close by, and she told us her story.
Nelli was married with two children. The younger boy was sick and required shots twice a day. Nelli’s husband had lost his job and they were unable to pay rent. As a result, he was required to go to debtor’s prison for 10 months, leaving Nelli alone with the children. At the time, he had been gone for 4 months and they were sleeping on the floor of what Lili described as a kind of hotel. Her only livelihood came from begging. My heart broke, and through Lili, I told Nelli that Jesus loves her and wants to heal her baby. People were starting to watch, so I decided go as far as I wanted with prayer and calling on the name of Jesus to heal the baby. HOW LAME! The next day I prayed and fasted for Nelli and her family in a meager attempt to make up for it.
My second-ever Arabic teacher (the first being my homegirl Sumita from Iran) was Jack’s 10 year old daughter, Patty. We took the family on a relaxing boat ride on the Nile on one of our last afternoons in Cairo (part of the encouraging and strengthening, you know?). She taught me words like “frekh” (chicken) and “ferowla” (strawberry) as we ate lunch. She was the hardest to leave when we finally said goodbye. Someday, I hope to return to her, Lili, and Abuna Menes, and I will pray in the authority of Christ for any “Nelli” that the Lord puts on my heart.
The spirit of Cairo felt heavy and dark as we visited there, but there were beautiful lights all along the way. I guess Minneapolis might feel the same way if Jack or Lili were to visit here. It was just a different kind of oppression - not as familiar. Whether I’m overseas or in my home on the Southside, I will not view the world in the same light ever again.
“Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are ye not much better than they?” Matthew 6:26
These are the quotes from the beginning of my travel journal from Egypt and Israel. I don’t think that I can express fully how I was impacted by my trip to the Middle East, but I can share some of the experiences and stories that I got to take part in. This is the first of a three-part series.
A group of 9 relative strangers from the Midwest (and one Californian) traveled from Minneapolis to Cairo, Egypt, at the beginning of April. We had an express purpose: to encourage and strengthen people who were suffering persecution whom we also consider to be out spiritual brothers and sisters. We arrived in the city of 6.8 million people after midnight following a momentary visit to the flowering tulip fields of Holland. With a few hours of sleep, we awakened to take our first adventure in an officially Muslim state.
Lili met us in the lobby of the hotel. “Lili” is not her real name, but then I never did learn what it was (most of the names in this story have been changed to protect the identities of those abroad). It didn’t matter, though, because we instantly knew her heart through the love and joy she showered on us. Lili took us to Kasr Al Dubara, the largest evangelical church in the Middle East, which also finds its home in Cairo. There we met Reverend Menes Abdul Nur. “Abdul Nur” means “slave of light” in Arabic. Here was a 70-plus year old man who had poured out his life for the love of Jesus Christ. As soon as our group entered the office, the peace and love radiating from Abuna (“father”) Menes’ face won our hearts. He instantly became my Egyptian spiritual grandpa. After sharing stories with us and loading us up with gifts, we prayed for him, and the Spirit of the Lord showed up. It was amazing.
We got to see a lot of sites in the area, including the Great Pyamids of Giza, which I had long dreamed of seeing in person. The truely life-changing experiences of this trip, however, were with the people we met there. One night we met three people at a restaurant owned by a Christian businessman. As long as we spoke in english, our new friends Adam, Meg, and Mark seemed to be at ease. However, Mark spoke mainly in Arabic, and the volume of his voice seemed to make Adam and Meg nervous. If the non-believing staff heard Mark telling his story, things could go very badly for all three of them. Mark was from Alexandria and had been recently imprisoned on trumped-up charges based on the false witness of some people who knew him. While imprisoned, he was tortured with electric shocks while tied to a metal chair in an attempt to make him denounce his faith in Jesus. Meg seemed especially fearful of becoming suspect by the restaurant staff. At one point, her fear overcame her and she got up and left. Her husband, Adam, explained that this was because they had already been “separated” for two of their seven-year message due to their Christian activities. Meg did return a short time later, thankfully, and I was blessed to have the chance to pray for her and share a word of encouragement from the Lord with her.
The story of another man was also shared with us. Joseph was from a village in Upper Egypt, the region along the southern part of the Nile River. As a result of his Christian faith, he received death threats from people who were hostile to his beliefs. The government of Egypt at the national level supports religious freedom, but they are often unaware of the goings-on at the local level. Joseph was forced to leave his home and his family and travel to Saudi Arabia to find work. After several years there, the knowledge of his faith reached the ears of people who also sought to have him imprisoned. He refused to deny his faith and therefore had broken glass ground into the palms of his hands. By a miracle, he was released and returned to Egypt, but he could not work. He had never received medical treatment, and much of the glass was embedded in his hands. Through the donations of supporters of Dr. Pat’s ministry, News Service 2000, Joseph was able to have the glass removed. While we were in Egypt, he was with his family for an annual weekly-long vacation. The local government of his family’s village had determined this was the maximum amount of time his family would be allowed to leave the village to be with him.
We also had the joy of getting to know Pastor Jack and his family. Jack is a gregarious traveling evangelist who has led thousands to Christ and planted numerous churches in his 15-year ministry. He, with his wife Rose, and four beautiful children, minister in house-churches, delivering Bibles, preaching, and leading worship. One night, my team member Mary and I piled into Jack’s Fiat with the whole family and visited a church in a flat on the outskirts of Cairo (well, at least I think it was the outskirts, but I really don’t know where we were). We were treated with usual Arabic hospitality to tea and warm greetings before the service began. A 10 year old boy, the pride of the church, played piano while several other teens led worship. Jack told us that since they were up to around 30 regular attenders, this church was ready to plant churches in new neighborhoods. We greeted several of the excited church-members before quickly and quietly exiting the building, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves as foreigners. We met the pastor of the church we had visited on the way back to the hotel. He had been covering for a pastor at another church. He gave me his card, which I returned to Jack for safety reasons, and I gave the pastor a scripture the Lord had put on my heart for him.
On a sight-seeing trip to Khana al Khalili, a large market, we stopped to drink Turkish coffee at an outdoor café. A young Muslim woman, whom I later found out was named Nelli, approached us seeking alms. The baby in Nelli’s arms had thick black eyeliner and a port inserted in its arm for frequent shots. I quickly gave her 10 Egyptian Pounds (about $1.25), and shooed her away. She seemed a little overwhelmed by the gift - small to me, but immense to her - and seeing the tears in Nelli’s eyes, and I immediately felt convicted that I’d just made a big mistake. I pulled Lili aside as we were about to leave and asked her to translate for me. We found Nelli close by, and she told us her story.
Nelli was married with two children. The younger boy was sick and required shots twice a day. Nelli’s husband had lost his job and they were unable to pay rent. As a result, he was required to go to debtor’s prison for 10 months, leaving Nelli alone with the children. At the time, he had been gone for 4 months and they were sleeping on the floor of what Lili described as a kind of hotel. Her only livelihood came from begging. My heart broke, and through Lili, I told Nelli that Jesus loves her and wants to heal her baby. People were starting to watch, so I decided go as far as I wanted with prayer and calling on the name of Jesus to heal the baby. HOW LAME! The next day I prayed and fasted for Nelli and her family in a meager attempt to make up for it.
My second-ever Arabic teacher (the first being my homegirl Sumita from Iran) was Jack’s 10 year old daughter, Patty. We took the family on a relaxing boat ride on the Nile on one of our last afternoons in Cairo (part of the encouraging and strengthening, you know?). She taught me words like “frekh” (chicken) and “ferowla” (strawberry) as we ate lunch. She was the hardest to leave when we finally said goodbye. Someday, I hope to return to her, Lili, and Abuna Menes, and I will pray in the authority of Christ for any “Nelli” that the Lord puts on my heart.
The spirit of Cairo felt heavy and dark as we visited there, but there were beautiful lights all along the way. I guess Minneapolis might feel the same way if Jack or Lili were to visit here. It was just a different kind of oppression - not as familiar. Whether I’m overseas or in my home on the Southside, I will not view the world in the same light ever again.
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