For 8 days, I watched a group of 350 university students from all over Egypt encounter Jesus and respond to him. Jesus did what He does best! The lost were saved. The sick and broken were healed. Those trapped in bondage were set free. All commissioned to carry the love and saving message of Jesus anywhere and everywhere!
It was with your help that we were able host this 8-day leadership and evangelism school for these young leaders! For many, this was the first time Christianity was more than just a religious duty that they took part in because they were born with “christian” printed on their birth certificate. They encountered the presence of a person who has longing to build relationship with them, but has waited patiently for them to turn to him.
The love that we spend our life looking for, was given when we were at our worst.
The echoing theme throughout the school was, “will you say yes to the cost of following Jesus?” Are you so convinced of His love, that the thought of not having it, makes life not worth living if means not having him.
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” Philippians 3:8
Testimony of student:
“A young man came to us after a service completely overwhelmed by the love of God. He told us he was crying for the first time in 2 years and now could not stop as he was encountering God’s love!”
It is the power of the love of God! I am finding that religion is concerned about getting stuff done, while relationship is concerned about connection. Many were finding that they did not know the love they knew so much about from attending church on Sundays. Our prayer was that Holy Spirit would come into every session, teaching, and time of worship and reveal himself to each student. He heard our prayers, and CAME! Every night, many were experiencing God’s love for the first time. There was not a dry eye in the room, as Jesus would reveal himself to us and captivate hearts.
With each day, students were growing in the understanding of how loving God was to live in obedience to what his word says. It’s easy to forget that obedience to God leads to LIFE and invitations to see his glory on display.
It was evident that God was breaking off the religion for many, and causing “love” to be the motivator of walking in boldness!
I couldn’t help but think about what I have learned in the last four years of walking with Jesus. I remember the idea of sharing the gospel or doing ministry did not appeal to me at all. I was content to let the people who were more naturally inclined to compassion have that job, and I would do something else. The idea of joyfully obeying God was foreign to me. I couldn’t shake that I wanted to become BOLD to make Jesus known on earth, and would someone who do anything he would ask of me. So my first step of obedience was to pray the dangerous prayer, “Lord, would you help me to desire to be obedient you.” Is it ok for me to be vulnerable?! My prayers were consistently honest and raw, because I knew that God knew everything about me – and I was very aware of the fact that my first inclination was not to love. But I wanted it to be; and if anyone could transform my heart, it would be Jesus.
And guess what, I started to hear Holy Spirit give me invitations to be obedient. At first they were things like, “buy coffee for the person behind you in the drive thru line,” or “pray for a stranger during worship,” or “do the dishes for your roommate.” Invitations: opportunities to grow in exercising putting into action what I heard from Holy Spirit.
Before long, compassion started to well up in my heart for the lost. My heart began to align with Christ’s heart for them, and I couldn’t wait to tell them about his love for them.
How did I go from not wanting to tell anyone about Jesus, to my heart exploding with love for people that I didn’t know?
Simply, Jesus meeting with me again and again and again with his love. He doesn’t have to keep showing up, or convincing me of magnificence, but he did and continually does. How can the never ending love of God not change someone? His love is nothing like the world’s.
As I talked with girls from the school, many were longing to live a sold out for Jesus, many were longing to live a lifestyle of sharing the gospel, but felt trapped in feeling the religious obligation to live this way versus being motivated by love. I couldn’t help but remember all that the Lord had brought me through when it comes to this exact topic, and where He has brought me. What He had done in me and is doing in me, was exactly what he wanted to do in these girls: love them wildly. So I could look them in the eyes and say, “your desire to love means that God wants to show you that kind of love.” He wants to show his love for YOU, so that you have no doubt about the truth of his character of love that make you CONFIDENT when you share.
I know that this work was being accomplished in these students, because most of our sessions the worship would continued for hours beyond what we planned for. It was as if they couldn’t get enough of His presence, and didn’t want to be anywhere else but where Jesus was. As worship continued, the students would zoom around the room ministering to one another. There wasn’t a night with tears shed or hugs shared. The greatest part was that it was Egyptian to Egyptian, student to student, not just Circuit Rider to student. They became like Christ in meeting their friends in the midst of their need. I stood many times in the back of the room in awe, as they had quickly grabbed hold of the heart of Christ and were already operating in it.
Testimonies from the school:
A girl who was unable to speak for 3 years was miraculously healed! She stood on stage at the large gathering and shared her testimony of how she had gone to doctors, taken medicine, yet no one could understand why she became mute. Jesus healed her in a moment of worship and restored her voice!
After an evangelism training, a student told us she had always wanted to preach the Gospel she just never knew how. She said she could not wait to go home, practice preaching the Gospel every day, and begin sharing with her muslim friends!
One girl who attended our leadership and evangelism school was so activated and empowered, she prayed for 40 others the first day of the larger conference!
Others who attended the school said they were leading people to Jesus for the first time in their lives at the larger event!
One student threw all of his cigarettes and vape in the offering basket one night. He wanted freedom in Jesus and even days later he said he felt totally set free
This trip marked my heart deeply, as I realized Christ’s heart in deeper ways. I consider any day or any trip a great success if I fall deeper in love with Jesus than I was before, and I know that I am more in love with Jesus because of my time in Egypt.
All of my love,
Autumn
We then hosted a national worship gathering with more than 2,500 in attendance. 150 made decisions to follow Jesus! It was the largest national gathering of young people since the pandemic. It was remarkable to watch God infuse a generation with a fresh faith and boldness for the Gospel