Shutterstock: Jose Ignacio Soto
Egypt Christmas Presents for the EHC School Children and Overseas Staff
DECEMBER 2011
EGYPT The political turmoil, the social unrest and the increasing lawlessness gripping the Middle East, especially in Egypt, continues to generate anticipation, anxiety and anguish. With the elections postponed until at least late November, and with growing tensions arising between the various groups vying for political authority, seeking to capture the heart and soul of the masses across Egypt, the church is making great use of this unprecedented window of opportunity. As one pastor said, "Please pray for us as we seek to spread God's Word across our nation during this time of great change and uncertainty. We don't know what the future holds, but we do know that for now we have more freedom than we have ever had before the revolution and we want to responsibly use it for the glory of God and the extension of His kingdom." In Egypt there were riots over Mubarak's trial; young protesters stormed the Israeli embassy forcing the emergency evacuation of the Ambassador and staff with hundreds of people hurt as the army fired on them. Also tensions are still simmering just below the surface between Christians and Muslim groups in some sections of the population. As seen by recent demonstrations in Cairo, resulting in at least 24 deaths and hundreds of Coptic Christians being injured, what started out as a peaceful demonstration over the burning of a Coptic church and several homes in Upper Egypt, turned into a living hell for those caught up in the demonstrations. Law and order on the streets is a real issue; tourist numbers are almost non existent. Costs for basic items are spiralling out of control and people are unsure just what is around the corner. Yet despite all this, the average Egyptian in the street is both friendly and welcoming to strangers. One pastor said; "The spirit of Pharaoh has been broken over Egypt and fear has gone from everyday life." There is a new boldness in people to speak about Christ to their Muslim neighbours, asking if they can pray for them and then seeing God answer their prayers in miraculous ways. God is opening doors and creating new friendships even in the midst of what to a Westerner seems utter chaos. There are an estimated 1.2 million evangelical Christians. There are around 12 to 15 million Christians in Egypt - 90% are Coptic Christians and 10% are Evangelical. In spite of hardship and persecution through the centuries, God has protected His witness in this nation for over 2000 years. Around 46% of all Christians in the Middle East live in Egypt. This nation is key: a real "gateway" nation to the Arab World. According to Isaiah 19:24&25, Egypt is blessed to be a "blessing on the earth," God says, "Blessed be Egypt my people." Source: Australian Prayer Network
"Out of Egypt I called My Son" Matthew 2:15
It's Christmas and in our celebrations we remember how important a part Egypt had in saving the life of baby Jesus and the incredible years before in the Exodus miracles. Matthew 2:1-21 says: "After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied... 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. The Escape to Egypt 13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said,"take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16 When Herod realised that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under... 19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.
Mt Sinai
In November an Every Home for Christ group (some are pictured above) visited Egypt after touring Israel and Jordan and travelling through the Sinai desert to visit Mt Sinai, the place where God gave Moses the Tables of the Law containing the Ten Commandments Exodus 19 & 20. Moses had 600,000 men, beside women and children, which could have been at least 3 million people travelling with him in Sinai to the Promised Land Exodus 12:37. Another group next October/November will visit Mt Sinai so let the EHC office know if you are interested to come too.
Thank you for your Christmas Present !
Thank You So Much Your child, worker or school teacher sponsorship is greatly appreciated and we can't say it enough "thank you so much" because you have been responsible to change their life for good! You have truly made a difference for good in some ones life... And nothing is more satisfying. Thank you so much.
A Christmas Gift If it is possible for you to send a Christmas gift for your child, worker or school teacher it will be truly wonderful too as this will probably be the only Christmas gift they will receive. They live in a poverty place of the earth. If you are not a sponsor but would like to send a gift it will be greatly appreciated too. Christmas is a joyful time as we celebrate the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour who forgives our sin and makes possible eternal life for us through His death on the cross. Truly "Christ died for our sins" 1 Cor 15:3... And truly we are thankful and rejoice. If you can celebrate with your child, worker or school teacher with a Christmas gift I am sure you will have lots of happiness. To make it convenient for you to send a gift use the enclosed reply envelope and the slip "My Gift Reply". Thank you so much.
Eric Leach
A Christmas Gift for Workers
Samuel Lal India EHC Executive Director discussing the school library.
Daniel Sarker Bangladesh EHC Executive Director distributing sponsored sewing machines to EHC sewing students.
Sewing machine being used at home to support family finances.
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very Home for Christ workers across the world are seeing miraculous results from their efforts. They also face challanges that at first may seem insurmountable, but are being overcome through the prayers and gifts of God's people. Every Home for Christ
Australia: PO Box 168 Penshurst NSW 2222 Telephone: (02) 9570 8211 Facsimile: (02) 9570 4738 New Zealand: PO Box 31-260 Milford North Shore City 0741 Telephone: Free call 0800 900 200 Facsimile: 0061 2 9570 4738 www.everyhome.org.au ehc@everyhome.org.au
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[ ZAMBIA ] Dear Sirs at EHC Zambia, Thank you for making me feel that I am now serving God very fruitfully! It hasn’t been easy for me and others to serve as pioneer missionaries in the vast Gwembe Valley as this is a most challenging work. Even one of our most cherished leaders already has lost two infant children to poisonous snake bites. Still, he and his wife continue to serve the EHC ministry here. I must tell you that we are deeply motivated by what we have seen in the EHC work; you are almost the only ministry here in rural southern Zambia carrying the Gospel to every village. If you were not here, how would all these people hear about the love of Jesus? Your recent Mobile Training Centre sessions made it possible to commission another 80 new pioneer missionaries. This deeply touched my heart and my tears flowed freely at the ceremony. I am one of the new pioneer missionaries you empowered in Lusitu some weeks earlier with a bicycle, Heart of Man chart, gospel soccer balls and much evangelistic literature. I write to say a big thank you. You are a great ministry and we love EHC so very much, especially your willingness to always be there for us. Because of you we feel we are not alone in God’s work in this vast, needy valley. Many organizations come and go and some we may see only once. But EHC has persisted now for more than ten years in the Gwembe Valley, and the lasting fruit is a great testimony to your faithfulness. We have all heard of the vision EHC President Dick Eastman had in the year 2000 of the smoke of thousands of villages rising as incense to God where those villages have all come to know Jesus as Saviour. It is a story told all throughout the Gwembe and it is truly happening. Now, many hundreds of churches have been planted where no churches or even believers existed before the EHC ministry came to our vast valley in 2000. I am praying for you that all the remaining villages of the Gwembe also will be reached with the Word of God in our lifetime through your ministry. May the smoke of every village in the Gwembe rise as incense in worship to Almighty God. Patrick Nyati EHC Pioneer Missionary Gwembe Valley, Southern Zambia