Egypt #9: Becoming Family, Finding Family
Becoming Family, Finding Family
For the team, by Marilyn Borst, Associate Director for Partnership Development
The final day of any mission-vision trip is always bittersweet. On the one hand, we are eager to get home, be reunited with family and friends, unpack our little treasures picked up along the way and to sleep in our own beds once again. And yet, we have become bonded with a group of mostly total strangers who have showed up to explore how God has been at work in his Church and, along the way, over long days and short nights, we have become a traveling family and are a bit reluctant to part ways after our intense shared experiences. As the team’s leader, I am always very grateful for those who have “showed up” for the first time: Jason Sentas and his daughter, Morgan; John and Judy Daniels, Linda Bowman and Casey Wood. And I am especially grateful for those who have “showed up yet again”: Steve Burgess and Kimmy Briggs. Our U.S.-based family was blessed to include two Egyptian brothers who shared the road with us, who planned our itinerary with its many church encounters and facilitated the myriad details of travel in a foreign land: Tharwat Wahba and Mourad Sedky.
This final day blended, as was often the case, an exploration of the rich history of Egypt along with a tender encounter with our local church family. The lovely autumn morning found us at the picturesque Baron Palace built in 1911 in the heart of Heliopolis by a Belgian industrialist who had helped Paris lay out its Metro and came to Egypt to do the same. Jean Francois Empain, its owner, would also lay out this upscale suburb of Cairo and his home, inspired by Hindu temple architecture, would dominate one of its broad avenues.
And with only a few hours remaining before we needed to head to the airport and make our way home, we still had time for one more church visit: the Haganna Presbyterian church. Although not far from our hotel, it was a world away in a poor suburb. Our bus was no match for the rutted, narrow roads and so we made our way, for the last block, or so, by foot. Rev. Amir Shehata pastors this 25-year-old congregation which was planted by Masr El Gedida, a large Presbyterian church in Heliopolis. With few residents in the area able to finish high school, Haganna church has focused on empowering youth with study programs and leadership training. They have a vibrant women’s ministry with over 250. We were there for a family service – our Jason Sentas brought an encouraging message and the congregation prayed for us as we were about to begin our long journey home. Grateful that some of the Synod of the Nile’s vibrant Pastoral Outreach and Mission Committee (POMC) were with us on this final stop on our rich visit to Egypt: Eriny Ayad, Rev. Samuel Adel, Rev. Manassa Nesem Sadek and Dr. Tharwat Wahba. This team guides a big part of The Outreach Foundation’s partnerships here, and we thank God for their wisdom, passion for Christ and their love for us.
And is always the case with family whom we have grown to love, we pray that God blesses us with a joyful reunion: on this side of heaven, or beyond...
