Storm yesterday and John Piper

Yesterday was possibly the first and only storm that has ever passed over Egypt. It maybe only rains in Cairo 5 times the whole year, and it has usually only been a light drizzle. Ben called me in the living room where he was reading and said do you hear that? We automatically knocked thunder off the list (because it never happens), our guess was wind or military jets. I opened the window to find lightning. About 5 minutes later it began to hail (definitely never happens) and side ways rain. Unbelievable! I have been anxiously looking forward to visiting the states in May, and one of the reasons is seeing thunderstorms again! Of course that is after family and Bella on the list. :)

Ben and I are HUGE fans of John Piper and would put him right up there with C.S. Lewis and Paul in his theological teachings. Well, I may be facebook friends with him and his wife, and may have seen that they were in Egypt meeting with people getting ready for the Lausanne conference in Capetown, South Africa. I had the opportunity to go hear him speak at an Egyptian church about 45 minutes away. You can almost guess what he spoke on, but the scripture was 2 Corinthians 4:4-6. He gave hope to Christians living in the Middle East. It was incredible. I have a short clip of him teaching, just to give you an idea. He has a wonderful resource website called Desiring God.

Still no news about the job, but He is faithful. I had the opportunity of speaking to about 30 high schoolers at Youth wednesday. I was pretty nervous about it for about 2 weeks. But the Holy Spirit consumed me and the night went great. It was pretty cool. I talked to them about idolatry and having other gods in our lives. We talked about the failure of Israel and Judah's kings who were faithless, so pray that God would be stirred up in their hearts this week, for their own good, but also because we need them. Two people were denied access into the country this week. One was a member of our church who has been here for ten years. The other is the author Josh McDowell. God in his sovereignty is good. But we are human and I just ask to pray for our selfishness when people are forced to leave. We have friends returning in a couple of days, and man, we really want to see them again.

Thoughts on Sudan

I found these drawing that children in Darfur had made on BBC.

One young artist named Aisha said: "It is very kind to send us food, but this is Africa and we are used to being hungry. What I ask is that you please take the guns away from the people who are killing us."

Bakhid was eight years old when he saw his village being attacked and burned by Janjaweed forces on horse back and Sudanese forces in vehicles and tanks.

Today is a nerve wrecking day for people scattered all over the world, who all share one thing together, the hope that their home country of Sudan would be restored and leaders brought to justice. Last year an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir was issued by the ICC for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Today, the Hague will decide if Bashir will be charged with the genocide of three groups in Darfur, Sudan, the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa people groups. He has avoided the arrest warrant, with the help of his Arab supporters. If today he is in fact charged with genocide, it is at least hope for the people of Sudan, that they will no longer have a leader that states he has no control of the actions of the janjaweed and what they do in Darfur, as well as a leader who housed and supported Osama bin Laden. Lord willing, he shall step down. In 2011, the people in south Sudan are voting to have their own sovereign nation of Southern Sudan. Bashir has given them hope of a sovereign nation, but decades of conflict between the north and south over oil and religion has taken the lives of thousands, I'm not convinced in his false attempts at restoring his name.

Everyday I get to witness the aftermath of war and the effects it has on family's. I have the opportunity of talking to Sudanese kids who's parents have be killed, or have illegally ran across bordering countries to try and find work for there families. Most of whom are shot at. The kids put their hope in their education they are receiving, and learning english. I want them to embrace Arabic, but westerners have convinced them english is the way to success. I had the opportunity of helping one girl write her college acceptance essay in the US. We have no idea if she will get in, but she deserves it over me. With all this said, I do not know the plans God has for each person and family. I do not know why I was blessed with a free college education, I do not know if the violence in Sudan will ever be resolved. The only thing I am certain of is that God will triumph in the end, and that He is not "shocked" at everything I have written about. It has all passed through His hands, for His glory and our good. I have hope in a sovereign God, and this is the hope I can celebrate.

Grace,

Sarah