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Ask the Lord of the harvest

Key verse: - Matthew 9: 38
"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field"

I thank God for a privileged to attend 2010 founders' day in Chicago last October. In the founder's day I had been used as a testimony speaker. And I was given an opportunity to participate in the house church Bible study series. Moreover I enjoyed a beautiful fellowship with many servants of God in Chicago. Also I thank God for allowing me to attend a wedding ceremony of Shep. Philip Angelo and Shepherdess Kimo as they form a beautiful house church last Nov in Sudan. After the wedding ceremony, I was invited to 2010 Sudan UBF summer conference. Also I thank God because the Ministry of High Education refused to pay me my PhD study allowance though I deserve to receive it. With thankful heart, I consider that lost as a sacrifice for Egypt mission.

Bible study:

2010 we studied Gospel Mark. Now we are studying the book of Romans, and it will continue to the year 2011. In 2010 we prayed for three main prayer topics: To have 20 1:1 and Sunday worship attendants. And Mamd. to have a clear identity to be Abraham of Faith and excellent Bible teacher. Maj. may grow and have world mission vision. What was the result? Our 1:1 Bible study drop dramatically. I only do Bible study with the members of my family and with one high school girl. I invite Many Egyptians to Bible study. They come first time only to make good relationship with me hoping that they will be invited to UBF international conference. After study one or two times they disappear. When ever I call them they just simply asked me "is there any international conference soon". Their purpose for UBF is not Bible study but to attend UBF international Bible conferences. I always receive phone call from many of them not to ask about Bible study but just to ask if there is an international conference and if they have a chance to attend the conference or not.

Through out the year 2009 I study Bible with 4 good Bible students. Nag., Mamd., Kojb., Laz.. I was excited because Egyptian brother Mamd. and Nag. were growing in the sense of ownership and responsibility for UBF. Nag. was faithful in Bible study. He was growing in stewardship and ownership of the UBF ministry. He offered his house as a 2009 Easter conference place. But he has no desire to feed sheep. I tried to help him to feed sheep but none. Brother Nag. graduated from the college and applied for Master Course in Cairo University. He is waiting for security approval in order to begin his Master course. His prayer was to feed 3 sheep. But until now Nag. did not grow to feed sheep independently. He always needs someone to push him. Under a push Nag. does thing very will. His problem is lack of readiness and desire to do God's work. As a result, he feels lazy and reluctant in God's mission. But in other thing he looks active and busy.

Egyptian brother Mom. started with good spirit in our ministry. He provided his apartment to be use for one to one Bible study. And activity he invited many people to our conferences. By doing so, many of his relatives joyfully join the Bible study every week. But later, Mamd. became always busy because he was invited to many Christian programs due to his musical skill. That time I began to pray that he may have a clear identity as an UBF shepherd candidate and concentrate in the Bible training. I prayed for him to grow as a Bible teacher and an ancestor of faith for the Egyptian gospel mission.

Mamd. also suffer when staying in Cairo because his families are not in Cairo but they are in Asy. So he traveled to Asy. and stay there continually. In Asyout he got an offer of full time job from certain Christian group with a good pay in order to play music in the choir. I felt despair when I heard this from him. I began to think how to help him in this situation. I did not push him to refuse the offer but I help him to think about what kind of servant he want to be ; a hire shepherd or a faithful shepherd. Finally I told him that I will continue to pray for him to find God's direction and choose a right identity. Next day he traveled to Asy. where his family lives. I continue to remember him in my prayer every day. One month later, he phoned to me from Asy. saying that he found five students from Asy. University. Among them was his younger brother wal. who was a fresh man in Asy. University. Unfortunately, he could not help these sheep because he does not study the Bible with me every week due to long distance between Cairo and Asy.. Final his sheep scattered.

One month ago Mamd. visited my house. We discussed with him about how to invite Egyptians to Bible study. He said to me that if we need to bring Egyptians to our Bible study, we must first build a center instead of renting an apartment. I told him that we will not build a center until our members grow big. His argument was that the mission will not prosper if we continue to invite sheep in my apartment. He said that Egyptian students will not accept to study Bible in the apartment due to their sense of insecurity. When I heard this from him I felt discouraged. I began to understand why he is not inviting sheep to Bible study. His argument indicates that if he remains alone after I go back to Sudan, he will not continue with the mission. His excuse will be " because we having no center".

Nag. and Mam. were my best Bible students whom I thought that they will continue to do the work of God after I go back to Sudan.. But now their situation made me feel a sense of failure and despair. The time I spend in Egypt will be a waste if ubf ministry comes to an end after I go back to Sudan next year with out rising an Abraham of Faith.

Conferences:

This year we had Easter conference in my house with the title "He has risen". Four Egyptians sheep including Mam. attended the conference. After that we had the 2010 summer Bible conference last July. Twenty Egyptian sheep attended the conference. One shepherd from Namsan UBF center in Korea visited Egypt in order to participate in our summer Bible conference.

Christmas worship service:

We are studying Christmas Bible study from gospel Luke. We will celebrate x-mass on 28 Dec. We could not celebrate earlier because of place problem. Finally we decided to celebrate the birth of our king Jesus in my apartment on the coming Tuesday 28.

PhD study:

By Gods' grace I finished collecting all data required to finish my thesis. I may finish my PhD study at the first quarter of next year. After that I will go back to my working place in Upper Nile University. For this I am seeking God's mercy to provide a successor who will continue in Egypt mission.

Second generation:

My elder daughter Sab. applied to Cairo University this year. But until now the result of her admission is not yet out. That mean she will miss to enter the college this year. May God help her to grow as shepherdess and mother of prayer for Egypt mission. My son Bu. has a sense of mission. He likes God's work. He is now in second year in high school. His plan is to study engineering. Sarah, Hannah and Joc. are in primary school. Ye. the youngest daughter is in pre- school. Ye. was suffering from a disease of legs muscle leisure. This affected her body growth and lost of habitats. She kept on taking a medicine for two year treatment time. By God's grace she is getting better and the doctor stop her from taking the medicine last September.

Prayer topics:

1. Clear direction for Egypt mission before I leave to Sudan
2. Abraham of Faith
3. Maj. may grow as an excellent Bible teacher and have world mission vision
4. My family members to have a sense of world mission
5. To successfully complete my PhD next year.