Helping just some of the 1.5 million children currently living on the streets throughout Egypt.

Mercy Ministries Abroad

VOLUNTEERS

   PROJECT DONATIONS

2017 -21 Orphanage Project

Psalm 113:7-8  

“God takes the poor from the dust & lifts the needy up out of the ash heap, & sets them in places of Princes.”

DESERT PRINCES ORPHANAGE

Seeking to set Orphans in the places of Princes, as promised in Psalms 113:7-8

STORIES from our trip into Egypt

~ Bringing together corporate fellowship in

serving the poor Internationally.

~ Breaking through the barriers in Christ’s Name

THE STORIES THUS FAR

Visiting the Land Owners:

On arriving into Egypt to visit a possible site to build the Orphanage, we took a trip out into the Desert to speak to some land owners, to see if the land they had for sale, might be right for the children. But not being sure  whether they would be Muslim or Christian, all steps were baby ones. Initially we had come along only as friends of some local Egyptians.

& with all discussions taking place in Arabic alone, we were still unsure if we were even able to speak, when finally it was made clear to us that we had not just stumbled upon some local farmers, but rather some very strong Christians giving their own lives to see the poor lifted up.

So they had started a land project themselves offering a safe home for drug addicts, offering them rehabilitation & restoration back into their communities.

The wife was also a professional worship leader in a local church & had recorded some Cd’s of her music.

Had we come here by chance or was an Amazing God at work to prepare such a place & time as this.

After sharing our vision for the land, we were told that they themselves had this dream hidden within their own hearts, to also begin an orphanage...

“The joy had rose within my heart & trying to refrain from tears was impossible, so simply had to turn to wipe them away...”

I guess you would call this an Egyptian land deal taking place, but instead it turned into a time of prayer & worship.

As we Ate, Prayed & Sang together, in the middle of the Egyptian Desert, Songs of Praise to an Almighty God.

Was this heaven or was this the Kingdom of God on Earth!

Thank you Jesus for your presence

Speaking to the children on the streets: 30thJune 2014

 This was one of the first trips we had made into Egypt, that we specifically decided to spend time seeking out the street children, & just to get a feel for their hearts & listen to their stories.

~

We began our day by listening to how these children had ended up living on the streets of Cairo?  & by asking what their hopes, for their future’s were? Sadly each discussion was cut short  however, from the moment we approached the children, (& in the tension that lays upon this Nation, since the Revolution), people would begin to gather around becoming angry at us for trying to help the homeless, or was it as some have told us, that they simply did not trust us as foreigners coming into their land, & So had decided it better to simply do what they could to push us away?

The most amazing thing is it has just strengthened us to return to find new ways in which we can reach them, without having the locals coming down upon us. Ways we have been considering ever since, for with God there is always a way.

One of the young men we spoke to, who I am sure’s story is like many, said that he himself had first run away from home & then on trying to return was shunned from family members who had now the shame of one of their children living amongst those who live on the streets.

Of course this type of life style, that many street children have had to take on, is shunned by many of the locals as sinful & dishonest. Leaving the children with brands upon their heads of being the cast out or rejected in the community.

We had on our second day walking the streets, decided to take the young man we had seen the day earlier to breakfast, but once again strife broke out within minutes, with one local business owner cursing the poor young man & telling us that it is shame to help someone like him.

I wished at that point with all my heart I could reply back in Arabic, “I don’t know which God you serve but mine tells me to take care of the orphan & the widow, doesn’t yours?” But sadly my Arabic is still very poor, like the children of the street are poor, so is my local knowledge of language.

But now we are the more determined to find a way to breakthrough, (& especially with help from our local ministry team) this  cultural demise, for not only the children but also for the men & woman who see them with such disdain.

Lord Jesus help us to breakthrough this cultural barrier that separates brother from brother, & resists helping the poor.

The Vision from God!

Upon leaving the Cairo Airport, whilst traveling out to the plane in one of those terminal buses, the Lord began to speak...

I had spent 8 months designing an Orphanage, built for a king, & wondered many times if I had made a mistake? Would anyone even want to donate to such a project, or thoughts came like wasn’t it wasting too much money, when we would ultimately be looking to heaven.

Then all of it made sense, Jesus had given me the design, but i had not completely understood it, until now, standing in the midst of all these mostly Muslim men, leaning close to my husband, a smile began to appear on my face I could not hold it in, Jesus was assuring me, it would be like no other Orphanage for it was for His Glory & His Kingdom being revealed upon the earth.

For the least were going to be made greatest, for His ways are not our ways nor his thoughts our thoughts.

I heard a Whisper from our heavenly Father~ “Do not treat them as Orphans, but treat them as Kings!”

Visiting other Orphanages:

On our travels into Egypt we were most blessed to speak to the Manager of the Lillian Trasher Orphanage. One of the oldest Orphanages in Egypt, which just also happens to be Christian.

The Manager is not just a local Christian Arab, but also was one of those raised in the home as an orphan, so they are extremely blessed to have such a man as this, taking care of the children. For no where better would you receive experience & understand the hearts of the children except that you also had walked in their shoes.

He also helped us in giving suggestions for running an orphanage in Egypt & of course first hand advice on how it feels to be an orphan living in a home with so many children, it was wonderful to speak to him & we only hope to use his advice for the benefit of the children who come to live with us at the DESERT PRINCES ORPHANAGE

Thank you LTO for the work you have been doing throughout Egypt, may the Lord continue to watch over you all!

Learning the Cultures Restrictions:

As written partly in the stories of meeting the street children, coming up against cultural issues to even begin to try & help these children is just some of the obstacles we face. For it is very apparent already that many, but  not all of the locals, do not want us to help these children, for within their own hearts they see them as outcast & of those who act in ways that are abominable to God’s commands. Which may be true, but one has only to ask himself what would I do, if the only choice I had was to steal to fill my stomach with food would I do that? If the only way to survive was to lie, would I do that?

Of course if we were all honest we would find ourselves, doing whatever was necessary, & if we were truly honest we would be reminded of our own sins & realize that all men fall short of the Glory of God, for all have sinned & turned away from Him, & that all need a Savior, who will forgive us what each of us has done!

So we do not go to find out why any of the street children have done what they have done, but rather to offer them another way of life that gives & breathes life rather than taking it away.

For it is in Christ, that true life on this earth is found, & so we go to offer them a new life in Him.

..............................

Of course one of the other issues within the culture here is that the Gov is Muslim & so we also face, by their terms & rules, restrictions of being able to give a home to any of their children, for it is considered abominable to them to have any Muslim child living under the roof of a Christian.

Sadly this means we will not be able to house them, or take them from the life of living on the streets, that is until the day the Lord Jesus even breaks down this wall, making way for hope for all children not just the Christian ones.

This is our prayer!