The Largest Campaign in the History of Egypt
August 2002
"The Merging of Christ's Compassion and Power to Reach the Lost"
Report by Local Sponsor, Campus Crusade of Upper Egypt
Ashraf Kamel
Director, Campus Crusade for Christ, Upper Egypt
When you came [on your first visit] last year and my family and I met to pray with you, I couldn't imagine at all what God would do in our country a year later [when you returned]. I spoke with you, I began to arrange [the Campaign] with other people but it never came to my mind that [we would witness such] great days.
Maybe you
came with your team just for evangelistic meetings but for us it didn't
really mean just that, you did more and more:
· You changed our attitude about healing, you put [in its place]
a new one. God used you to change our mind and thinking. It was the first
time in El-Minia to have a conference about healing. All the leaders and
the pastors were affected by that conference.
· You joined together two big church communities, the members of
Campus Crusade in El-Minia with the members of the Evangelical Church
in Saft El Laben in El-Minia, especially the leaders who become so close
friends.
· You encouraged about 100 staff leaders and students in those
days to work together for the new events
· I can confess that every member of my staff has at least one
situation which makes him weep with much tears.
· It's the first time to see about 20,000 people [who] have very
bad illnesses and circumstances in 4 days.We saw how much Satan had done;
[it was a] great challenge to defeat him by healing people and casting
out these illnesses and troubles.…Can you see it was not only a matter
of evangelistic meetings but also more than this? And I need more time
to write more about these results.
My general
observation and impression of this Campaign is wonderful:
· It was [not only] the first time in El-Minia, but also in Egypt
to have an event like this, in that we had 20,000 people in four days
in two meetings every day, these are historical events in Egypt. We made
a big tent which holds 5000 chairs that the attendance was about 5000
people daily from different districts, towns, different levels in teaching
[education], in living [standard], in different things.
· We held 5 clinics for different cases for men and women, old
and children…all kinds of people. We had about 1500 cases through
these four days. They received medicine, eyeglasses, and other things
for free. (Each case paid only [a nominal fee].)
· The Seminar about Healing Encounters encouraged the leaders and
pastors to practice healing in their churches. It was a very new teaching
in our churches.
As for my observation on the impact of the Campaign on the work of the
gospel in El-Minia, I can say that it was more that we expected. My town
is not large and I know many people. So after this events, many people
see me in the street and stop me to ask many spiritual matters, they ask
me to make it [the Campaign] again. Others say, I know you, you were the
interpreter for Brother [---]…how is he? ...and so on… And
as I wrote in the beginning how it was wonderful for us.
About miracles: to see a blind person, and God opened his eyes, and to see a lame [person] can walk, it did many things in our people in El-Minia: some were encouraged by their healing, others take new steps in faith, others asking God to have this power.
After you left many cases came to our office saying that we were healed but I couldn't stand to give my testimony because of the crowd. Another came with her child, he was about 4 years old. He had a bad disease in his chest, now he is completely cured. An old man couldn't move, his son's wife came to our office to explain how God healed him in those days and other stories I have.
Let me share
some of the statistics:
· about 20000 people attended these meetings
· about 10000 people accepted Jesus as their Saviour
· about 1500 were treated in clinics
Let me say I myself was changed in my life, faith, and attitude which makes me (as a Campus Crusade director) lead my staff in the office with a new power, new view, and new attitude.
The last miracle is spite of all these new attitudes, new concepts, new healing, and many new [things], we didn't face any attack from others till now but otherwise people love us and appreciate us."
(Ashraf Kamel can be contacted at ashrafkamel@yahoo.com.)
