Dear friends and family,

Warmest greetings. My sincere thanks to all of you who support me and other mission workers through your prayers of intercession. I’m sure God uses your prayers to heal, strengthen, and renew us.

In early February my five year old son Charles and I arrived in Cairo, where I was to begin my mission work. Though life for a single parent in Egypt, especially a woman, is challenging, God cleared the way. We arrived during school vacation so Charles had a week to get his bearings before beginning kindergarten at New Ramses College, a progressive English language school run by the Synod of the Nile. "Circle time" was the first activity at his new school and it made him feel right at home. His adjustment to his new life has gone very well. And within a short period of time I acquired a wonderful after-school babysitter. For the summer, friends introduced me to a day care located conveniently near my workplace. As a result of the day care, Charles’s Arabic is expanding rapidly. For him it is the language of play. Thanks be to God for all He has done in getting us settled!

Shortly after our arrival I began work with the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS). CEOSS is a community development organization that works with the very poorest Egyptian villages and neighborhoods, Christian and Muslim. It assists them in obtaining clean water and electricity, establishing literacy classes, combating malnutrition and other health-related problems, conducting job training, etc. Because Egypt has high percentages of illiteracy, unemployment, inadequate housing and sanitary facilities, the services, programs, and skills-training CEOSS offers are desperately needed.

The majority of CEOSS employees work in development, but of course administrative personnel are also needed. This is where I fit in. My work in the international relations area includes writing proposals and various other papers, editing a newsletter for donors and non-governmental organizations, and preparing presentations for CEOSS management. There is much work to be done in English because CEOSS receives funding from many organizations in North America and Europe. This administrative work helps support the development work that is the heart of CEOSS.

In September, I wrote a proposal to fund programs for children and their mothers. If the funding is received, it will be used to train 300 mothers in literacy, nutrition, and family life education, and to give 300 children the opportunity to participate in children’s clubs. The clubs are a place where the children can come for fun and learning. The volunteers who work with the children use a specially designed curriculum that encourages them in problem-solving and logical-thinking skills. Periodically, the children also go on club field trips to places such as museums, gardens, and factories.

CEOSS also has a "New Horizons Program" to teach girls and young women basic life skills and information on health, nutrition, reproductive health, and environmental preservation. Young women from each community are appointed as facilitators and trained in how to approach their peers and convey information. The facilitators are also required to meet the girls’ parents and explain what they are teaching.

One girl, Khadra, who participated in this program in a community called Telal Zeinhom, was completely uneducated. Her father was in prison, and her mother sold bits and pieces in the market. Khadra attended both New Horizons and literacy classes. She finished her primary education and passed the ministry exam (equivalent to sixth grade). Now she is 15 and, with the supervisor’s help, she was able to convince her family to postpone her marriage until she is older. Her future looks much brighter now than it did before she participated in the CEOSS programs.

I ask for your continuing prayers. Give thanks for

• The work CEOSS does in community development
  
• The hospitality and faith of the Christian community in Egypt
  
• God’s love and care for His children

Seek God’s help with

• An end to terrorism
  
• Charles’s continuing emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being
  
• My growth in wisdom and faith
  
• Encouragement and solidarity for the Christian community
  
• And of course letters and e-mail are always welcome.

Best wishes and God’s blessings on you all.

Nancy Collins