Dear Friends,

Greetings from Cairo! We hope this finds you flourishing in your area of the world. We are deeply thankful for your partnership in prayer as we feel called to a task that is certainly much greater than our own abilities. We also often feel an overwhelming gratitude for many of the blessings we experience here, and we hope that you will join us in giving thanks to the Giver of all good gifts.

We have been thriving in our teaching ministry here at the Evangelical Theological Seminary. After six months in Egypt we feel that the more challenging period of adjustment is behind us, and we are able to turn our attention more to long-term ministry matters. We are thrilled to be settled into a home on the seminary campus. Morning sickness is a thing of the past for Elisabeth and the pregnancy is going extremely well; she now enjoys second-trimester energy and "looking pregnant." We look forward to the June arrival of our little one with increasing excitement. Darren survived his first semester of Arabic language school and is able to hold longer and longer conversations with taxi drivers, or anyone else who will listen. His school schedule is demanding but the rewards are well worth it. We are very grateful for the excellent language institution he attends and the valuable opportunities it has afforded Darren to establish ecumenical relationships with others ministering in Cairo.

With functioning computers, a comfortable home, and a little more of a clue about how to negotiate Cairo streets and vegetable markets, we are tempted to think that we have hit a bit of a stride here. But as we consider the long-term challenges of effective ministry, we find ourselves sobered by the immensity of the task. Yet as we struggle with heavy work loads, striving to be faithful teachers offering materials that are truly helpful for the upbuilding of the church, we are again and again inspired to more diligent service by the living examples our own students give to us. We have mentioned difficulties our students endure as they train for ministry in the church. We would like to give you a few recent examples that bring these difficulties to life. May you be as inspired by these students' courage and steadfastness as we have been, and may you also be prompted to pray for them in their ongoing growth and perseverance.

During the past few months one particular issue became important for a few of our students. Egypt presently has a policy of mandatory military service for males. Although many of our students are successful at obtaining permission to postpone their service until after their seminary studies, this type of postponement is not always possible. In early January, two of our students were up for service: Safwat and Maagid. Safwat is one of two students enrolled in the seminary's fledgling master's program in biblical studies. He had just finished his first semester and was very excited about his studies, as well as his future dreams for ministry in Libya. Alongside his study program, Safwat was pastoring a yoked parish of two small village churches in the Nile delta area. After a great deal of worry and waiting, the government told him that he would not need to serve in the army at this time. The country's current period of peace has allowed Egypt to shrink its overall reserve forces, and those born in the same year as Safwat were randomly chosen for reprieve from service. Safwat is continuing his master's studies with his characteristic enthusiasm and talent, and we join with him in praying for wisdom and guidance regarding his future plans for ministry.

Maagid is a first-year student in the four-year program here, on the path to ordination as a minister. He was recently engaged to a young woman in Alexandria, his home city, and has been doing very well in Elisabeth's Hebrew language class. Maagid recently began a ministry that grew so rapidly it became a full-fledged church, celebrating the welcome of its first 24 members just last December. Though it has been difficult for him, Maagid has successfully balanced his seminary work with leading this new church, spending his weekdays at the seminary and continuing to serve the church in Alexandria over the weekends.

On January 14, Maagid was told that he would be required to serve full-time in the military for the next two years. As a result, he was unable to take his final exams in January here at the seminary and he will almost certainly be unable to continue his ministry at the church. Moreover, it is very difficult for a male to marry in Egypt without a full-time job and an established residence—this is a sort of social insurance policy for families to help ensure a good situation for their daughters. Though both Maagid and his fiancée feel committed to one another, it will be difficult for her and her family to wait the six years before Maagid will be ordained. (He will serve two years in the army and then still have a full four years at the seminary.) The difficulties Maagid faces are compounded by the fact that army service here presents real questions of faith for those committed to serving the Prince of Peace and is a harsh, grueling life for two years.

On the brighter side, the army has a way of integrating Christians and Muslims in a way that society does not naturally do. Thus, Maagid has a real opportunity to dispel some of the misconceptions about our faith, shine the love of Christ in his life, and work towards better relations between the two religions on the grassroots level.

Stories of difficulty are not hard to come by among our students. Hani is a married student who commutes three hours by train every weekend to Minya, a southern city where he is responsible for a large ministry. Three years spent dividing his week between two cities has taken its toll on his health and his family. With a year and a half to go, Hani needs strength daily. We are humbled by the example he sets and also rejoice to be a part of the education of someone who will surely have a strong leadership role in the Egyptian Presbyterian church.

We hope we have given you a sense of both the challenge and thrill it is for us to be working among these courageous individuals. Thank you for your continued care for us through prayer and correspondence. We are grateful for your support and pray that you will grow ever deeper in the faith and knowledge of our Lord.

Elisabeth and Darren Kennedy