October 8, 2007

Dear Friends,

Warm greetings to you from Egypt! After three years of doctoral study our exodus from Edinburgh is complete and we have returned to Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo. It feels very good to be back. Our deepest thanks to all of you who have supported us through this time. It has been a wonderful blessing to us, and we are grateful to be returning better equipped to help train leaders here in the Middle East. Over the past several days, I have been reflecting on the Israelites’ exodus out of Egypt. The Exodus is rightly seen as a central element in God’s salvation history. In light of our current situation, I have been struck by how often I isolate this event from the challenges and struggles that immediately followed it. Miriam’s song of victory in Exodus 15:21 is followed by the concern for water in 15:22ff. God’s deliverance and grace did not lessen the people’s need of divine guidance and presence, rather, they changed the nature of what was needed.

Calvin gathers with two of his Egyptian friends before his first day of school at a Synod of the Nile school: New Ramses College.

Our early days here have largely been filled with reuniting with old friends, gearing up for the upcoming academic year, and getting settled in our apartment again. We have also enjoyed catching up on what has been happening here in our absence. Our son Calvin started school this September at an Egyptian Presbyterian school named New Ramses College. His first weeks have gone well, but the shift to an Arabic context is challenging for him, and we ask for your prayers in this regard. Sammy has started attending an Arabic nursery school and seems to be soaking up the language like a sponge. While we thank God for all the goodness of our time in Edinburgh, we continue to pray for grace and wisdom after our own exodus.

ETSC students gather with faculty members to discuss their summer ministries and pray for the coming school year.

I had the wonderful opportunity of attending our seminary’s fall retreat recently. The retreat remains one of our favorite times of the year, because it connects the ministries our students have been immersed in for the summer with the upcoming academic year. For our students, it is a time for sharing the highs and the lows of their ministry with one another. Throughout the weekend, I was amazed by the challenges these young leaders faced, and by their faithfulness, patience, and wisdom. The various stories students shared also pointed to the creativity and scope of ministries the church is engaging in. God’s work in and through the students was apparent in numerous ways.

Toma and Jon spoke of their experience pioneering a chaplaincy team at the Presbyterian Medical Center and the Presbyterian Nursing Home here in Cairo.While most of the staff initially could not envision a role for the young students, by the end of the summer, those same staff members were imploring them to find a way to get permanent chaplains to serve as they had.

Sadeq pondered his experience working at a recovery center for Christians and Muslims in the grip of various addictions. While he served faithfully and compassionately, he remains deep in thought concerning many of the theological questions related to addictions, abuse, and psychology.

Manasseh laughed and shrugged his shoulders as he spoke of the extreme differences between living here in Cairo versus his summer in rural areas of the Sudan. Other students told amazing stories from their ministries in village and city churches throughout Egypt. The variety was remarkable, but there was a common thread of faith, excitement, humility, and a bit of trepidation in the face of challenges. Each of these students experienced God’s presence and power over the summer, but they remained more aware than ever of their need for God’s continued work in their lives.

Calvin and Sammy surrounded by our seminary president, the Rev. Dr. Atef Gendy, and students before the ETSC’s opening ceremonies.

As an institution, ETSC shares many of these emotions. Since Elisabeth and I arrived in the fall of 1999, the seminary’s student population has nearly quintupled. The faculty and staff have been working hard and praying for this type of growth, but the increase brings with it a level of anxiety as well. The greater numbers require much heavier faculty workloads. Please pray that God would grant this leadership team wisdom and strength as we attempt to look towards the future here and throughout the region.

Our family’s return from Scotland, our students’ return from summer ministries, and our seminary’s growth: each testifies God’s remarkable faithfulness in the past and our continued reliance on God in the days ahead. Like the Israelites celebrating their exodus from Egypt with the challenges of the wilderness ahead of them, we thank God for the grace of the past and seek God’s strength for the challenges ahead.

Thank you for your continued love and support.

In Christ,

Darren (for all of us)

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 158