It's been easy to become carried away in the comfort of our lives. We often become complacent and settle without challenging ourselves to live more for God. This isn't necessarily limited to home; arriving in Egypt and experiencing the culture and lifestyle here, I am constantly reminding myself to not to settle. I challenge myself with the question, when I walk on the streets, take photographs and breathe in the culture, what separates me from any other tourist? What makes me a follower of Christ, to be called by Him to be on this M Trip?

Yesterday, our team had the chance to explore the nearby area. We took the metro (1 pound per ticket (20 cents US !) ) to the M' dominant district of Dar Salam. Our purpose in visiting this area was to have a prayer walk - to experience the sights and offer up our prayers for whatever we are moved to pray for.

For the first time, I was personally burdened for every non-believer, for M's specifically. For the first time, I truly felt Love for every non-believer. In the comfort of our own homes and churches, we hear of the dire need to reach out to these people, but being in Dar Salam made it all real to me. Wearing the shoes of a foreign visitor and a tourist, I could not help but be in wonder and respect of the devotion of these people to their religion. There is so much unity and proud history. But I also carry the Cross as a Christian. It breaks my heart over and over again each time I think of how lost so many people are. They have so much beauty, being created in God's image. They have so much discipline and devotion. They have so much heart. Even as Christians, we sometimes lack the obedience and pride in that identity. I thought to myself, if only their passion was channeled for the right cause.

But I am no greater than any non-believer - they defend and are devoted to what they have been taught their entire lives, as am I. In their shoes, I may have been a M' as well. But the beauty of grace is that salvation is not from our own works. Grace and mercy flows from God's Love. It should humble us and help us live for a greater purpose. Whatever identity we take on in this world, it should always come second to our identity as a Christian, as a passion-ist for Jesus Christ. We do not happen to be Christian. We are Christians who happen to be students, who happen to be office workers, pastors, street vendors, tourists, teachers.

Keeping this in mind, I ask that you pray for the M's in Egypt. They are not the only ones that need to be reached, but they will be specifically the people that we will have an opportunity to share with. It is sad that the conflict-filled relationship between Christians and M's have created such large barriers and such bitterly closed hearts. Pray that our team will learn to Love more. Challenge yourself to Love more. In the name and power of Christ Jesus, all things are possible; even the baptism of the most bitter anti-Christian.

Today, our team will be traveling to Mount Sinai. We will be staying overnight on the mountain, sleeping at the top, in the open, under the star filled sky. It will be humbling to be where God once spoke to Moses and the Israelites. It will be humbling and awe-some to be under the stars that God created.

Let me leave you with an encouragement that I found in the Bible today:
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus - Philippians 1:4-6

... as long as there is a faithful, obedient and willing heart.