June 11, 2006

So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt? - Keith Green

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Greetings to all of you! I can sometimes be rather long-winded in my news updates, but please take the time to look over my letter, it would greatly bless me!

Briefly:

I plan on returning to ----- in July to help serve at the Global Youth Outreach (GYO), which will be the climax of this year's Megacities focus on -----. It will be a 3-day event, followed by a "Day of Compassion", targeting youth in an initiative to transform the great Arab city. God has laid it on my heart to return to ----- for approximately a month to assist the Megacities teams, and I will be needing your help! Read more about this below.

The Last Months:

Car Accident:
As you all know, in February my parents were involved in an awful car accident while in California. I am happy to say their recovery has come along great! Most of the bones have mended and they are both in pretty good shape. My mom has started to walk again in the last couple weeks, leaving behind first her wheelchair, then her crutches, and now even her cane! Her foot, which was badly crushed in the crash, has not quite fully healed yet, but she is so happy to at least be able to get around without assistance. My dad is having trouble with his collarbone still which apparently hasn't been healing properly, but otherwise is mostly back to his normal self. We are still dealing with bills and insurance issues and have dished out several thousand dollars for medical expenses so far.

Windows:
When the accident happened I chose to abandon my plans of returning to YWAM in Perth as a school staff, and instead return home to Colorado (I was in K.C. at the time) to help my folks. It was a bit challenging at times, but God worked through the situation to bring good, as he always does. We grew closer together as a family, and I even learned to cook a little bit, etc. As they recovered more and more, I found myself with less to do, so I decided to get a job for a while. I have been cleaning windows here in the Springs for the last two months, making more money than I have in my life! Its hard work (harder than I thought it would be when I signed up), but it has allowed me to save some money. And now that my parents are almost fully recovered, I am setting my sights back to the mission field.

More About the Global Youth Outreach:

YWAM Perth has a foundational ministry called Megacities which, each year, selects a major city somewhere in the Indian Ocean Gateway to be the focus of all YWAM Perth's outreach efforts. The target for 2006 is -----, -----, considered by most to be the Capital and center for Islamic thought around the world, as well as the main hub for fashion and media within the Middle East. In other words, its a hugely significant city in regards to the Muslim world.

Last year I had the privilege of being part of the first team sent from Perth to -----. Our mission was to map the city in preparation for the upcoming Megacities focus. We learned how to get around, where to find cheap accommodation, where to find food, etc. We also mapped out important spiritual locations in the city, made contact with various churches and ministries and made the local church aware of the upcoming year (they were very excited). We then put all the information in a long report which Megacities is now using for its teams.

Now the GYO is held each year in the target city as the climax of the whole Megacities focus. Thousands of youth will be attending from all around the world (though the majority will be -----tians of course) to be inspired by international speakers and world-famous bands. "The heart behind the GYO is to be a catalyst to ignite youth movements to begin, where cities would see their young men and women rise and take godly leadership in their communities, cities, and the nations of the earth,"

Please read more about it here.

My Plans:

While I was in ----- last year, God really began to break my heart for the Muslims there, especially the women and children. While it is extremely difficult to teach the gospel to Muslims, we were able to minister to many just with acts of kindness. God did still provide some opportunities to share Jesus with various Muslims, and we left ----- excited about at least one salvation; a young man named Mohammed.

Now is my opportunity to return to this massive city and serve my heart out. Obviously, the GYO is a huge event and they will be needing all the help they can get. I will be joining a team of people in helping with various logistical things. Exactly what I will be doing is not yet completely sure, but it's likely I will be helping with video production during the actual event, as well as setting up, tearing down etc. Afterwards, I will be continuing in the city for three weeks involved with mostly evangelism and mercy ministries.

Please Stand With Me:

Of course no international travel is cheap, and I will be needing your help both in finances and in prayer covering. If you feel you might be able to pray and/or give, please let me know by email. Any amount would be greatly appreciated as I am still short my airfare, despite the money I have been able to save!

Also check my website frequently as I will we posting periodic updates.

Thank you all for sticking in there with me. I would love to hear from all of you, please feel free to write any/all the time. Also, I want to say another special thank-you to all of you who wrote letters of concern and encouragement after my parents' accident. You don't know how much we all appreciated it!

In His service,

Sean Filidis