Over 11,000 Egyptian Youth Gather in Desert to Dedicate Their Lives to Christ

Jerry Dykstra : Oct 9, 2013
Open Doors USA

"I was surrounded by a massive crowd of people who were taught to love and forgive. Their genuine spirit of love and angelic worship did not leave my thought!" –a Muslim journalist

Given the precarious political and security situation in Egypt, including the death of 53 over the weekend in fighting between security forces and former president Mohammed Morsi supporters, it is hard to imagine that a huge Christian youth conference being held for three days by over 11,000 youth from 250 churches from all denominations could actually be a reality.

But from Sept. 26-28 the "One Thing 2013" youth conference took place for the fifth year in a row in a stadium inside a church conference facility out in the desert 70 miles north of Cairo.

Thousands of youth gathered to seek God's will not only in their own lives, but in their own country of Egypt as well. It was a major operation to transport thousands from their home cities, towns and villages to the conference venue. About 4,000 youth came all the way from various southern Egyptian cities, even though Egypt's train system was suspended due to security threats.

Around 7,000 young people had to commute each day back and forth from Cairo, Alexandria and other nearby cities in order to attend the conference. To make sure people came and left on time inside curfew hours, and buses safely commuted everyone, was a daily miracle. None of these hundreds of cars, vans or buses engaged in any minor or major road accidents—something that Christian Egyptians don't take for granted.

The young people came to hear what the Lord had to say to them and dedicate their lives and their early youth years to Him. The main prayer for the conference was that God may set apart these young people as a whole sacred generation for Himself and for the work of His Kingdom.

They were encouraged to live faithfully for the Lord; to be prepared with a heart of love vigilantly waiting for His timings, so that when the day comes for the Lord to release signs and wonders, He will find this generation of Egyptian Believers ready to receive His glory and do His work on earth, as it is in Heaven. Millions watched the conference sessions live on two Christian Channels, while tens of thousands watched live over the Internet. The Internet participants were not only from all around Egypt, but also across the Middle East and even worldwide.

A Facebook post by a Muslim journalist, who joined her Christian friends to visit the conference out of curiosity, posted: "Over the last three days, I've witnessed the activities of a large Christian youth conference where massive numbers of people gathers around one theme: love, the essence of Christianity. I went there with a group of other Muslim friends and we were overwhelmed by the spirit of love that spread out all over the place, from people who have just been facing a severe wave of attacks, burning, looting—people who had been severely suffering by (the actions of] fanatic Muslims. I was surrounded by a massive crowd of people who were taught to love and forgive. Their genuine spirit of love and angelic worship did not leave my thought!"

Egypt is ranked No. 25 on Open Doors' 2013 World Watch List of the worst persecutors of Christians.