Christian Women Persecuted in Egypt

Below is an article that we would like to share with you and ask that you join with us in praying for our sisters in the Middle East.

Egypt is home to more than 8 million Christians, the largest Christian community in the Middle East. Religious authorities declare that wearing a hijab, or veil, is compulsory for Muslim women, but no one can be forced to wear it. The Muslim Brotherhood has said they will not apply a strict interpretation of Sharia laws with regard to women’s dress.
In total disregard for human respect, a Christian woman was attacked inside Cairo, had her hair cut off by two other women and thrown from a car while being called an infidel.  As a result she also suffered a broken arm. The humiliation, evil, disrespect, hatred, and degradation suffered by this woman was carried out by veiled women who belong to the Organization of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, an underground movement that is not officially sanctioned or supported by the government.
Other such instances have also been reported. A week earlier a veiled woman cut the hair of an unveiled 13-year old riding the subway. In the southern town of Luxor, an Egyptian court sentenced an Egyptian schoolteacher to a suspended prison sentence for cutting off the hair of unveiled 12-year old girls.
Is an Islamist-dominated government fueling an Islamist hardening of Egyptian culture?  Such reported cruel acts to a few Christian women are not the only signs pointing to such domination by the government.  Deepened by fears which came as a result of President Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, declaring new presidential powers, thousands of demonstrators been rioting Tahir Square and in front of the presidential palace to protest his ludicrous decree which has been labeled as a power grab, an “unprecedented assault” on the judiciary.
Muslim Brotherhood leaders have repeatedly said they will not apply a strict interpretation of Sharia law with regard to women’s dress.  But is that true?  In a country that is going through an unstable transition period, who will decide the interpretation of the law?  So far, the Brotherhood’s actions are speaking louder than their words.
Pray for these Christian women living in a hostile nation. Pray for the peace and protection of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6).  If Islamic extremist ever gain control of any or all of Israel, Jewish women will be subjected to humiliation and persecution on a much larger scale. If the Muslim Brotherhood’s plan to take over America comes to fruition, Sharia law will be the rule and American women will suffer the same.  This is not a fantasy. We need to pray.
Source material for this story is found at World Mag and Virtual Tourist.

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Dr. Michael D. Evans is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, having penned 38 books including the titles shown below. You can read his full biography on Wikipedia. Dr. Evans also runs the Israel news site JerusalemWorldNews where you can receive current intel on Israel and the Middle East, as well as the Corrie ten Boom Museum from Haarlem, Holland, found at TenBoom.org

2012.10 Middle East Training - Session 2

2012.10 Middle East Training - Session 2, photos on Facebook

Here's a link to photos from our training session that has just been completed in Turkey! Please keep these ladies in your prayers.

My Interview with Laurie Wallin

Hello friends!

Thought I'd give you a heads up that Laurie Wallin (pictured below) from the blog "Living Power - Life Coaching" interviewed me and has posted it on her blog yesterday here.

If you have a few minutes, please check it out.

Thank you for your prayers as we continue to raise funds for our upcoming training session for women in the Middle East.  We're just a few short weeks away from leaving.  Your prayers, encouragement and financial support are priceless!

Have a great week!

Come Along for the Ride!

What an exciting and growing time we have going on with the Global Training Institute for Women (GTIW)!! We are in full swing to launch the first training session this May, with 21 women from five different Arab countries (Iraq, Egypt, Israel, Sudan, and Jordan).

We would love to share with you, how you can "Come Along For The Ride" and join us as we launch this program.

The Global Training Institute for Women is designed as a three-year, region-specific program, where women selected from the Arab world will meet with a small group of trainers face-to-face two times a year for three years in a neutral location. The classes are small to facilitate the building of deep relationships in a safe environment; the trainers are experienced and equipped; the training itself is focused and systematic. The Institute covers three core areas: Biblical understanding, character development, and ministry skills. The Institute training team is made up of women from the United States and the Arab world.

Did you Know?

Eighty-five percent of the world's poorest people live in a region between the west coast of North Africa and the east coast of China, an area that contains 95 percent of the world's least evangelized people. Four out of five of these least evangelized poorest of the poor are women.

The social barriers that separate the millions of women living in the Arab world from the truth of the Gospel can seem almost insurmountable.

Many Arab women are illiterate - unable to read a Bible, even in their own language. Many more live in fear of their husbands, who are encouraged by the Qur'an to beat or kill their wives if they embrace or even study any other religious faith. Cut off from any biblical understanding of their role in their home and community, Arab women often submit to a slave-like identity born out of Islamic culture and its often brutal directives for family relationships. This situation frequently leads to feelings of isolation, loneliness and poor self-esteem.

Without the biblical understanding that comes from deep interaction with God's Word and His people, even Arab women who have converted to Christianity are utterly unaware of their value as children of God and of the unconditional love Christ has for them. They are also unaware that they have been gifted in unique ways in order to make a contribution in furthering the Great Commission. Facilitating these women's ability to discover biblical truth together, while teaching and encouraging each other to embrace their true spiritual identity, is the work of the Global Training Institute for Women.

A woman can only attend the institute if sufficient financial support is in place. Every prayer is mighty. Every dollar counts.

You can make a difference!

Would you pray with us about becoming a vital part of our growing partnership with national workers, churches and seminaries? Through your prayers and financial support God will use us together to raise up godly leaders for His glory around the world.

It's so easy to give online! Visit our website here to donate!

Grounded in the Word, these women will become world-changers ...victoriously passing on to others life, truth, and freedom in Christ!

We want to unleash influential women to impact their world. Won't you join us?

Come Along For The Ride!

What a Great Time We Had!

Every time I teach our 8 week class based on my book, “Who Do You Think You Are?” I think, “Wow, this is a great group of women! Best ever!” Though I have taught this class many times now, each time I wonder if the next group of women is going to be as awesome as the last. Well, they are as awesome as the last class! Lyn Fish, our newest staff member, and I taught the 8 week class in May and June, and let me tell you, I am as blessed as anyone to have had the privilege of teaching women who are smart, ready to grow, and blended together into such a harmonious group of believers! Just listen to what a couple of the women said who attended:

“The class was a real blessing. I received confirmation that I am right where God wants me to be and I have already used some of the class information with my mentee. In addition, I am finalizing my Mission Statement which I would not have done without the class so that's a huge blessing.” Lynn Austin

“I know how precious I am to my Savior now. I no longer carry guilt and shame of my childhood and I am as valuable to God as my brothers are. I never knew that. I thought I was here to be their servant. In reality I am here to serve the Lord in whatever ways He calls me to.” Maria Chez

I can’t imagine anything more thrilling and fulfilling than to be able to encourage and equip these precious ones to take the next step on their spiritual journeys. I truly count it a joy, and am grateful to God that He has given me the gift of this ministry. I would love for every woman I know to learn and experience the truths that we discover ed together in 8 short weeks.

If you haven’t taken this class yet and you want to, let us know and we will keep you informed as to when and where it will be taught again. Join us! It could change your life!

Planes, Trains, Automobiles and Answered Prayers

What a great trip I had to Eastern Europe in May!

My purpose in going to the European Leadership Forum (a well respected leadership training conference that has been in existence for about nine years) was to connect with many of the five hundred-plus ministry leaders from all over Europe and share our vision for the Global Training Institute for Women (GTI). The Forum was held in Eger, Hungary, and was a rich time of learning and connecting (the weather was great, too!). I was praying that God would lead me to the people He wanted me to talk to … and He did! One such person was Evghenii Sologubenco, president of Moldova Biblical Seminary. He is very excited about what we are doing and even wants to help support women who he can recommend to attend.

I met with the senior pastor of a church in the Republic of Georgia, and a woman from Georgia who works with the Christian Union there. Both were so eager for what I was sharing about. They agreed: “You will have one hundred women wanting to come from our country alone!”

Then we travelled to Slovakia where we spent two days with Tomas and Ester Kriskova. He is a pastor, and she works with International Needs, an organization we have partnered with in the past in Romania. After sharing the GTI plan and vision with them, she said, “I have taught many of the topics on your curriculum grid. But I have never had a systematic way of presenting this material. You are adding the missing piece!” She also said that she was excited about the mentoring component and added, “We don’t have older Christian women as role models. None.” She, too, wants to be involved.

To top it off, a woman who heads up a publishing house in Norway sought me out to talk to me about the possibilities of translating my book, “Who Do You Think You Are” into Norwegian! Wow! I am certainly open to this new opportunity.

I am grateful to God for safety in travel, good health, and making all connections (though at one point I thought we were going to miss our train to Slovakia because our other train was late). God is at work. There is more, much more. Please just know that I appreciate your prayers, support and involvement with me and the rest of the GTI as we plow the ground and plant seeds for God’s Kingdom!