By Dr. KC

“Will you be going anywhere for christmas?”

This question frequently arises among friends during the year-end period. The next likeliest questions in response to my telling friends that we were going to North Africa would be the incredulous “Where?!” and the inevitable “Is it safe?” Friends thought they were hearing the wrong destination as people seem to have forgotten that North Africa used to be a popular for tourists.

Safety in North Africa is a current concern and with a church bombing that occurred within weeks of our planned departure, my family and I have a tough decision to make. Should we proceed as volunteers for the program that we had signed up? This was not a leisure trip that we could cancel on a whim - we were aiming to serve God and help others in need.  By faith in God and with trust in those who have gone before us on the same programme, we decided to proceed and I am glad we did. Here is why -   

Firstly, all our objectives and expectations for the trip were exceeded.

We got to participate in and contribute to the community projects, and also among the refugees from Sudan during our short time in the programme. The trip to the former was an eye-opener. The centre that we served with is within an area known as the 'Garbage City', where people for decades have eked out a living by collecting and recycling rubbish. To see for ourselves a thriving community in challenging circumstances is inspiring, and to be able to contribute to their needs in whatever small way we can is a privilege.

Serving among Sudanese refugees was another highlight of the programme - sharing the festive joy with these refugees with our gifts & performance (acting in a Christmas play) is another privilege we barely deserved. Certainly it is more blessed to give than to receive. If you are looking for rewarding trips that you can be of service to the materially poor – this is one! 

Secondly, our spiritual lives are enriched by going for this trip.

The local programme organizer is very experienced with short-term visitors and we have much time for prayer, meditation and fellowship with one another. The other members of our group during the programme hailed from countries spanning the globe – from North & Central America, Europe, South Africa, Asia and Australia. The cultural exchange was immense over the time of our stay. And we had multiple opportunities to share and pray for one another.  The highlight of our trip was “The Amazing Race”, a one-day event designed by the organizer to help visitors discover (for and by ourselves) the places of interest and historical sites of Cairo in the shortest possible time.  

Thirdly, volunteering as a family multiplies the benefits.

We consider this trip as better than an exotic overseas family vacation. To see our 11-year-old daughter learning responsibility and interacting with the local and eclectic mix of diverse background is so satisfying.  The fun we had could be summed up by our daughter’s reluctance to leave Egypt at the end of the programme. At the end of the trip, my family could even combine our musical talents (mine the least) to compose a song about the blessed people of the land. 

So was the trip safe?

Well, we felt safer when we were participating in the programme than when we were given free time to visit the usual tourist attractions on our own. You may say this is a God-inspired programme. And, as according to Hudson Taylor, God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.