Over 11,000 Egyptian Youth Gather in Desert to Dedicate Their Lives to Christ
Open Doors Staff (Oct 9, 2013)
“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.
















