p. 12 | EGYPT by L. Passebois

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 19, 1900

EGYPT

By L. Passebois

A YEAR ago my wife and I left America for the Institut Sanitaire in Basel. After staying there six months, we came to Egypt, in answer to the Lord’s call; and praise be to his name, he was here before us, and opened the way in a marvelous manner. We came here with Brother Holser and his family. A lady nurse from the institut came also with us. Brother Holser and his family are on their way to America, his health being very poor. They will be there probably when this reaches you. We have specially prayed that the Lord would raise him, if it be his will; for the laborers are few, and it is sad to see the experienced ones stricken down with sickness. Our prayer is also that God will send some one here to fill his place—not only one but several; for the field is needy.

When we came here, we found one brother and a sister keeping the Sabbath. Through the labors of that sister her three sisters-in-law have since accepted the truth. Another brother has also accepted the truth, and desires baptism. A converted Jew is also preparing himself to go to one of our institutes, to get a training to engage in the work. Others are interested, one of the native Bible workers especially.

Cairo, where we are, is a cosmopolitan city. Here people of almost all nationalities are found; the Greek, Italians, French, Armenians, and English especially. This makes it a good center for our work, which, so far, has been mostly among the English-, French-, and German-speaking people.

The Moslems are very devout. They can be seen praying in the streets, in the cars, and everywhere. They will repeat the same things from one hundred to four or five hundred times.

A few days ago a funeral took place near our house; and from early in the morning until noon, about forty or fifty women were praying, wailing, beating their faces and breasts. From time to time some one would serve them coffee. In the afternoon and until one o’clock next morning men would take the place of the women, and would do the same things. This was kept up for three days. A week after the burial they pray again, and so on for several weeks; then afterward they do it annually. I asked one of the natives why they did this, and he said that the more they did it, the better place the one dead would have in paradise.

These people must be taught. The truth must be presented to them; and we who have been sent to begin the work are weak, but our confidence is in God, from whom our strength comes. In him is all power, and he has given the command to go to all people, kindreds, and tongues; and says that he is with us, even to the end. So we trust him; but we need your prayers. Pray that we may be used to the glory of God. Pray that God will send laborers into this needy field, that he will bless the work being done, and that many may come out from darkness into this marvelous light.

L. PASSEBOIS.