Working for lasting change requires commitment and dedication, as people’s thinking and behaviour often takes time to make a transition from one thing to another. Thankfully, the Voice of Egypt team have both in spades.

As young volunteers, producing online radio programmes in addition to other work and studies, the *Voice of Egypt team are well placed to engage their audience of urban young adults, many facing similar life situation as themselves. There is a good buzz in the office as they work together with creativity and confidence.

In the studio, there is a pinboard with about 70 small pieces of paper laid out in an attractive pattern. Each piece contains a listener’s name and a summary of their story. There are many more listeners calling the show, but these 70 names represent a community of regular callers with whom the team members are developing deeper relationships, hoping to see lasting change whilst recognising that this requires patience and perseverance.

Changes in relationships

The way listeners think about God is an area where change is happening. For example, some may think that worship and financial offerings are ways of getting something from God. A change in thinking means that listeners are seeing the many acts of grace that people experience as a gift from God, rather than the result of an ‘exchange’, and worship as an expression of the enjoyment of a personal relationship. Through their programmes the team have created a platform for listeners to explore these ideas.

way listeners think about God is an area where change is happening

In the same way the team are encouraging listeners to move away from a transactional understanding of relationships with each other, giving only to receive something in return, to an attitude of giving out of love. This is especially important when it comes to learning to forgive:

“My friend accused me with stealing, although I didn’t steal anything. And this made me very sad. Then when he knew the truth (that I did not steal anything), he came to apologise to me, but I didn’t accept his apology. Please pray for me to be able to forgive him.”

Change is possible

Through their programmes, the *Voice of Egypt team are opening up a variety of issues for discussion, and are starting to see the beginnings of change, even though sometimes listeners feel that their beliefs and behaviours are so deeply established that they have no chance for change. Yet, the team are sensitively, patiently, nurturing the beginnings of change, with a vision to see God bring about long term transformation.

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Read more: Egypt: Building Bridges with Online Radio

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*Voice of Egypt name changed for security purposes.

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For more prayer suggestions for our ministry see: This month in prayer

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