A Mother’s Loss, a Brother’s Gift, and the God Who Heals
Names, locations, and images have been changed to protect the identity of individuals in sensitive regions.
In a remote village in Egypt, a group of women gathered for a parenting session. Most came to learn practical skills. None expected the emotional healing that would unfold—or the glimpse of God’s heart that would be revealed.
A Quiet Work in Unreached Places
For the past two years, Compel International has walked alongside a faithful ministry team in Egypt, equipping and training them to reach unreached communities through health and hygiene education, economic empowerment, and small-group gatherings. Most participants in these groups are Muslim women—mothers, grandmothers, and neighbors who would otherwise have little opportunity to encounter the Gospel.
Through simple, reproducible lessons and Spirit-led conversation, doors are opening for relationships, trust, and transformation.
The Power of Presence
At one of the local gatherings, a facilitator began a session on parenting with a simple question: “Before I can build a healthy relationship with my child to raise him properly, where should that good relationship begin?”
The answers varied. Then one woman replied, “Miss, you always tell us about God, and He is the one who arranges our lives when we are close to Him.”
That answer shifted the room.
The facilitator gently reminded the group that a right relationship with God is the foundation for everything else in life—including how we raise our children. No matter how many lessons we hear, unless we experience the love of God for ourselves, we cannot truly pass that love on.
As the discussion deepened, one woman shared a story that stunned the group. She had struggled with infertility for years. Eventually, she had a daughter—but tragically, the child died young. At the funeral, her brother made an unexpected offer: he would give her one of his children to raise.
She surprised him with a request: “If you really want to give me something, then give me your only son.”
After some hesitation, he agreed. Since that day, the boy has lived with her. He calls her mother. He often prefers her to his biological mother.
The story might have ended there, but God had more in store.
Unbeknownst to many in the room, the boy’s biological mother was sitting in the same session. As the story unfolded, she began to weep. With honesty and pain, she shared that since her son left, she has never truly reconnected with him—and her heart longs to be close to him again.
A deep silence followed. Then, one by one, other women began sharing their own burdens—grief, regret, pain. Some broke into tears. The room became a place not only of learning, but of lament. A space of truth. A beginning of healing.
“Unless we personally experience God’s love, we cannot truly pass that love on to our children.”
Healing Takes Root
The facilitator closed the session in prayer, asking God to intervene, restore relationships, and bring healing to the families represented. The women asked her to come back and continue the conversation. It was clear that God had begun something deeper than any lesson plan.
This is what Compel’s partners in Egypt are witnessing more and more. What begins as a lesson on parenting or hygiene often becomes a window for women to see the kindness of God, often for the first time.
These breakthroughs are the fruit of careful training, consistent presence, and a commitment to walk patiently with those who have never encountered the love of Christ.