Each year, tens of thousands of people come to Egypt’s holiday resorts, most of them quite unfamiliar with going to church or with going inside a Christian bookshop.

To fit in with the holidaymakers’ schedule, in the summer the shop opens at 5.00pm and doesn’t close until some 12 hours later! A TV is strategically placed where all who pass by can see it and every day it draws a crowd. Whenever the children from neighbouring shops and homes notice that the Bible Stories cartoons are on, they call out to each other and gather round to watch the next episode. The Jesus film – and the Crucifixion scene, in particular! – is also popular.

One man, deeply affected by what he saw, entered the bookshop to ask if this was “the true story about Jesus”. He then bought a copy of the video so that he could watch the whole story. Another, on holiday from a neighbouring country, went into the shop to ask for prayer; he had come in a year before, having bought a copy of the Scriptures after seeing the video clip.

Small book

Adults passing the shop are considerably drawn to the videos in spite of the prevailing holiday atmosphere. In response, many will buy a small book or at least come away from the shop having received a strong sense that Jesus’ sacrifice was for them. Such outlets provide opportunities not just to sell products, but also to expose those who pass by to the truth of God’s Word. (WR 392/14 - 04/5.05)