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I’m privledged to be a part of a group in Campus Crusade called the Global IT Council. It is a group of people who lead technology efforts at the different Area of Affairs around the world. This is the 4th meeting of the group (of which I have attended 3) and it is absolutely amazing to learn and share with my colleagues from around the world.

Tomorrow we start our meetings in Cairo, Egypt and so today I travelled from Budapest to Cairo and we start our meetings in the morning. We had dinner together tonight and I sat with a colleague from Egypt and from Zambia. It is so fun to learn about each other’s cultures and perspectives on life! One of the great things about this council is that we all bring different perspectives on the technology challenges that face us around the world. Each time I attend, I build a relationship, get an idea, or form a partnership that acclerates the ministry in Eastern Europe.

At one of the meetings I attended, I heard a brief 10-15 minute update on a software that was being written to help countries process donations and to allow staff to track these donations. I had no idea how I would use this information until I was asked by our finance director in Ukraine if I knew of a way to help with donations. I told her about what I heard at the council and she proceeded to implement the solution and translate the software into Russian so that other Russian speaking countries could take advantage of the tool. This example is just one of the many huge benefits to this conference.

Now about Cairo. I’ve only had a drive from the airport so I haven’t seen too much, but it is very unique. There are 15 million people here in Cairo which is more than in all of Hungary. WOW! The overall impression is BROWN. The sand is brown, the buildings are brown, and it is just brown. Very little color. My hotel is on the Nile River and the picture above is out the window of my hotel room. I’m humbled to have an opportunity to be here. It is my first time to Africa and to be here where there is so much history. I had fun telling Kirby Ann that I was staying next to the river where Baby Moses was found.

More to come later. About Cairo and about our meetings. Click on the picture to see a few more.