I gently laid my daughter in her crib before tiptoeing out of the nursery and into the living room, where I sank onto the sofa beside my husband. We usually went to bed shortly after our daughter, but we had an appointment at a nanny agency in the morning. We […]
The Boldness of a Son
Three years ago, Uday left Islam. Disillusioned with the Muslim faith he’d grown up in but uncertain what to believe, he chose to become an atheist. A few years after that, he discovered some online videos about Jesus and began seeking the truth. Then he put his trust in Christ. […]
Breaking the Language Barrier
Learning a new language is difficult, but sometimes it’s also downright embarrassing. Recently, I ventured into a shop in search of a light bulb, and asked the owner in my very best Arabic, “Do you want a light bulb?” He narrowed his bushy eyebrows at me. “What? No.” I glanced […]
An Unexpected Celebration
Pots and pans cluttered the stovetop, and a variety of delicious scents filled the air as my friend Leila and I worked together to prepare the iftar meal. She looked forward to breaking her Ramadan fast in traditional North African style, and I hoped for a chance to talk with her about […]
The Bumpy Road Home
Last spring our host city was transformed into a battlefield. Rival militant factions fought for control of the government and cared little for the citizens living through it. Some of the fiercest fighting occurred just a mile from our apartment—a place my family had called home for years. Despite the […]
The Essential Ingredients of Ramadan
As Ramadan begins, Muslims around the world will observe Islam’s holiest month in an effort to gain God’s favor and forgiveness. While the starting date varies year-to-year based on the lunar calendar, the essential ingredients of these important 30 days remain constant. Fasting & Feasting For Muslims, fasting during Ramadan […]
In Times of Darkness
Several months ago, my husband and I woke to the sound of explosions in the distance. We’d lived in this region for several years, and this wasn’t the first conflict that crept too close for comfort, but this time we weren’t prepared for it. We fought our fear as we […]
The Great Plate Exchange
I wiped my forehead, warm from baking all afternoon in my tiny kitchen, and grinned at the fruit of my labor—dozens of cookies. It had been a few weeks since my family arrived on the field, and my husband and I were eager to meet people and start building relationships. […]
Miles of Hope
No one could have predicted the military conflict in a neighboring country that forced its citizens to surge across the border to safety. Our town of 25,000 people more than quadrupled in a matter of days. Almost overnight, once quiet streets flooded with Muslim refugees, many going door-to-door asking for […]
The Woman in the Painting
I hung my painting of Jesus’ hand on the gallery wall and stepped back to take in the full display. Five paintings of covered Muslim women, scarred with golden fractures, were displayed between two paintings of hands with gold wounds. Six months earlier, I had rented this art gallery with […]