When my teenage son and I arrived at the airport during a recent father-and-son trip, I felt prompted by God to ask for an encounter with someone from a region where I had once lived. In our carry-on luggage, we had a Bible and a bookmark with a summary of […]
Kefta Tagine: A Recipe for North African Stew
The word tagine can refer to either North African stew or the cookware used to create this cuisine. Traditionally, the cookware is placed over hot coals to simmer savory meals made from a variety of spiced vegetables and meats such as beef, lamb, and fish. Tagines are a common item […]
We Need to Tell These Stories
When I first moved to my host country, language learning felt like a long, slow process. However, spending twenty hours a week with Wadha, my language nurturer, gave me the perfect opportunity to read the Bible with someone. Together we moved verse by verse as I practiced deciphering words and […]
Jesus in the OR
Ezekiel wheeled the gurney out of the operating room, eyes on the tiny figure covered in blankets. As they approached the recovery area, he prayed Ayoub would quickly recover from the hiatal esophagectomy, during which Ezekiel had removed and reconstructed his esophagus. The surgery had successfully saved the little boy’s life, […]
What Is That in Your Hand?
When my family and I moved to our host country, I didn’t expect to have many opportunities to play golf. Although I love the sport, we moved here to share the Good News about Jesus, not focus on our hobbies. But God challenged my perspective several months ago as I […]
A Hard-Hearted Brother Dreams of Jesus
Shuhul and Asad grew up doing everything together. Whenever they had the chance, the two brothers would slip away from their younger siblings who shadowed them and run off to fish together in the stream outside of town. Older brother Shuhul had little interest in school. But Asad loved learning. […]
Finding the Path to Life in a Place of Death
Damira didn’t know how much more heartache she could handle. Her husband had recently abandoned her and left her to raise three small children on her own. Her pantry was bare, and she was running out of money to buy food for her family. Although a Muslim, Damira had never […]
A Dream That Pointed to the Word of God
For months, my teammates and I had been praying for God to lead us to people hungry to read His Word and learn about Jesus. The first breakthrough came when we met an elderly midwife who was open to the Gospel. She invited us to share the Good News in […]
The Beautiful Word and a Garden of Dreams
My team and I recently committed to 40 days of prayer, asking God to move in power throughout the Muslim world. Each of us on the team chose to fast as we felt led. About 12 days in, I found myself struggling in the fast. I was visiting my Muslim […]
Praise God in All Circumstances
Il-hamdullillah. My Arab friends use this phrase in nearly all of their daily interactions. It means “praise God” in Arabic and is the standard response to the question, “How are you?” I learned to say the phrase on my first day of language class. But it wasn’t until much later […]