I was recently invited to a baby shower for Manzoor and Deena, a refugee couple who came from the country where my team and I serve. The shower was hosted by believers from a church that had generously provided nearly a whole nursery for the family. Deena has had several […]
Black Missionary Heroes
“Please tell more Black missionaries to come,” locals often said to Leslie Pelt, an African American worker serving in Nigeria with SIManother agencySudan SIM Internationalior Mission. Many of them told her she was the first Black missionary they had ever seen.1 Today, African American believers are underrepresented on the field. […]
Jesus Only at the Bench Press
From the moment I met Majda, I adored her. She was one of the first clients to sign up for private training sessions after I became certified as a personal trainer. One day between sets on the bench press, I asked her to tell me a story from either her […]
A Heart Wakes Up for the First Time
“I really need your prayers,” my Muslim friend Arief said as we sat down at a table in our favorite café. “Would you pray for me right now?” Arief and I had been friends for several years. But he had never shown much interest in matters of faith—until now. For […]
A Militant Forsakes a Life of Violence for Christ
“How much do I owe you?” Ali asked as Dr. Hadawi finished bandaging the wound on his shoulder. Hadawi’s eyes darted toward Ali’s long beard. Then he glanced at the patient’s tired garb—the kind worn by militant fighters who camped close to the frontlines of battle in the mountains nearby. […]
The Power of Prayer to Save a Life
When Habsa heard how much it would cost to remove the cancer in her abdomen, she thought the news was a death sentence. An unmarried woman in a Muslim country, she had no insurance and couldn’t afford thousands of dollars in medical expenses. When Habsa told the news to the […]
Surrendering an Angry Heart for a Future Hope
Faruq barely remembers the home he fled when he was a just a small boy. But he recalls the terror in his mother’s face as she pulled him away from their house, urging him to walk faster. He remembers how his father’s eyes burned with rage as their home was […]
Rejoicing in a First Chance to Learn About God
We followed Rahima down a narrow dirt path that led from a busy market street to a small concrete house. Stepping onto the porch, she opened the door for us. “Welcome!” she said as she gestured for my teammate Jessica and me to step inside. Rahima spread out a rug for […]
Hope, Gratitude, and Our Unique Portion of Pain
This past year beat the living snot out of me and my family. It felt like evil held nothing back—that it took out years of pent-up bitterness on us. I see us attempting to get back up over and over again—and getting beat back down over and over again. I […]
Born to Bring the Dead to Life
The arid, rocky landscape seemed to stretch on before us as we drove to the family farm of our Muslim friend Sidi. Suddenly we descended into a cool, still expanse of towering palms. This was the oasis where many of the country’s dates are grown and harvested for export around […]