On a recent hot day, my teammate and I went to the home of Yerlan, our language teacher. He and his mother wanted to teach us how to make dolmas, a local specialty made of grape leaves stuffed with rice and ground meat. Kitchens here don’t have air conditioning, and […]
I Want My Home to Be a Light
As a young man, Jahiz memorized the entire Quran in preparation to become an imam. But the deeper he delved into the study of Islam, the more he questioned the truth of the Quran. It simply didn’t deliver the promise of transformation that Jahiz expected from a holy book. He […]
Vision for the Family
When her 6-year-old boy fell deathly ill, Mariama had little faith that the doctor in her poor Southeast Asian community could save him. The child was delirious with fever. He needed something more powerful than the doctor’s medicine. So the distraught mother decided to take him to a traditional healer. […]
Giving Up the Game
“I don’t have a father,” said Daoud. “He was murdered when I was 14.” He turned his eyes away from mine and his shoulders slumped. “I’ve been on my own since then. Life hasn’t been kind to me.” Daoud used to be on the soccer team I coach. He […]
As Welcoming as a Refugee
I slip off my shoes and add them to the pile outside the door of the small apartment. Stepping into a modest living room, I’m greeted by the noise of women’s chatter and the sweet scent of bakhoor smoldering on a clay incense burner. Before sitting down, I go around […]
How the Bible Changes Muslims’ Lives
“He’s changed so much,” Najib’s mother said. “They both have. My son and his wife have become better people since they’ve started meeting with you.” “But it’s not because of me or anything I’ve done,” I explained to Najib’s mother. “It’s because they’re reading about Jesus and applying His teachings […]
Playing a Game of Piety
Crossing a busy street near my home, I noticed a young man staring at me as he crossed in the other direction. As I passed him in the middle of the road, I gave him a quick greeting and kept walking to the relative safety of the sidewalk. Then, halfway […]
The Time I Nearly Shoplifted
As a single woman in a Muslim country, I’m painfully aware that the local market is full of men. Men and women aren’t supposed to interact in public. But I’m grateful for my regular crew of shopkeepers and vendors. They’ve been really kind to me. In a way, these men […]
The Holy Path
The first time I shared the Gospel with Jalil, he was captivated. We’d been talking about what it means to live a holy and righteous life. Then I asked him if he and his family would like to discover what the Bible has to say about holiness. “How could I […]
Midnight Meals and Rounds of Tea
Ramadan nights are for feasting in my host country. During this Islamic month of fasting, most Muslims adjust their schedules to accommodate midnight meals and rounds of tea with friends. One evening I joined my Muslim friend Zayid and his friends for iftar, the breaking of the fast. As soon […]