My Muslim friend Nabiha lost her husband to cancer recently. I was at another friend’s house when I found out. We were decorating our hands with henna in preparation to attend a wedding the next day. I received the bad news as the henna was still drying, its intricate designs […]
Dreamers and Believers
My teammates and I recently met Abdi and his family. In his younger days, Abdi had been an Islamic scholar. But in spite of his religious education, he still felt confused by what he’d read in the Quran. So, a couple of years ago, he started reading it more intently […]
Milk and Honey
Recently I sat in my teammate’s home, sharing a breakfast of spiced coffee and fried dough as we chatted about new friends, neighborhood happenings, and things we’ve been learning. Our conversation turned toward the hard things local Muslim women—our friends—face here. Abuse, rape, war, hunger, and poverty; corruption, lies, and […]
In a Single Generation
“No, don’t beat the thieves,” Sheikh Idriss said into the phone as I sat in his simple home on the edge of the village. “And don’t arrest them, either. Let them go and tell them to come to the civil court tomorrow morning.” The thieves were two poor women. They’d […]
Baptized in Hostile Environments
God is moving powerfully in the Muslim neighborhood where my teammates and I live. Men and women have been healed, and many have become followers of Jesus. These new believers gather regularly, and they’ve begun calling themselves the Family of Jesus Christ. Recently, an elderly member of the community opened […]
Opportunities in the Arab Gulf
Every year, 3 million Muslims travel to the Arab Gulf to visit one place: Mecca, Saudi Arabia. They come for the hajj, or the Islamic pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars in Islam. Try to imagine Muslim men and women arriving in the Dubai airport, a major Middle […]
The Face of the Untold at Urbana 18
Perhaps you saw her, with her sparkling gray eyes and infectious smile framed by a flower-printed headscarf. You watched as she emerged slowly in the vast hall, her face a picture of calm amid a sea of activity. Her name is Halima, and she came to life on a Frontiers […]
Walking With Anwar
I met Anwar during an early morning walk in our apartment complex’s courtyard. He and I chatted for a while, and since then, we’ve become weekly walking partners. We often talk about the state of society and of the world, which nearly always leads us to religion. Anwar genuinely wants […]
Searching for Lost Sheep
“Google Maps won’t work, and you won’t have cell coverage,” our Muslim friend Mohsen warns us. “But don’t worry; you’ll find our home.” We begin the journey to his family’s remote village, driving for two hours along winding desert roads with mountains rising on both sides. The only way we […]
Now Our Faith Is Real
Hakim, Naima, and their children spent three months trapped in their home during a blockade on their city in Syria. They nearly starved to death, surviving on twigs and grass. Their oldest son was killed during the worst of the violence. They escaped to a neighboring country—half-starved, empty-handed, and suffering […]