The room heaves with black-robed women. They fill every inch of space and chat quietly while waiting for the rest of the neighborhood women to arrive. An older woman threads her way through the crowd and sits on a cushion in the middle. She begins chanting a story about a […]
Writing Spiritual History in Northeast Africa
Northeast Africa includes the countries of Chad, Sudan, and South Sudan. Life in this region is rather rustic. The climate is harsh thanks to hot summers and unpredictable rainfall. Comforts are few and, in many areas, public infrastructure is weak. Parts of the region have experienced ongoing civil violence and […]
Bathtubs and Ballroom Dancing
I often wonder how God looks at us whenever we get caught up scurrying around—collecting strategies and best practices and the top 10 ways to be effective evangelists, parents, Sunday school teachers, or pastors. Strategies and best practices are essential for a healthy ministry. It’s important to learn about what […]
Why We No Longer Sacrifice
Before Eid Al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, the majority of our neighbors will have purchased a sheep to slaughter. In doing so, they commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son and God’s provision of a sheep in his place. But on the day of Eid Al-Adha, more than any other […]
The Hajj: A Pilgrimage to Mecca
Every year, millions of Muslims converge on the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca for a four-day Islamic pilgrimage. The pilgrimage, called the hajj, begins about two months after the end of Ramadan and is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims who can afford it and are physically able […]
When Families Forgive
How amazing that what started from a handful of frightened disciples over 2,000 years ago has now spread across time zones and cultures. The Gospel continues to transform the hearts of people around the world. It’s beautiful and miraculous, and it’s happening among Muslims in my neighborhood! My local […]
Making Christ Known in South Asia
In the South Asian countries of India and Bangladesh, there are more Muslims than in the Middle East and the entire continent of Africa combined. This region has some of the world’s largest concentrations of unengaged Muslim people groups that have no effective long-term Gospel witness in their midst. With […]
Market Day
Most days, my little town’s square looks like the perfect setting for a gunfight in an old Western film: barren, dusty, and a little rough around the edges. When the market arrives on Tuesdays, however, the place fills with life. Hundreds of merchants from Muslim villages near and far set […]
A Truth That Disrupts
“You’re a Muslim, right?” my colleague Jamila asked me. “I’m a follower of Jesus,” I replied. “But you seem so much like a Muslim,” Jamila insisted. She stared at me with intelligent brown eyes. “I love God, and I also pray, fast, and serve the poor—just as Muslims are instructed […]
The Face of the Unengaged
Meet Ahmed. He’s quite the normal young man. Every day, Ahmed rides his motorcycle through crowded streets to his university where he studies accounting. He hopes his degree will land him a good job to pay off his motorcycle and help support his parents and two sisters. He wonders about […]