“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 […]
A Silent Christmas
Christmas in the Sahara desert is so quiet. Few people around us know it’s Christmas, and even fewer care. Life goes on as normal. Shepherds milk the cows. Bricklayers build homes. Men go to the mosque. Women head to the market. As far as Christmas goes, there’s nothing. You’d never know […]
Lesson 22: Sent to Serve
We’d been studying God’s Word with the group of new believers for five months by the time we got to lesson 22. The 31-lesson series starts with creation and ends with the resurrection of Christ. With every lesson, we’ve seen God move powerfully in the lives of our friends—four believing […]
Pray for Yemen
This article was originally published November 2017. Current estimates suggest that 85,000 children have died from acute malnutrition, and millions are on the brink of famine. On the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula is Yemen, a land of ancient cities and beautiful landscapes. The country boasts a long history […]