I met Amira shortly after moving to a new town in our host country, a nation in the African desert that my husband and I have called home for many years. Amira is an energetic, Muslim-background woman who loves Jesus. She visits a Muslim village several hours away every month […]
The Bride of the Red Sea
On the west coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lies the ancient city of Jeddah. From its humble beginnings as a fishing village some 2,500 years ago, Jeddah has blossomed into one of Saudi Arabia’s largest cities, second only to Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom. With a population […]
Refugee Diamonds
Eleven Syrian women stepped into the room. They seemed nervous and unsure of what to expect out of the next two hours. With young children clinging to their abayas, the women sat down and looked at the flowers, signs, and refreshments around them. My teammate and I welcomed them with […]
Discover the Unengaged
Imagine flying over the earth at night. As you look down over a community, you’ll see lights shining up from the darkness. Those are homes reached by a power source. Look down again, and you’ll see areas that appear mostly dark. In these communities, few people have power. Likewise, there […]
Village Trains and the Great Wall of Noise
Our family arrived in our new country a couple weeks ago and are staying in the home of some teammates who are away. Landing in this new place with a house already set up has been a godsend. We are also blessed to have daily help from Rania, our teammates’ […]
Feasting at Sunset
Throughout our years in the Middle East, our family has been welcomed into countless homes during Ramadan. We’ve been invited to enjoy iftar—the meal marking the end of the day’s fast—with Syrian refugees, our next door neighbors, and even a large family in a neighboring city. These visits can sometimes go […]
The Hidden Immigrants
We are hidden immigrants in our home country. For the past two decades, our family has lived in Muslim communities in South Asia. We are not Asian. But we don’t feel fully American either. We look like we belong in America, and our passports say we do. But we often […]
Exactly What I’m Looking For
When Ragheed and I meet, we talk about everything under the sun—politics, the latest technology, religion, and plenty more. Recently when we met in our favorite café, he asked me about my faith. I shared some of my views of God and why my relationship with Jesus Christ is so […]
Syrian Lentil Soup Recipe
Easy to prepare, inexpensive, and a good source of nutrition, lentils are used in kitchens throughout the Muslim world. And in Syrian cooking, they’re an essential ingredient. One of the most common meals enjoyed in traditional Syrian households is lentil soup, called shorabit adas in the local dialect of Arabic. […]
Fasting and Feasting Through Ramadan
Just after sunset on the days leading up to Ramadan, eyes turn to the western horizon, hoping to glimpse the crescent moon. Its brief appearance will signal the start of the Islamic month of fasting. The next morning, Muslims will wake before dawn to pray and eat suhoor, their final […]