One by one, the leaves dropped off the tree. I had inherited the tree from a former teammate who had left for greener pastures in another country (literally, they were greener). And I loved that tree. When it started dropping leaves, I pleaded with it to stop. I cajoled, spoke […]
Diets and White Hearts
Fresh dates, finger foods, and assorted juices had been set out on a plastic mat on the floor, ready for the fast to break. The six women around me chattered quietly as we waited to break the day-long Ramadan fast together. “This is the first time that I’ve fasted like […]
Married to the Carpenter’s Sister
Every day for two years, I walked past Izat the carpenter’s shop. His single-room shop was tucked beside a little hardware supply store just down the alley from my apartment in the Muslim community. Each day, I’d greet Izat and exchange blessings of peace for a few moments. For those […]
A Sticky Gospel
“I thought the Good News was interesting,” said Khalil, one of my local friends. “But I didn’t think it was for me.” The first time Khalil heard the message of the Gospel, it somehow missed his heart. He isn’t the only one. Some of my other Muslim friends have told […]
Leaving Family for the Caucasus
As a long-term field worker in the Caucasus region, I have left home many times over the years. But no leave-taking has been as heart-wrenching as the last one. I said goodbye to my dad, lying in a nursing home, and to my mom, reeling with grief that he’s not […]
New Every Morning
Piece by piece, the men at the station stacked my furniture on to the top of a rickety African bus. They seemed to know what they were doing. Still, I wondered how secure it was and what condition I’d find my belongings in after traveling hundreds of miles across Eastern […]
Tea and Cigarettes
The teenage boy gripped the shaky handle of a charred brass kettle. He poured a syrupy mixture of tea and sugar crystals into little cups. The first cups were handed to the guests, Steve and Fadil. Only then did the boy serve the others in the room, all long-bearded, devout […]
Preparing Our Child for Burial
What do you do when your baby is vomiting and passing blood, the local hospital can’t perform the needed surgery, your car won’t start, the ambulance driver won’t answer his phone, and you are over 500 miles from a doctor who could save your daughter’s life? This isn’t a hypothetical […]
The Muslim Who Loved Christmas
“Those cookies are beautiful!” Basima remarked. She took out her phone and snapped a photo of the tree-shaped Christmas cookies I’d set down on the coffee table. “You’re making too much fuss about those cookies, Basima,” scolded Fatima, the hostess. “Well, they are beautiful,” Basima retorted to her friend. “I […]
When God Calls You to Pray
I met Ellen in a chance encounter at an Indian restaurant in the US. It happened just before my family and I moved overseas to live among an unengaged Muslim people group. Ellen had a heart to serve and told us she would pray for our ministry. She loved visiting […]