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 […]
A Harvest Amidst Persecution
Ibrahim is a Muslim-background follower of Jesus being mentored by Nathan, a Frontiers team leader. Tragically, Ibrahim’s close friend and ministry partner, Samir, was abducted and killed for his faith in Christ. Three other believers close to Samir were also abducted. Understandably, Ibrahim has been struggling with heartache and confusion. […]
Syrian Refugee Update: Bible Studies and Baptisms
In the midst of tragedy, God is drawing Syrian Muslims into His kingdom. While serving in a refugee settlement near the Syrian border, a veteran Frontiers team leader discovers that many Muslims are hungrier than ever to study the Word of God. “During a recent two-week period, we visited over […]
Jesus Is for Muslims
There we were in language class, when Manal, my Muslim language helper, halted the lesson. “I need to read about all of Jesus’ life,” she said out of the blue. Startled, I looked up from the list of new vocabulary words she was teaching me. I asked Manal to tell […]
You’re the Tenge to My Dollar
I found my first penny on the stairs at O’Hare airport. I was coming back from visiting with Frontiers, where I had just decided to join their ministry to Third-Culture Kids (TCKs). My heart was filled with excitement to serve these children of field workers who are growing up outside […]