My family had been living in our host country for months when we decided we needed to buy a car. Our area didn’t offer much public transportation and renting a vehicle had become far too expensive. That night when I was reading aloud from 1 Samuel, my children pointed out […]
Double Healing
The streets bustled with men on their way home from work and women with covered heads tugging toddlers by the hand. I strolled down the block, enjoying the sounds of my host city. Suddenly I noticed a commotion across the street. A crowd had formed around an elderly woman who […]
Always the Right Time
“Would you look at that crowd? It must be for the holiday.” I pointed beyond the windshield of the taxi to a well-dressed group of women and children standing outside a Russian Orthodox church. My driver, Rustam, quickly glanced over before returning his eyes to the road. “What holiday?” “When […]
Answers from Heaven
I gently laid my daughter in her crib before tiptoeing out of the nursery and into the living room, where I sank onto the sofa beside my husband. We usually went to bed shortly after our daughter, but we had an appointment at a nanny agency in the morning. We […]
The Boldness of a Son
Three years ago, Uday left Islam. Disillusioned with the Muslim faith he’d grown up in but uncertain what to believe, he chose to become an atheist. A few years after that, he discovered some online videos about Jesus and began seeking the truth. Then he put his trust in Christ. […]
Breaking the Language Barrier
Learning a new language is difficult, but sometimes it’s also downright embarrassing. Recently, I ventured into a shop in search of a light bulb, and asked the owner in my very best Arabic, “Do you want a light bulb?” He narrowed his bushy eyebrows at me. “What? No.” I glanced […]
An Unexpected Celebration
Pots and pans cluttered the stovetop, and a variety of delicious scents filled the air as my friend Leila and I worked together to prepare the iftar meal. She looked forward to breaking her Ramadan fast in traditional North African style, and I hoped for a chance to talk with her about […]
The Bumpy Road Home
Last spring our host city was transformed into a battlefield. Rival militant factions fought for control of the government and cared little for the citizens living through it. Some of the fiercest fighting occurred just a mile from our apartment—a place my family had called home for years. Despite the […]
The Essential Ingredients of Ramadan
As Ramadan begins, Muslims around the world will observe Islam’s holiest month in an effort to gain God’s favor and forgiveness. While the starting date varies year-to-year based on the lunar calendar, the essential ingredients of these important 30 days remain constant. Fasting & Feasting For Muslims, fasting during Ramadan […]
In Times of Darkness
Several months ago, my husband and I woke to the sound of explosions in the distance. We’d lived in this region for several years, and this wasn’t the first conflict that crept too close for comfort, but this time we weren’t prepared for it. We fought our fear as we […]