Bianca skimmed the reading for her next language class as she sipped her morning coffee in the house she shared with her Frontiers teammates. Since moving to Southwest Asia, she had devoted hours to language learning, but at the moment she wasn’t fully paying attention to the book on the table.

She peered out the window toward their courtyard gate and waited for the knock of her young friends. Four little girls from a poor area nearby had recently started coming each morning to collect recycling. When Bianca had surprised them the first day with chocolates, they had quickly lost their shyness.

Now, whenever they came, the apartment overflowed with laughter and chatter. Bianca loved providing a place of joy and rest for the girls, making sure they had plenty of snacks before they continued to the next home.

She had been praying for an opportunity to meet their families and share Jesus. Though she’d asked the girls about meeting their moms several times, they were never available.

Suddenly, a frantic banging on the gate echoed across the courtyard. Bianca splashed coffee on her book as she rushed over to see who was there.

She had barely cracked the gate open before her four young friends slid inside and dashed past her, diving behind a nearby stone column.

“What’s wrong?” Bianca asked.

Frantically, the oldest, Sufiya, motioned for her to shut the gate.

“The police are coming!” she whispered. “Please don’t let them find us.” The tremble in her voice betrayed that she was on the brink of tears.

Bianca turned to lock the gate, and gasped as a police van screeched to a halt in front of the house. Bianca glanced behind her, but thankfully the girls were out of sight behind the column.

She said a silent prayer of protection over whatever was about to happen. Her heart rate accelerated as she counted five officers exit the vehicle and march her way—with two more glaring at her from inside. They ordered her to open the gate, and she did so, stepping forward to block their way in.

“Where are the girls?” the officer in charge demanded.

Bianca knew she couldn’t let them near Sufiya and the others, so she told him that she had nothing to say. His hands clenched into fists as his eyes narrowed.

From behind her, Bianca heard the soft rustle of fabric against stone as the girls quivered just a few feet away.  

The Lord is our refuge and our strength, she reminded herself. That knowledge gave her a sudden sense of peace, and she met the officer’s angry gaze.

“Those girls are in the country illegally.” He scowled at her. “As a matter of fact, you’re a foreigner too. Show me your passport.”

Bianca told him it was inside, and she would get it. She backed through the gate, quickly locking the door behind her as she went to retrieve her identification. She found her papers as quickly as possible and returned, forcing herself to look straight ahead as she passed the girls’ hiding place.

The commanding officer snatched her passport from her as soon as she opened the gate. He scrutinized it eagerly, searching for any excuse to deport her and search her property.

But when he found nothing, he threw it back at her. Miraculously, he turned on his heel and left without another word, his men following him.

After they disappeared down the street, Bianca went to tell Sufiya it was safe and found the girls shaking with fear. So, she took them inside and cooked them a hot breakfast as she listened to their story.

“They chased us for blocks, but I knew we’d be safe here,” Sufiya told her in relief.

Bianca could only thank God for providing an escape.

The next morning, Sufiya and her friends arrived to collect the recycling, but they weren’t alone. Two of the girls’ mothers were with them, anxious to meet the foreigners whose house had been a refuge for their children.

“Thank you for saving our girls!” they exclaimed.

“The Lord saved them,” Bianca replied, smiling. One of the moms was heavily pregnant, and she ushered both women into the kitchen, offering food and tea.

“I was happy to help your girls,” Bianca said. “Is one of them about to be blessed with a new sibling?”

Sufiya’s mother smiled. “Inshallah. I’m having twins. Would you like to come see them after they’re born?”

“I would be honored,” Bianca quickly replied.

As the women chatted and the girls played on the rug in the living room, Bianca was amazed at how God had orchestrated this meeting. Not only had He saved these girls from harm, but He had opened a door for relationship with their moms, which she had thought was firmly closed. Sometimes, God was full of surprises.

Pray:

• Pray that the Lord will provide for these families and fill them with the knowledge of salvation.
• Pray that Frontiers field workers will have opportunities to offer refuge to Muslims in need.
• Ask God to send workers to Southwest Asia—until the region overflows with the Good News.

**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**

Main photo on iStock: hadynyah

Original article: https://frontiersusa.org/blog/full-of-surprises/