Tea is the universal friend maker. This is what I’ve learned in my first months overseas. An invitation to drink chai can transform a nameless neighbor into a dear friend.
One recent evening, I walked through our new neighborhood and knocked on several doors. With my limited vocabulary, I was making tea and wanted to invite the women to join me for a ladies-only chai gathering.
I had never been to a ladies-only chai. I didn’t even know if this is something women do in their culture. I had no idea what to expect.
Within an hour, I had 14 women sitting on cushions on the floor in my living room. They came with giggly teenage daughters and young children who ran through conversations and rolled into laps. My daughters served tea and cake, while my teammate Christine chatted with the ladies, and I, with my limited vocabulary, tried to keep up.
Many of the women we had never even met. Some of them didn’t even know each other, in spite of having lived on the same block for years.
When an elderly neighbor walked in, three other older women rose from their cushions on the ground to greet her. It was clear that these were the matriarchs of our neighborhood. The three women didn’t sit down again until the eldest was comfortably seated in a place of honor.
Another set of visitors included a woman with her 30-year-old daughter, her husband’s second wife, and that wife’s 2-year-old girl. It took me at least a quarter of an hour to figure out the relational connections between them. My 700-word vocabulary only goes so far.
I’d like to say that our conversations turned to God—that many of the women asked questions and expressed interest in Jesus.
But that wasn’t the case. When I mentioned God to one lady, she didn’t understand my pronunciation. She politely replied, “Yes, dear, your cake is delicious.”
I tried telling a story about Jesus to another neighbor. She didn’t understand me either. I think she assumed I was telling her about the first time I met my husband.
Regardless, this was about getting to know my neighbors in the place where God has settled us. Because the more time we spend with our new Muslim friends, the more opportunities they have to discover who Jesus is.
Even if I can’t yet pronounce His name correctly, the language will come, and I’ll keep on persevering at it.
In the meantime, I don’t have to wait for a larger vocabulary to make friends and show them Christ’s love. Even as I learn to speak, God is giving me the chance to share the Good News.
And maybe at the next ladies-only chai, they’ll not only compliment my cake—but also my pronunciation of the Messiah’s name.
Main photo by 143d ESC
**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names have been changed for security.**
Original article: www.frontiersusa.org/blog/article/word-by-word-ladiesonly-chai