two business owners

Two small business owners were prayerwalking together. They were asking God for an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus among a people who are 99.9% Muslim. Then it hit… one of them said to himself, “I’m going to buy a Qur’an.” And he did. Of course those who work in “religious” bookstores are often quite religious themselves. And this just happened to be the case with the shopkeeper they encountered. After purchasing a Qur’an and having quite a long conversation about matters of the heart, they gave the shopkeeper a Bible in his own language! How exciting!! He gave his word that he would read it… but would he? 

A little later, the two prayerwalkers were separated. As one of the men was wandering around trying to find his two-by-two companion, he came back to the shop. What he found brought great joy to his heart. What he found was his new friend, the religious shopkeeper, engrossed in the pages of the New Testament. 

Two small business owners. No great theological training. No previous experience with Muslims. But they knew God’s heart for the nations and they were obedient. They sacrificed two weeks of their precious time because of their love for those with no access to the Good News. Because of their love and obedience a very religious man heard the Story of Jesus for the first time. Spirit, please send more storytellers!

This is a story…

 From the Middle East 

 

two new friendships

 

The five of us sat in a hotel room sharing stories from the day. It was 11:30pm and we were all still jet-lagged. In spite of the jet-lag, we had gone out that night in search of “people of peace.” What did we find?

The ladies met a very bright Muslim woman. A woman who visited with them for a few minutes, but was busy at work and invited them to meet in a couple of days when she was off from work. Hospitality at it’s finest! While this was going on, the guys were visiting with a very religious Muslim man. Long-bearded and wearing traditional garb, he may have appeared intimidating at first glance, but he was more than open to pleasant conversation over dinner. They spent hours that evening visiting about food, local customs, religion, family and even tragedy in his life. Both the man and woman were open to visiting more, so more appointments were made. 

A few days later, the ladies spent hours visiting with this bright young woman. Not only with her, but with her children and extended family as well… they even met her husband! The ladies had a great time. A time of sharing culture, life and family. A time of sharing the Story of Jesus and the truth of who He is. During all of this, a gift was given. It was a simple gift, just a small book. She gladly accepted this simple gift and gave her word that she would read it. 

The next day, the guys met with their friend once again. Once again, he insisted on paying for their their meal and spent hours laughing, joking, telling stories and discussing matters of the heart. Before they left, they presented him with a gift. It was a simple gift, just a small book. He warmly received this simple gift and said he would read it.

Are they “people of peace?” Do they truly have “ears to hear?” I have no idea. What I do know is that they have now heard the glorious Good News of who Jesus is and what He has done. I know that they each have in their possession a New Testament in their own language. I know that great movements of God begin with only one person. I know that because of the obedience of these five ordinary people, they have now heard the Good News of Jesus. And I know that God hears my prayers on their behalf.

This is a story…

 

From the Middle East

a secretary, a teacher and a housewife impact lostness

 

A secretary, a preschool teacher and a housewife walking together. All three ladies had traveled halfway across the world as ambassadors for His Kingdom. All three prayerwalking, searching for someone open to the Good News of Jesus. 

They had been prayerwalking for a while and were a little frustrated after not meeting anyone to visit with. So they sat down at something similar to a food court. After praying for a few minutes, they were drawn to a woman sitting by herself. She was dressed like all women in this land. She wore a long black dress and a black head covering. 

The ladies approached her and gave a traditional greeting. She returned the greeting. A conversation began. They visited about life and family and friends. Soon the conversation turned to matters of faith, matters of the heart. The ladies shared with her of how they view God as a loving Father who is trustworthy, who always does what is best for His children. A Father who is approachable, loving and kind. This was a new concept for her. As they continued, she made the statement to the secretary that her heart seemed so clean and pure. The secretary responded that it was not always so and that it was nothing she had done… then the Good News of Jesus was shared! Of course, she had never heard the most beautiful Story before and felt compelled to share her beliefs in return. As she explained her beliefs, she realized that these ladies already knew a thing or two about her faith and said, “I can’t believe that you know so much about my religion and I know nothing about yours!” They responded by offering her a Bible in her own language. She eagerly accepted and expressed a desire to meet again. They exchanged phone numbers. 

This young lady is from a people group that is categorized as one of the least reached people groups in the world. She was created by God. She has been deceived by a faulty religious system her entire life. This faulty religious system was all she knew… until they went. Because they went, she heard.

 

This is a story…

 

From the Middle East