Category: Islam

Learning Language, Sharing Jesus

On August 18, 2016

In Bible, Books, Chad, Islam, language, Ministry, Prayer

I have been using the French version of the Jesus Storybook Bible for two months now in my Arabic studies. My language partner translates the stories into Arabic; then we listen together, stopping for clarification on new words and phrases. This has helped me immensely in increasing my vocabulary. It also provides many opportunities to share Bible stories with my language helper and discuss the significance of the stories in our own lives.

Now halfway through the book, we just began the stories from the New Testament this week. We have translated and discussed the story of the angel Gabriel announcing God’s plan for her to give birth to the Savior; the story of the birth of Jesus; and the story of the shepherds coming to see the new baby. There is always discussion and clarification of things she has heard that are incorrect or halfway true. Many times I get to see “lightbulbs” going off in her head (and hopefully her heart).

Pray with me that M. (my language helper) will fall in love with Jesus as we continue to talk about the Truth she is presented with.

Pray that she will desire to read the stories in their entirety in the Arabic New Testament and search out Truth for herself.

Pray that God will convict her of her sinfulness, her need for a Savior, and her desperate need to believe in this Jesus who is God’s plan for salvation from the beginning of time.

The Absurdity of God as Father

By josh

On August 2, 2016

In Chad, Islam, Ministry

“I can’t say that. For us it’s forbidden.”

I had given my language tutor, Noah, a printout of the Creation story in the Jesus Storybook Bible to read and then tell me in his own words in Arabic. This is one type of activity in Phase 3 of our language learning method, which I had just begun. He tells me the story in his own words as I record it. Then I can go back and listen over and over until I understand it well.

“This page is good, and this page and this page. But this page, please excuse me but I can’t say this.”

The page he was referring to tells the story of the creation of man and woman, and says that the first thing the saw when they opened their eyes was God’s face. It also says that God looked at Adam and Even with great joy, like a new father looks at his child. This was too much for my Muslim friend. To say that they saw God’s face, this is impossible. No one can see God’s face. And to call God a Father, this is explicitly forbidden in the Qur’an. Of the 99 names of Allah that Muslims can be found reciting, Father is missing. The Qur’an explicitly states multiple times that “Allah has no son”. For Muslims, Jesus is not the Son of God and neither are we children of God. It’s absurd in their eyes.

I wonder if we’ve become so comfortable with God as our Father that we’ve lost the wonder of it. Humanly speaking, it is absurd to think of God as our Father. He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, but we are just omni-sinful. He is glorious beyond words and we were made from dirt. He is worthy of all praise and we are worthy of eternal damnation. What arrogance to call him “Father”!

Unless he is. Unless the Eternal Son became sin (2 Cor. 5:21) so that we could become sons and daughters. Then to refuse God as Father is to refuse the gift in His outstretched hand, to snub Him. And that’s the most absurd thing of all.

After a long discussion of Islam and Christianity (and me trying in vain to explain the Trinity in a mixture of Arabic, French and English), we continued our lesson. But I told him I would pray that God would grant him understanding of the truth.

Would you pray the same for my friend, that he would know the Truth, and that in Christ he would be set free from man-made religion?

Praying for “Amy”

By kimberly

On July 11, 2016

In Bible, Chad, Islam, Ministry, Prayer

Remember last week I asked you to pray for my friend Amy, since we were going to start reading the Bible together? The day that post was published, I found out she had to move. It was a very sudden thing. Amy has six children and has not seen her husband in about 2 years. He never sent money and had another wife in the capital. He appeared unexpectedly on a Wednesday evening and by Friday morning told her she had less than 24 hours to pack up her house and move all six children to N’Djamena.

It felt like a death to me. She was my favorite lady in the neighborhood, and, as I shared, not only did my children love her children, but she had connected me to many other women in the neighborhood. I asked God why she had to leave now, just as we were going to start formally reading the Bible together. He is sovereign over all things, even Amy’s salvation. So, I trust that what He began He is capable of continuing if He desires!

I see God’s hand in her leaving, at least a little bit: now I have several connections to other women. Instead of investing in one woman, her absence “forces” me to spend time with these other women.

We did send a micro sd card with the New Testament on it so she can listen on her cell phone if she desires.

Please continue to pray for Amy’s understanding of Scripture and for her salvation. We hope to visit her when we are in N’Djamena to continue conversations with her. I am thankful that her salvation does not hinge on my presence in her life! I am thankful that God knows the full picture and that He allows me to be a small part of His great plan.

Sharing Scripture

By kimberly

On July 1, 2016

In Bible, Chad, Islam, language, Ministry

“Amy” with Calla Grace

I have two language partners:

The first one is currently in my living room translating the Jesus Storybook Bible into Arabic for me to learn new words.

The second language helper, “Amy” practices a strict form of Islam. She has been my friend and language helper since January, and I was uncertain of how our relationship would go. Honestly, I was a little fearful. However, she has turned out to be a good friend; has been the key to many other relationships in my neighborhood; and has frequently conversed about spiritual things with me.

Recently, she shared with me that she has an “injil“- a New Testament – in Arabic. She told me she received it from a man at the hospital four years ago. The man is no longer in town, but she kept the injiil and says that she has read some about Jesus. I was interested in seeing the injiil but didn’t want to rush into anything with her, so I waited. Yesterday she brought it up again in the context of much spiritual and religious conversation and expressed interest in reading it with me.

So, after Ramadan ends next week, we will plan to start reading God’s Word together. I am excited and humbled. Pray for me to have wisdom to know how to answer questions and explain clearly, and pray that God will use His Word to change “Amy’s” heart.

(I also have one more neighbor who is interested in seeing what books I have in Arabic. I am praying that she will come look at them, and desire to read some with me from Genesis or Matthew. You can pray for her too! Thanks!)

Ramadan

By kimberly

On June 22, 2016

In Chad, Culture, Islam, Ministry

We are more than halfway through Ramadan 2016! What does this mean? It means that people are more than halfway through the 30 obligatory days of fasting from food and drink during the day, hoping God will see this “good deed” and erase their sins.

Even my neighbors who are pregnant or nursing are fasting. “Why?” I ask. Islam allows them to make up the fasting days later if people are sick, pregnant, etc. The answer is always the same: it is easier to fast now while everyone is doing it than trying to make up days alone at a later date. This group mentality is where our friends live everyday.

They are beginning to look towards “Eid” where the children get new clothes, people make their houses look nice, and everyone visits family and friends for one or two days. The market will begin to get busier than normal as people prepare. This is one of the biggest holidays for Muslims. We will be preparing, too, to greet children with candy or local cookies; and we will go visiting in our neighborhood in our nicest clothes.

As Ramadan 2016 continues, we are having more conversations about how and when we fast according to Scripture. Pray for more conversations about the kind of fast God desires. People here know we are different. We are praying that the differences point them to the cross and their need for a Savior who can wash away their sins once and for all.

A Time of Mourning

By kimberly

On August 10, 2015

In Chad, Islam, Ministry, Prayer

My house helper comes to our house 6 days a week to cook, run to the market, clean dishes, basically be of help however is necessary that morning. She called me at 5:45am last week to tell me that her former husband, the father of her 5 children, and also the man who she was considering remarrying, had died suddenly. M. was in the hospital awaiting surgery to amputate some toes because of his diabetes. He passed away when the put him under, before they ever performed the operation. Life can feel so cheap here. He was likely in no physical condition to undergo the operation, yet it was still a shock that he died.

This death has had numerous implications for our family. Josh got to visit the man at the hospital days before he passed away. I am thankful he was able to share his care and concern for the family in this way. His death means that I have been without a house helper which is a big deal here with so many tasks to complete in a day, but it has been a week of God showing me his grace and provision as well as breaking my heart for the hopelessness of the people here.

First, counting my blessings:

We just welcomed our new teammate who came to help with our children. Josh is in Thailand for a conference and I could not have invested the time necessary showing love and concern to my house helper if it wasn’t for God’s perfect timing in sending Danielle here. The kids love her, I trust her, she has a heart to serve, and I have been free to go and weep with my house helper, visit with her other friends and family, and peel loads of garlic to add to sauces that feed all the visitors.
My second helper who comes a few days a week just to wash laundry has stepped right in without missing a beat to take over some of the household responsibilities while I have to be away and my original house helper is unavailable. What a blessing to have someone who had the time and willingness to help me out in a time of need!
I have had many added responsibilities, but God is sustaining my health and helping me to accomplish each task throughout the day with (mostly!) joy and thankfulness.

Now a reflection on what the actual funeral and mourning process has helped me to be aware of: the amount of people in and out of my house helper’s compound this past week has been astonishing! The vast majority come to stay just a few minutes, offer condolences (“May God give you patience.”) and say some prayers on behalf of the deceased, hoping this may tip the scale in his favor so Allah will allow him into paradise. The problem is, it seems so fabricated. The majority of the people who come seem to be doing it out of necessity. Their words are not filled with any sense of emotion or even a sense that they believe what they are saying to the grieving. Even the prayers they offer up in to bless the deceased man seem hopeless and emotionless, like they know what they are doing is futile but they do it because it’s what is required and expected. Because they want people to do it for them when they die. Maybe it will be enough to get them to Paradise.

Pray for these people who have yet to hear that there is a better Way. There is a sure Way to peace with God both in the present and for all eternity. Pray for many hearts to be sensitive during this time of mourning, longing for something much more fulfilling and life changing than Islam can ever offer them. Pray for God to prepare the soil of my house helper and her family to receive the Word with gladness, that it would take root in their lives and produce much fruit. They are a very religious family but have been around believers and Westerners a lot so they are aware of at least the basics of the gospel and Christianity.

A Baby “Prophet” in Chad?!

By josh

On July 1, 2015

In Chad, Culture, Islam

Yesterday my house helper came excitedly to my house telling me of a 3 month old baby that everyone in town wanted to see. The baby supposedly had the word “Mohammed” written somewhere on her body, like a birthmark, and now she miraculously spoke three messages in Arabic related to praying and this current Ramadan season. I listened as my house helper told me how beautiful the baby was to look at and how my friend’s clothes were ripped because so many people were pushing their way into the compound to get a look at this baby “prophet” as they were calling her. People even said the president of Chad, Idriss Deby would come today to see the baby.
Today, I asked my helper if Deby came to town to see the baby. She told me that last night a respected Muslim leader in the town spoke on the local radio station to debunk any of the stories that had been rampant around town yesterday. He told the people he went there and saw the baby and none of the stories are true. The baby’s father and mother either made it all up or it was a demonic presence that they saw. Either way, they now have a stash of money from people who came to see the baby and thankfully this leader told the people on the radio to not believe what they heard.
Our believing friend had many people ask him yesterday what he thought (everyone knows he follows Jesus, is not currently fasting, and sees life differently because he follows the teachings of Jesus). He told them it was not true and today we were rejoicing in a small way that his steadfastness to Truth will today hopefully give him credibility amongst his non-believing friends. We pray that this sparks more conversations and opportunities for people to take a second thought at the things our friend has said about the gospel.
Regardless of whether the story of this “prophet” baby is a lie or something demonic, we are stricken with the grave reality that the vast majority of people living around us are so willing to believe anything but the Truth. They are in the middle of their month of obligatory fasting, hoping to add good points to their lives so God will accept them into paradise and they are even expectant they they may hear from Allah this month. When they do hear something that seems ridiculous to us, they believe quickly and with excitement. Our prayer is that the eyes of many would be opened to the Truth and that they would quickly and excitedly believe the best news of all – that hope is offered to them because Jesus died for their sins!

The Book of Colossians and Our Unbelieving Neighbors

By kimberly

On January 3, 2015

In Bible, Chad, Islam, Ministry

I have been reading and studying Colossians this past month, and it is so rich. It is a great book to use in discipling new believers. One observation I made during my study – chapter 2:20-22 talks about the “regulations” that the Colossians had submitted themselves to, even though they had “died” with Christ. Verse 23: “These [rules] have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.” Legalism seems to be a natural part of our humanity – if we have a list of rules to conquer, our pride can fool us into thinking we are doing ok. I can’t help but read this portion of Colossians and think of my Muslim neighbors all around who have not yet submitted themselves to the “beloved Son” (1:13), “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (1:14). Instead they are bound by legalism, believing that somehow their prayers, fasting, modesty, chanting, alms giving – “good” works and following of the rules is enough to reconcile them to God. However, Chapter 1, verse 21 and 22 tell us that we were “once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,” (indulging in the flesh) but Jesus “has now reconciled [us] in his body of flesh by his death in order to present [us] holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” Pray with us that “God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ…that [we] may make it clear.” Pray that many will feel the hypocrisy in their own lives, the futility of their works before a holy God. Pray that we will “walk in wisdom towards outsiders, making the best use of the time….that [our] speech [will} always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that [we may know how [we] ought to answer each person” (4:2-6). Pray for us and yourself also – that we as believers will not fall into the lie that ministry or good deeds gains us approval before our Father. Thank you, Jesus that your death has made us alive, “having forgiven us all our trespasses” (2:13).