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.