This is a story from a Pathways intern who is serving for the summer alongside full-time Team Expansion missionaries. Pathways is a 10-week summer missions internship program that gives you the opportunity to experience a field first-hand under the mentorship of a missionary team already serving. Learn more about Pathways here.
I’m spending my summer living among an unreached people group, right here in the US. My first week has been full of events and meeting new people. I attended a conference solely dedicated to missions toward the Islamic world. My mentor and I ran the registration table.
Throughout this conference, I was able to hear the testimonies of several CMBs (Christian from a Muslim Background). One of these stories was told by a man that I was able to befriend. He is from the Middle East and his name is “Moe” (Moe is a pseudonym). Moe was living in the United States when he became disgruntled with aspects of Islam. Moe became an atheist for over two years until he connected with a small group of Christian men. He eventually gave his life to the Lord.
Since giving his life to Christ, he has lost financial support from his home country. He’s also not allowed to return home due to the shame he has brought to his family by becoming a Christian. In his own words, “becoming an atheist after Islam is like a divorce, becoming a Christian is like an affair.” Moe is now in his third year of following Christ, in spite of all the persecution he has faced, he is faithfully serving the Lord every day.
In one of my Scripture readings this week I came across the teaching of Jesus in Mark 11, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” This reminder from Christ really challenged how I request things from God. When I ask something of him, do I actually believe he is going to do it? This is something I have been working on this week.
Every time I have a request for the Lord, I try to visualize exactly what I am looking for. As of late, I have been asking that my mentor or I would not only find someone who is open to the Gospel, but that God would lead them directly to our front door. Will you join me in prayer?
Next week, I am fully immersing in the day-to-day activities of the team established here. Monday I will start Arabic classes and begin to seek out people who are open to the Gospel. I hope to use my Arabic studies as a way to begin the conversation. I am beyond excited to begin studying this challenging yet rewarding language. “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” Philippians 1:3-5
Would you like to receive strategic prayer for Muslims living in the US? A great resource is Pray4Dearborn.com. Many people view Dearborn as “lost to Islam”, but in reality, Dearborn belongs to Christ and many there will come to know Christ in the years to come. Please use this as a resource to help you effectively and strategically pray for Muslims to discover the Truth of the Gospel.
