Uncertain Dawah and the Sure Word of Promise
Monday, September 26, 2005
"These three endure: faith, hope, love -- but the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 (The Path of Promise practiced by Paul)
PRAISE:
Praise for the recent official opening of a new Bible Society outlet here. It is well stocked and a blessing to the church. Pray that God will use it mightily to provide
teaching and encouragement to all nationalities of Christians here.
PETITION:
Pray for the new workers who have arrived recently. Pray for God to bless them as they experience adjustments and as they work out where they fit in. Pray they would meet many local people – particularly those who are seeking for God.
Please pray for a high level mutawa (conservative religious man) and a Muslim professor who have met with a Christian couple here to discuss religion. Both were apparently touched by the Holy Spirit and are planning to return for more talks. Pray God will protect and prosper His work and His people.
Pray for a number of members of the Royal Family in our country who have expressed interest in the Bible and the Gospel. Pray for secret believers among them to "know the only wise God & Jesus Christ" so well that they will be able to trust Him for anything, and to live for Him in any situation.
Pray for the medical needs of several tentmakers dealing with major illnesses. Pray that God would heal them and use this time of trial for His glory.
Pray for the pre-Ramadan radio broadcasts into the more rural areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Pray that the message of the Good News would be heard clearly.
TESTIMONY:
Like most missionaries arriving on the field, Paul and Rhema wondered whether they would ever become proficient enough in the language to effectively share with the people they had come to reach. Their neighborhood of somewhat old-fashioned, traditional-thinking Gulf Arab Muslims had very few inhabitants who spoke any English at all. The lives of the women revolved around meeting family needs, and relationships with other ladies in the neighborhood. Paul and Rhema, and their toddler son, were about to become the first Christians their new neighbors had ever met. For starters, an established tentmaker who spoke Arabic took the family around and introduced them to their neighbors, explaining that they had come from North America and Paul would be working at a local hospital.
Since it’s not acceptable to share the Gospel with locals in this Islamic country, their missionary calling was not included in the introductions, but she did add that the newcomers would appreciate the patience of the community as they attempted to learn the language for themselves. Everyone gave very polite words of welcome, but at one household, a sturdy young woman named Habiib stepped forward and offered to teach Rhema the Arabic language and the Koran, so that she could become a Muslim. Habiib was a devout and zealous Muslim herself, and proud of her Arabian heritage. It would be a privilege for her to convert this poor, ignorant, foreign lady to Islam and save her soul from an eternity in Hell. Of course, in the process, Habiib’s own eternal future would be secured as well, since it is commonly believed that any Muslim who converts an infidel is guaranteed entrance to Paradise. Rhema felt a bit uneasy. How could she hope to dialogue with aggressive Habiib before she had gotten the language? Wasn’t God letting the cart get before the horse here? However, when no one else volunteered to help her with language study, Rhema took the hint that God wanted her to work with Habiib.
Being single, Habiib lived with her very large family in her father’s house and, as is common in Arab families, she had a dozen or so siblings whom she helped to care for. Habiib’s mother Jamilla had taught her everything she would need to know to be a good wife and mother one day, and the whole family took pride in the capability of their women. She was an excellent cook, kept the home tidy and the clothes spotless, was quite an artisan with traditional handicrafts and sewing, and had much of the Koran memorized by heart. In many ways Habiib was a perfect “muslima”, and her family was held in high regard by everyone in the community. Now they would add to their honor by becoming spreaders of the one true religion, Islam. Allowing Habiib to befriend the foreign, white woman was quite a noble act of courage! The family was confident that Habiib was a strong Muslim, and that they need not fear her being deceived by Western ways. Besides, after they had gotten to know the missionary family a bit, it was clear they were quite benign. How could you be afraid of people that needed so much help? They had to be taught how to make proper coffee, how to sit on the floor and even how to eat with their own hands!
It turned out Habiib knew a few English words. Very few, in fact, but somehow when she and Rhema tried to communicate, they found they understood each other’s gestures, grunts, and broken Arabic or English words. No one in the neighborhood “clicked” with Rhema like Habiib did. Soon, she became her interpreter for talking to the other women at the morning ziyarras (visits), as well. Within a month they had become close friends, and the approval of Habiib’s family had opened the door to the rest of the neighborhood. Then suddenly, Rhema became ill.
For six weeks, the tentmaker was basically flat on her back. She could no longer walk over to Habiib’s house for language lessons, or go to the ziyarras. Then, a very unusual thing happened. Habiib was given permission to go to the foreigners’ house alone. Muslim women here rarely even go down the street without at least another woman to accompany them. Rhema and Paul felt honored indeed to be given such trust.
Alone and away from family members and neighbor ladies, conversations between Rhema & Habiib began quickly to turn to spiritual things. With an Arabic-English dictionary, lots of facial expressions, acting out, and pencil drawings, they communicated what was on their hearts to each other. Habiib explained that she no longer wanted to convert Rhema for her own merit, but that she loved her and could not bear to see her go to Hell. Rhema felt the same way and used her Arabic/English Bible to explain the Gospel to her precious friend. In this way, Habiib read dozens of Bible verses for the first time in her life. Her visits would last from one to three hours. Then one day she took the New Testament home to read herself, and returned two days later with questions. She asked if Rhema could also give her some books about Christianity in Arabic! Clearly, God had not gotten the cart before the horse. It was His plan to share the Good News with Habiib, and He didn’t need to wait for Rhema to learn the language to do it!
<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray through the heart of the Muslim world so that church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.
====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org
Or write:
ptap@srginc.org
Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA
"These three endure: faith, hope, love -- but the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13 (The Path of Promise practiced by Paul)
PRAISE:
Praise for the recent official opening of a new Bible Society outlet here. It is well stocked and a blessing to the church. Pray that God will use it mightily to provide
teaching and encouragement to all nationalities of Christians here.
PETITION:
Pray for the new workers who have arrived recently. Pray for God to bless them as they experience adjustments and as they work out where they fit in. Pray they would meet many local people – particularly those who are seeking for God.
Please pray for a high level mutawa (conservative religious man) and a Muslim professor who have met with a Christian couple here to discuss religion. Both were apparently touched by the Holy Spirit and are planning to return for more talks. Pray God will protect and prosper His work and His people.
Pray for a number of members of the Royal Family in our country who have expressed interest in the Bible and the Gospel. Pray for secret believers among them to "know the only wise God & Jesus Christ" so well that they will be able to trust Him for anything, and to live for Him in any situation.
Pray for the medical needs of several tentmakers dealing with major illnesses. Pray that God would heal them and use this time of trial for His glory.
Pray for the pre-Ramadan radio broadcasts into the more rural areas of the Arabian Peninsula. Pray that the message of the Good News would be heard clearly.
TESTIMONY:
Like most missionaries arriving on the field, Paul and Rhema wondered whether they would ever become proficient enough in the language to effectively share with the people they had come to reach. Their neighborhood of somewhat old-fashioned, traditional-thinking Gulf Arab Muslims had very few inhabitants who spoke any English at all. The lives of the women revolved around meeting family needs, and relationships with other ladies in the neighborhood. Paul and Rhema, and their toddler son, were about to become the first Christians their new neighbors had ever met. For starters, an established tentmaker who spoke Arabic took the family around and introduced them to their neighbors, explaining that they had come from North America and Paul would be working at a local hospital.
Since it’s not acceptable to share the Gospel with locals in this Islamic country, their missionary calling was not included in the introductions, but she did add that the newcomers would appreciate the patience of the community as they attempted to learn the language for themselves. Everyone gave very polite words of welcome, but at one household, a sturdy young woman named Habiib stepped forward and offered to teach Rhema the Arabic language and the Koran, so that she could become a Muslim. Habiib was a devout and zealous Muslim herself, and proud of her Arabian heritage. It would be a privilege for her to convert this poor, ignorant, foreign lady to Islam and save her soul from an eternity in Hell. Of course, in the process, Habiib’s own eternal future would be secured as well, since it is commonly believed that any Muslim who converts an infidel is guaranteed entrance to Paradise. Rhema felt a bit uneasy. How could she hope to dialogue with aggressive Habiib before she had gotten the language? Wasn’t God letting the cart get before the horse here? However, when no one else volunteered to help her with language study, Rhema took the hint that God wanted her to work with Habiib.
Being single, Habiib lived with her very large family in her father’s house and, as is common in Arab families, she had a dozen or so siblings whom she helped to care for. Habiib’s mother Jamilla had taught her everything she would need to know to be a good wife and mother one day, and the whole family took pride in the capability of their women. She was an excellent cook, kept the home tidy and the clothes spotless, was quite an artisan with traditional handicrafts and sewing, and had much of the Koran memorized by heart. In many ways Habiib was a perfect “muslima”, and her family was held in high regard by everyone in the community. Now they would add to their honor by becoming spreaders of the one true religion, Islam. Allowing Habiib to befriend the foreign, white woman was quite a noble act of courage! The family was confident that Habiib was a strong Muslim, and that they need not fear her being deceived by Western ways. Besides, after they had gotten to know the missionary family a bit, it was clear they were quite benign. How could you be afraid of people that needed so much help? They had to be taught how to make proper coffee, how to sit on the floor and even how to eat with their own hands!
It turned out Habiib knew a few English words. Very few, in fact, but somehow when she and Rhema tried to communicate, they found they understood each other’s gestures, grunts, and broken Arabic or English words. No one in the neighborhood “clicked” with Rhema like Habiib did. Soon, she became her interpreter for talking to the other women at the morning ziyarras (visits), as well. Within a month they had become close friends, and the approval of Habiib’s family had opened the door to the rest of the neighborhood. Then suddenly, Rhema became ill.
For six weeks, the tentmaker was basically flat on her back. She could no longer walk over to Habiib’s house for language lessons, or go to the ziyarras. Then, a very unusual thing happened. Habiib was given permission to go to the foreigners’ house alone. Muslim women here rarely even go down the street without at least another woman to accompany them. Rhema and Paul felt honored indeed to be given such trust.
Alone and away from family members and neighbor ladies, conversations between Rhema & Habiib began quickly to turn to spiritual things. With an Arabic-English dictionary, lots of facial expressions, acting out, and pencil drawings, they communicated what was on their hearts to each other. Habiib explained that she no longer wanted to convert Rhema for her own merit, but that she loved her and could not bear to see her go to Hell. Rhema felt the same way and used her Arabic/English Bible to explain the Gospel to her precious friend. In this way, Habiib read dozens of Bible verses for the first time in her life. Her visits would last from one to three hours. Then one day she took the New Testament home to read herself, and returned two days later with questions. She asked if Rhema could also give her some books about Christianity in Arabic! Clearly, God had not gotten the cart before the horse. It was His plan to share the Good News with Habiib, and He didn’t need to wait for Rhema to learn the language to do it!
<>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Praying Thru the Arabian Peninsula
www.pray-ap.info
USA #: 800-376-5876 (Eastern Time)
Encouraging & equipping believers & churches everywhere to pray through the heart of the Muslim world so that church planting movements will spread throughout the Arabian Peninsula and beyond for the Lord's glory.
====
To learn how you can support this & other work in the Middle East, visit:
http://www.srginc.org
Or write:
ptap@srginc.org
Or:
PTAP
c/o Strategic Resource Group
P.O. Box 1809
Easton, MD 21601
USA
Comments