I was sitting in an English airport ready to fly to India for the first time. A youngish looking lady started speaking with me about her first time flying alone, and the anxieties that came with that. Eventually she unraveled what seemed like her whole life story to me as I listened intently – wondering where this was all heading.

The first thing the girl downstairs asked me was if I loved Justin Beiber! Believe it or not, on the surface, most Muslim young people look just like you and me. They listen to the same pop music and often dress and talk the same way. But in another sense they are so very different. For instance we’ve recently been told that our Bible is changed, untrustworthy, and that because we’re Christians we’re going to go to hell.

I watched a link on You Tube recently that presented alarming (or alarmist) statistics on the growth of Islam.  The premise of the clip was that if we don’t begin reproducing at a faster rate, and share the gospel with Muslims they will take over our world. 

“God cannot have a son! Everyone knows this is blasphemy!” I left my friend’s house in a hurry, struggling to hold back the tears. For years it had been like this. We were living with the Bedouin, trying to share Christ with them, but all too often our conversations turned into a debate. My friends would become angry and I frustrated. There had to be a better way than this.

 Abdul became a Christian while studying in a country outside the Middle East. He returned to his Muslim family a year later, but began to doubt.

A wonderful display of fireworks on New Year’s Eve was new for the people of Abeche, Chad. Sadly, many cowered under beds afraid that the rebels were attacking again.  In February a fresh outbreak of conflict occurred when rebels stormed the capital N’Djamena demanding the president’s resignation.  

An interesting situation developed on a WEC Trek to a Middle Eastern country late last year.  The team were prayer walking in a city known to have only a handful of believers.  One believing family ran a gift store and tea house there, so some of the team entered looking for gifts to purchase.

A WEC church planting team recently hosted a seminar on dreams in a Middle Eastern city.  Recognising the fascination of dream interpretation in much of folk Islam, the team invited an author on dreams according to the Pentateuch, Psalms and the New Testament to speak.  Following the presentation a local believer bravely shared her story.