It's so encouraging to hear how groups of ordinary people have been gripped with God's heart for Muslims and taken steps to reach out in their own community. Read and watch how one church in Texas is beginning to build a love for Muslim neighbors into the heart of their congregation: Our Neighbors
As the school year ends, thousands of college and university students around the country are graduating - make that commencing, heading out into new chapters, armed with degrees from reputable institutions. Nadia is among those celebrating. An international student who just completed her degree requirements, she had the joy of lining up, having her name called, and receiving that coveted piece of paper this last weekend. Her brother, also studying here in the US, and her friends surrounded her with love and congratulations. As they took picture after picture of her with her degree, her flowers, and each friend present (multiple times), Nadia could barely hold back the tears, hardly believing that she was really finished.
I lived in the Middle East for 4 years and vividly remember every Ramadan season. Ramadan is the 30 days of fasting for Muslims. Many Muslims I know view it as a special time for them to be devoted to God. They fast from food, drink, and sex every day from sunrise to sunset. Nothing may pass down their throats, including their own saliva, for the entire day. Every night at sundown, there is an iftar, a meal that breaks the fast. They fast in community; then together they eat, smoke arguile (hookah), and drink tea or coffee into the wee hours of the night.
This year we have already seen a few international EWI courses take place in Russia. At the time of this writing, we have classes running in Georgia and Armeria, and later in the year we are looking forward to ones in China, Moldova, Russia, Turkey.
Just last week, one of our students, Lily, gave this testimony of EWI:
As the school year ends, thousands of college and university students around the country are graduating - make that commencing, heading out into new chapters, armed with degrees from reputable institutions. Nadia is among those celebrating. An international student who just completed her degree requirements, she had the joy of lining up, having her name called, and receiving that coveted piece of paper this last weekend. Her brother, also studying here in the US, and her friends surrounded her with love and congratulations. As they took picture after picture of her with her degree, her flowers, and each friend present (multiple times), Nadia could barely hold back the tears, hardly believing that she was really finished.
I lived in the Middle East for 4 years and vividly remember every Ramadan season. Ramadan is the 30 days of fasting for Muslims. Many Muslims I know view it as a special time for them to be devoted to God. They fast from food, drink, and sex every day from sunrise to sunset. Nothing may pass down their throats, including their own saliva, for the entire day. Every night at sundown, there is an iftar, a meal that breaks the fast. They fast in community; then together they eat, smoke arguile (hookah), and drink tea or coffee into the wee hours of the night.
