Mosque visit/Neighborhood ministry/Neighborhood dinner

3/26/19

We had orientation on the religion of Islam this morning and then headed to the mosque. We had a very hospitable and welcoming visit as the Imam and some of the ladies gave us a tour. They showed us where they do their five times of prayer each day, had one of the kids memorizing the Quran in Arabic recite some for us, and then we had a time at the end with food and Q and A. We were able to share about Christianity as they shared about Islam.

Afterwards, we went back to the ministry center in the Vickery Meadow neighborhood for another afternoon of kids ministry. We played with the kids and then shared the story of Zaccheus and how Jesus "came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10)."

We were then treated to a wonderful dinner by some Mexican and Cuban families who live in the apartment complex. They were so gracious to us. After eating we played an ice breaker game to get to know each other, breaking down any language barriers through laughter and Oz helping to translate! Nicole was also able to share her testimony of how she came to faith in Christ and the ladies from the complex, one in particular really related and it led to a really sweet discussion and prayer time at the end.

God is going before this week and doing abundantly more than we could ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). Praise be to Him!

Mosque visit

Mosque visit

Mosque visit

Mosque visit

Mosque visit

Kids ministry

Kids ministry

Kids ministry

Some of the delicious food!

Nicole sharing her testimony with the ladies at the complex

From Diana:
Hola! Wow, I feel incredibly blessed to be on this trip because we have seen the Lord work in so many ways. I was extremely nervous for today because I just never really have interacted with Muslims ( people who practice Islam NOT people of Arab heritage). I have always viewed them as hostile just because of media and certain radical sects of the religion. Let me tell you firsthand that this is completely false. We were immediately greeted with hugs, handshakes, and smiles within the mosque. Lots of laughter followed us through the tour of the prayer rooms and various places. They even prepared a special reception filled with lovely foods (even donuts which I needed because SUGAR). These people are so different than I had previously thought. My heart broke still even despite them showing they are good people. I got to talk with a lovely Muslim lady about Islam and asked her some questions about Islam. I wanted to be a learner and a sponge to all things I could learn. This opened the door to her asking questions about Christianity so we got to compare our two religions. There is so many similarities within Islam but even still they are missing the point that Jesus came, died for our sins, and allowed for us to have a relationship with God. We just need to repent and invite Jesus into our hearts. I was a little upset because right in the middle of me and McCaila’s conversation with this lady, the Imam interrupted to do a Q and A session. We began talking to the lady about the gospel and getting into good conversation. I began to question God about why He did this. Turns out we had even more good conversations within the group about Christianity. He had something, the group conversation, even better planned for us. These visits with other religions have been hard because you become aware of the world outside of a little town in great falls Montana. Even then this is just Dallas, Texas. We are still in the United States and it doesn’t even begin to touch how many people need to hear the good news. Also the religions we have come in contact with are works based. You have to do this and you have to do that. It sounds so exhausting to me and I know the truth. I know that these people can have rest in Jesus because He died for our sins. He reached down to us. In these other religions, the person has to reach up to God to meet these standards for salvation. I want these people to have peace and it is frustrating to see these places.

Kids ministry is always fulfilling because there is so much ease. You basically get to love on them and make them smile. I have played so many games of Uno which is heaven. I LOVE UNO! I have also not won a single game. I’m not sure how because I have played like 20+ games. It is also fun to try and speak Spanish to the kids. They have laughed at me a lot. I wish I took Spanish instead of German.

It is funny how God always knows what to give you in order to keep you going. Tonight we got to fellowship with some Cuban and Mexican ladies. After being so discouraged by seeing some of these things, I was encouraged to hear some testimonies of Christians from other countries. Today was a good day and I saw God throughout every little detail. I wish I had time to type more descriptively.

There is so much more that I want to type and share. I look forward to speaking to anyone willing to ask about the trip. My faith was beginning to become a routine and this trip has refreshed it back into a relationship with a LIVING God. I feel more confident in sharing Jesus with people I do life with on a day to day basis. I know that this trip will benefit me as I go forth into coming stages in my life.

Janelle, Diana, and Denae at the mosque

From Nicole:

I have seen the Lord at work today in so many ways. It is amazing to see this team working together to serve those who live in the Valenceo Apartments. It is awesome to see humble service in action like Paul taught us in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Each night we invite kids to come for activities. We spend part of the time playing with them outside or inside playing games. It is touching to see how happy a child gets when you are willing to give them your time and attention and play Uno or simply throw a ball with them. Their faces light up just at your smile and they immediately have a connection with you. Seeing this team come together to use their gifts to serve and minister to the lost has been such a great experience. I’ve watched the teenagers playing with the kids, prepare lessons, present skits and teach the kids songs and actions. I’ve watched Oz and Vittoria translate Spanish to English, I’ve seen Lenore clean, clean, and clean some more. This whole team has used their gifts to serve people and it has been a privilege to be apart of it and to witness it.

After kids’ activities each night we have been blessed by the people here preparing food for us. I am finding that this community is overwhelmingly hospitable. Tonight, a number of ladies from Mexico and Cuba prepared a meal for us. There was so much food and they were so happy to prepare it for us. It turns out that tonight was the first time the community center has been used to share a meal together. Construction on the center is still not complete but we pulled up chairs in circles and ate and laughed and had a great time of fellowship with the women who prepared the meal for us. The women who brought the food spoke only Spanish but God had a plan as He always does…Oz and Vittoria were able to translate so we got to share in a time of testimony and great conversation about what the community center will be used for in the future. The women seemed excited that they will be offering ESL (English Second Language) Classes, sewing classes and Bible Study and so much more.

What a privilege it is to serve on this team, to meet these people, to minister the Good News!

Nicole (in the middle) with Amber and McCaila