On Monday, we were sitting together and talking about our ministry plans for the year. We had been hoping to return to Abu Muhammed’s family to continue sharing the Gospel with them, but for several weeks Abu Muhammed had not answered his telephone.
We prayed that God would allow us to make contact with them, and then Bishara tried to call again. God answered our prayer immediately, and Abu Muhammed answered the phone!
A few days later we were able to visit Abu Muhammed and his family for the first time in several months. They were very happy to see us, and we were overjoyed to be with them again. After the customary greetings and displays of affection, we got out the guitar and sang the songs we had been teaching them last year. To our surprise, almost all the children remembered the songs!
Bishara prayed for them, and then we followed our custom of splitting up into smaller groups for conversation. Abu Muhammed again shared with Bishara about how much trouble they have with their youngest son. Bishara exhorted him quite strongly about the importance of disciplining children and setting boundaries. He pointed out that the youngest son is not mentally challenged, but he is strong-willed and he knows he can get what he wants if he yells loudly enough. His behavior will not change if they continue to reward it by giving in to his demands.
Illustrative photo of Muslim wedding party
In other news, the family is busy preparing for the wedding of their oldest son. They have rented a huge space, sent out 3,000 invitations, and paid for 600 kilograms of meat. Altogether, they estimate the wedding will cost them about $25,000. In Arab culture, the guests of a wedding are expected to bring money with them instead of gifts, to help offset this cost. They invited us to some of the celebrations; hopefully we can demonstrate our love for them by being present for some of the events.
As we drove back from looking at the space they had rented for the wedding, Bishara mentioned to Abu Muhammed that we would be interested in hosting a kids club in the village in the future. He asked him to keep an eye out for good rooms or apartments owned by honorable people in the village that we could rent. The idea is to continue what we are doing in Abu Muhammed’s house, but on a slightly larger scale. We could teach Christian songs and explain Biblical stories, and if all fathers in the village are as relaxed as Abu Muhammed, it looks like we may be able to do so without much persecution.
Please pray that our relationship with this family will stay strong through the coming months, and please pray for the idea of the kids club.