The Lord is reaching people through our partners in the Middle East through the miraculous peace found only in communion with his Son.
In one area of the Middle East, our partners have started sewing center to help women learn useful job skills. They offer skilled graduates the opportunity to join a new project learning how to embroider wedding dresses. These women successfully completed the first order that brought them all their first income for applying your skills. They were all so excited and motivated after this success and want to continue this work.
The five women one particular have become good friends, and they are continuing to learn more about the Word of life. They say that this fellowship has become the biggest blessing in their life. We continue to encourage them and pray for God to bless their efforts and create lasting fruit.
In one of our hubs, our female leader started a women fellowship to bridge the gap between mothers and their teenage daughters, to help them to build friendships and better understanding for each other. The community highly appreciated these efforts, especially the mothers.
Discovering a Place of Peace
One woman named Habbiba* shared her experience in the sewing classes, making a good friend. “We both started our sewing classes together and soon became best friends. I am the second wife and Gamila* is the third wife. We both have a lot in common. In the initial days, we liked this place because we both could talk about our problems after classes. We were sad because that was the only possibility for us to meet. Our husbands bought us the sewing machines and told us to work from home. We both started to miss our time at class. It was so useful for us to learn about our health, health of our families and take the opportunity to talk to each other and share our burdens.
“We both went to our teacher and shared our willingness to continue classes. She said, ‘I will pray for you both.’ A week later, she said that they had started the embroidery class and received a request for wedding dresses, and she said we could join this new class. So we got permission from our husbands and joined the class again. It was so nice to be back in the classroom where we always feel at peace. Our teacher told us that this would be a short class for a few weeks only, and then we would have to go back.
“However, she also told us, ‘During these few weeks, I want to share with you how you can live a joyful life, regardless of all the problems and challenges you are facing. Tonight, before you sleep, talk to God. Tell him everything that is on your heart. Do not use memorized prayers; talk to him as if he is right there. When you finish prayer, say that you ask it in the name of God’s son, Isa Al Masih. I was shocked when she called him the Son of God, but she was very convincing and said that she has experienced this herself, and this will change our lives like it changed hers.”
For anyone living in this closed country, sharing good news like this is a bold and potentially dangerous move. Our partners and those who work alongside them must listen carefully to the Spirit as they determine who is safe to talk to about God’s son.
Learning the Purpose of Prayer
Habbiba took what she had been told, despite how strange it sounded to her at the time, and decided to try praying like her sewing teacher had instructed her.
“For first time in my life, I prayed as I was taught; and that night, I slept like a baby. I woke up with a strange peaceful feeling. I shared this with Gamila who felt exactly the same, and we started to learn more from our teacher. Every story she told spoke right to our hearts as if it was written especially for us.
“On the last week, we finished the contract and went back home having earned money. Our husbands and families were so happy that now we have the permission to go back whenever our teacher calls us. We are so thankful to God who made this skill a way for us to know him and his purpose for our lives!
As they continue their ministry work, the team is so thankful to our Heavenly Father for continuing to open doors in this region and protect those bold believers who are lights in a dark place. Please join us in praying for these teams and for those who are learning how to truly pray to the Lord for the first time.
*Not real name. For our ministry partners’ security, we don’t release names or locations in highly sensitive areas.