Lots have people have asked what we’re “doing” here in North Africa and I have struggled to answer the question. The truth is that we don’t have a ministry contact at the moment. That doesn’t mean we aren’t doing ministry. We are living life being intentional about asking Him into that. The Lord has been showing up in some pretty awesome ways.
Here are some highlights (photos are limited for privacy and protection):
We left for the grocery store one morning at 10 AM with the prayer that the Lord would remind us to be interruptible… He took that very seriously! We made friends with a bread and tea shop owner and her daughters. They invited us in and taught us how to make the famous tea. Before we left we were invited back to learn the art of bread making later that week. That same day on our way home we walked through our usual neighborhood that we have been praying over with hopes of running into a family who gave us some mint on our way through that morning. They were still outside and one of our TL Eric gave the man some cookies. They immediately invited us in for more tea and other goodies. By the time we left we had arranged to come back and learn to make a traditional Moroccan meal called Tajine later that week. We finally made it home around 5 that evening. Isn’t it crazy what the Lord can do with a simple trip to the grocery store?
We have been able to cultivate the relationships with these new friends over the past weeks in various ways.
Bread making with the “Bread Friends”.
Tajine and Henna with our friends in the purple house.
Tajine from our “Bread Friends” on a day called Faith Day that I will tell you more about in another blog.
A family that lives in a shanti but welcomed us with open arms. They have been patiently helping me improve my Arabic vocabulary and feeding me like I am at grandmas house every time I walk through the door.
Meeting a fellow believer at church who has become our tour guide an advisor.
The Lord is using all of them to minister to me! He is showing me what true hospitality looks like. That you don’t have to have a lot to show someone you care for them. That He brought me half way around the world to show them a tiny measure of His love for them and he loves me just as much.
The average Muslim who comes to know the Lord does so over a 7 year time period. We may not fully see the fruit that comes from theses relationships but that is not our job. We are here to love them like Jesus does. These connections are fruit enough for me.
All of that to say, live intentionally. Ask the Lord to make you interruptible and see what happens.
