I got the privilege to live in an Islamic country for the past 3 months. I’ve heard the call of prayer 5 times a day, everyday. Ive been to mosques. I’ve watched movies with no kissing or anything romantic because it’s the law in an Islamic country. I’ve formed relationships with Muslims. I’ve worked in a Refugee school that was all Muslim boys and girls. Every single day I see and interact with Muslims and I live under their law.
If you were to ask me about what God is teaching me in a Muslim country it would be that they are just like me and you. They are people. Real people with real feelings and real stories.
One of my teammates was walking around the mall and a Muslim man came up to him and was giving him something that was celebrating or advertising his religion and he took it. And the man asked “where are you from?” And my teammate said “the United States” and immediately the man said “oh no I’m not a terrorist!”
When I heard this story my heart ached. Does this man really think everybody from the US thinks Muslims are only terrorists?
I don’t want that perception on myself. I don’t want that label.
It made me think of how often Americans get caught up in the outside perspective of everything they see on tv or everything they hear. Yes, some Muslims are not good people but some Americans aren’t good people either. God loves Muslims just as much as he loves you and me. He sees them as people with pain, suffering, joy, laughter and so much love. Muslims have the label as terrorist but God labels them his children, his creation, his beloved.
The past week my team got to spend a day at a Refugee school. It was all Muslim students. We got to share our stories with the children, sing with them and share a meal with them. A lot of them stood up and shared a little bit about there story. Just hearing some of the places they’ve been just blew me away. At such a young age escaping from the place you used to feel safe and call home, to a place that isn’t guaranteed. Every day wondering if the police will show up and kick you out. But not only that some of the kids would get beat by their parents. Some didn’t even have parents.
What gave me hope in all the pain I kept hearing was that God is working in them everyday. The main teacher at the school is a Christian lady. She is the most amazing women I’ve ever met. Her love for the children and the school is really awesome. She can’t teach them directly about God but in everything she does, she teaches them morals and values that God gives us. And these kids to get to hear this every single day! How cool!
The day at the refugee school gave me a new perspective on not only Muslims but refugees.
I know all the talk and debate in America is going on about Refugees. I try my best not to get into it to much or read to many things online. But honestly before I was kinda iffy on whether or not I liked the refugees coming into America and slightly because they were Muslim.
I was SO wrong about that.
My heart hurts for them. It hurts for His people. I couldn’t imagine having to flee my country that I’ve called home for so long to a new place where no one even wants you. I couldn’t imagine having the label of being a terrorist just because I’m Muslim. I couldn’t imagine any of this. How painful and awful it would be.
I encourage you to step outside what the world labels these people as. I also encourage you to pray for them and for America. That chains would be broken and we would no longer give these people false labels and that they would no longer give Americans false labels.
“For the kingdom is the Lords And He rules over the nations.” Psalms 22:28
I only have a week left of ministry in Malaysia then a week of debrief. So that means 2 weeks till I see my parents in Africa!!!! I couldn’t be more excited!! It’s been 6 months too long apart from them. Malaysia has been good and God has been good through it. I’m sorry I haven’t had an update sooner. I miss everyone back home and I’ll be seeing America in 100 days from today!!
