It is hard to believe that we have been in Indonesia for a week already! In the short time that we have been here, God has been doing big things in my heart though. My prior experiences with the Muslim people were not so great. In fact as a young adult, I went through a long season of having nothing but hate in my heart toward these people. My father is Palestinian Arab and also a member of the Islamic faith. When I was 19 years old, my father became convicted by his faith about having a wife and children who were Christian and he decided to leave mom. Not only did he leave my mother but he basically abandoned my brothers and I at a very crucial time in each of our lives. He basically left mom and my brothers and I with nothing…but thank Jesus for the amazing man that my grandfather on mom’s side was. He took over parenting us and providing where dad had left off. You may be able to imagine the deep scars that this event left on all of our hearts. Spirits of abandonment, hatred, depression, and of not being good enough, entered deep into our hearts and the road to healing has been very long……Fast forward to this week that I have been with my team in Indonesia…..We as Christians have been taken in at the Jagat ‘Arsy islamic boarding school here in Jakarta. They are providing both lodging and food and transportation for us this month. The first day we were here..Jesus totally wrecked my heart for these Muslim people. I began to really see Jesus’s heart IN these people. They are the most generous and caring hosts. He showed me through the people of the Jagat school that no matter what ethnic, or religious, or cultural background we come from… ” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Gen 1:27) Because we are all made in His image…He also has a heart for every one of us….His heart is that all of us be reconciled into relationship with him….Wow…I am so thankful that the Lord has given my heart healing toward the Muslim people. In the short time we have been here, He has already begun to use us as seed planters in the hearts of influential members of the Islamic faith. Last night we attended a healing meeting with all Muslim attendees that is put on by the daughter of the 4th president of Indonesia…The Lord opened a door to for me to pray with her and a male friend standing beside her…. and He straight wrecked the dude… we got done praying and the man was crying. Though I don’t know what sort of encounter he had with Jesus while I was praying..I’m confident that the Lord spoke to him. I was also able to hug the muslim woman I was praying for, which I don’t think is a cultural norm. So thank you Jesus! Afterward…on the way home from the healing meeting… One of the Muslim guys that we are working with at the Jagat school prophesied over me telling me that because of my Palestinian background, he felt that God had made me a connection between the Muslim and Christian faiths…wow thanks for the favor Jesus! Moving forward please pray for my team and I…. the ministry is in the relationships we are building with influential muslims.. Jesus wants to do this thing from the top down and I’m along for the ride. Pray that the Lord soften the hearts of the muslims we come in contact with and that they be given dreams and visions of Jesus that prepare the way for us. Peace and Joy to you all from the Father!
