Prayer for the Muslim world: Entering into the immigrant experience
By a former missionary in the Middle East —
It was a rough-looking neighborhood, and as we drove up the street, we looked tentatively at the houses on either side, which were all in various states of disrepair. We glanced at the paper with the address and there it was, the next house on our left. The front door hung open, and the roof and faded siding looked like they had not been touched since the house was built in the mid-50s.
As we approached, we noticed shoes and sandals scattered across the small front porch. From close up we realized why the front door was open. It was 85 degrees, and the house didn’t have air conditioning.
We called out, “Hello,” and immediately someone rushed to the door, greeted us with a big smile and invited us in. As we entered, we left our shoes among the others on the front step. We sat on the floor in the living room and soon we were brought cups of piping hot green tea and some candies. Though this family didn’t have much, what they had they were willing to share with us, and they showed great hospitality.
We were there to teach English to this newly arrived immigrant family, and our hearts went out to them. Their hopes and dreams had been realized when they had been given permission and visas to come to America. But when they arrived, it wasn’t as they had expected. They were placed in a neighborhood where their neighbors spoke Arabic and not much English and they wondered, was this
America?
The immigrant experience
This is the situation and shock that many new immigrants find when they come here to the West. They have ideas and dreams of what things will be like when they arrive, but reality proves nothing like they imagined. New immigrants often are placed in rough, rundown neighborhoods that are not always very welcoming.
This then is the opportunity that lies before us. These new immigrants are coming from countries that are difficult or impossible for Westerners to go to ourselves, and they are landing in our backyards. They have many needs, and though we can’t help with everything, we can help with some things. We can pray for them and demonstrate God’s compassion, loving them as God loves us. We can help in practical ways, too, like teaching English and helping them learn to adapt to this new culture.
We have a window of opportunity to reach out and help these new folks. To be warm and welcoming and share the love of Christ with them. To ask how we can be praying for them and then to pray with them and to follow up again later and see how God is working. Many times when people feel weak, vulnerable and out of control, they are more open to spiritual things. Let’s be ready to speak into the opportunities that God has provided us, right here in our own backyards!
Prayer requests
As part of the 10/10 Prayer Initiative
, 180 agencies have come together to ask God to draw to himself 10 percent of the world’s Muslims in the next 10 years.
10/10. Easy to remember, yet such an amazingly big task that only God can do it.
Will you join us?
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Additional Posts
Choosing a Missions Organization: Why SEND International Stands Out “Why should I be a missionary through SEND International?” Jenna, a new missionary in Eastern Europe, shared with us what she appreciates about working with SEND. The highlights for her are: - Devotion to prayer - Diligence in communication - Commitment to development - Intentionality in accountability Prayer “Back in September of 2022, the Lord reconnected me with SEND after I had met them a year prior at the Moody Bible Institute. However, before he would sign me up for anything, my Missions Coach encouraged me to pray. He said something to the effect of, "I know that you've been praying on your own for a long time. But as the Church, we are not called to walk alone. So, you and I won't talk for about a month unless you have questions. I want you to go pray with 5 or 6 others from your church about where God is calling you." That October, more than 10 friends prayed with me and we saw God answer as He directed me to Romania. From February 2024 to November 2025, I had the pleasure of being a part of team meetings in Romania with my SEND colleagues. Our meetings were four hours long, two for prayer and two for business. This has been the minimum for our team. There are also prayer meetings with the local churches we partner with, among smaller groups within our team, of course prayer with many of you across the pond, including those at our US office. The organization was built, has been sustained, and continues to run on prayer. This is my favorite thing about SEND. Communication As I mentioned above, we have a two hour block for business / ministry details in each of our meetings. This provides consistency across our team which works alongside three different churches and in a variety of ministries. It also helps us to communicate about the need for change or growth, alongside what is working well. In addition, my team director also meets with each of us, allowing us to communicate needs, considerations, and prayer requests. I've also enjoyed getting to work with SEND workers outside of my immediate region . We receive emails with the minutes from the Europe leadership team, Friday communications from our international director, and information regarding projects that affect our work among the unreached. In December of 2024, our international director at the time wrote a note to my parents for the first Christmas that I was gone. If nothing else had convinced my mom yet, this did. He took the time to care for me, but also to care well for the parents that were sending me (What it meant to my dad and mom for him to do this well has been one of the greatest ways I've been supported.). I also have some pretty wonderful regional directors. These people have prayed alongside us (while also serving in their own countries of service), they have taken time to come visit and encourage our team, and they have also taken the time to encourage the people in our churches. Development SEND has provided much in the area of development and care (spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally). At our regional conference (every three years), there have been medical check ups available, counseling options, and time for connecting with others on the field with similar experience. At our conference last October, I connected with a missionary who served overseas for many years, and is now serving on the administrative side of SEND. She has met with me since then for mentorship and has also invested much of her time recently in preparing a retreat for the singles across Europe. Accountability Over the years I have read and heard amazing stories of how God has worked through missionaries. God has done great things and great things He is still doing! However, people who have committed their lives to the Lord in this way are not “super Christians”. We are still humans with the same struggle against flesh that others have . A major challenge is in being isolated -- living in areas with little to no presence of other believers to sharpen them can cause many difficulties. SEND has been a great resource in this area too. Through my team, I have an accountability partner that I meet with monthly. When my regional director came to visit, he and his wife spent a day with me and asked intentional questions about how I lead, handle conflict, and how I am growing in general as a Christian. In addition, my teammates share their wisdom with me on a regular basis. These things and more have assured me that SEND International is a highly valuable organization and I'm excited to partner with them in service to, for, and with our great God! Interested in being sent by SEND?
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