Creating community, one visit at a time
Our whole hospital staff was making Eid visits, traveling from staff member house to staff member house, until all had been seen. It was exhausting and I drank more tea and ate more cookies in that 12-hour period than all the rest of the year, or at least until the next Eid arrived.
As you might expect, this caravan of visitors had a story behind it.
Early after arriving in our host city, in an attempt to learn more about the Islamic culture and our colleagues’ lives, my family and I paid visits to several of our hospital co-workers during one of their Eids, or festivals. When word got around (and word always got around) that we had visited some (but not all ) staff members, we were told that we had offended the people whose houses we had not visited.
To remedy this difficult situation, we promised to visit them during the next Eid. True to our promise, during the next Eid we visited the previously disappointed people. We thought the matter was settled, only to be told that the people we had visited the first Eid, but not the second Eid, complained that we had shamed them! “We waited all day for you and you never came,” they said.
Over 30 people worked at the hospital; there was no way our family with young children could visit them all in a short time. What to do?
After talking it over with some local friends, we decided that I, not the whole family, would go with the staff and try to visit everyone, altogether. Everyone arrived early in the morning of the designated day and I said, “OK, let’s go!”
“Oh no,” several people said. “It is too early to go visiting now. Sit down and let’s have a cup of tea before we go visiting!”
I was chaffing to get out there and start crossing names off the list. It was a long list! But I finally realized, “I am visiting now. I am deepening friendships, even as I wait to ‘begin visiting.’”
I learned a lesson that day that I have seen time and time again: Community and time spent just being together is very important to our Muslim friends and colleagues.
As we seek to interact with Muslims and share the love and light of Christ, let’s be thinking of ways that we can bring them into our communities. Especially for new immigrants who have no extended families around and few to no friends nearby, can we try to become community for them? Most Muslims come from very relationship-oriented societies; they are comfortable hanging out without a lot of structure.
We are nearing the end of Ramadan, which will be followed by Eid al-Fitr, several days of celebration that the fast is over. If you have been limited in visiting your Muslim neighbors and colleagues, then this is a great time to drop in and say hello.
You could ask about fasting and what it means to them, or about the Night of Power. This night marks one of the most significant times in the whole Islamic calendar, when prayers offered at the mosque are considered most likely to be answered. Tradition leans on it being on the 27th night of Ramadan (either May 8 or 9, depending on when they started). Some Muslims will go to the mosque and stay up all night praying. You can mention that you believe that God hears our prayers day and night and that no day or time is more appropriate to pray than the current moment . Ask if they have anything that you can pray with them about, and then take the time right then to pray. Be sure to keep praying and try to follow up with them about the request later that week or the next.
As you might expect, this caravan of visitors had a story behind it.
Early after arriving in our host city, in an attempt to learn more about the Islamic culture and our colleagues’ lives, my family and I paid visits to several of our hospital co-workers during one of their Eids, or festivals. When word got around (and word always got around) that we had visited some (but not all ) staff members, we were told that we had offended the people whose houses we had not visited.
To remedy this difficult situation, we promised to visit them during the next Eid. True to our promise, during the next Eid we visited the previously disappointed people. We thought the matter was settled, only to be told that the people we had visited the first Eid, but not the second Eid, complained that we had shamed them! “We waited all day for you and you never came,” they said.
Over 30 people worked at the hospital; there was no way our family with young children could visit them all in a short time. What to do?
After talking it over with some local friends, we decided that I, not the whole family, would go with the staff and try to visit everyone, altogether. Everyone arrived early in the morning of the designated day and I said, “OK, let’s go!”
“Oh no,” several people said. “It is too early to go visiting now. Sit down and let’s have a cup of tea before we go visiting!”
I was chaffing to get out there and start crossing names off the list. It was a long list! But I finally realized, “I am visiting now. I am deepening friendships, even as I wait to ‘begin visiting.’”
I learned a lesson that day that I have seen time and time again: Community and time spent just being together is very important to our Muslim friends and colleagues.
As we seek to interact with Muslims and share the love and light of Christ, let’s be thinking of ways that we can bring them into our communities. Especially for new immigrants who have no extended families around and few to no friends nearby, can we try to become community for them? Most Muslims come from very relationship-oriented societies; they are comfortable hanging out without a lot of structure.
We are nearing the end of Ramadan, which will be followed by Eid al-Fitr, several days of celebration that the fast is over. If you have been limited in visiting your Muslim neighbors and colleagues, then this is a great time to drop in and say hello.
You could ask about fasting and what it means to them, or about the Night of Power. This night marks one of the most significant times in the whole Islamic calendar, when prayers offered at the mosque are considered most likely to be answered. Tradition leans on it being on the 27th night of Ramadan (either May 8 or 9, depending on when they started). Some Muslims will go to the mosque and stay up all night praying. You can mention that you believe that God hears our prayers day and night and that no day or time is more appropriate to pray than the current moment . Ask if they have anything that you can pray with them about, and then take the time right then to pray. Be sure to keep praying and try to follow up with them about the request later that week or the next.
Praying for the Muslim world
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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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