Called to the front of the mosque
By a worker in a secure location —
In the primarily Muslim area where we live, the activities of Ramadan were in full swing. During Ramadan, which celebrates the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad, Muslims fast from food and water from sunrise to sunset — and then they eat the iftar
meal (Arabic for “break fast”). Some people eat with family at home, but many gather together at the mosque. This is where our story begins.
Our friend invited us to a local mosque to learn about and experience iftar. When our group of four — two men and two women — arrived, we waited outside for the sun to set at 9:15 p.m. When we finally went in, my wife and her friend stopped at the section where the women would eat.
As the other gentleman and I entered the room where the men would eat, we looked for a place out of the way. Before we could choose a seat, someone began motioning to us from the front of the room.
It was the imam — the teacher/leader of the mosque! What could I do? We sat down near him at the front of the mosque.
The imam began asking me basic questions in the language we’re learning. When he asked, “Are you Muslim?” I politely replied as clearly as I could, “No, I’m a follower of Jesus.” Little did I know, that was like pulling the safety bar down and locking it over my lap for a wild theme park ride.
The imam began speaking rapidly about many spiritual things, using metaphors and language that was well beyond my vocabulary. It was difficult to understand, but I believe the Holy Spirit helped me hear and comprehend a great deal. The imam would occasionally pause to see if I was following along with his teaching, at which point I would carefully respond with, “I understand,” so as not to unknowingly agree to a belief I did not hold.
A few minutes passed and I looked up to see a crowd of people had gathered around us. They were watching and listening intently to see what would happen. Now I was really stressed. The teacher finally reached the ending point in his presentation, in which he stated something that took me by surprise. He leaned forward with his palms facing up and said, “I love you.”
In that moment, I felt my own heart swell for him, and I responded, “Thank you. I love you, too.” I lacked further language to tell him how much I actually love him and how much Jesus loves him, but my hope is that this conversation was the beginning of many.
My wife, who was in the crowd that had gathered to watch, later said, “ That was a big honor for you to be asked to come sit with the imam.
It reminds me of what Jesus said about going to a banquet and sitting lower so you can be called up higher.”
Our hope and motivation for learning the language of the people here (a truly humbling task) is that we may have conversations like this on a deeper, more personal level. Our hope is that people will hear the Good News and receive it with humility. Our hope is that our new friends will come to a better understanding of their relationship to God and their need for Jesus. Our hope is that they will accept the invitation to sit at the table in God’s kingdom.
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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