February 2015, after a “True Love Waits” event in the community, Zana motioned to me and said “Ate, (elder sister) sit by me! I have many questions!” Zana fired off her questions, one by one, and then shared her own thoughts about love, relationships, and faith. As I listened to the insights of this high school girl, the realization hit me: This was not the same Zana I knew two years before. This was a new Zana, transformed and reborn by the Holy Spirit. I remembered Zana as the sweet-spirited Muslim middle school student, who always wanted us to “tell her another story” from the Bible. In the two years that had passed since I’d seen her, Zana had come to know and follow Jesus.
Zana is just one of a generation of youth in her Muslim community who have grown up attending Team Hope’s summer “Values Classes.” These classes are like vacation Bible school, teaching new themes and truths from God's Word every year. For 15 years, Team Hope has held Values classes in Zana’s community. Starting with the story of creation, they have taught sequentially through the stories of the Old Testament prophets.
In April & May 2016, the team was so excited to finally be sharing stories about Jesus from the New Testament. For youth like Zana, who have participated in the classes each summer, a foundation of Truth has been gradually laid. They have now reached that pivotal point of introduction to the life and teachings of Jesus. After teaching this year from Matthew 5 and the stories of the Samaritan Woman & Zacchaeus, the team saw varied responses. Many middle school boys were able to recall every lesson and recite every theme from the previous summer’s classes. Even young elementary-age students recounted specific themes and stories, at the simple prompting of a picture. These students listened with eager hearts.
Other reports, however, described some middle school girls staring blankly into space every time God’s Word was shared. One team member confided, “I’ve never seen it so bad before. It was like they had a veil over their eyes and ears. As I was teaching, I couldn’t even make eye contact with any of them because they were looking all around.”
2 Corinthians 4 says that the enemy has “blinded the minds” of unbelievers so that the Gospel is hidden beneath a veil, and they cannot understand it. It goes on to say that “the God who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made his light shine in our hearts, so we can know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ” (English Standard Version). Those of us who have the light of Jesus in our hearts need to be in constant prayer for God to "lift the veil" from the eyes of our unbelieving friends.
“Being the presence of Jesus and bringing the message of Jesus” to our Muslim friends is hard work. It can take years to build trust and share Truth that falls on good soil. Pray with us for Zana’s generation of youth. Over the years, God has been cultivating the soil of their minds and shining his penetrating light into their hearts. Pray that many will finally hear, understand, and follow Jesus.
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