While an expat visited her Kurdish friend’s store, two shop patrons were sitting around drinking tea. One of them was from eastern Turkey and not able to get back to his family since no one could enter or exit the city where they lived due to government curfews.
The expat shared some gospel truth with them, but the shop owner mockingly said, “Yes, you pray, and then our problems will go away.” Later, though, when the shop got busy, the man from eastern Turkey came over and whispered, “Tell me more,” so the expat went deeper in sharing the gospel with him. The man from eastern Turkey said that when he returned to town he would come and read the New Testament with the expat and her husband. He said he was tired of Islam because how could his Muslim brothers treat his people this way. He wondered how people who went on haj could then commit whatever sin they wanted and still be holy while he himself hesitated to even step on an ant but wasn’t considered holy because he didn’t make the haj. “Are women not people too?” he asked. The expat was able to tell him that in God’s eyes women and men were of equal worth but have different roles. She told him the basics of the gospel, that we are sinners and that God sent his Son to take our punishment. She also shared with him that God sent her to learn their language and share with them because God does see their plight and cares for them.
In one sense, it was discouraging that some mocked the good news, but then it was unexpected that others would come and ask to hear more. Indeed, God is drawing those who are to be His. This is just another reminder that we never know what HE will do. Pray that we would be faithful to share even in the face of mocking. Pray for these that heard, that they would take the shared truth to heart, believe, and share the Good News with their family and neighbors.
