In the story below, a missionary couple witnessing to Muslims in the Middle East shares a glimpse of their daily life on the field.
As a field worker, life seems to be in a state of constant change, and we’ve come to embrace this lifestyle! We live in a culture that values relationships and quality time above punctuality and obligations. This has its challenges, especially since we’re from a culture that values efficiency.
It did not take us long to begin enjoying the sweet conversations that happen over tea with a friend or complete stranger that the Father has placed in our path.
Our typical day begins similar to yours—with the exception of the Muslim call to prayer ringing from mosques across our city. We start the coffee pot, wake the kids, and hope to get to school on time. Then my husband and I are off to whatever “open field” God has prepared for us.
Sometimes our days are filled with art class, lunch with neighbors, or coffee or tea with locals. Three times a week we attend a four-hour long language class, and on the weekends we enjoy road biking with locals.
Every week is different, and we want to be available for the opportunities the Lord gives us for building consistent relationships with locals.
It could be the women at the local market, the man at the bakery across the street, or our language teachers. Our daily living takes on new meaning when we are open to the ways God wants to develop our relationships with the people He is pursuing. Our hope is that one day they will know the God who is leading us to them.
Raising teenagers overseas has been the most challenging part of our missionary journey, but our kids now understand that every person we meet is an opportunity to build a relationship. They’ve learned that through these relationships we can share our story and God’s story.
Our hearts break when they don’t have friends they can relate to, but they’re learning to trust God for everything, pray for Him to move and patiently wait, and to take their hurts and anxieties to Him for comfort. We are so proud of them and their desire to obediently follow Him even when it is hard.
Life in the Middle East is a beautiful part of our journey. Every day may look a little different, but we understand more and more of what Paul says in Colossians 3:17: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”