I AM NOW A CHRISTIAN

My wife and I came to this country a few years ago from the Middle East. We were Muslims living in the Midwest, and spoke only a little English. Life was very difficult. Thankfully, I met an American who had lived in a Muslim country for a long time. He understood me and my struggles in our new home. He and his wife patiently taught us about American food and how to navigate life in the United States. They were kind and warm, even inviting us over regularly for meals. They are truly our best friends in America. They had invited us to their church a number of times. But we are Muslims, so we always declined. They never pressured us to follow Jesus; they just shared their beliefs and kept inviting us to special events at their church. Finally, my wife encouraged me to say yes to an invitation. And we are so thankful we did. We met Jesus for the first time; we now follow Him and attend church regularly. Recently, a young Syrian Muslim man came to the United States. He was blinded by a bomb that went off near his home. A specialized doctor resides in our town and was willing to do the surgery. I was asked if I would host him during his time here. At first, I was a bit afraid. I’m no longer a Muslim. But I am still Arab and my name is still Muslim. But, again, at the encouragement of my wife, I said yes. We welcomed this man into our home, took him to his various appointments and helped him in every way we could. Most importantly, though, we shared the same love of Jesus that our American friends had shared with us. We pray he one day knows the same love from Jesus that we do.