Mahmoud met Lina in a refugee camp after they both escaped Syria. Mahmoud is a Sunni Muslim and Lina is an Alawite. Their families are at war with each other. The killing spree inside Syria is vicious on both sides. ISIS, the infamous terrorist group, now leads the Sunni attempt to overthrow the government. The Alawites are led by President Bashar al-Assad and his army is backed by Iran and Russia. ISIS decapitates its victims and the Alawite government has used chemical weapons. There are no good guys in this war.
We caught up with Mahmoud in the camp and he wanted to talk. He and Lina, the best we could tell, had a marriage of convenience. They both had a lot of pain in their past, and their marriage helped ease this.
We listened to Mahmoud for about an hour, then we shared stories from the Bible with him. He talked about never feeling loved by God in his life. Tommy, a friend, and I shared how Jesus was all about love. We talked about the woman at the well in John 4 who was rejected by her village, yet Jesus showed her that He cared. Next, we told him how Jesus calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee and He had the power to do that again for him. A few days later, Mahmoud was ready. He wanted to follow Jesus.
Five months later we were back hanging out with some of the same families. The fact anyone cared about them was an unbelievable surprise to these refugees. After visiting for a few hours, drinking a lot of tea, and playing soccer with about 20 kids, we told more stories of Jesus from the Bible.
Since many Muslim groups in the Middle East are experiencing the phenomenon of having dreams about Jesus, I thought I’d take a chance and ask, “Hey, has anyone has a dream or a vision of a man in a white robe?”
It was quiet for a few seconds, but then it happened. Lina stepped forward and said, “I have.”
She said, “He came to me and I’ve never experienced love or peace like this in my life.” She began crying while sharing her dream. “He knew my name and told me He loved me. He embraced me and said ‘one day you will go home to Syria and everything will be fine because I will be with you.’”
We were stunned. Finally, the Lord reminded me that I had a picture of Jesus on a visual aid that we planned to use with the children so I held it up.
“That’s Him!” Lina said in surprise. “He was the man in my dream.” Moments later she excitedly gave her life to Jesus.
Mahmoud and Lina, two people from warring families, were reconciled to God through the cross of Christ.
Their reconciliation with God allowed them to be reconciled with each other in their marriage. Only Jesus could take away the hatred that ran generations deep. And He did. What a privilege to see this miracle.
But Mahmoud and Lina still had a big problem. They wanted to have a baby and for some reason, it wasn’t happening.
They asked us to pray for them, for a miracle child. Tommy and I took a deep breath and prayed for God to move. What an honor to pray with these new Jesus followers for the first time.
Let me tell you, my world was rocked when I realized Jesus had adventures waiting for me in the Middle East. Maybe, He’s calling you to go off the grid and get Uncharted.
If your mom reads this article, she’d probably rather have you take your chances and snowboard off the roof. But tell her to not worry. There are some other places you can go that aren’t right up on the front lines.
Well, we’ve been back twice to see Mahmoud and Lina. Because of Jesus, we’ve become family to them, and now they are faithful followers of Christ. Oh and by the way, speaking of family, theirs is expanding.
Yep, you guessed it! Lina is expecting their first baby this year. Jesus is still in the miracle business.
Walking with Jesus is an adventure. It’s the adventure you were meant to live. All you have to do is say, “I’m all in.”
People are desperate and Jesus wants to send you to deliver a message. It’s the real peace plan for the Middle East.
So, get off the grid, and go Uncharted!
