It felt good to meet as a team again in our host country after our evacuation from the war. As we spent time listening to the Father for what He would have us do in this next season, we felt that we should make a shift at our outreach center from "lecture-type classes" (like English and Arabic) to "discussion-based classes" focused on growth and transformation. We felt strongly that as we live out Kingdom principles and encourage others to do the same, we will build trust with those around us that will lead to openness to the message we want to share.
Rima, our Syrian MBB teammate, designed a new class for the center focused on character. The topics include honesty, contentment, jealousy, forgiveness, and trust. During each class, Rima introduces the topic, shares a story from the Bible related to the topic, and leads a discussion on the ways these character traits are commonly displayed (or not displayed) with family, friends, neighbors, and community. The discussions are always lively. “White-lies are necessary!” “No, we shouldn’t lie.” “There’s no way I could ever forgive my sister.” “I want to try to be more honest with my family.” “What if everyone lived with integrity; imagine what a world that would be!”
After seven weeks of meeting with the ladies, a woman showed up to the class and told Rima that her daughter-in-law couldn't make it today and asked Rima to record her attendance as "present." Rima told her that she couldn't do that, that it doesn't matter if she attends or not, and it wouldn't be right to record her present when she was absent.
The woman pushed harder, "Come on, it's not a big deal. Do it just this once, for me. We won't tell anyone." Rima told her that she couldn't because it wouldn't be honest and that she is placed in the position based on trust. The woman smiled, "Wow! We wanted to test you to see if you lived out what you are teaching at this center. My daughter-in-law is five minutes behind me.”
Rima was shocked and encouraged by these ladies’ scheming together to test her. Our witness is counter-cultural, and we are praying that these ladies and their families will see that the Way of the Kingdom is indeed the Way of Life. We pray that they will trust us as we invite them to study the Scriptures together and will ultimately trust the One who offers new life in Him.
Thank you for praying with us,
The B's
