Connections

We finally finally made the type of connections we were looking for! After two weeks of waiting and one very bad experience we were finally able to connect with some women our own age. Friday at the mosque on our street we met a younger woman named Ann (once I again I'm not using people's real names). She did not try to convert us at any point but just wanted to know why we had come. She really understood that we are here to learn and to build genuine relationships. She invited us to a youth group of sorts at her house nearby. Myself and Kindra went yesterday (Mary was out of town for a wedding) and we were just blessed to be in a room full of women our own age. Women who had the same concerns as ours about being women of faith in the collegiate world. They read from the Qur'an of course but the topic was on how God sees everything that you do. After mostly everyone had left, we were able to talk with Ann and a woman named Christie who is affiliated with a Muslim Youth organization. Christie did a bit of scoping out what we were here doing and both herself and Ann were still amazed that we were willing to come into their culture and learn about their beliefs. It never takes anyone long to figure out that we are Christians, however, we were about to share with this women that we are different than a lot of the stereotypical Christians they are possibly use to. It was just such a blessing that these women finally understood us and that we could really relate to them. These are women who culturally should be married by now but have refused because they believe there to be other opportunities out there. Already today we were invited to a picnic for college age Muslims today, however, it was rained out which was a bit of a bummer. We will be attending a Muslim wedding this evening with Christie which should definitely be an experience. I already feel like the connections we have made with these women are the type that will carry on even after our time here is over and we return home. Be in prayer that God will guide our conversations with these women and I have hopes of possibly sharing the Kingdom circles illustration with them.