VKS

Most of you have probably already put VBS behind you for another year.  Thanks to FBC, Milton, Florida, Hannah Grace enjoyed a week of VBS as well as a fun Skype visit with all the children there.

Here in this country, many children are attending VKS--Vacation Koran School.  It isn't as elaborate as what we put on in the US.  It looks a little more like the Backyard Bible Clubs we used to have.  But what they sacrifice in decorations they make up for with time.  The school in our apartment building meets Monday through Friday, 10 am to 1 pm, all summer.

At least, that was the plan until somebody complained and it was shut down by the building management.

Now, our favorite neighbors have written a petition and are conducting a signature drive to have it reinstated.  They asked us if we would sign it.  My immediate response was that I needed to talk with my husband first.  Not because I didn't know what our answer would be, but because I wanted to stall.  I hoped they would forget about it.  I wanted to think of how to respond graciously. . .if that would even be possible.  Anything to avoid the inevitable offense of saying no.

For almost a week, it looked like I was off the hook.  I hadn't seen my neighbor around and she hadn't come knocking again to ask about the petition.  Yesterday evening, though, I went to sit out on the benches with the other moms, and there she was with a stack of petitions.  Now, not only would I have to say no, I would have to do so in front of a whole group of covered women.  They discussed the situation and how to get more signatures.  (Many people are out of town for vacation, so they aren't able to collect as many signatures as they expected.)  Still, nothing was mentioned about my failure to sign.  Finally, as "Z" and I were walking back to our building she quietly asked if Randy and I had discussed signing.  I asked her if she would be offended if we didn't.  She replied that she wouldn't, but just because we signed didn't mean our girls had to go to the classes.  I told her that I understood that, but as Christians we couldn't sign the petition.  My hope was that from there I could talk about our faith, but she cut me off.  Not because she was angry, but (besides the fact that I'm pretty slow in the language) because she wanted to reassure me that there was no offense taken.

Almost at that moment one of the older ladies walked up and asked about the petitions.  This is one of those women that tend to be a little pushy.  She told me rather loudly that I needed to sign.  "Z" nicely told her that whether I signed wasn't her business.  When the woman persisted, my friend very sweetly told her good evening and led me on into the building.  Not only did she not take offense, she shielded me from the more easily offended neighbors!

This turned out so differently than I expected.  I expected that my good friend would be hurt and offended.  I expected to at least get to share the Gospel.  Neither of those scenarios came about.

I don't believe that God allowed our path to cross with these neighbors for no reason.  They are "on fire" committed to their faith.  They are disciplined in their practice of it.  Wherever we happen to be, when it's time to pray they find a place and pray.  Yet they remain very open to us.  Not to our belief in Jesus Christ, but to us.  Please pray that they will realize that we would not be the people they like and are drawn to apart from Christ.  Pray specifically that they would start to ask the sorts of questions that would lead to a serious discussion about the Truth.

Dates, Water, and Meat Offered to Idols

Several weeks ago, our upstairs neighbors said they wanted to celebrate our sons' arrival with dates and water.  The kind of dates that grow on a tree. . .of course.  Due to a misunderstanding on my part about the difference between a general (we ought to get together sometime) invitation and a specific (I'll be expecting you in the next few days) invitation, our families never did get together for that party.

This morning, I went upstairs to invite them for dinner this week.  My friend invited me in for coffee while she checked her calendar, and after a few minutes she asked her house help to serve us water.  It turns out that the offer of dates and water was intended as a show of regard for our family.  The dates and water were from their recent pilgrimage to Mecca, and the water came from a well that they believe is the same one God showed Hagar in Gen. 21:8-19.  They believe the well is miraculous, and it is considered a great honor to be offered this water.

Now, in the US, we generally look at Paul's teaching about whether or not to eat meat offered to idols and try to look for some overarching principle that we can glean from it since that specific issue isn't one we typically have to wrestle with.  It just doesn't seem to relate to our everyday lives.  But for Muslim background believers, eating meat offered to idols (or in this case, a false god) is a very real issue.  Is it a sin to drink water that Muslims believe is holy, even if they know, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8, that there is only one true God?  What about the Sacrifice Holiday, when sheep are slaughtered to commemorate Abraham's sacrifice at Mount Moriah?  Like the Christians in Corinth, some in this part of the world believe that there is nothing inherent in the water or meat that can defile them, while others have what Paul calls a weak conscience because of their former associations and feel that to accept these things would be sinful.  One young woman told me that only Christians with a weak faith would eat the sacrificial meat, while those who are truly strong in the faith would not.

So, life here has its complexities.  To drink the water or not. . .

Eastern Weddings

The bride does know when the groom will show up. . .the date has been planned and invitations sent out. But weddings here do still preserve the tradition of the groom coming to the bride's home before the wedding and, with celebration and fanfare, taking her to the wedding feast.

American weddings are beautiful.  We incorporate a lot of symbolism into the ceremony such as rings and unity candles.  But we miss out on this one aspect of illustrating that the Church isn't getting to Heaven on her own.  Christ is coming to claim his bride and take her to the wedding feast.

Disruptions

Disruptions can provide all sorts of opportunities.  This past week I found myself locked out of the apartment.  I was in a hurry and simply forgot to pick up the house keys.  Sean, Julie, Hannah Grace and I all sat down in the corridor to make the best of it.  Hannah Grace kept us entertained for a while by trying to trick the motion sensor lights, seeing how far she could run before they turned on and then freezing when they did.

Finally, the elevator stopped on our floor and I was sure it would be Randy.  Instead, our next-door neighbor stepped off.  His wife opened the door to let him in, and they both spoke to us.  Then they seemed to realize our predicament and were very insistent that we wait in their apartment.

They both apologized for not having spoken much before that day; they had assumed we wouldn't be able to communicate.  Sitting and smiling at each other isn't always as easy as it sounds!  The wife brought out a box of chocolate and we all had a good laugh when the husband scolded her for only offering it to the guests and not to him also.  We looked at pictures of their grandchildren and listened to stories about their son who is a ship captain and all of the places he has sailed.

During the conversation, they mentioned that women gather in their home for religious meetings, to discuss the Koran.  Then the wife told me that my name had come up at the last meeting.  They felt badly for not having thought to invite me to their group.  I don't know how often they meet, but I wouldn't be surprised if I get an invitation next time.

What would you do?

"Good" People

This past week Hannah Grace and I went downstairs to the playground considerably later than usual.  It was nearly her bedtime, but that seems to be when the other children are out and about.  Our upstairs neighbors were just presenting a brand new scooter to their daughter, who also happens to be totally fascinated with Hannah Grace.  Something about the long, blond hair--sometimes she calls her Barbie, and other times Rapunzel.  Anyhow, our two girls took turns riding the scooter while the mother and I chatted and the dad went off.  About fifteen or twenty minutes later, the dad returned with a gift for Hannah Grace.  It was a brand new scooter, identical to the one they had just given their own child.  As an American, I was speechless.  As an American that has lived overseas for years I recovered quickly enough to accept graciously and thank them profusely, and to begin mentally figuring out what I should do in return.

This whole episode has me thinking a lot about good works and salvation.  This couple seemed genuinely happy to surprise us with an unexpected, lavish gift.  They want our daughters to become good friends, and in their minds the scooter seemed to be an excellent way to make that happen.  At the same time, their whole belief system encourages them to stack up as many good deeds as possible to increase their chances of salvation after death.

By all earthly accounts, these are good, moral people.  Sometimes we look at people like this and think, "They're such good, likable people.  All they need now is to just accept Jesus."  Yet, apart from the righteousness of Christ, they are just as sinful as the difficult, hard-to-get-along-with neighbors.  How do they come to the point of recognizing that all of the wonderful things they do will never be enough to satisfy God's justice?  That they can never tip the scales in their favor?  That awakening will only come through work of the Holy Spirit.

How Far Would You Travel to Church?

As we settle in at our new home, and as we learn our way around, finding a place of worship is one of the most important decisions we have to make. For those of us who grew up in the deep South, we usually have dozens of options within just a few miles from home. People look at their area churches and base their decision on factors ranging from theology to music style. It's possible to spend weeks--perhaps months--visiting prospective churches before settling on the right one.

Here, in this city of more than 14 million people, we have three options. One group that we have been visiting is a two hour trip across the water to the European side of the city. Bus ride, boat ride, train ride. We aren't sure if this is where we will settle, but it did get me thinking. How far am I willing to go, how much time am I willing to invest, how much inconvenience am I willing to tolerate, for the sake of worship with other believers?

Of course, our prayer is that the gospel will spread and communities of believers will sprout up all over the city! When you go to church this Sunday, many of you right in your own neighborhood, don't forget to pray for the millions of people who don't have any fellow believers in their area to gather with.

Hospitality and Strangers

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. -- Hebrews 13:2

Just four days after moving into this apartment, I was the recipient of local hospitality. Hannah Grace and I went downstairs to the park located on the apartment complex grounds. A mother and her four year old son were already there. Feeling extremely unconfident with the language, I smiled and said spoke, not being entirely sure if I was saying "hello", "good morning", or "good afternoon". She smiled back but didn't speak. My first thought was that she probably took me for an idiot that didn't know how to speak correctly, so I sat down and watched Hannah Grace play.

After a few minutes, she walked over and asked where we were from. (Now that she's heard Hannah Grace and me speaking English she realizes I'm a foreigner, rather than an idiot.) We talked for a while, and she told me which apartment she lives in, and that I could come visit anytime. I told her the same. I think.

When her son was ready to go back inside, she turned to me and said, "Come on, let's have some coffee at my house." I went, and we talked some more, laughing whenever my Turkish was so bad that we couldn't communicate at all.

Later, I spent some time thinking about hospitality. Not Martha Stewart-style entertaining, but the love of strangers (which is the literal definition of New Testament hospitality). Seeing a foreigner that can barely speak the language, and bringing them into our homes and serving them coffee. It's the sort of hospitality that can be uncomfortable. Yet God's Word teaches us that we should not neglect showing love to strangers.

My new friend, Jana, didn't show hospitality because of her love for Christ; she doesn't truly know and love Him yet. She was motivated by loneliness. Her family moved to this part of the city less than two months ago, and she hasn't made many friends. How much more should I be willing to open my home, when I do have the light of Scripture and the power of the Holy Spirit at work in me?

Please pray that I will be a good friend to Jana and that her loneliness here will soften her heart to the love of God. Pray also that we will get unpacked and settled quickly so that we can begin having new friends and neighbors into our home.