This
week's Cross Walk Talk PODCAST is a
Surprise Interview! How to Minister to Muslims
(her name not revealed for her
own safety)
Click to hear the podcast interview
(To download first, R click on
the link, click save as, and
download to downloads or make a new folder - "NowFaith.TV")
Carlotta: You always had a heart for missions but how did God
lead you to Muslims?
Since I was five, I felt the call to be a missionary teacher.
After college I worked hard to pay off some school bills while
gaining teaching experience at a small Christian school. I looked
into several organizations in both missions agencies and teaching
overseas. Nothing seemed to be right.
My pastor knew my heart for serving as a missionary and told me
about a couple in my church who helped to train missionaries for the
field with my denomination. I had met with them and shared my heart
with them and the dream that God had put in my heart to teach
overseas. They in turn met a missionary couple who was praying about
teachers for their school in the country where I eventually served.
When I received a phone call from this couple, I had never heard of
this country. However, that very fact peeked my interest. Although I
did not respond right away, it was in the back of my heart and mind
for several months before I realized that this was where God was
calling me to serve for at least one year.
Carlotta: What was it that peeked your interest about this one
opportunity?
I had taken the “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement”
class at a local Bible Study Center in my home town. This class is
offered in many cities around the country and it is an incredible
eye opener to understanding God’s plan and purposes for the nations.
The course highlights four areas in understanding and fulfilling the
Great Commission: Biblical, historical, strategic, and cultural.
I had heard about the 10/40 window before taking this class, but
after taking this course, my heart began to realize the need for
people to be reached in this area. The 10/40 Window is an area of
the world that contains the largest population of non-Christians in
the world. The area extends from 10 degrees to 40 degrees North of
the equator, and stretches from North Africa across to China. 97% of
people in the least evangelized countries live in the 10/40 window.
82% of the poorest of the poor live in the 10/40 window. This area
is the home to the greatest concentration of Muslims, which is said
to be the fastest growing religion in the world by some.
These facts burdened my heart and I longed to go to this area of the
world. The country in Asia that I was asked to go and teach in was
in this very area. So in a nut shell, it was ultimately God’s
specific call to this country and the burden on my heart to reach
the unreached Muslims in the 10/40 window.
Carlotta: Tell us specifically, what were you able to do in this
Muslim country?
I am an Elementary School Teacher. So, I went on the field my
first year and taught First and Second grade students at a school
for Missionaries’ Kids. I always thought of my self as teaching
needy kids on the field, meaning the nationals. Yet, you have to
know the language first to do that, of course. Even though this was
not my assignment for my first mission field experience, I was
excited and knew that I was called to begin my years of serving in
this little school.
Not until I began teaching there, did I realize the GREAT need for
quality education for missionary kids. In fact, one of the NUMBER
ONE reasons missionaries leave the field is due to the lack of
educational resources for children their children. Teachers for all
ages are needed on the mission field. If God opens the door for
helping the education system in the country of service, great, but
it usually never mean teaching the students unless you are teaching
English to the children. During my second year, I taught second and
third grade and was able to take a big roll in developing curriculum
for the school, which I really enjoyed!
The experience of being able to bless these missionary families from
the States, the UK, Korea, Australia, and other nations in an all
English speaking school was an incredible blessing to me. What an
open door! And I say this to encourage any and all teachers of every
level of education, God can use you in almost any nation around the
world to minister to missionary families in this way. Not only
missionary families will be blessed, but their organization will
thank you for helping to make it possible for them to stay on the
field. Even family members of the missionaries will appreciate you
as they sometimes may worry about this important aspect of the
child’s life. I was also able to teach English to neighborhood kids
and to help start a discipleship group for the girls, opening up
more local opportunities.
Carlotta: Tell us more about teaching English as an opportunity to
reach the people.
Until you get outside of the United States, you will not realize
the incredible desire that many peoples of the world have to learn
English. I have heard it all the time. Teaching English is an
incredible open door to the peoples of the world, even in places
that are completely closed to Christianity. Now, I am not certified
in Teaching English as a Second language, although I have seriously
thought about since coming to Tajikistan, I did have an English club
for my neighborhood children during my first year there. I started
with a party for them at Christmas time to tell them about the real
meaning of Christmas. From that point, I was able to relationships
with kids who were hungry to learn.
Carlotta: How receptive are Muslims to hearing the Good News of
Jesus Christ?
I want to preface what I am about to say with the fact that I
have worked among Muslims in one particular country. Just as we know
of varying lifestyles and moral codes of people who refer to
themselves as Christians around the world, the same is true for
Muslims. The Muslim people I worked with are not as strict
religiously as you will find in some parts of the world. Having said
that, the Muslims I came to know were open to listening about Jesus
Christ as their Savior. They are willing to listen once you have
taken the time to “get to know them.” Sometimes they will easily
bring up the subject of religion.
Carlotta: How can we begin to reach out to the Muslims we know?
You can pray with them in the name of Jesus. You can be patient,
understanding that making decisions for Christ are a huge step and
may mean that their families will turn away from them. Their family
is Muslim, always have been, and without your witness, most likely
always will be.
Carlotta: How important is it to be able to speak their language?
It is very important if you go to their country. Most
missionaries to Muslim countries overseas, spend 3-6 months studying
their language before they go. I didn't have time to do that but I
spent hours and hours studying after I arrived until I could carry
on a conversation with them. By my second year I could share with
them in their "heart language."
Carlotta: Give us a word about reaching Muslims or befriending
them.
The is the key to reaching Muslims for Christ, I believe –
FRIENDSHIP. You will find that this is the case in the life of
almost any nonbeliever as I am sure you understand, you need to
first build a relationship with that person to show that they can
trust you. To answer your question though, yes, even once you have
become their friend and earned their trust, it takes prayer,
patience, and living out the Christian life in front of them in just
everyday occurrences.
Muslims, as are all peoples of what we may call the “Eastern World,”
are all about family. Respecting and honoring family and their
community is their highest priority. If we can be a demonstration of
a God honoring, loving family you can make a world of difference in
their eyes which will show them the true heart of Christianity.
Whether it be demonstrating a loving and respectful relationship
between a husband and wife, or parent and child.
Carlotta: How
can we best pray for Muslims?
For one, Muslims believe strongly that they can hear from God in
dreams and visions. Pray that they will be open and that Jesus will
manifest Himself to them in dreams and visions.
Pray that they will be hungry for something more as they realize the
emptiness of religion. All religions are simply man's ways of trying
to reach God. Jesus is Father God reaching to man.
Tune into the AUDIO at www.NowFaith.TV to hear more about:
-
the current status of women in Muslim cultures
-
the importance of bearing a son
- life for women who have not married by age 20-23
- life for a woman who did not conceive a child in the first 6 months
- subservience to the husband's mother
-
women who are married as a second or third wife
-
physical and emotional abuse of wives
-
rare opportunities for women to continue education away from home
Carlotta: PRAYER: Ask God how you can be involved in missions now.
-
ask God if you are to go on a missions trip (or a trip with us)
-
re-evaluate your priorities and make time to be a witness here and now
-
reorganize your budget so you are able to give to those who go
-
learn more about other countries, cultures and their beliefs
-
pray for the world using a map or the newspaper
-
pray for our mission outreaches and our mission's trip
-
sending support packages to missionaries
-
subscribe to a missionaries newsletter and encourage them by e-mail
-
start a prayer group for the world
-
make friends with non-believers in your own community
Carlotta: What
other resources are available?
You can do an internet search on the 10/40 window, take the
"Perspectives" course in your area, join or form a missions
committee in your church and you can read books on missions and or
Muslims.
Carlotta: You can send me any questions you have for this missionary and I will forward them to her (to protect her identity and safety.)
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Copyright Carlotta Waldmann
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