I had a friend ask me recently what ministry looks like when you have young children. I think the picture says it all. David and Nathan were six and three when this was taken in Tunisia. Raouf and I weren’t in the picture, because we’re in the house teaching a marriage class to couples, the other … More Families Reaching Families
I was going through some old journals a while back and came across a little green notebook that made me smile. It was full of French choruses I’d learned during my years in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), West Africa. I began flipping through the pages, trying to remember the tunes that went with the words. … More Singing in Tongues
There are so many serendipities to following God. I like that word, because it reminds me of my dad. He was a serendipity-kind-of man; always looking for the blessings that God brings our way. Unlike the idea of “chance” or “luck”, serendipities in faith are like extra toppings to the already wonderful blessing of knowing … More When Writing meets Reality
He was the speaker, I was the writer. The trick was getting his speaking onto paper. This was one of my objectives in my first novels — putting into story what was happening on a daily basis with the man I married. Then our boss brought it to a whole new level. During a conference … More Published: The Writing Journey #2
I’m a writer, which, in the literal sense, means I know how to put words on paper or screen. I’ve been this way since I was young, keeping diaries as a girl, prayer journals as a new Christian, and one of those students teachers liked, because I actually enjoyed essay questions. The only area my … More The Writing Journey
Ten years ago today we left. Raouf had preceded us on this journey, so I was alone with my two boys and an unruly Egyptian dog. We almost didn’t make it out, but in the end, they let us on the plane, dog and all. We said goodbye to Egypt, but we also said goodbye … More Leaving the field
I could never be a door-to-door salesman. I don’t like facing strangers or trying to sell things. That kind of work is way out of my comfort zone. Then again, sometimes God reminds you that to move forward, you have to step out of that circle of comfort. That’s what I’m doing tomorrow. No, I’m … More Knocking on doors
“Where were you last night? Who were you with? What were you doing? Why did you get home so late? Why didn’t you call?” Remember those days? I’ve had my share. My parents had a few rules and one was that, if we were going to be out later than our allotted time, we had … More Interrogation
It was a critical issue. We were deep in prayer. Would God hear? Would he answer? He did! What a relief and reminder of his goodness. The printer and monitor were released into the grateful hands of our colleagues. It was Syria, 1993. What makes me write about such an issue? I wonder that myself, … More The Captured Released
I could barely talk with her. We spoke different languages, but in the short time I had with my mother-in-law, God gave me glimpses into the life of a woman of influence. She had no position in this world other than that of being a widow and mother. She lost her husband early in life, … More A Woman of Influence
