Fifteen minutes after the scheduled starting time, eighteen Muslim university students followed me into the warm welcome of the Faith family at Destinations Coffeehouse. After praying, fasting, and planning for six weeks, we were excited to see what the Spirit of God had in store for the initial meeting of Muslim international students and Faith Bible couples/families. In addition to the smiling American families, the international students were greeted warmly by the aroma of Raisin’ Canes chicken and toast. Shortly after arrival, the evening began with an icebreaker that put the roomful of people in motion and jumpstarted one-on-one conversations.

God’s presence was evident from the very start as families—some of whom had never met a Muslim before—began to love the Muslim students immediately. Each Faith family was paired with at least one Muslim student (in some cases two?). Though I had several discussion sheets prepared, I did not even need to distribute them because there was never a dull moment in the conversations between the students and the families. Conversations about home country, field of study, and personal interests slowly faded into intense games of UNO and Spoons. The students quickly moved from interesting anomalies to valued participants by their inclusion in group games. Playing group games seized the remaining time we had and provided many laughs and memorable moments.

Immediately following the event, the international students greatly appreciated the window into American family life. Several commented on how warm and welcome the FBC members had been. The most exciting part of the event was not the activities or the feedback, but the opportunities that families who have committed to reconnecting with their students will have for the sake of the gospel. Already I have heard reports of the Muslim students partaking in BBQs, Brunches, and Dramas apart from Global Missions team supervision. The buds of these relationships have huge potential for spiritual fruit as FBC members pursue Spirit-led interactions with these students. Please continue to pray for the families as they both proclaim and demonstrate the gospel. What a rich blessing to be a part of a new arena for God’s great plan of rescue!

See more photos from the evening on our Facebook page!