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I grew up in a missionary family. We were in Nepal for nine and a half years or so, and coming back, we started a house church in [our city] in some apartment complexes among the Nepalese refugees. I was pretty young at that time, but I remember there were also a lot of Middle Eastern refugees. We met an Iraqi family, and that was my first time being exposed to that culture and I guess to Islam. The culture, the people, and their religion have really caught my interest.
Ever since then, I’ve felt a calling toward those people groups, so I started learning Arabic. I’ve been learning Arabic a couple of ways, including the university where I’m now a senior. I’ve been able to meet a lot of Muslims in my Arabic class, but also there are Muslims everywhere at the school. Most of the Muslims I meet have grown up here, but they are unfamiliar with Christianity.
So, I’ve been able to form a very small ministry. It’s mostly just forming friendships. For example, there are two girls I’ve been able to connect with and we’ve been able to spend time together outside of class, with me just asking them questions about their religion and then telling them my perspective and about Christianity—just asking simple questions. I invited one Muslim girl to church with me on Easter and she was bold enough to go. She wore her hijab, so she was a little nervous about standing out, but she went. Friendships like these are still growing. This semester, the class where the girl and I met is quite a bit shorter, so it’s been harder to have more spiritual conversations. But whenever I have the chance, that’s what I do.
For me, this ministry has grown out of a personal spiritual renewal earlier in my college life. I’ve believed in God my whole life, but I kind of just lived however I wanted in high school and at the beginning of college. I think I was just very self-righteous during this period of my life.
In college, I started getting into things that weren’t good for me and I started to be convicted. I realized that I’m imperfect just like every other person. I am sinful. I began reading the Bible for myself and going through those things that truly made the gospel come alive to me. I remembered the things my parents had taught me all my life. And I started going to church again. Ever since that time I’ve been living for Christ.
"If God wants me here, then I’ll stay here, and if He wants me to go to another country, I’m fine with that, as well."
I started going to [a church] and I joined the college ministry there. That really helped me grow, and I was discipled through that ministry. This was my first time actually having a group of people my age who were also pursuing a relationship with God, and that was very helpful.
I’ve recently changed churches to a smaller church that is closer to where I live. I’ll soon be leading a young women’s group at my new church. I’m excited at the opportunity to have a leadership role in my church.
I remember when I was attending [the larger church] regularly, listening a sermon series on the book of Revelation. During one message, just hearing that the world is going to end and I had friends around me at the time who didn’t know Christ … I remember crying in my seat thinking, “Oh, I need to tell them. I need to share this with them.” I think that was the beginning of it. A mission trip with [the larger church] back to Nepal gave me an opportunity to share the gospel for the first time, and that changed my mindset and the way I live my life.
I want to do missions when I graduate next spring, wherever that may be. Through my minor, I’m studying Arabic, and I want to continue to study Arabic to be able to form better connections with Arabic-speaking people. I’m interested also in working with refugees, so something along those lines.
My plan is to go and do missions overseas, but I don’t know if that would be long-term. If God wants me here, then I’ll stay here, and if He wants me to go to another country, I’m fine with that, as well.
A big takeaway from the last few years is that my faith grew more as I met these Muslims. Having these conversations has been part of my discipleship, my obedience to Him. God is growing me at the same time He’s reaching them.
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