Retreaded and still rolling

Last week we took a virtual tour of the Arab world, “hearing” the call to prayer in Arabic, feeling the drama of Ramadan, sensing the spiritual hunger of Muslims looking for something more.

Our tour guides were David and Carol Wilson, long-time friends from Minneapolis. They served God 12 years in Jordan, seeing him work in difficult circumstances. Here in Sao Paulo, they taught seminary students (4 nights), pastors and church members (2 nights) about Islam and how to point Muslims to Jesus.

There are about 2 million Muslims in Brazil—one percent of the population. Brazilians have much greater access to Muslims than Americans, because there are fewer political barriers to cross.

Did I mention that the Wilsons are “retreaded”? We were challenged by their passion for this group of people which represent the fastest growing religion on the globe. Dave and Carol, thanks for modeling long-term faithfulness to Jesus.

So, what attracts Muslims to Jesus? (It’s definitely not Christianity!) The Master’s love, compassion, kindness and gentleness stand in sharp contrast to the harsh demands of a religion based on submission. Many Muslims are beginning to realize that the imposition of Sharia law does not change the hearts of people.

To learn more about Islam and Muslims, the Wilsons recommend the following resources: Web: http://www.answering-islam.org/
Book: Building Bridges, Fouad Elias Accad (NavPress: Colorado Springs, 1997).

In the photo at right, Lalia interprets Dave Wilson's seminar into Portuguese (the language of the angels).