SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
The Right Wrong Place
I
can’t believe I’m in the wrong place, I thought with mounting anxiety. I was trying to find my freshman orientation class, but with my limited knowledge of the campus and the local language, I was afraid I wouldn’t make it in time. I was just about to leave the building when I felt a strong impression to stay. “Lord, if You have a reason for me being here, please show me what it is,” I prayed silently. When I opened my eyes, I saw a young woman approaching me. “Hello, my name’s Amina,” she said softly. “Where are you from?” When I told her, she visibly brightened. “Basima, come here,” she called to her friend. “I may have found someone who can teach you the language you’ve been wanting to learn.” Amina introduced me to Basima, a fellow freshman. She seemed very shy, but she willingly gave me her phone number and told me that she looked forward to hearing from me. I strongly felt that Jesus had led me to her and, suddenly, being in the “wrong place” didn’t seem so bad. Initially, Basima and I communicated through simple text messages. But as my grasp of the local language increased and her shyness diminished, our friendship began to grow. We cooked and studied together, and I invited her to my apartment each Wednesday for language classes. These were special times when we shared about our families, hobbies, and even our spiritual lives. Slowly, Basima began to open up to me. She
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