Open Doors in the Middle East Mark J.H. Klassen
“The visit was too short,” said Nasser al’Qahtani, upon returning recently from a trip to the Middle East. “There are just too many new believers now, and too much work to do.”
Due to the fact that Nasser speaks their language and understands their cultural and religious background, he is able to explain things in a way that connects deeply with their worldview and allows them to embrace Jesus within their unique context.
It’s a wonderful problem, especially in a region that has been very closed to the Gospel over the years. Nasser was overjoyed with how discipleship opportunities have multiplied recently. As a result, he is not only eager to return to the region soon, but he is also excited to see others respond to the call for help.
When asked about the greatest need of the Church in this region, Nasser stated simply, “With so many newborn followers of Jesus, the Church needs spiritual fathers and mothers to invest in this new generation, to disciple these young believers and help them raise up their own spiritual families. That’s how I see my role, and that’s how I see others who are willing to come and serve in that way.”
Nasser, who is himself from that part of the world, has been a follower of Jesus for twenty-five years now. He grew up in a strict Muslim home and became a dedicated jihadist as a young man. However, after coming to faith in Jesus while living in the US, he is now regularly being invited back to his homeland by local believers and foreign workers alike who desperately want to hear his perspective on what it means to follow Jesus in a Muslim culture. “The new believers are so hungry for God and for the Scriptures,” said Nasser, “but the teaching and discipleship they are receiving often comes from a very Western perspective, so they struggle to understand what it looks like in the framework of their own culture.”
According to Nasser, the call for outside help is qualified by the reality that foreign workers in the region have historically not lasted long. “Missionaries don’t stay for more than a year or two,” he said, “and there seems to be three common reasons for why they don’t stick around.” Those three factors, Nasser explained, are first, that the foreigners lack a strong sending church in their homeland that understands their call and perseveres with them; second, that they lack a strong team on the ground to provide spiritual care and support; and third, that they lack the commitment or ability to learn Arabic. “When I’ve seen foreigners thrive in this region and stay long-term,” said Nasser, “they have all three of these components.” Nasser gave an example of one man and his family that came to the region more than ten years ago and have flourished. “He has become my key contact and my closest collaborator, not to mention my dear brother,” said Nasser with affection. “We communicate with each other at least once a week, and we share our hearts and pray together.” When Nasser recently facilitated the sending of a new worker from the US to the region, he made sure that the young man was received by this man and his family and was embraced as a part of their team.
4 | witness
