Episode 21, Sara A: The Outrageous Love of Courageous Neighbors (Jordan)

Sara was raised in a God-fearing Jordanian Muslim family that loved Jesus but did not see Him as the son of God.

Courageous neighbors reached out to Sara’s family, despite great risk, and brought them true freedom in Christ. Repeated invitations to church were eventually met with a new, firm and unstoppable faith for Sara.

She is proof that a Muslim who comes to Christ is a force to be reckoned with and the love of neighbors can have a huge impact!

Today, she is an evangelist with The Crescent Project, enabling Christians to share the hope of Jesus with Muslims. Learn how to engage the Muslims all around you. Be encouraged by our Sendoff from Blind Tony, inspired by Sara's life.

Join our email list to get next week's bonus show on ways The Crescent Project can equip you to share the hope of Jesus with Muslims.

Helpful links:

The Crescent Project
Crescent's Hope Conference
Learn why to reach Muslims, with Crescent Founder, Fouad Masri
Why Do Muslims Come to Jesus short video
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Transcript

One8 Podcast Episode 21 

Sara A: The outrageous love of courageous neighbors

This is transcript of the audio recording may have errors that do not reflect the show. 

Margaret Ereneta: Hey friends. This is Margaret Ereneta producer for One80. I'm coming at you today with the show. We're so excited to have Sarah with us today.

Sarah, welcome to the show.

Sara A.: Thank you. Thank you friend. And I'm so glad to be with you and to join you today.

Margaret Ereneta: Yeah, that's awesome. We'd like to start the show with a random question generator. So here it goes. If you were to write a book, what would the topic be?

Sara A.: Yeah. The story that never ends.

Margaret Ereneta: Wow. The never ending story. Like what, what do you mean by that?

Sara A.: I think in life, we want to achieve our goals and our dreams. But when we get to those dreams, life doesn't end the story doesn't end until we meet Jesus. So for me, I felt like at the beginning I had a lot of dreams. I wanted to graduate school, graduate university to start working, to get married to have a family.

And I realized that God was teaching me. I'm still single, but God was teaching me to enjoy the journey. And not only to wait for that final destination, because even when you get it, even when you get there, this is not the final destination. 

Margaret Ereneta: That's really neat.

Sara A.: yeah, I learned to keep myself in the journey and enjoy it.

And I felt like, you know, the destination is not only to get married. The destination is not only to have a family and to have children. The destination is for me to enjoy life and to live faithfully and to live for him. And the, the end will be to meet him face to face in person.

Margaret Ereneta: I wanna read that story. It's very fun. So we'll get a glimpse of it today and I'm so excited. Your story is very inspiring, Sarah. So let's get into your story. Can you tell us what it was like to grow up in Jordan?

Sara A.: So growing up in Jordan, I will say, I am a proud Jordanian. I love Jordan and I'm so grateful I was born and raised in Jordan. But you know, in, in my country you were born according to the religion of your parents. It's not something you choose. And it's easy for Christians to change the religion and to convert to Islam, but it is impossible for Muslims to convert to Christianity and especially on papers or passports or IDs, you cannot do that.

 So , in my family, I was raised in a Muslim family, SUNY. My dad is Jordanian. My mom is Lebanese and my mom was more nominal more open and she was an nominal Muslim and my dad was a devout Muslim. So when they got married, I felt like in the family, I had two cultures. I had two ways of being a Muslim.

My mom actually loved Christ. She loved the teaching of Jesus Christ. She loved Christians, all her friends were Christians. And I was like when I was preparing for one of the sessions with Crescent project and I was thinking about it, I was like, why did my mom not accept Jesus that time? Even though she loved Jesus.

She respected Jesus. And she, she loved his teaching and she didn't like the teaching of Muhammad. And I realized because no one invited her, no one told her that she can be a follower of Christ. No one told her that she can accept Christ and follow him and be a Christian in her heart.

Margaret Ereneta: So Sarah, you talked about your mom feeling like she didn't have a choice, like she was Muslim and there was no choice. Can you explain to us what it's like to be in a religion that you have no choice in.

Sara A.: Yes. So being born in a Muslim family, is not a choice. First of all, because your father is a Muslim, your grandfather is a Muslim, then you are a Muslim. So your father, when you are born, he whispers in your ear that you are a Muslim. So he whispers that in your ear from the beginning, because he wants to give that child to God.

to God of Islam. So that's the way it starts. But also according to the religion of your family, you follow the religion of your family.

So so that's the way with my mom. My dad was a devout Muslim but at the same time he was praying, fasting. He wanted to be a great father. He wanted to be responsible for the family and he was but then living in two cultures, it made me see Islam didn didn't help a lot with my father.

Like it didn't help him to, to feel peace. It didn't help him to feel the joy of life. , so being raised in a Muslim family, I didn't know better because I didn't see the other side, but at the same time , my mom wanted us to, be friends with Christians. She wanted us to, to be with Christians and Muslims, but she said, if anyone will ask you about your religion, because that's the second question after asking about your name, they will say, are you a Muslim or Christian?

My mom told us to just answer. It's not your business because she didn't want people to label us. And yes, we were Muslims, but she didn't want people to just say, oh, you're a Muslim or you're a Christian. And to label us with that. So that was the situation with my family.

Margaret Ereneta: What was the best part of being in your family?

Sara A.: I was my dad's child 

Margaret Ereneta: Oh, 

Sara A.: so he really knew how to, treat me well. And he was very nice with me. I'm not saying that my mom was not, but my, my personalities really like my mom. So me and my mom were fighting the whole time. My dad was the peacemaker and he knew how to like, talk with me, have a discussion with me, not, not all the time, but that was the best part, 

also spending time with my mom and dad and being with family. And I'm saying that because also when I became a believer, the loss was big because the closest one to me was my father. So also I loved our connections with our neighbors. So my mom is Lebanese. Yes. But she loved Jordan.

She moved to Jordan and that was like, she lived in that area in Jordan, in Amman for 40 years. So her neighbors, they were family.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. So you talked about what it was like growing up in your family. How did you practice your Muslim faith as a family?

Sara A.: So as a family, my dad, all his family in Jordan, my aunts were covered. They will go and pray and fast and go according to Sharia law. My mom's side, they were in Lebanon, but they were different. Not all of them were devout Muslims.

Some of them were traditionally Muslims and they were nominal Muslims. But for my side, I still remember one time. When I was a kid, maybe five years old, I wanted to try to put the hijab on, which is the head cover, just because I saw many people having it on. I wanted to try it , in front of the mirror.

And my mom was. Put it down, don't even try this. And because she didn't want us to be like that, you know? And I still remember one day I was in third grade or fourth grade and I tried to fast and fasting for Muslims is not easy during Ramadan. So you fast from the sunrise still sunset and you don't eat, you don't drink.

And I tried my best that day too fast to please God. And I still remember that day. I had an exam, a test with a religion topic like we studied religion and I got a full mark. So I connected getting a full mark with me, fasting that day. So being raised , in a Muslim family traditionally, and culturally, I just wanted to please God.

And when you were a kid, they don't push you. Like in my area, in my country and with my family, they didn't push me to like put the hijab on, I was in a Christian school, but at the same time I was memorizing the Quran at school because we studied religion and I actually started teaching it to our Christian neighbor who was only like two years younger than me.

We, she was sitting on the chair and I was like teaching her sort fat. It's one of the verses in the Quran. And I felt like I was devout and faithful, you know, 

Margaret Ereneta: mm-hmm . Wow, that's really neat. 

Sara A.: I was a devout Muslim 

Margaret Ereneta: So you, you really did embrace the teachings of the Quran

Sara A.: Yes. I mean, not fully like, yeah, not fully because within Islam, before being a teenager, they don't press too much. But then after that, everything changes like when you hit seven years old or eight, everything changes.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. What were the Christians like in Jordan? Were there a lot of them,

Sara A.: They are the minority. And when I say Christians, that doesn't mean all of them, Christ followers. They might be Christians by name or traditionally Christians not born again, Christians, but they were Christians, some of them by name and some of them, they were following Christ, but they are the minority in my country. 

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. Was it dangerous for those people to be Christian?

Sara A.: It depends where you live. Exactly. So the west of the country is different than the east. And some of them, they won't even live in those areas that it'll be dangerous for them to live in. But in my area it wasn't dangerous. The, the danger was if you convert from Islam to Christianity,

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. So it was safe. Where you were to be a Christian, just not for a Muslim to convert to Christianity. That was dangerous wherever you were.

Sara A.: yes, it was safe, but not easy because people will be like making fun of you or like just talking and at like not fighting all the time, but when you are the minority, you don't feel you have the same rights, like the majority, right? So they lived in safe situation. But at the same time, I don't say that they had all the rights.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. So you consider yourself at this point, somewhat devout for your age Muslim. Were you surprised when your parents sent you to a Christian school?

Sara A.: No, because I started in that Christian school when I was really little. So I didn't really think about that. But also in our country, many Muslims will go to Christian schools because it's private schools and it's better education. So you pay more money, but it will be having a better education.

Many Muslims will go to these schools.

So going into a Christian school, that doesn't mean you learn Christianity in that school. So I was in a Christian school, but I learned Islam in my religion class. So Muslims will go to religion class learning Islam. Christians will go to Christian class to learn Christianity, but the problem with public schools, even Christians, they cannot attend Christian classes.

So either they have to attend Islam classes or go to recess,

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. So, so there is an option to opt out. 

Sara A.: Not in all schools. 

Margaret Ereneta: okay. Not in all schools. So in your Christian school, did you, even though you didn't have Christianity in your religion class, did you get Christianity in any other way?

Sara A.:  In my school I had to learn about Islam and it was funny because I'm in a Christian school, but at the same time in our classes, we were talking about Christians that they would go to.

Jesus Christ didn't die on the cross. And that's what they believe in. They don't believe that Christ is a son of God because they believe in the unity of God, that God is one. And when we believe in Jesus, then we are believing in three gods and they believe that we, they think we Christians believe that God is the father.

Jesus is a son and Mary is the mother. Okay, so for them, this is wrong. So I learned from a young, young age about Islam, about Mohammad and about the put on. And I learned at the same time that Christianity is not the right religion and the Bible is corrupted. 

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. That's very interesting. Even in a Christian school that you, you learned that tenets of your faith and then.

Christian Christianity was false.

Sara A.: But,. God sent us neighbors who shared Christ with us and shared stories from the Bible with us since I was a little I still remember, I was maybe first grade when they moved in and that's the neighbor, their kid that I started to teach and Teach her how to memorize the Quran. So those neighbors, they kept sharing their faith with us, you know shared their faith with my mom, especially my mom will go and visit them every day because my dad will be at work and neighbors in our country is like family.

So we spend a lot of time with them and, they lived by faith. So they will share stories from the Bible. They will share about their faith when they have needs, they show us how to pray. But, you know what I remember because I was a kid, they didn't just sit in front of me and shared Christ with me.

I was playing with their, with their daughter, but at the same time I was hearing and listening to them. So I was listening to those stories. I was watching their lives and and then they actually invited us to church.

Margaret Ereneta: Wow. , did you go. 

Sara A.: Well, I want to say there's a power of the invitation there's power behind it. That sometimes people will say, oh, they might not go. So we won't invite them. My encouragement to you is just to say it invite and wait for God to work on their lives. So when they invited us at the beginning, I am sure they didn't think that we will convert one day and we will lead missions and be missionaries and share the gospel with people.

But when they invited us, I went to Sunday school and my parents didn't mind it at the beginning, especially my mom. She loved me going. To, to church and be with Christians because she trusted them. My dad didn't mind it because he thought that we will go we'll play games. We'll enjoy our time in a safe environment.

And also he trusted Christians. So I remember going to Sunday school learning stories from the Bible, and some of those stories were similar to the stories I learned at the Quran, but sometimes with different names about prophets about Moses, about Abraham. But at the same time, it was kind of learning a new language.

It's like learning my new ABCs because I didn't know about the holy spirit. And for me, Jesus Christ was a prophet was only a prophet. He's not the son of God. He didn't die on the cross. There was no Trinity, no resurrection and no salvation. So going to even Sunday school and hearing a little bit about it, it was a foreign language to me.

Margaret Ereneta: Well, that's just really amazing to think about it being another language. There's such a barrier there, from what you've learned to what you're hearing. Wow. So did, did that have an impact on you and how, how often did you go to this church? 

Sara A.: It was only five minutes away from my house, walking distance. And our neighbor was actually a teacher in Sunday school there and , I will go with her every time she goes.

Margaret Ereneta: That's so cool. And how often did you go? Like how long did you attend this church?

Sara A.: I remember it was on Thursday, so I will go every Thursday. And I started going when I was fourth or third grade, but I was like going every week when I was fifth grade. And and in sixth grade they let me go to the conference with the youth meeting and gathering students ministry.

And there, I started also to go and there was something that attracted me to go to that church. I loved it even though I didn't understand everything. And I was kind of against the things that they were talking about. And I was thinking and fighting in my head. Like I came to the point that also we were invited to worship nights and I loved those worship nights.

It was also a strange and weird thing, but I loved it. And then in that, in that meeting, I was in sixth grade, but I was thinking about my relationship with God. And I was thinking about like Islam and Christianity. And I was saying, God, like, this is so hard for me to decide.

And, and I don't know how to decide. Both of them seem right. I'm originally a Muslim. So I'm born into this and. Another religion that Muslims believe that it's a false religion, but I like it, but it's so hard to decide. So I said, you know what? I split my heart. I'll give half of it to Islam. And half of it to Christianity, I will follow Christ and prophet Mohammed.

And that's the way I did it for, I think a year or two,

Margaret Ereneta: and how did that feel

to do both? 

Sara A.: it was so

hard. It was so hard because you are believing in things that they are the opposite. So 

in Islam, they don't believe in Christ like Christ is not the son of god. There was no cross, like he didn't die on the cross. Muslims believe he was raised. So there's nothing to relate to salvation. No S.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. Anything else? 

Sara A.: Oh, also no resurrection. So Muslims, they don't believe in resurrection. and there's no holy spirit that, that when Jesus was raised, he gave us the holy spirit. They don't believe in the holy spirit that we believe in. So that was really hard.

Margaret Ereneta: okay. How did this affect your family over time? Going to

Sara A.: So at the beginning, as I said, the, my mom, my mom wanted us to go. My dad didn't mind. But then actually my sister who is six years older than me accepted to Christ before me, but she didn't tell me because if she told me I would go and tell my dad and I didn't know how dangerous that was. I was young, but then I kept going to church and I also wanted to.

To do whatever my sister will do. Like if she reads the Bible, I wanna read the Bible. If she prays, I wanna pray. If she goes to that meeting, I will go with her to that meeting. And and I learned a lot and yeah, but my dad was okay until he started to realize that we are different. He started to see Bibles in the house and Christian books in the house and that made him so mad.

And then he started to see that we are so connected to church. We go there weekly. All our friends are Christians, so that made him so angry and mad.

Margaret Ereneta: And how did he display that, that disappointment 

Sara A.: Well, throwing away those books and having big fights shouting and screaming. And then my mom will be in the middle. And my mom knew how to deal with that. My mom is a strong personality. She's a lion and my dad loves her. So my dad is so angry and mad because you know, it's very shameful, not only shameful, it is so scary because he is responsible for the family in front of God.

And God in Islam. He will punish you for these things. So he was all the time scared of the wrath of God.

Margaret Ereneta: Can you explain? I've heard before, and I think we've said it on 180, that Islam is a religion of shame and honor. So are there any more examples of how that would play out with what your dad was going through at the time? 

Sara A.: Like your reputation will be spread that these Muslims became Christians. So first of all, this is very dangerous. Some people might come and attack you kill you in the name of honor and shame and they won't go to jail. Maybe they will be in jail for a a week and then they will be released because it's under shame and honor.

So it is very dangerous. And also for their reputation, they will say, oh, their father didn't know how to lead them. Their father is not a good father. They now do whatever they want and they start talking about our reputation in a bad way. So this is shameful for my father as he is the leader of the family.

And as he is the man in the family, it's so shameful for him. So when you have shame, you just feel you wanna hide.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. Yeah. So while you are you're here, you're a Christian. So how did God start getting through to you? I know you were doing both Islam and Christianity. Was there a turning point in there of something where you started to see things more clearly from the Christian perspective

Sara A.: Yeah. When I was in middle school, I kept praying and I said, God lead me. And I said to myself, no way, God will give me three ways. And three of them are against one another and he will say all these. Ways and roads will take you to me. I said, for sure, there will be only OneWay and I need to find that way, but I, I asked God for guidance and I kept praying for guidance.

And I asked many people about the cross Trinity resurrection, and I still remember one time in a school bus. I asked one of my friends who's Christian. I. I don't believe that Jesus died on the cross. How do you believe that Jesus died on the cross? And then my sister looked at me and she shushed me. She was like, sh we don't talk about this in the bus because you know, you cannot talk about this in public.

And I kept praying. I kept asking God to lead me. And I went at that time. I had a low self-esteem. I really struggled to love myself and accept myself the way I was. And even in Islam, it didn't help me because in Islam you have to please, God, you have to be good enough for God to love you. And to be pleased with you.

Other than that, you will wait for the wrath of God, the punishment. And I felt like I will never be good enough for people or for God.

So I was invited to a student's conference, like ministry. Is that what you call it here? Youth retreat. Yes. 

Margaret Ereneta: Yes.

Sara A.: It was middle school. And I went to that retreat.

And in that Christian retreat, the pastor was sharing and talking about the, the physical pain of Christ on the cross. And me and my sister were, we were the only Muslims in like, in that, in that retreat, all of them were Christians. So but they let me go. And they trusted me. They let me go because they, they could see that I was searching and seeking.

And at that night, when the pastor shared about Christ and about the pain that really happened on the cross, he said something that changed my life. He said, God loves you the way you are. He already paid the price. He loves you the way you are. Even when you were a sinner, He died on the cross and he paid the full price, even when you were a sinner. And he said, God wants you to change because it is better for you.

Not because it's better for him. And that's the opposite of Islam. Islam wants you to change because you wanna please, God, you want to, to because you're scared of God, but here in Christianity or in that, in that meeting, I felt. There's a burden that God took away from me because he wants me to be better person. That changed my life. I couldn't resist that love. I couldn't resist that forgiveness.

And I said, you know what? Even if it's not, if it didn't happen, that that love, how can I say no to it? For sure. It is the right one, for sure. He deserves to be God, because he's the one who's paying it. Instead of me, he knows I cannot do it. He did it for me. And that night I just gave my heart to him and I said, you know what?

I surrender. And I want you to lead me and help me to know more about you that night. I wasn't like 100% sure about the resurrection, the Trinity, the cross. Because as I said before, it's my second language. I started to learn it. When you learn a second language, you're not going to speak it. You need time to hear more words.

You need time to learn your ABCs as, as a baby, you need time and then you will be, you'll start talking.

Margaret Ereneta: That's really amazing.

Sara A.: Yeah. 

Margaret Ereneta: way you explained it. Thank you.

So you. Prayed this prayer to receive Christ. What happened after that?

Sara A.: God surrounded me with mentors who helped me to study the Bible who answered my questions, not all my questions, but I was learning to discover it's about layers. And every time God will like show me something different. He will take me to more depth. And and I will say the, the, the leaders that God sent into my life where godly men and woman who helped.

To to know God better to learn more about Christ in the cross and the Trinity to answer my questions and also to teach me how to share my faith with people and with others.

Margaret Ereneta: So what, what was something new you were learning from these mentors that really clicked with you after the gospel obviously clicked, but what else were you learning that just made a lot of sense.

Sara A.: Well one time the leader told me a story and he said, if I give you you like apples and I will give you an apple, but with dirty hands, are you going to take it? I said, no, because it'll be dirty. So he said, what do we need to do? I said, either to wash the apple or to wash your hand. But he said, I like that you will just take the apple from my hand, but they are dirty.

I said, I, I don't know. He said, it's the same with God. Like when we give. Good deeds to God, but from a sinful nature, God hates sin in any way, even when you're trying to do good deeds, but it's coming from a sinful nature. And the, the solution is to work on that sinful nature. The only person who could pay , the price for your sinful nature was someone who's sinless.

And also that related to me at that point, because in Islam, they, they believe that Jesus Christ had no sin and he was sinless. And it made sense that someone without a sin can pay for my sin. You cannot ask a sinner to pay for your sin. So he said in that way, we can give a clean apple with clean hands and the Lord will accept it because it's coming from from a clean hand, not from a dirty hand, like, because it was paid and it was enough.

So that was very, like, I kept thinking of it. And it made sense to.

Margaret Ereneta: That's really helpful as well. So you're learning these things and you're an evangelist now, how did that happen? Did that happen right away? 

Sara A.: No, it took time, but what happened right away? I wanted people to know that I am a different person because of Christ in me, not because of Islam. So that was at the beginning. Like I wanted people to, because I'm a very honest person. I didn't want them to think that I don't curse or I don't do something wrong because, oh, I'm a Muslim.

No, I'm Christian. So this is the first thing. And then the second thing I went to a conference with Team missions who came from the states to our country and they had a camp for a month. And in that camp, I was in 10th grade and and they challenged us. So we've, we memorized verses they helped us a lot, like to learn .

But at the same time, that changed my heart. And at that conference, I, I said, Lord, I wanna share with people the good news, like that was a challenge for me. And I said, I will give you my heart and you gave me my life. So I wanna, give you back. I wanna be part in the kingdom.

So I started learning about it. And since I was 10th grade, I, I kept sharing the gospel with people. And then when I graduated school and

went to 

college, 

Margaret Ereneta: you weren't afraid of that. 

Sara A.: I wasn't at that point, because as I said, I was young, I didn't know the danger, which is good. and also, as I said, I am a strong personality and lions and the Lord used it at that point.

 I had, like, , is that what you say? The zeal zealous.

Margaret Ereneta: Mm-hmm 

Sara A.: So I had the zeal to share the gospel. Like I wanted everyone to know the hope that we have in Christ. I felt like I'm not ashamed of it. And if you're proud of something, you need to share it, you hide something that you're ashamed of it. I wasn't ashamed of.

Margaret Ereneta: So you do start sharing it and you're sharing it more. So what

Sara A.: well not all the time it went well because at college, I, I shared the gospel with someone who was from the, the Muslim brothers. And I didn't know that. And my mistake is that I shared that about my background. So I said, I'm a Muslim background believer. And after a few months I was called to go to the secrets police and here was a big

hit for me. 

I was only maybe 18 years old or 19, and it was my first year in college and I was the youngest. And I was like, what do I do? It was, it was real now. It's real. You know, so when I went to the secrets police. They did the investigation. And I still remember like going in a bus and with my mom and it wasn't, it wasn't easy.

Margaret Ereneta: Scary. 

Sara A.: Yeah, it was scary. And I was upset, but you know what, when I left that day, I started praying for the secret police because I knew that they wanted to protect the country and to help the country to be safe. And it's a Muslim country. I cannot expect from that country to treat me the way a Christian country will treat.

For them, they think they're doing the right thing. So at that point it was scary for me, but God really helped me to share what I needed to share. He spoke through me and I shared that. I, they asked me, what do you believe in? And I made sure to tell them, I believe in one God, and that Christ died on the cross for me because they believe, they think that Christians believe in three gods.

We don't believe in three gods. We believe in one God. So when I left, I felt I had strong roots in my faith, and that even helped me to be closer to God and in strong in my relationship with the Lord. And to be honest, I wasn't bitter because of what happened. I started, as I said, praying for the country and secret police and Christians and Muslims in the country that I, I loved my country even more when I left, because I felt the need to pray more.

Margaret Ereneta: Wow. So pray more. Did it scare you away from sharing your faith openly?

Sara A.: No, but I became wiser. So I didn't need to share with people. Hey, I'm a believer from a Muslim background. I started sharing my faith and what I believe in without sharing about my background, unless people will ask.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. Did you have any other incidents with

Sara A.: In college my last year the, some of the college students who are Muslims came to my room and they heard about my faith and they, they threatened me. They wanted to know why I believe in this. They made fun of me. So I was there with my roommate and they, they didn't wanna even leave our room and they started smoking.

So we, we hated it and we didn't want them to stay, but I couldn't ask the security to come because I knew if I will ask the security that will make things even worse, because then they will know about my background and that will make things even worse. But I still remember when they left we shared the gospel with them.

We made sure me and my roommate to share the gospel with them. And for sure, they made fun of us when they left me and my roommate, we nailed down on the floor and we started praying for them. And That time. It wasn't easy, but I always remember how God helped me to raise my head up high, because what I believe is the truth.

And I always love the verse that says, you know, the truth and the truth will set you free.

Margaret Ereneta: Wow. Okay. Yeah. That's very powerful. So during your time in college, you were bolded. You, you talked more to people. Did you continue witnessing after college?

Sara A.: Yes. So in college I studied physical education and I said, , Lord, it's a gift from you. And I will use it for your glory. I don't know how, 

so I started working with middle school and high school students. And then the Lord led me to start a sports team and sports ministry in my area. And I went South Africa. I, I took a training returned back to my country, formed a team, and we started using sports as a tool to reach out to teenagers, Muslims, and Christians sharing the gospel with.

Margaret Ereneta: Wow. How exciting.

Sara A.: Yeah. I still remember the first time I started preparing for all of this. I said, Lord, I'm not good enough. Like you're asking someone who's not ready. I'm not good enough. I'm not an athlete. Like I'm not excellent in this. And the verse I read that day that changed my life said, may the Lord of peace, the shepherd of all sheep equip you with everything good to do his will.

And that point I knew that God will equip me with everything. Good to do his will. It's not by power. It's not by my power or strength. It's by his spirit. So he will equip me.

Margaret Ereneta: That's that's so true. And so he equipped you to do your sports ministry and even more. So how did you get involved in the Crescent project?

Sara A.: Well I left my country in 2018. And he opened the way for me. It was the door of hope. So I went to actually in Indiana and then Crescent project for ad met me and he asked me if I can join them. And he asked me if I can lead women's outreach. And I said, yes.

And we started praying about it. And I started like, they started applying for my visa, but the visa took three years instead of three months. So I had to stay there for three months before coming so I stayed there for three years instead of three months. But it was amazing because in, in that area for three years, God helped me to form a team to reach out to Muslim women and to share the gospel with them.

We have now more than 40 families that I'm connected with personally before moving to another state.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. I'm so excited about the Crescent project. And I'm so glad that it's out there. I, for one get so intimidated around Muslims. I don't know why I could interact. I wish I could interact with them more. We don't even need to go to Jordan to other Muslim countries. Right. They're here in our neighborhoods.

They're like next to us on the soccer field, but folks I'm sure like me, you wanna hear more about the Crescent project as always, we have helpful links in our show notes, but we're also going to be sharing a bonus show with you next week, where we'll hear Sarah, tell us all about the Crescent project and what we can do to bring the light of Jesus to Muslims, just like Sarah does.

And to get to that show you join our email list and the link is in our show notes, but you can find us@oneeightypodcast.com that's O N E 80 slash subscribe. And so we have a last question for you, Sarah. , I'm thinking of the Muslims all around us, that I'm said I'm afraid to talk to. So my last question is about these courageous neighbors of yours that did risk to talk to you.

What would've happened. If those courageous neighbors of yours never invited you to church.

Sara A.: Wow. I was, I was talking to our neighbor, her husband died sadly a few years ago, but we know that he's with Christ, but I called her yesterday and I said, I'm so thankful. And she said, it was God, it was God who led us to, to share Christ with you. And I will say, I didn't accept Christ with them, but they were the reason for me to get connected.

And I accepted Christ in that retreat with the pastor. If they didn't invite me, I wouldn't know the truth. And I know that God will go after me with the truth, but they helped me to get connected to the truth that set me free to the hope of the resurrection, to the joy that I can have in life and the assurance of eternity.

Margaret Ereneta: That is powerful. Thank you. Thanks for being on the show, Sarah. Yes.

Sara A.: Thank you so much. And I wanna share about the hope conference, 

You will hear powerful stories from former Muslims.

That will be in September 14 for Americas and September 15th for Africa, Asia, and Europe. And this is for free, but you need to register 

Margaret Ereneta: yep. And is that live or can you also do that online?

Sara A.: It's online.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay. And folks, you can register for the hope conference, right? In our show notes, we will have a link there for you.

Sara A.: I will share this verse with Christians and with Muslim background believers. I would, I would like to encourage them.

Margaret Ereneta: Okay.

Sara A.: I wanna encourage every Christian who has. The hope of the resurrection or every Muslim background believer who believes in Christ these verses will challenge you and help you to go and share the gospel.

It says in Romans 10:14, how then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard and how are they to hear without someone preaching and how are they to preach unless they are sent, as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.

I pray that the Lord will bless you and how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news that you will keep preaching the good news everywhere you.

Margaret Ereneta: you for sharing that. That's very powerful. Did you want to speak to the two Muslims who might be listening to the show? 

Sara A.: Okay. for Muslims who are listening to me now, I pray that if you have questions that you will seek answers and you will search more and pray to God that he will lead you to the truth. And the truth will set you free.

You have a choice. Yes, you were raised as a Muslim, but that doesn't mean this is the end of the road. And remember my life and I witnessed the hope of the resurrection. I witnessed grace forgiveness. God changed my life. He changed my life. He filled me with the holy spirit and I will say. In those all those years that I walked in faith.

I saw him in my life doing miracles. And I'm so thankful for him. I pray for you that you will seek the truth and the truth will set you free. You have a choice and you are not alone in this. I know that you're hiding now and you don't have people to reach out to, but this is one of the ways 180 is one of the ways Crescent project is one of the ways that you can reach out, ask questions and you will be safe under security, but please do

Margaret Ereneta: Thank you for that. 

Sara A.: If you're a Muslim pray, this will take you a step forward to know more about Christ and ask the questions and to search. Now. My life has a meaning. It's it's with purpose and I, I won. I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be sharing about Christ. I will be maybe sharing about Islam. 

Yeah. And I am so grateful.

I am so thankful because they shared life with me. When you have good news, you don't keep it to yourself. Right. You want to proclaim it. You want everyone to know about it? 

Margaret Ereneta: Thanks. That's that's wonderful. Thank you so much for being on the show. Sarah, I've really enjoyed hearing your story and I'm hoping like the listeners, it encourages me to share my faith and to share the love of Christ with those we're called to do it.

And it's, it's unkind not to, so thank you so much. 

Sara A.: And also for the friends who are reaching out to Muslims, I encourage you to keep doing what you're doing and your work is not in vain. And I want to say one example like for me, working with, with Muslims is not easy. You don't have a fast fruits, but I remember I gave a book. To a friend from Bolivia who lived in Jordan in 2007.

And I shared the gospel with her. And I wanted her to know about my faith. That was in 2007 last week I was, or two weeks ago I was in Virginia and she calls me on messenger saying, do you remember me? You gave me a Bible and Jordan and she's from Bolivia. And now she's living in the United States.

I said, yes, I remember. And she said, I want to tell you the Bible that you gave me 15 years ago. I only started reading it last year and I'm so thankful for sharing the good news with me. Wow. So it's a reminder that our work is not in vain. 

Margaret Ereneta: Yeah, that's true. God's word. Doesn't return void. Thank you so much, 

Sara A.: Sarah.

You're welcome. Thank you. Check out our website@oneeightypodcast.com that's O N E 80 podcast.com. And of course we'd love your follow review and share of our show.