What do you think it feels like to live in the desert next to the Arabian Gulf during the summer months? The short answer is that it is suffocating. Temperatures average 105°F (40°C) or higher for about 2 months with a heat index of 125°F+ (51°C). 

In temperatures so high, it is difficult to be outside. Thankfully the UAE has a great electrical grid and ACs work well especially in malls where you still need a sweatshirt because it is so cold inside.  

The total population in the UAE in 2022 is 10.08 million. 99% of the population are active internet users. 98.99% use social media. People in the UAE spend an average of 3 hours per day on social media while the daily average time spent using the internet is 8.5 hours which is an hour more than in 2021.

“Can you eat sushi in Hinduism?” I asked.

He tilted his head, surprised by the question “Oh the fish?”

“Yes, I wasn’t sure if there were certain food laws you had to follow,” I replied.

“Ya, we can have sushi. The only thing we are not supposed to have is beef because we believe that a cow is a god. What about for you?”

It is time to pray, God spoke as I walked into the mall Sunday afternoon. Hunger was the motivating factor that kept me from taking the 30-minute metro ride home – the mall was just a few stops from church. My destination was the food court which sat to the left of the metro exit. Turn right, God spoke again. Suddenly my hunger was a far-off thought.

I talked to God as I walked and came across a sign that read, “angels coming soon.” I paused. This was new. I took another right and ended up down a quiet hallway. At the end of it sat an art gallery, EDEN.

Saturday evening, 6:30 p.m. We walk up the stairs into the compound where we meet, face mask on (as always), and present “green status” on our country’s COVID-19 tracking app to the man at the door (again, as always). After that, we’re free to enter the place where we gather for worship. That’s the routine every week – or at least it has been the last three that I’ve been here.

A group of believers came to the UAE to visit Expo 2020 and see the sights of Dubai.  One evening they decided to go out and see who they could get into conversation with to share the Great News of Jesus.  Some were experienced in sharing their faith while others were not.  Bill, one of the younger group members, was almost paralyzed by fear to talk to strangers.