Thanksgiving or holidays similar are celebrated in many countries during the autumn months such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Australia to name a few. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States. Several believers living in the UAE were asked what they are thankful for.

Urbanization of this corner of the Arabian Desert has brought not only skyscrapers and roads, but also the beautiful areas like neighborhood parks. Here, sand surrounds you up to the edge of the Persian Gulf. Most villa type homes and buildings are sand colored. The absence of a spectrum of colors is something residents mention.

One weekend, my family and I found ourselves in a park here in the city. We were excited to enjoy the nice weather and each other’s company. Nearby was a family from a different culture. A simple hello and smile began the conversation. Our children enjoyed playing together so the conversation continued for a while.

A new Hindu temple officially opened on October 5th, the day before the Dussehra festival, in what is being described as the “worship village” of Jebel Ali in Dubai where several churches and a Sikh temple are located.  Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, and the Indian ambassador inaugurated the new temple at a celebration where over 200 dignitaries, ambassadors and local community leaders gathered. 

Moving to Dubai was never a part of my plan for my life. If you had asked me in 2012 where I saw myself in 10 years, I would have probably said something along the lines of married with kids working as a successful lawyer somewhere.

I once heard a saying: “Men make plans, and God laughs.” It turns out that saying is true for women as well.

Cheryl had the opportunity to travel to Europe for an evangelism project. The country was beautiful, and many Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula traveled there to escape the heat and enjoy the green scenery. One evening Cheryl was paired with another woman who just happened to be named Cheryl which they found to be humorous. They were both close to the same age and both introverts. They had an enjoyable evening connecting with different Arabs but were finding it difficult moving from social conversations to spiritual conversations.