Many residents are celebrating in the UAE this week as the mask requirement has been scrapped in most public places after 2 and a half years. One school even held a special “ceremony” ending in masks being thrown into the air - graduation style. Masks will still be required in hospitals, public transport, and places of worship. Discipleship classes and small groups are back in full swing back in churches.

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.

Mohammed* is an Emirati Bedouin from the Northern Emirates. He loves his camels, and he invests lots of time and energy in caring for them. He oversees regular blood tests to ensure they are healthy. He watches his racing camels exercise at the nearby camel track. He drives to another farm to gather milk from his she-camels.

Recently, Brad met up with Mohammed in a virtual video call. The couple and little boy are still hoping to be granted asylum in the European country where they live. Mohammed expressed concern for his wife. Fear of their past, present, and their future is threatening Miriam. She was raised in a VERY conservative part of her homeland. The new faith she and Mohammed confess would absolutely not be an option if they were to be sent back to their home country. 

The Suhail star was seen in the early hours of August 24th by astronomers in the UAE marking the end of the sweltering summer heat. Residents were very happy as temperatures hit 122F/50C several days this summer. The Suhail star is seen only during the winter months in the Arabian Peninsula. It will take weeks for the temperature to be considered nice, but hope is on the horizon.

Mohammed has continued to grow in his faith. He chose to follow Christ after studying the Bible with Brad for many weeks. Miriam believes but is not yet ready to confess Christ. Mohammed is seeing hope for his small son in the Savior. As Covid was running rampant around the world Mohammed’s employer went out of business. He was jobless until he took a job that saw him work 12–14-hour days, 7 days a week, for 6 months on a special project.