Camels loiter behind rough fences, watching children scamper between huts. Laughter mingles with goat bleats and camel murmurs, echoing through the arid desert dusk. Men on mats listen intently as Philip* shares stories of a Savior. Women lean in, making dinner and eavesdropping on the men with cornbread-covered hands.
Philip grew up among these semi-nomadic neighbors, where camels are currency. In nearby towns, though, these people are frowned upon and feared. They speak a different language and live a different life.
Philip used to live a different life too. Like those around him, he grew up in folk Islam, largely nominal and steeped in superstition. But after he met Jesus, everything changed. Disowned by his family, he was discipled by his new spiritual family.
As time passed, his parents came to Christ, and Philip began to minister to this semi-nomadic clan and others like it. He convenes with new brothers in Christ, skeptics with hard hearts, and curious, interested listeners. None of the women who gather around have decided to follow Jesus yet.
Please pray for more men like Philip, “near culture” missionaries who will share the gospel with their own neighbors. Pray that hearts will be open to receive the good news of Jesus Christ. Pray that women and children in the clan will also come to Christ.
*Name changed