Here’s the latest news from our ministry partners at Redeemer Dubai:
As you may know, June 17 marks the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan for our neighbors. During the next several weeks they will fast from sun up to sun down, and engage in extra religious activities and feasts. It’s easy for us as Christians to feel inconvenienced by this month, because normal daytime things are abnormal. For example, businesses have different timings, the traffic patterns where we live downtown will shift significantly, and restaurants and cafes are closed during the day. We are not permitted to eat or drink in public during the day this month, though we may do so in the privacy of our home. The inconveniences of daily life tend to be overwhelming, but that’s only if we allow our perspective to lean that way.
If, however, we see the great opportunity we have to engage our neighbors in conversations about spiritual matters (which are really on their minds this month), our perspective changes. Please pray for us as we look for ways to reach out to our neighbors, have bold conversations about spiritual matters, and ask them heart-level questions about why they are doing what they do. Perhaps if you have a neighbor where you live who is observing Ramadan, you could bring them a gift of food in the late afternoon for them to enjoy at iftar (the “breaking of the fast”) when the sun goes down.
Dave traveled recently to Beirut with coworker Scott and our intern Marwan (and his wife, Marci) Aboul-Zelof. We took several days there in Lebanon to do some scouting work and investigate the potential to start a new church plant next year. I was excited to meet up with some dear friends who are working there, meet some new people, and pray together with people there about what things the Lord may do in the future in their city. Please pray for plans there, that God would direct clearly.
On the family front… everyone is excited about a change of pace now that school is out. The kids have plans to hit the pool at our apartment complex in the mornings before it gets too hot to be outside!
As always, thank you for your partnership in the G0spel!
Dave and Gloria Furman
(Aliza, Norah, Judson, and Troy)
PS: For those who have asked us for reliable news sources regarding this region, check out BBC Middle East, Al Jazeera, and our local news, Gulf News. If you are interested in financially supporting the work we do here, please see our company’s website for more info.
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| Dr Carson teaching the 2nd class for the Gulf School of Theology |
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| Redeemer’s wonderful interns – so thankful for these men and excited to see what the Lord does through them |
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| Corsaire has been on staff at Redeemer for several years – she has become a dear friend to our family. Here she is with our big kids at a local “petting zoo” |
