The Vision Trip That Almost Didn’t Happen
by Karen Hatley
Trip off. Visas denied. The news couldn’t have been more blunt. For over a year, I had invited pastors and others to accompany me on a Persian Journey to tour Biblical sites much off the beaten path of the Holy Land into the heart of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and just 10 days before the trip, my bubble burst.
Walking along the path of Queen Esther in the palace of Susa and visiting the tomb of the prophet Daniel revered by both Muslims and Christians quickly vanished, as did hours of preparation and prayer. My husband and I were the only two within our group not granted permission to travel to Iran.
The rest of the group was able to ride a magic carpet into modern day Persia and experience the rich history and beauty of the country as well as the overwhelming hospitality of its inhabitants, yet the door for me was not only closed, but slammed in my face. Reluctantly, I detoured earlier than planned to another Persian Gulf destination, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where I had been invited to speak about the changing role of modern missions at a women’s conference in Dubai. Iran off. Emirates on.
As I revised my travel itinerary from Tehran to Dubai, God spoke to me through the words of Joseph. “Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good…” (Genesis 50:20). Instead of bemoaning why I couldn’t be in Iran, I began to anticipate what God had in mind for me in a different place. What follows are reflections of my Emirates excursion. Perhaps it was a vision trip after all!
Dubai is described as a combination of Vegas without the gambling, Disneyland sans the mouse, and 1960’s Beirut with money to burn. Never mind the ski slope built inside the world’s largest mall or Tiger Woods golf shot off the heliport of the world’s tallest hotel. Dubai is both a city and one of the seven states that comprise the United Arab Emirates. UAE is situated on the northeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula between Oman and Saudi Arabia. Despite posing as a modern day Babylon, the United Arab Emirates provides a unique opportunity from a missions standpoint.
1. UAE is at the center of the 10/40 window.
There really is no such thing as a closed country. There are numerous opportunities for Christian expatriates to work in the Emirates, the commercial hub of the Middle East. The oil industry and the construction industry are but two obvious examples. More than 5000 building sites currently exist within the Emirate of Dubai. Education is another way that a Christian could use his or her professional skills. Christians must rise to the challenge to be the presence of Christ in this Islamic region.
2. The inhabitants of UAE are from every country, people and tribe.
The ethnicity of UAE is exceedingly diverse. Interestingly, only one out of every five residents is a UAE citizen. A mere 19% of the population is Emirati. The other 81% are guest workers in this oil rich country. There are non Gulf Arabs and Iranians (23%), South Asians (50%), as well as expatriates from the West and East Asia (8%). The good news for Westerners is that English is the language that links all these nationalities, although it is not uncommon to hear conversations in Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Urdu or Tagalog while winding through the narrow alleys of the fragrant spice souk or strolling through one of the many world class malls. The majority of laborers are from neighboring countries with very limited income.
3. A Christian presence exists.
Churches Although UAE is an Islamic nation, the government recognizes Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Most of the churches in UAE are expatriate and come mainly from Asia, particularly India and the Philippines. Several dozen evangelical churches exist across the UAE, primarily in the three main cities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
The Dubai Evangelical Church Center houses the Arabic Evangelical Church which caters to about 200 Arabic speakers from 10 nations as well as a nondenominational English language congregation of about 500 members from 40 nations.
Baptists also have a presence in Dubai.
In Al Ain, a city located on the border of Oman and UAE, the English speaking evangelical church has 22 different congregations meeting within its building which includes Afrikaans, Urdu, Tamil (Church of South India), Malayalam, Ethiopian, Filipino, Marthoma, Sri Lankan, Telegu, Full Gospel, Brethren and Pentecostal.
Bible Society The Bible Society of the Gulf
Hospital Oasis Hospital in Al Ain, founded by two American doctors in 1960, specializes in providing quality care for women and their babies. 78,000 patients are seen and nearly 2000 babies are delivered annually. Read more about the hospital here.
To read Karen’s personal travel blog visit www.xanga.com/BigDKatHat