The Vision Trip That Almost Didn’t Happen
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 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.
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by Karen Hatley