Feast Day at Our Place

For many Uyghurs, Islam is much like Catholicism was to the mafia guys in "The Godfather" movies.  Even though they have many misteresses and kill guys daily, a crucial unifying bond that's vital to their identity together is that they go by the name "Muslim".... and if you mention any critique of Islam it's like insulting their mama.  Don't go there.  

This week is a Uyghur festival, one of their most important holidays.  Korban is a feast day whose meaning originally comes from the story of Abraham offering his son Ishmael (in the Koranic version) to Allah,  but for most of our Uyghur friends, this celebration is simply a day to enjoy traditional food and music and be together with Uyghur friends and family. And this year, for 10-15 students, the party's at our place.  We're excited!

We’re opening our home for our friends who are univ students and I think they're pretty excited to come hang out in a family home (versus the dorm) and be with our zany kids and eat their favorites... polo (like rice pilaf with meat, carrots, onion) and lots of fruit, veggies, nuts and loads of Western cookies and banana bread that i've been preparing for days.   

Most of them probably have never read the suras (verses) in the Koran that talk about the sacrafice this holiday supposedly commemorates and most of them probably don't care... but we are still hoping for opportunities to point to “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!”  Here's a post that explains a bit more about the traditional/Islamic view of the Korban holiday.  

Our friends will be coming around noon and will stay till... the party ends.  Will you please pray that the Lord would make his presence thick in our home, that we would be able to demonstrate his love, speak his truth and proclaim his grace to these precious friends!?

One more specific... would you ask that there would be friends who come tomorrow who would be made curious, hungry, thirsty, to hear more of Christ... ask that they would be willing to join us for a study, introducing the true significance of Christmas, that we hope to host in our home this Advent season.  

Thank you for joining with us in the harvest work for his glory!