Angels of hope
By Ruth Schenk | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
A haunting call to prayer blares from loud speakers at community mosques five times a day beginning at dawn. The muezzin chants Arabic phrases that are translated, “There is none to be worshipped but Allah” and “Allah is great.”
Most women wear black naqabs—garments that cover them from neck to ankle, and hijabs, or headscarves. Store signs are in Arabic. Restaurants and
markets specialize in Middle Eastern foods.
But this community is half a world away from the Middle East. It is Dearborn, Mich., home to more than 30,000 people—about a third of the total
population—from many Arabic countries, including Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco and Egypt.
The largest mosque in the U.S. sits down the street from the high-rise executive offices of Ford Motor Co.
Middle Eastern influence is so strong that the football team at Fordson High School practices in the middle of the night during Ramadan, and the local
McDonald’s serves a halal version of chicken nuggets that meets dietary needs of Muslims.
If Dearborn is the land of opportunity for a wide range of people groups, it also is an international mission field in the U.S.
Eugene DePorter, who leads U.S. Outreach at Southeast, said reaching those who come to the U.S from other countries is vital because of our mission to
share Christ with the world.
“God has brought these people to us,” he said. “They provide a tremendous opportunity to share faith.”
A Muslim land
A U.S. Outreach team from Southeast went on a short-term trip to south Dearborn May 18 through 22.
They served at Angel House, an outreach housed in a plain brick building across the street from the oldest mosque in the United States. They worked
one-on-one with women in the community who came to learn English and computer skills, visited a local mosque where they talked with a local imam,
worshiped at a Christian Arabic church and learned about Islam.
Many on the team, like Adam Speaks, already work within the Muslim community in Louisville.
Most mornings, between 25 and 40 women from the community come to classes at Angel House.
According to Islamic law, men and women cannot learn in the same room, so men in the community come in the evenings.
Each student at Angel House has a story.
They come from different backgrounds and countries, speak different languages and have different faith backgrounds. Some have fled war and persecution.
Aidah has lived in Detroit for six years and has learned a little English from her husband. She comes to Angel House to learn how to read in English and work on the computer. While working on an alphabet game that helps her learn to type, Aidah asked if she could see her neighborhood in Yemen on a Google Earth map.
“I went home last year to see my family, but I was glad to get back,” she said. “I love life in America.”
Diane Frank, the founder and executive director of Angel House, is not naive about needs, challenges or dangers while working within this Muslim community.
She is aware of political unrest and the threat posed by followers of radical Islam. For decades before founding Angel House, she worked for a social agency
in the area and dealt with tribal leaders and imams at local mosques. She learned the customs, beliefs and needs of people settling in the area.
People in this community know her name. As women arrive for class, staff and volunteers in a long receiving line greet them with a hug and a traditional kiss
on each cheek.
Each takes off her shoes before entering a classroom.
In many Muslim countries, school is off-limits for females, and classes offered at Angel House offer a new world of empowerment. Some have never held a
pencil or written their own names.
Here, they begin to dream again.
“Most of the women who come to us have never been allowed to attend school,” Frank said. “We teach them, guide them and nurture them, giving them
courage and confidence to step out and overcome challenges and hurdles for the first time in their lives.”
People in the Dearborn community know Angel House is overtly Christian, but they also know that the outreach they provide is important in the community.
Chad Blanchard, who works in U.S. Missions, said many ask why Southeast teams serve Muslims.
“We serve because the need is overwhelming,” he said. “And we serve because there is darkness. We offer hope.”
A bridge of trust
Outreach at Angel House is based on building relationships and a bridge of trust.
“Our goal is to give these people hope in this life and the life after,” Frank said. “We pray to heal the lives of those the Lord sends to us. We meet their needs,
hear their problems and impart divine Truth. We know that education alone cannot change these people, but we believe that as we follow Jesus’ example to
do good deeds, love them and give them hope, things will happen. We believe if we are faithful, if we plant, we will have a harvest. We have seen the harvest
begin.”
To learn more about Angel House, visit www.AngelHouse.org.