"Eyes have not seen nor ears heard what the Lord has in store for those who love Him." When Jon called yesterday to tell me The Passion was showing in Doha I was indeed amazed. For a glimmer of a second I had thought, "Well, maybe it could come." But everyone said there was no way. It does make me wonder what God is up to because indeed it is here! Jon went last night and I went tonight.
It is a very draining, exhausting movie. A five minute crucifixion is enough for most of us and spare us the flogging, please. It shows so much blood, the blood of Christ! It is so well acted, the visual effects are stunning. I loved it when Jesus put the ear back on the Roman soldier, how scripture was intertwined throughout, how it showed the Lord's Supper throughout the crucifixion. The symbolism is so clear. I had never thought of Mary being there throughout the whole ordeal but it made sense for her to be there. Where else would she be? Her mother's heart is so poignant as it shows flashbacks of Jesus as a little boy, as a man. That she would kiss His bloody foot while on the cross and then when the guard spears His side and the blood and water spew out how it falls right on them. They seem to understand how precious it is and actually welcome the blood that has sprayed on them.
The flogging was merciless. I found myself thinking, "What if God asked me to be beaten for my faith? Could I do any less with Christ helping me?" Why do I expect acceptance from the world when I know we're enemies?
I was praying during the course of the movie because there were so many Muslims there, that God would open their eyes. That's what I wasn't prepared for: as Jesus walked out of the tomb and the credits began to play the men in typical Arabic dress began to rise and walk out of the theater. Many veiled women exited as well. I wish I could have been alone for awhile and just been quiet. I was overwhelmed in crying, I almost couldn't stop. A friend next to me told me not to forget it has a happy ending. I wasn't crying for sadness, exactly, or not sadness for myself but there was a burden for those around me. I know Jesus is risen! But the spiritual darkness of those walking out! I knew they'd heard the truth and would to God it would set them free!
Favorite parts - when Jesus crushes the serpent's head! And the tear of God after Jesus says, "It is accomplished." Precious. We continue to shake our heads in wonderment at God's hand in the movie. May He pour out His Spirit in a dry and parched land!
I'm gonna try to include several topics in this entry but they all relate to women from other countries who end up in Doha. In Doha has a population of 600,000. About 1/4 of that is made up of Qatari nationals. The rest are Westerners and foreigners who have come here to work. Many people, men and women, come from other countries because they can earn more money than in their own countries. They come alone and send money home. Workers may come from Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Africa. I suppose about any poor country in the nearby region. They have very few rights.
I recently had my hair cut. Lucy is from the Philippines and speaks very good English. We were making small talk and she said she was heartbroken because one of her daughters is about to marry. I thought she was sad because the daughter was growing up. When I realized she was separated from her daughter I couldn't speak for a moment. I couldn't imagine having to be separated from my child for years. She was a very sad woman. I learned the lady who cleans for me a few hours a week has two children back in Indonesia. I hadn't thought of the women who come over having children. They leave their children behind because each person has to be sponsored to come to Doha. That means the sponsor pays for the worker to come, pays them wages while here and pays their way back home. Their contract may be for one or two years. That means the woman or man is away from their family for years at a time. I'm told sometimes there are broken promises regarding work and wages. Sometimes they have to settle for less wages. Once they're here they have to work or they'll be deported. Many of the men live in camps outside of town and are bussed in for work everyday to do construction work. I'm told some women who work in a fast food chain are allowed one afternoon to do their shopping. They are either working or at home. They are not permitted to go out on their own.
Some ladies from our fellowship visited a ladies' deportation prison recently. These foreign ladies are here in jail waiting to go home. Some have embassies who bring them extra goods like soft drinks and other foods. Some don't have embassies here so they get nothing extra. They are in jail for different reasons. One said she had been there for over a year. She said her sponsor hadn't paid her in many months. When she asked her sponsor about this she said it was because the worker had stolen from her and put her in jail. Some are there because they had a "love affair." I'm not clear how they get out of jail or where they get money to go back home.
Today I met a young single Muslim woman from Ethiopia who is pregnant. The father was stationed here but has since gone back to the States. She is all alone in this country. If she delivers her baby in a hospital here they would immediately take her to jail. For a Muslim woman to have a child out of wedlock is forbidden. I hope you'll pray for her. You feel for these people who are looking for a better way of life and trying to help their families. It seems hopeless for them but I know the Lord can give them hope. Pray that these people in desperate situations would be willing to turn to Christ so they could have His hope in them.
A couple of weeks ago one of Jon's new co-workers invited us to his home for dinner. Khaled is a young man who lived in the States for several years. His English is great so it's nice to have his perspective on life here in Doha. He and his family are from Syria, Damascus to be exact. It's a city of several million they tell me. I wonder how it's changed since Saul's Damascus experience! Khaled's father is a retired history professor who has traveled and lived all over the world. Dana, Zach and the Gardners ate supper with them. They were very gracious in their hospitality. Langston enjoyed playing hide and seek with Khaled's older sister. They had many Christian friends in Syria and want to live in peace with everyone. I hope we can get to know them better. They told a disturbing story from their homeland. Forty years ago in Syria citizens had to carry ID cards with their religion stated. They knew a man who had an Islam card and also a Christian card. That way he could open his business on Friday and Sunday. If authorities asked why he was open on Friday (Muslim worship day) he could show them his Christian card. If asked about Sunday he could show the Islam card. He also used it to divorce his wife since in Islam a man can say to his wife, "I divorce you," three times and it ends the union. Talk about walking the fence!
At another couple's home we were able to meet Vivian and Clint who have lived in Egypt for many years. They've been in the Middle East for thirty years. They had some stories to tell! As a young man Clint spent several months in jail for some work he did. During this time Vivian discovered she was pregnant and had to relocate and go through pregnancy and delivery without her husband. He got out 13 days after their first baby was born. When asked by authorities why they did some things Vivian said they were responsible for this generation. They've had their share of heartache. Their 13 year old son was killed in a car/skateboard accident years ago. What a testimony they gave of the joyful, surrendered life! Blessings on them.
Dave P. gave a great sermon on Friday. Part of his text was from Isaiah 41:17 - 20: "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow . . . I will turn the desert into pools of water . . . so that people may see and know. . . that the hand of the LORD has done this. . . "
He said most in Doha had come here for work, for the money but could it be that God had other plans for us, to be water bearers to the desert, just to bring a cup of water to the spiritually thirsty. It was really good. He even had a big water pitcher from another desert country as a teaching tool.
I am attending a ladies' Bible study which meets in my compound every other week. The other weeks it's across town. It's called Falling in Love with Jesus by Dee Brestin and Kathy Traccoli. One of the memory verses early in the study was Zephaniah 3:17.
It says: " The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
During my private study the Lord prompted me to share an experience I had shortly before coming to Doha. I really didn't want to and in light of what the other ladies shared that night I know I wouldn't have wanted to. My experience seemed so small in comparison but it was monumental in my life because it had to do with breaking of the will. Building an altar of remembrance so to speak.
It was at a Wednesday night prayer service at Steephollow Baptist. Jon was gone for a month to Qatar and would be coming back for us soon. Pastor Dale was wanting to have prayer time that dealt with matters of the heart, not just surface issues that are mentioned so casually. He wanted us to share concerns that were really weighing on our hearts. My mind was on the global move coming shortly for my small family. All along I really did not want to go to Qatar. Things were going well and I felt very settled and happy in our church and community. Jon and I had had some major disagreements the past year on moving possibilities so when this job dropped in his lap to move to Qatar I was less than thrilled, especially when I looked on the map! But Jon really wanted to go and the Lord gave me peace about it. I knew we were leaving Texas.
God had provided so well for us while Jon was gone but there were some extra stresses obviously. When I started to pray outloud that night in prayer meeting all my anxieties and resistances broke through in a floodgate of tears. I think I got through one sentence of praying for Jon and then asking for God to help my attitude about not wanting to go before all the emotion just poured out. The wonderful thing is that as I was totally breaking down, baring my soul, I felt arms embracing me, hands holding me, others crying with me and interceding to the Father on my behalf. I can honestly say it is the closest feeling I've had to being carried along and lifted up by God's love. The other "heavenly" experience was the day Jon and I married. As I was escorted down the aisle with my father I remember smiling at individual people and seeing their glowing faces smiling back at me. I thought at that moment, 'This must be what heaven is like, all the saints welcoming you home!'
So I briefly told my new Bible study group my experience, eventhough their experiences seemed much more significant - the death of a child, a life-threatening accident of another's child. As I said mine seemed so small but I know it was important for me. As Elisabeth Elliot says, "When two wills cross someone has to die." I know I experienced the true Body of Christ that night at a little country church prayer meeting. I will cherish it always.