What is the largest unreached group of people on earth? Islamic women who can really only be reached with the Gospel by Christian women.

1. THE UNTOUCHED REALM
“All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare once wrote. What part do each of us play?
That is not to say we are playing false roles and faking our actions but playing real parts
in a divine dance orchestrated by the God of the universe if we decide to participate.
Those very real roles can bring God’s connections to earth. Such participation on our
part can eventually bring heavenly rewards because one eternal soul remains worth more
than all the gold on the planet as the Bible makes clear.
The Untouched
One huge group of women remain virtually untouched by such divine connections.
Millions and millions of Muslim women have never heard the Gospel even once. What
they have heard is misinformation that points them away from the divinity of Jesus Christ
and his death on the cross for our sins. Only the deep love Jesus gives believers can
break through the Islamic barriers and reach into those lives with the Gospel. Because of
the cultural barriers between male and female within most of Islamic culture, seldom will
men have an opportunity to speak to women. One year while working in the Middle
East, I only talked to three women all year, and those conversations were very brief. For
the most part, only Christian women can reach Muslim women with the Good News.
The Friendship Connection
Within the U.S. and much of the world friendship evangelism is a wonderful way to
reach into a community and culture and discover a new world in the process. The food,
the garb, the language and culture as a whole can be intriguing. Cross-cultural outreach
not only blesses the recipients but those bringing the Gospel. Learning about a different
culture brings a freshness to an ordinary life seldom found elsewhere, and friendship,
once established, generally provides an opportunity to share the deepest issues of the
heart. This usually does not take much effort because Arab culture, for example, is
legendary for its hospitality. Drinking very sweet tea and eating national dishes go hand
in hand with get-togethers. Often, Muslim immigrants long for friendships because they
are separated from family and friends.
If such a heavenly project tugs at your heart, how can you get started? There are a
multiplicity of locales where divine connections can occur. Pray and pray some more
that God allows your schedule to bring such a divine appointment across your path.
The following is an excerpt from my book entitled Islamic Encounters:
Mohammed
Not surprisingly, Mohammed is a very common name in the Muslim world. There
was one Mohammed in particular who became a friend of mine for a variety of
reasons. Becoming Mohammed’s friend was extremely easy because of the fact that
he was so personable. Mohammed was no linguistic heavyweight and at times

2. butchered the English language; however, no could beat him when it came to
friendliness.
His brother and his family lived in a big house where people seemed to be
constantly coming and going. It was there I first tasted cupsa, a national dish of the
Arabian Peninsula. It still makes my mouth water to think of it. We had many
discussions together over dinner covering a wide range of subjects. Mohammed’s
younger brother even had insightful questions about a number of spiritual issues but
seemed to get stuck on certain answers as if an unseen force blocked his
understanding. Nevertheless, I frequented Mohammed’s home as the atmosphere of
openness never seemed to dissipate.
Mohammed’s children spoke English almost as well as the adults, so I would play
games with them at times. Once I even taught them that old song I learned as a child,
“Jesus loves me; this I know for the Bible tells me so…” The next time I visited their
home the oldest boy made a point of telling me, “We don’t believe in Jesus.”
When the family move back to Saudi Arabia, it was nearly impossible to replace
that friendship.
Though rejection is often the result when sharing our faith, I continue to pray for favor
and believe that God can use the seeds of truth planted in hearts. Also, it may take a
number of times of hearing the Gospel before it takes root. In other words, do not give
up. Maintain patient forbearance. Jesus never gave up on us. One key to sharing faith in
Jesus is that when people are going through very difficult times, they are more likely to
respond to our Savior, so praying for and recognizing opportune times is an integral part
of this or any kind of evangelism. Also, sensitivity and just being there in times of need
may be all that is required until requested to give input. Lastly, almost anyone will agree
to be prayed for, even in Jesus’ name.
Craig Dressler, the author, worked in Saudi Arabia for five years and has written a
number of books including Keys To Destiny and Character Concert, a book for youth.
He is also involved with Unreached Peoples’ Missions, a nonprofit organization which
supplies scriptures to national ministries in Southeast Asia. Craig Dressler is available
for speaking engagements and can be reached at cwdupm@yahoo.com.