In a historic first, Middle East University (MEU) graduates two Middle Eastern women from the Theology department, each uniquely prepared to minister in this region. Here are their stories.
For the first time in its 85-year history, Middle East University (MEU) has graduated two women from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region from the Department of Theology—one earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and the other in Religion. Their remarkable journeys bear witness to God's continuing work in calling and preparing both women and men for ministry and mission across the Middle East and North Africa.
One of these graduates is Lila* from Lebanon. Although she attended an Adventist school in Beirut, she had never truly been introduced to the Adventist faith. Growing up, Lila loved church and faithfully attended Sunday school. Even as a child, she had a deep love for God and a curiosity about His Word. Yet it was not until one particular school year that God began leading her family in an unexpected way.
During that year, a volunteer Bible teacher noticed Lila's growing interest during Bible class and invited her to study the Bible personally. Without hesitation, she gladly accepted. While other students spent recess in other ways, Lila spent her breaks studying the Bible through the It Is Written Bible study guides. Day by day, her love for Scripture deepened. She became eager to learn, full of questions, and increasingly drawn to know Jesus more personally. Looking back, she believes the Holy Spirit was quietly working in her heart.
At the end of the school year, however, circumstances changed. Lila had to transfer schools, and the volunteer teacher returned to her home country. The Bible studies came to an end, and regular church attendance became difficult during a challenging season for the family. Yet the desire God had planted in her heart did not fade. Along with her mother, brother, and sister, Lila continued learning by watching evangelistic meetings online and holding onto the longing to return to church and continue studying God's Word.
Then, about a year later, while driving with her mother to her grandmother's house, something unexpected caught her attention. She noticed a billboard announcing an It Is Written evangelistic series taking place at the very school where she had first learned about the Bible. Excited, she immediately recognized the speaker from the Bible study lessons and turned to her mother, saying, "Look! It's the one who wrote our Bible studies!" They knew they had to attend.
Despite many difficulties, God made a way for them to go night after night. Through those meetings, Lila, her mother, and her brother decided to give their lives to Jesus and were baptized. Later, her sister also chose to be baptized. What began with one volunteer Bible teacher and simple Bible studies during recess became a story of transformation for an entire family.
Not long after that, Lila started studying in the faculty of theology at Middle East University with the desire to be fully equipped for God's mission. Today, after graduating from Middle East University, Lila serves as a Bible teacher in the very school where God first planted the seeds of faith in her heart. The same place that once helped lead her to Christ has now become her mission field. Her prayer is that other young people will discover the same joy, hope, and transformation that comes from loving, trusting, and walking with the Lord.
The second graduate, Naila*, comes from a country where sharing the Christian faith is extremely difficult. Her early years were impacted by her devout grandmother, who guided Naila and her siblings to pray and fast according to the requirements of their religion. Her journey to Christ began in the midst of profound grief. Within a short period of time, she lost two brothers, one after the other.
Overwhelmed by sorrow, she could not understand how God could allow such tragedy to strike her family. She stopped praying, struggled to eat and sleep, and felt abandoned and hopeless. One night, she came across an Instagram story about God's timing and plan. Her initial reaction was negative, and she responded rather harshly.
However, she later visited the Telegram channel connected to that page and listened to the story of Genesis accompanied by piano music. That night, after suffering from insomnia for a long time, she was finally able to fall asleep.
Later, she saw another Instagram story encouraging people to read and study the Bible. This time, she contacted them and began studying the Scriptures. After several months, she had three remarkable dreams.
In one dream, she was entrusted with something valuable that she had to protect and deliver safely to a certain place. In another dream, she was given a book to guard. In yet another dream, she was entrusted with a baby boy who would one day become a king, and she was responsible for protecting him and delivering the baby boy to another place.
Through God's providence, she eventually connected with a believer from her own country who was studying theology at Middle East University. While studying the Bible, when she later read Jesus' words about those who leave their homes and families for the sake of the gospel, she immediately remembered her dreams. She began to wonder whether God was calling her to leave her city and dedicate her life to His service. As she prayed about it, she asked God for guidance.
Could it be that God was calling her to share an important message with others, and that her dreams were encouraging her to speak about the Bible? Yet the future seemed uncertain, and she felt afraid and inadequate for such a responsibility. She asked God to help her if this was truly His calling.
Sometime later, she had another dream. She saw herself standing on the water while many people around her were drowning. Beside her stood Jesus, also upon the water, holding her hands firmly in His own. She was horrified to see so many people drowning, but when she awoke, she felt a deep sense of assurance. She understood that God would help her share the message represented by the book and the child who would become king.
From that moment on, she became confident that He would guide and strengthen her in the mission He was calling her to fulfill, and she eventually asked the Bible worker if she could prepare for pastoral ministry. The Bible worker patiently discipled her, studying the Bible with her, and guiding her in her journey of faith. In time, she accepted Jesus and was baptized.
Naila's desire to know God more deeply led her to Middle East University, where she graduated this year. Now married, she and her husband are prayerfully preparing for the ministry God has called them to serve together. As the first Adventist prepared for ministry from her country, she is uniquely equipped to bless her people with hope.
These two young women represent much more than a historic graduation milestone. They are living evidence that God is still calling workers from unexpected places, opening doors in challenging contexts, and raising up a new generation of disciples and ministers for His mission in the Middle East and North Africa. Their stories remind us that no invitation is wasted, no dream is insignificant, and no heart is beyond the reach of God's grace.
*Not their real names