A pastor's mysterious dream becomes a divine confirmation of his family's call to serve in MENA. Through unexpected detours and fulfilled details, their journey reveals God’s guidance, faithfulness, and reassurance in the midst of obedience and transition.
Peter* sat down to breakfast and glanced at his wife. “I had a strange dream last night,” he said. “It felt important, but I can’t imagine why.”
“Tell me about it,” Mara* said, passing him a glass of juice.
“I was in a strange place and a couple with two daughters invited me into their home. They were speaking a language I didn’t understand, but then one of their daughters turned and spoke to me in our language.”
Peter’s wife nodded, encouraging him to continue.
“She said that her parents had just bought her a new mattress and that she was happy that we could be the first to use it.” Peter looked at his wife and wondered out loud, “What could it mean?”
“I don’t know,” she replied.
Little did Peter and Mara know that they were about to receive a call to serve in MENA and that God was preparing a little surprise for them–something that would remind them that He had called them and was looking out for them.
After prayer and careful consideration, Peter and Mara accepted the call. Once all the paperwork and details were in place, they said goodbye to family and friends, a flourishing ministry career, and their previous plans and headed to the other side of the world.
Upon arriving at the capital city where they’d been told they would spend the night, they discovered that those plans had fallen through, and plan B was in place. When Plan B fell through, arrangements were made for them to travel to a third city and spend the night there.
Arriving at their destination tired and somewhat disoriented, they were greeted by a family–a couple with two daughters who met them at the door and ushered them into the living room. They were all speaking in an unfamiliar language, but then one of the girls approached Peter and said in his mother tongue, “My parents just bought me a new mattress, you can be the first to use it!”
Peter opened his mouth to thank her, but for a moment was speechless as his mind scrambled to comprehend what had just happened.
That was one and a half years ago. Peter and Mara have faced the typical challenges of finding a place of their own, struggling with a new language, and navigating the growing their family in a new place, but they are never tempted to question their call.
*Not his real name