Jesus told his disciples to “find a man of peace and stay with him.” When we arrived here in Turkey, a man of peace, a nut-shop owner named Ekrem, opened his life and family to us, and we have stayed with him in friendship. He told me he received a sign while praying in the Mosque that he was to stick with me, too, so we have built a solid relationship. Though he is dead earnest about his Islamic beliefs and frequently sports carpet burns on his forehead from faithful prayer rituals, many times I have heard him defend my faith in conversation with others.

Last year, Ekrem’s adorable five-year-old daughter, Rose, contracted a strange disease. She has been in and out of hospitals for eleven months, and no doctor has been able to diagnose or treat her effectively.

Yesterday, on the Friday of Passover, I told Ekrem, “Friend, we have a common faith that God cares for us. You know God sent us the prophet Jesus as a healing prophet. He is our prophet, yours and mine. Part of His special work is to heal, and, unlike the other prophets, He is alive now!” (Muslims believe this, too.) I continued, “He is in heaven and still working for us. With strong faith, Ekrem, you must ask Jesus to heal your daughter. Pray and believe in the name of Jesus that Rose can be healed.” I then described how that very day was the anniversary of Jesus’ suffering. Through a unique circumstance, Ekrem had read Isaiah 53 in its entirety in my home a year earlier. Now I used that chapter to describe how Jesus took upon Himself all our iniquities and diseases and, “. . . by his stripes we are healed.” Ekrem received the message with solemn reflection.

Reader, please pray for Jesus to perform a miracle for Rose and for Ekrem that he will be courageous enough to pray to Jesus! Pray for Esther and me as we will soon ask Ekrem for permission to anoint Rose.

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