Victoria VanAntwerp

Greetings & Eid Muburak to all Muslims who celebrate!

I hope this update finds both you & those you love doing well staying strong in the Lord! I've really enjoyed this past month learning all I can about Ramadan through my own research and the wonderful OMF strories on social media specifically instagram. It has been so interesting diving deeper learning about Ramadan & connecting with my Muslim practicing friends. I'm humbled to have these cross-cultural experiences, connections, & new sense of community. I wanted to share with all my supporters & prayer partners those who support the work I'm doing and the TCK OMF Ministry an incredible eye opening experience I had the opportunity to tour the Mosque in my neighborhood (it's only a couple miles from the church I attend called Eagle Brook church, it's called Eastern Twin Cities Islamic Center) but I had no idea this place of worship was in my community until my loving & kind Muslim friends invited me to observe & celebrate the Eid Namaz prayers, sermon/lecture etc. Beyond grateful I was able to see the outside of the Mosque as well have a tour of the inside of the Mosque All Glory to God! Mashallah which means for God has willed it to happen! Eid Muburak to all who celebrate the breaking of the 30 day fast. May God bless all Muslims for fasting & being faithful in prayer through this month of Ramadan. Please pray that over this Eid weekend that Jesus (isa) would reveal Himself & make Himself known to all Muslims. Pray they may have an encounter or want to know more about Jesus (or isa known as Jesus in Arabic) God has placed a new calling on my heart & soul to bless/pray for Muslims but more importantly to love them well & shine the Light of Christ to them. I had the pleasure to give my Muslim friends a tour of the St. Paul Cathedral back in December during winter of 2022 and they were very open to it. We will all be going to Eagle brook Church God willing (Inshallah) next Sunday or soon because I invited them when we were out for chai/boba tea after Eid Celebrations & they said yes they would love to come & are excited! They even someday want to go to the Holy Land. Pray that God will make a way for this to happen despite them being Muslim they will unfortunately and sadly be interrogated for hours before being able to walk the footsteps where Jesus walked in Bethlehem & Jerusalem. Pray relationships between Muslims & Christians will be more loving and less hatred. Love wins in the end. Love & Light is always more powerful than hatred & the darkness.  I also want to reach the unreached especially those who have closed access to the Gospel that have never heard the Good News before.

I keep remembering and coming back to the bible verse (Scripture) "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." (1 Corinthians 9:22) We have to be willing to become ALL THINGS to ALL PEOPLE so that they might be saved. All Nations will inherit the Kingdom of God Praise be to God that we all bleed the same blood! The Blood of Christ! But let's continue to bless & pray for Muslim brothers and sisters and love them in our communities + neighborhoods even as Ramadan comes to an end let's not forget what we have learned & continue to learn and understand their culture and their story. Muslims deserve to seen, heard, loved, known, invited, & welcomed just as much as the next religion. May we include all & become ALL THINGS to ALL PEOPLE so that some might BE SAVED. We are saved by Grace. Thankful we are no longer under the law but we are under LOVE & GRACE forevermore what a privelage & greatest honor! Praise be to God on the Most High for this lifelong Promise in this life & beyond into Eternity! Please do enjoy these photos that I captured while visitng the Mosque and my time spent connecting Eternally with my Muslim friends over the past month. If you have questions or would like to know more please do reach out send me an email at victoria.vanantwerp@omfmail.com. 

Sending Love & Light as always! Brighter days & good is always on the way!

Blessings,

Victoria VanAntwerp