At the end of the mayonnaise and pickle aisle, I saw them—two African Muslim men. We so rarely see ebony skin in Turkey that I felt compelled to speak to these men. Hmm. Unfortunately they only spoke French. I called a Haitian Adventist university student in our city to see if she could translate. That was six weeks ago.

How did these two men, Ahmet and Abu Bakir, come to Turkey? They are excellent soccer players, and they paid money to come to Turkey for a chance at playing in a national soccer league. But, sadly, it was a scam. Some grifter painted visions of stardom and fortune for 19 budding soccer players. He brought them all here to Turkey and then took their money and plane tickets and disappeared. How would they ever get home? They needed a miracle.

That’s exactly what I preached to them the first evening they visited our home. “Look,” I said through a French-speaking friend, “You guys are in deep trouble, and Jesus is the only one who makes miracles in the grand proportions of your troubles. Let me tell you about Him.” They listened carefully. They have attended our home church faithfully and respectfully every Sabbath since.

Last week, our talk of Christian love was given chance to walk. Ahmet and Abu Bakir needed a place to stay while transitioning between homes. So, in an international gesture of love, we invited them to stay in our home for several days.

As I see them this morning, I can’t help but smile. Peeking from behind a door, I see Mr. Wordshare sitting with Ahmet, diligently trying to tell him stories of Jesus from a French Bible on an iPad. I laugh to myself as I think how Satan really lost out on this caper. He surely wouldn’t have guessed his lying agent’s devilish plot to thrust two innocent Muslim men into secular Turkey would end up with them falling into the hands of Adventist missionaries! God be praised! He wins again!—Barnabas Hope

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