Experiencing Psalm 107:35 in the desert of Niswa, Oman
In June 2015, I took my first trip to the Middle East. I was with a team of thirty fellow college students traveling to the gulf country of Oman to teach English in a high school summer camp. We flew into Dubai, UAE to receive training on teaching English and Omani culture. A few days later, we took a bus across the border into the Omani desert on our way to the desert city of Niswa, Oman. We would be living there for two months. I had never been to the Middle East, having never learned a word of Arabic, and honestly having no idea what I was getting myself into. I especially did not understand the spiritual atmosphere and state of the Gospel in Oman. All I knew was that the Lord had given me clear direction to go to this mysterious land that I had scarcely heard of before.
I had little idea that this trip would shape the entire future of my journey with the Lord.
First, I'd like to give you a brief introduction to Oman. Located in the Arabian Gulf, the Sultanate of Oman lies to the southeast of Saudi Arabia. Though the north, south and east borers are surrounded by sea, the country is exceedingly dry and nearly completely desert. Actually, the country is known as having one of the hottest temperatures recorded on Earth! Average rainfall in the inland desert is around just .8" every year. In summary, Oman is very hot and very dry.
The nation is small, with a population of 4.6 million people, yet holds a rich history. Once a powerful empire in the 17th century, it became a de facto colony of the British empire in the 19th century, and then on to its current form as an independent nation in 1970. The country is known for oil exports and international diplomacy. Oman is very isolationist on the whole, even adhering to an unique sect of Islam called Ibadism.
Today, there is less than .8% of the population that is evangelical Christian. Further, depending on the people group (a group of people defined by language and culture; see more here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nbXRuStiiE),there are no known followers of Jesus among some of these groups in Oman. There are little to no church communities. The country is not only very dry in terms of climate, but very dry spiritually. In fact, there are so few followers of Jesus, that a bus full of 30 college kids on fire for the Lord shifted the spiritual atmosphere in the nation through the miracle of supernatural rain.
Less than an hour after we crossed the border from UAE to Oman, our bus driver stopped to get some fuel. I stepped out to stretch my legs and get a drink. As soon as I stepped outside, I was greeted with an intensely strong wind! I looked behind me to see this cloud (picture above). What you see here is a massive storm cloud that is seemingly stretching from the ground to a mile high in the sky. Strange, I thought. Isn't this the desert?
As we got back on the bus and headed out towards Niswa, the cloud caught up to us, and a most miraculous thing occured: it started to rain! Not only did it start to rain, but it rained the whole way to Niswa without stopping! The storm cloud followed our bus all the way from the border to Niswa (see picture left).
As we arrived in Niswa, the clouds broke off for a bit, but soon returned, bringing yet more rain. The sight was incredible: people from all over the town had come out from their homes to witness the unexpected rain. Fields usually full of rock and dust exhibited pools of water. The long-term workers living in Niswa came out from the English center to greet us. Instead of smiles, they looked at us with awe. One man from Kenya exclaimed, "It is raining because you have come. Please come inside quickly. God has sent you to us." That night, I took a picture of a beautiful sunset reflecting off the storm clouds. At the time I was thinking, "Oh cool, just like sunsets in the US." I learned much later that this was a rare sight.
The next day, it rained again, around noon. The next day after that, it rained yet again. The long-term workers continued to encourage us that our presence had brought the rain, and that the Lord wanted to bless this land through his people. At the time, I thought they might have spent a little too much time in the desert and were losing it. Nevertheless, I do remember one local from Niswa telling me, "God has blessed us through this rain."
Years later in 2018, I talked with my friend A, an international student from Oman that was attending my university. I was reminiscing the good times I had enjoyed in his country. I told him that I was there during the summer of 2015. Without ever mentioning rain to him, he looked at me with bright eyes and said, "You were there in 2015? Man, you must have got to see the rain that year. It never rains like it did that summer." I was in complete shock. That night, I searched online climate records to see if what A had said was true, and sure enough: Niswa had experienced exceedingly high rain in June 2015, the exact time when we arrived (see precipitation chart below)! God had blessed Niswa by bringing rain.
Though I didn't know why at the time, the following two months in Niswa were brutal. Our team was constantly in conflict. My heart was always heavy. Often, I would be woken up in the middle of the night in complete fear, and sometimes a tangible presence was in my room. I wasn't knowledgeable about spiritual warfare at the time, so I was ill prepared to handle these spiritual fights. Later, I would learn that Niswa is known among the whole Gulf region as a place for Islamic witchcraft studies. It was indeed a dark place, and everyone could feel it. Nevertheless, the Lord moved powerfully that summer, and sent us there specifically to love and pray for this spiritually blind and dark land. It wasn't all bad, after all.
To my delight, I came to dearly love my students in the English camp. By the end, we had developed some sweet friendships. Apart from class, I was able to enjoy some nature adventures, including visiting a towering wadi (valley), the sand dunes of the Arabian desert, and a large canyon high up on a mountain called Jabel Shems (the sun mountain).
Through the trials and difficulty, the joys and adventure, God had moved most powerfully in my own heart. I will forever remember the night I was sitting in the English center alone, looking at a world map. As I looked at the distance that lay between the US and Oman, I heard the Lord's distinct voice: "I have loved your people (of America). Will you love mine (in Oman)?" I was moved to tears, and squeaked out a quiet, "Yes, Lord, I will." Little did I know that in the years following, I would have befriended dozens of Omani students at my university, started to work with Syrian refugees and my city, and eventually move to the country of Jordan for two years to work with Syrians there. All because of that one small, yet significant yes to love his people in the Middle East. A small beginning.
On the final night of our stay in Niswa, our team leaders drove us out to some nearby flat lands and made a fire. Then, they took a thick black sheet and held it between us and the flame. They asked us to come up, take a knife and tear a hole in the sheet. While we did so, we were to think of a student or an event from the trip. I will never forget it. Each of us had names of students that we had loved and prayed for. One example: we had been able to connect a long-term worker with a local family that wanted to connect - an exciting breakthrough. Small, yet significant victories. As each of us tore a hole, light started to shine a little bit brighter.
A summer of small beginnings. Light was shining a little bit brighter in this land. My prayer for you is that no matter the mountain or obstacle before you, be faithful to say "yes" to the Lord. Whatever it may be. The breakthrough of the Gospel into entire nations may be on the other side of your "yes". While I don't know the fruit of my visit, I know that Jesus has set me apart to love the peoples of the Middle East and bring the light and hope of Jesus Christ to those lands. One day, Jesus will bring freedom, salvation and hope to the country of Oman.
For now, I end with my prayer for Oman: may spiritual rain continue to come and make this desert land into pools of living water. May many be saved, and Lord Jesus, come back soon. Amen!
"For this Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." -Matthew 24:14
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