Emilee visited Live Dead Silk Road on an intensive where God began to grip her heart for lost people everywhere. Check out her story…

Waking up early Friday morning, my Art History degree had me over-the-moon to finally see the mosque that I had only seen before in textbooks. I was leading the pack, as if I had a clue where we were going, so that I could finally see the immensity of the Islamic architecture. But when we turned the corner and the entrance came into view, I realized that this was not just a pretty building, this was an entire world of false devotion. I quickly became overwhelmed with uncertainty and discomfort. People somberly washed their feet and formed lines to file into the mosque. The only thing that broke the silence was the blaring call to prayer and the reciting of the Qur’an.

I sat alone and attempted to take in all of the sights and sounds while processing my own thoughts and hopes. My heart hurt for all of the men waiting in line, my heart hurt for all of the women who had to wait in line at the back entrance, and my heart hurt for all of the children following along.

I began praying for all of the lost Muslim people around me and all of the lost Muslim people kneeling to the call to prayer across the world. Then, my prayer was interrupted by an American woman exclaiming; “WOW, this is awesome.” And somehow, this is the moment my heart felt the heaviest. Because in that moment, I realized that I wasn’t standing in a lost country. I was standing in a lost world.

Muslims are not lost people.

People are lost people.

Lostness is not parallel to Islam. Lostness is not parallel to atheism. Lostness is not parallel to carelessness. Lostness is parallel to anything that doesn’t seek and love the God who seeks and loves us.

I believe some people really are called to minister to certain groups of people. But we also can’t wait around waiting for the call. If we don’t feel called, we should go anyways. If we don’t know where, we should go anyways. If we don’t know how, we should go anyways. And if we don’t know when, we should go today. We don’t need to wait for a call while we are standing in a lost world. People are the call.

Thank you, LDSR, for showing me these truths.
And thank you, hot tea on a hot day, for showing me these people.