In this Pod, I have a co-pilot hosting with me, and together we talked to a woman who has worked with Beduin in rural villages for nearly a decade. We had a fascinating conversation about Arabic music, Christian Arab hymns, why doing ministry in rural settings has meaning, the struggles of Beduin woman, being single on the field, and much, much more.

"The Beduin have always fascinated me. When I realized I would be working with the Beduin, I knew this was the place where I wanted to stay. That’s why I’ve stayed in one place for so long; because they take so long to trust because they watch, they see. They do sense things very quickly, but they want to see if it’s consistent before they take it as their own. And then they are unstoppable."

Timeline 1:00-9:38 How an Ethnomusicology degree led to nearly a decade in missions 9:37-12:44 What do you love about Arabic music? 12:45-14:58 What is the concept of music in Islam? 14:59-19:57 What characterizes Arabic Christian music? 19:58-25:38 What’s the value of doing ministry in rural settings? 25:39-30:35 Knowing you work in a hard place, how do you measure success? 30:36-40:10 What’s something that Beduin society really struggles with? 40:11-45:59 Where do you find your identity and value? 46:00-52:02 What is something from the Bible that touches the heart of Beduin women? 53:03-60:00 What is your experience with folk Islam? 60:01-64:30 What’s one of your favorite things about Beduin dialects? 64:31-68:18 What is the strength of being an unmarried woman on the field? 68:19-73:13 When you feel like you have nothing left to give, what gets you through?

https://pmpod.org/ten-years-in-rural-ministry/