“Anything I heard about Christianity sounded a lot like just a different set of rules than Islam,” said “Ishaaq” from Saudi Arabia.

In December, a Steiger team of 12 young missionaries from around the world traveled to Riyadh for two weeks to boldly share the Gospel. Saudi Arabia has undergone significant changes in recent years, opening up both economically and culturally. As a result, young Saudis are increasingly sharing the same passions and interests as young adults around the world.

During a walk through a park in downtown Riyadh, Steiger missionary Jozef met a young couple, “Ishaaq” and “Zara.” At first, the couple looked like they were simply dating. But as the conversation unfolded, a painful reality emerged. Ishaaq explained that his family had already arranged his engagement to another woman, someone he barely even knew.

The situation was heartbreaking. The two of them clearly cared about each other, but their future together had already been decided by family expectations and cultural pressure.

Jozef listened and shared how sorry he was for what the couple was going through and acknowledged how unfair the situation felt. Right there in the park, he prayed that God would meet them in the middle of their confusion, pain, and uncertainty.

Then, a few days later, Jozef and Lucas from our team met Ishaaq at a restaurant where he works, and struck up a deep conversation. For over two hours, they talked about the meaning of the Gospel, and Ishaaq opened up about the tension he lives with every day. On one hand, he wants to please God. On the other, he knows his life doesn’t line up with that desire.

Jozef shared what a relationship with Jesus looks like, and how the weight of our wrongdoings can’t be lifted by our own effort. Jesus is the one who carries that burden and offers us forgiveness.

“This idea of a relationship with God that we were sharing was completely new to Ishaaq,” shared Jozef. 

Before leaving, Jozef prayed for Ishaaq, and they’ve stayed in touch since.

Even in unexpected conversations like this, God was opening doors for the Gospel to bring hope into complicated and deeply personal situations.