M.E.N.A.
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Their Story
The R Family lives and serves in the Middle East with a passion to fulfill the Great Commission, making disciples and sharing the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to the people of their region. Before marriage, they were both called to serve in the Middle East. They left their native US and began serving in ministry where they ended up meeting, falling in love and getting married. She was serving in ministry work at a Christian school reaching Muslim kids and he was serving in a government service role with a focus on national security. They have been serving in the region for over 10 years and now serve with a dynamic evangelistic and discipleship ministry tied to a local church. They are called to reach out to young people with the Gospel. The ministry they serve with has effectively been reaching people in their region for over 40 years and has seen many lives transformed by the Gospel. Their mission is to love others the way Christ loves them and share the Gospel boldly according to Romans 1:16.
MENA
Population: Approximately 501 million people, spanning roughly 20–24 countries depending on definitions.
Location: Africa and Asia
Language: Arabic (60–65%), Persian (10–12%), Turkish (10–12), Kurdish (2–3%), Berber (2–3%), Hebrew (1–2%), Other Minority Languages (1–2%), Foreign/Colonial Languages (English, French) (1% or less as a primary language)
Religion: Islam (91–93%), Christianity (4–5%), Judaism (1–2%), Non-Religious/Atheists (2% or less), Other Religions (less than 1%)
Did you Know?: MENA gave the world coffee (from Yemen, 15th century), algebra (from Persian mathematician Al-Khwārizmī), and the concept of zero (developed in Mesopotamia and later refined in the Islamic Golden Age).
🙏 Prayer Request:
Pray for our marriage as it is always our first ministry, that God would bless us as we seek to glorify him together.
🙌 Praise Report:
Praise God, he has provided an apartment for us! It is centrally located and only 5 minutes walking from the "outreach center". We are blessed also to have believing landlords!
🙏 Prayer Request:
Pray for all the hikers we met on the trail. For those who received a New Testament and heard the gospel to seek God and put their faith in Jesus as their Messiah.
🙏 Prayer Request:
Pray for all those who receive a New Testament in their language each day - that they would read it and their lives would be transformed by Jesus.
Personal Prayer Requests
Last Updated:
February 25, 2026