To the Shelter

No one knows the path his or her life will take, nor did we know that our path would converge with lovely and loving lives in a difficult part of the world—the Middle East. During our years there, we learned how important it was to find a place of shelter during difficult times. When the first edition of this book was released in 1997, the shelters to which we referred were churches where people could find refuge from war and strife.

Today, those same churches have become centers of hope and help for the lost, the refugee, the weary within the context of the Middle East. Nazarenes there provided a wonderful example of how to journey through life in that difficult part of the world. We witnessed lives that were filled with faith, trust and grace in a chaotic and sometimes hostile environment. Their stories remind us: He will encourage us, guide us, help us and protect us. He is our shelter and rock of strength. (Psalm 27:5)