A physical therapist takes her career to the Middle East, treating pain in people’s bodies and pointing them to the one who provides peace to their souls.

“I wanted to go to one of the toughest countries in the world where there’s been no church before, because I wanted to do something really significant for God,” said Theresa*.

She arrived in the region over twenty years ago, when the only way to move to the Middle East as a single woman was through her profession. As a physical therapist, Theresa said becoming a marketplace worker was a natural fit.

Through the years, as Theresa got married and had a family, she continued to work part-time.

“I think it is the coolest job there is because I get to meet a whole variety of people from different nationalities, and then I can walk a road with the people. They keep on coming [for treatment], and if they’re really open for the gospel, I develop friendships and go deeper,” she shared.

“I just love the Muslim people, and when I came out into the Middle East, I was surprised to find that it’s much easier to work and to witness in a Middle Eastern country than it is in the West.”

As she daily allows God’s Spirit to fill her up, Theresa finds it easy to speak into people’s lives from the overflow of her relationship with Jesus Christ.

“In this country, a lot of people are not certain about their jobs, or their future. Often they feel they cannot go home due to war or financial reasons, and they experience a lot of stress, and it manifests in their bodies, so we treat the body,” she explained. Through continued appointments and Theresa loving them, many people open up about the things causing them stress. “I have experienced how Jesus Christ is the only One who can give peace in different situations, so it’s easy and so natural for me to listen to them and then point them to Jesus,” she shared.

One lady who had an appointment with Theresa told her, “Our hearts are black; your heart is white.”

“You don’t even know me,” Theresa responded.

“No, I can see, your heart is white,” the woman insisted.

“That to me was such a blessing because…she didn’t even know me for 10 minutes, but she could pick up the Spirit of Jesus Christ in me,” Theresa shared. “If we become who God has made us and we fill ourselves with His presence, it’s just so easy to witness.”

Living missionally in the Middle East requires professional excellence and daily humble obedience to God, she emphasized. “Whether He’s made you a mom or a doctor or a teacher, …walk out your calling to the best of your ability, 100 per cent in line with God, and then, things happen because God’s at work.”

*Name changed

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