We have been blessed by the Lord. Below is a letter from a friend who attended the party on Saturday:
Dear Pastor Hicham,
Let me tell you what joy and inspiration I shared with the more than 200 people who last Saturday night attended your “Middle Eastern Food Extravaganza . ” Your Salam Christian Fellowship went the full limit in offering the Word of God in a spirit of love not only to the American Muslims and Arabs there but also to us “regulars. ” There never was a question in my mind that my donation to the Fellowship was badly needed for Christ’s work among the 500,000 or so Muslims in the Greater Chicago area.
And let’s not forget the excellent audio-visual presentations of those four “conversions ” nor the humor and keyboard music of one minister nor that tasty food—truly the best I’ve eaten here or in the Middle East itself.
You and the several ministers who spoke are to be congratulated for how each of you roused our hearts to do good for “the least of them. ” Save me a chair for next year !
Hicham [pronounced HESHAAM] grew up in a world of bitter animosity between Muslims and Christians, which he experienced personally in a physical attack when only about 7. By age 13 he was recruited by an extremist Muslim group and later fought against Christians in the 1975 war in Lebanon. He was preparing to become a Muslim Preacher (Imam) when a car accident laid him up for a year. In 1980, in his first semester in college, his brother was killed by Christian militia. Hicham's response was to study by day, and by night take out his revenge in attacks on Christians. However, hearing the Sermon on the Mount, in a course of cultural studies (in college), brought him to faith. Later, Hicham earned an M.A. in the history of the Arabs and did Ph.D studies in the history of Islam. Hicham finished his pastoral education at Concordia, Fort Wayne, IN, and is currently in the Ph. D program there.
Presently, Hicham, and ordained LCMS minister, pastors Salam Christian Fellowship and works as a missionary to the Muslims with the Lutheran Church in Illinois.
