By Bill MacLeod, Executive Director

Al Fadi is a former Wahabbi Muslim from Saudi Arabia who writes for several ministries including “Answering Islam” and runs an outreach ministry designed for non-Muslim and Christians. He is also a keynote speaker for Crescent ConneXion next weekend.

Al’s religion informed him from an early age that he had no hope to be accepted by God without doing things for God. His highest hope to have his sins forgiven would be to go on jihad, and at 16 he was inspired by a charismatic, dedicated neighbor who lived only three blocks away –Osama Bin Laden.  However, his parents forbade him to go.

So, he decided to go on a mission to America to invite people to join Islam; and through an international student welcome program, Al befriended an American family to learn more about American culture and practice his language skills. He thought that just by virtue of their relationship, the family would convert to Islam.

It turned out to not be that simple because the family were Jesus-followers. He was baffled asking, “Where do they get this moral value from?” They began studying the Bible together, and he said, “I felt like a spiritual midget next to them – as if I [was] lacking something!” More and more he began to think that “Islam may not be the religion that I grew up thinking it was.”  His pilgrimage toward Jesus continued after he completed graduate school and went on to his first job in America. To hear the rest of Al’s story, you will want to register, and plan to join us for Crescent ConneXion – Loving Your Neighbor from the 10/40 Window!