First Experience of a Home Church in Dubai

On the second last day of our trip, Pastor Sze requested two Dubai Short Term Mission Team (DSTMT) members, with 1 brother and 1 sister, to join him and visit a male worker camp in the suburb. He told us that the dormitory room we planned to visit is not big enough to fit the entire DSTMT team. So, he left it to our own discretion. Except for two members who had to stay behind to plan for the next day, the rest of us (2 brothers and 4 sisters) were able to sign on. Upon our arrival after an hour's drive, I immediately sensed tension in the air at the gate of the compound (see picture). Seeing a few police cars parked outside the gate, Pastor Sze cautioned that we probably shouldn't stay for too long. (We later found out that there had been some incidents within the compound earlier that day caused by some racial disturbance between the Chinese and Indian workers.) At any rate, Pastor Sze led us to a small dormitory room (about 10 feet by 20 feet) occupied by a Christian brother. Within 5 minutes, about 15 brothers showed up. Then, sister Jane shared her testimony to encourage them, and we all sang a few songs, including "有一位神" (There is One God). Then Pastor Sze's shared a brief message about peace. It was such a cozy meeting with no room to spare; everyone was jam-packed shoulder-to-shoulder just like those home churches in China. I sensed God's presence in that little room with His protective arms over-shadowing His sheep. Since it is not proper to bring so many visitors (especially females) into a male worker compound, we did not stay for too long. Right before we departed, we sang for them their most favorite song "我今天為你祝福" (Today I Bless Thee). Its lyrics speak from our hearts: "我今天為你祝福，耶和華必天天看顧， 你在家，在外，你出你入，耶和華必一路保護， 你當除去恐懼的心，因為這不是從神來， 靠著耶穌永不搖動，我們一生蒙了大福。" Trying not to cause any unnecessary trouble to our Christian brothers, we left quietly from the back side. During this quick 30 minutes visit, I witnessed first-hand the harshness faced by our brothers in the dormitory. And I felt really blessed being able to worship freely and comfortably back in the U.S.