“I grew up in a Muslim country where 97 percent of the people practice Islam, but my family were devout Christians. In fact, I’m a third-generation Christian because my grandfather got saved when the British ruled that country. My father went to a Christian boarding school and eventually became a great missionary. He was the pioneer of the Pentecostal work in that country. He had a love for the Jewish people and taught us all to be curious about what they believed, which is interesting because less than .01 percent of the population there is Jewish. I remember he had a belt buckle with ‘Jerusalem’ written on it, and he was persecuted for wearing it. He almost died! And now hatred toward Israel is higher than ever. In fact, our passports all say, ‘This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel.’
After earning my master’s degree, I left my country to become a missionary in Sweden and eventually ended up at Christ For The Nations Institute (CFNI) in Dallas. That’s when I learned about Gateway’s Jewish ministry. In the five years we’ve attended Gateway, the Shabbat Service has become second habit for us. We’ve hardly ever missed a service. Now, we’re learning how to have our own Shabbat at home. I’m so thankful for my father instilling the love for the Jewish people into my life and my family, including my young daughters. We all love learning about and celebrating the roots of our faith.”
–Sam Khurshid