Behind the Veils of Yemen Read online

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  Copyright © 2011 by Audra Grace Shelby

  Published by Chosen Books

  11400 Hampshire Avenue South

  Bloomington, MN 55438

  www.chosenbooks.com

  Chosen Books is a division of

  Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

  www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

  Ebook edition created 2011

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  ISBN 978-1-4412-3438-4

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

  Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  All names and certain identifying details have been changed to protect the identities of those involved in the story. Certain elements have been compressed for organizational readability and length.

  Cover design by Dan Pitts

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Endorsements

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  About the Author

  Back Cover

  “This book genuinely reflects the ups and downs in the life of any missionary who serves in a restricted country that is drastically different culturally, religiously, politically and economically from his or her own country. The trials and frustrations, as well as the excitement of experiencing the joy of God’s provision, care and love, are well expressed. In a beautiful and candid style, Audra captures the interest of the reader and takes him or her on the journey into the Lord’s ministry.”

  Samuel Shahid, Ph.D.,

  senior professor of Islamic studies,

  Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

  “Americans have a stereotypical concept of Islamic culture that reflects their own ethnocentric cultural bondage. Audra Shelby, with her husband and three small children, not only ventured to live within a Muslim society; they sought to understand and penetrate the hearts of those to whom they hoped to introduce God’s love. Insights into the strong beliefs of others forced them to see their own convictions in a new perspective. The personal trials and challenges they encountered gave them a glimpse into God’s faithfulness, power and grace beyond what they had previously known. Behind the Veils of Yemen will captivate the reader with intrigue and a new dimension of faith and commitment.”

  Jerry Rankin, president emeritus,

  International Mission Board,

  Southern Baptist Convention

  “Audra is one of several women who have been instrumental in addressing women and mothers in the Islamic world. She provided leadership in developing a strategy for an unreached Islamic people group with little or no access to the Gospel before her family began their ministry among them. She writes with this unique knowledge and experience as her context. I am blessed to call her friend and co-worker.”

  Michael H. Edens,

  professor of theology and Islamic studies

  and associate dean of graduate studies,

  New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary;

  associate director, Institute of Christian Apologetics

  “This book gives you a glimpse behind the scenes with real, live missionaries. Audra shares her deepest fears and thoughts as she interacts with the Muslim culture and religion. If you want to know how God calls and uses missionaries in very difficult situations to share the Good News, this book is a must-read.”

  Avery Willis, executive director,

  International Orality Network;

  former vice president, Overseas Operations,

  International Mission Board,

  Southern Baptist Convention

  “Audra has great concern for the Islamic women she lived among for many years. Those concerns have translated into action. She often speaks to groups about her experiences in the Middle East and is always upbeat and positive in the images she conveys to her audiences. Her deep understanding of her Christian beliefs and the knowledge she has gained about the role of women in the Islamic faith allow her to speak with love and compassion. I am honored to have a woman with her breadth and depth of experiences as my friend.”

  C. Ray Warrior,

  former IT executive

  “Intriguing story! Knowing that God uses the weak to intimidate the strong, this mission work with Middle Eastern women may be an essential step in God’s final plans for redemption of the world.”

  Dr. Deborah Gunderman, D.Min.;

  founder, Walking in the Way, Inc.

  “For a modern American woman, following Christ as she raises her family is always an adventure. Sometimes it’s smooth; often not. So what happens when that adventure with God takes a woman to a far and difficult land and through heartbreaking family experiences? You will find that this book is not about the strength of a woman’s heart or even of her faith. This is a story, again, of God’s goodness in all of life, no matter where He takes you. You will read it, as I have, and be reminded of His great grace.”

  Madelyn Edens,

  missionary emeritus to the Middle East,

  International Mission Board,

  Southern Baptist Convention

  “Shelby’s book is one that I do not recommend that you begin reading at nine in the evening—unless you want to be up all night. Yes, trite as the phrase may sound, Behind the Veils of Yemen is one of those can’t-put-down books.

  “Shelby prayed—not just in morning devotions but throughout her day—and learned to give thanks in all things. She writes with an honesty about her struggles, failures and victories that gives glory to God for what she and her husband saw happen in Yemen. Her book is one I highly recommend—if you want a challenge to pray more, give more and perhaps even go to someplace where people have yet to hear the Good News that Jesus saves!”

  Aretta Loving,

  former translator and current writer and speaker,

  Wycliffe Bible Translators, Papua New Guinea;

  author, Slices of Life: Stories and Devotions from a Bible Translator and Together We Can! A Mosaic of Stories

  and Devotions Displaying the Impact of God’s Word

  “Audra Shelby’s sharing is powerful and heartfelt, impacting and educating audiences for whom Islam—especially from a woman’s unique point of view—would otherwise remain a mystery. I was deeply moved not only by her personal experience but also in my own spiritual walk.”

  Lori Koch,

  ministry leader and former missionary

  “This is a compelling tale, skillfully told, of a young family embarking upon an extraordinary adventure with God and both the struggles and victories that infuse their lives of faith. With rare sensitivity, Shelby introduces readers to the lovely country and people of Yemen, particularly the women who live and love unveiled beyond the walls. As she brings to life this f
ascinating culture with riveting detail and charming poignancy, she creates a hunger to experience the world of the Middle East, God’s activity in it and how He leads those who choose to walk in His ways.”

  Karen O’Dell Bullock, Ph.D.;

  professor of Christian heritage and

  director of Ph.D. program,

  B. H. Carroll Theological Institute

  “The story enclosed within the pages of this book invites a reader to take a fascinating faith journey with a young missionary family in Yemen as recounted through the pen of Audra Shelby. You will journey along with Audra and discover that your senses come alive through sights, smells and sounds as well as joys and sorrows that have lain behind both real and figurative veils for centuries. Let a reader take good care! You will be drawn quickly into her story as though you were living it with her and find your heart beating with new gospel vibrancy as her pioneering path invites you to follow closely in her steps.”

  Larry C. Ashlock, D.Min., Ph.D.;

  professor of pastoral leadership and ethics

  and director of D.Min program,

  B. H. Carroll Theological Institute

  “Most of us here in America have a fear of the Muslim people and what we believe they represent. This is an insightful book written from a Christian perspective on the Muslim world with a compassionate heart. It removed some of that fear and enabled me to have a genuine concern for Muslims and also gave me a greater understanding of God’s love and grace toward me. Everyone should read it!”

  Harold Velasquez, vice president,

  US Hispanic Ministries,

  Mike Silva International

  To my Lord, the God of all creation,

  who gives the mouth the ability to speak

  and knows all thoughts before they are words.

  You chose me, and I remain overwhelmed.

  This book is for You,

  that others may know You as I have known You.

  To my husband,

  who believes in me when I do not,

  who is the keel God placed to upright my life,

  and who is my love and my greatest birthday present ever.

  To my four children,

  who have brought me joy from the moment I held them.

  This is their legacy.

  May they never forget.

  Jeremiah 17:5–8

  Acknowledgments

  As a child blossoms within a community, so this book has blossomed through the encouragement and support of many. I remain humbly grateful for contributions of time, encouragement, prayer and guidance. Each contribution has helped to grow Behind the Veils of Yemen and blessed me in the process. Hoping that each contributor will see beyond the limit of mere words, I thank each with endless gratitude.

  I thank my family, for praying me through every step. I thank them for patiently understanding my need to write, for providing me time to write and for believing in what I was writing. I thank them for their editorial eyes and comments, their excitement and their limitless encouragement. I thank them most for their steadfast faith in our Lord.

  I thank friends who affirmed me in doubtful moments. When I presented the first chapters, they asked for more and then urged and prayed me onward. When opportunities seemed daunting, they prayed with me for open doors. I also thank friends who provided technical expertise as they helped develop my electronic world and introduced me to websites and social networks.

  I thank those who took time from busy schedules to read and recommend my book. Their recommendations were blessings showered on a thirsty author, and I am grateful and honored by each one. These special people have been instrumental in my life—equipping me, inspiring me, walking with me, wanting others to hear my story. I pray that they will be blessed by the blessing they have bestowed.

  I give special recognition to Dr. Avery Willis, who took time during the final two weeks of his life to read, encourage and endorse the work of this first-time author. I will never forget his kindness.

  I also thank the staff at Chosen Books and Baker Publishing who have blessed and carried me through each step of the publishing process. They opened the door and patiently guided me through it; they cared about my preferences in every phase; they guarded and guided me with their editorial skills; and they have been a joy to work with always.

  Above all, I thank my Lord and praise Him for guiding this book to fruition. Without Him, there would simply be no story to tell.

  Our three children stared at the white-robed figures walking down the narrow aisle to join our flight from Amsterdam to Yemen. My husband, Kevin, and I tried to study them more discreetly. We pretended not to watch as they settled into their assigned seats.

  “Say thank-you,” I directed as Madison took an activity pack from the flight attendant.

  Madison thanked her and examined a coloring book while Jack played with a folding toothbrush. I thanked another flight attendant for a magazine I did not read. My eyes were on the white-robed group who were buckling their seatbelts for takeoff.

  Most in the group were men, talking and laughing together. Some were chanting quietly over strands of prayer beads they clicked between their fingers. A few were women who had been escorted by their husbands to vacant window seats. Their husbands sat next to them in protective aisle seats, blocking out the seats between them. The men were draped in white. Some wore velvety robes fastened at their shoulders by hidden clasps, while others wore what appeared to be bedsheets that threatened to slip from knots at their waists. These were frequently adjusted, exposing bare chests underneath.

  The few women were veiled in black from head to toe. Black gloves covered their hands, and black opaque socks hid their ankles. The briefest wedge of brown eyes and olive skin peeked from their veils.

  I made eye contact with a woman one row back and smiled. “Good afternoon,” I murmured.

  I could not tell if she smiled back or frowned under her veil. She did not answer, but her eyes held mine steadily until my daughter tugged at my sleeve, calling me back to the story I had promised to read.

  The men were Muslim pilgrims bound for the most sacred of Islamic shrines to perform the most sacred of its rites: circling the Kaaba and kissing the stone they believed to be at the center of the world. I watched the men intent in their Arabic conversation.

  “How long do you think the spiritual high from the hajj will satisfy you? Will it be enough?” I wanted to ask. I wondered if they were seeking God or simply pursuing self-fulfillment.

  I braced my back against the seat as the plane raised its nose into the sky. We were in our final flight to the Middle East, only a few hours from descent into its heart.

  “Is our next stop Yemen, Mommy?” Madison looked up from her dot-to-dot page.

  “No, baby. We stop in Jeddah first, in Saudi Arabia. Then we go on to Yemen.”

  I thought back to the predawn flight we had boarded in Texas the day before. I had not realized how hard it would be to tell our families good-bye. Our pain in leaving had doubled when we saw their pain in letting us go.

  My brother’s voice had broken when our flight had been called. “I will pray for you every day of the next four years.” He had choked me in a gripping hug. “Please come back to us safely.” I had not been able to answer with the cheerful words I had used among church friends. I knew that my mother’s death on the mission field 34 years earlier was in my brother’s tears.

  “God will be with us, Alan,” I had whispered. “He will be enough for what lies ahead.” Kevin and I had nudged the children away from their grandparents’ tearful grips and had moved them down the Jetway.

  In Dallas we had transitioned to our first international flight. I had wanted to seize that minute, freeze the second that we were jetted away from all that was left of our comfortable lives. Twilight had darkened the American landscape receding in the distance. It had closed the day behind us as if closing a book.

  The Dutch flight attendant held out her tray, bringing me back to the pre
sent. “Would you like orange juice or water?” she whispered in the darkened cabin.

  I thanked her for the juice, straightening my cramped legs in my economy-class seat. After thirty hours of travel, my body ached with fatigue.

  “How much longer is it to Jeddah?” I whispered to her.

  “Less than two hours now. But you are going to Yemen, yes?” She looked passed me at Madison and Jack, who were both asleep.

  I nodded and began to explain. “We are moving there.”

  The excitement in my eyes faded when I saw the frown in hers. I sipped my juice as she moved away down the aisle.

  I cuddled two-year-old Jack, who had fallen asleep half on me and half on his seat beside me. His cottony hair wisped across his toddler head. Seven-year-old Madison slept against my other side, her sandy hair waving softly around her china doll face. I tucked the navy blanket around her small shoulders.

  I looked over at Kevin in the adjoining row. His head was nodding against his headrest. Our five-year-old son, Jaden, clutched his yellow teddy bear, Shoobie, and slept soundly against Kevin’s arm, blond hair curling like a cap around his chubby face. Kevin’s Middle East travel guides had slipped to the floor, and the book he had been reading to Jaden was about to join them.

  I leaned back against my own headrest and closed my eyes. Words from a well-meaning friend echoed into my ear. “How can you take those babies to live in a place like that?”

  I tucked the blankets closer around Madison and Jack and swatted at the invading thoughts, but they returned like buzzing flies. I bent to kiss Madison’s cheek.

  “What will the next four years hold for you?” I whispered.

  I stroked her hair, still soft and fine like a baby’s. How would she feel in an Arab world ruled by men who placed little value on females? I looked discreetly back at the veiled woman I had greeted. Her hair covering had loosened around her head. She was staring out of her small window into the endless black night. Her husband snored beside her.

  I swallowed the last of my orange juice wondering how my hair would look after hours under a binding scarf. I brushed at a tea stain on my dress. A summer night two years earlier flashed through my mind.