Carrying the Flame

Anna stepped off the plane into the dusty heat of the Arab Gulf one day in early 2026. She was not yet sure what to expect. A pastor’s daughter and worship leader native to the Levant, Anna had led worship at the MAPS Global Levant Missions Base for some time now. She had come to the Arab Gulf for a prayer and worship conference and looked forward to joining Christians from other nations as they came together to worship Jesus. She had often led worship only in English, careful not to step out of the box of songs she had learned. Would this conference change that?

As Anna entered in, she was drawn into the spontaneous youth-led worship of a group from another nation in the Middle East. The youth sang their heart-songs in their native language. Overcome, Anna watched as the youth burned like candles lit by the Lord. Those in the room were, in turn, lit up by the fire they shared. Suddenly, Anna felt her own spirit burning like a candle. “I want to sing my song,” she thought. Anna imagined spontaneously leading worship in her native language. In her early 20’s herself, Anna could feel her courage increasing just by seeing other youth and young adults worshipping the Lord in Spirit and in truth in their native language.

When Anna got back on the plane to head home, the candle in her spirit was still lit and burning brightly. Determined, she dedicated herself to sharing the same fire with the youth in the Levant. She scheduled two hours every Wednesday for a youth-led worship service at the MAPS Global Levant Missions Base. It became a time of spontaneous worship in the local language, just as she imagined. One by one, the youth in the room also lit up like candles before the Lord. Wednesday night worship then became a permanent rhythm. Today, the flame that was lit in Anna’s heart by the worship of the youth in their native language continues to burn brightly in her and others in the Levant.