When Misty Macal first learned that her husband Brandon had accepted a job in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as a military adviser to the Royal Saudi Air Force, she was furious.
"I was so mad," Misty told Tulsa World. "I never expected to find myself going to a place where the Bible is banned and open Christian worship is banned. I thought I was going to a place where I would be miserable."
For a while, Misty's prediction became true. She was forced to give up several of the things she took for granted in the United States, such as expressing her personal fashion choices and driving a car.
"As a woman, I had to wear an abaya, a full-length black gown with a head covering, whenever I was out of the house, and my daughter did, too, once she was older than about 11. It was very hot. And I couldn't drive," she said.
By her third week in Riyadh, Misty could not take more of the culture shock and she had a breakdown. "I was sitting on a curb to eat a powdered doughnut because women weren't allowed in the doughnut shop. White sugar was dropping on my abaya. I was crying like a baby. I didn't realise that this would be my life."
But as horrible as Misty felt, she had a change of heart. She started to think that Jesus wouldn't put her in Riyadh just to feel miserable, so she started a mission for Him.
Misty and Brandon got involved with a small group of expatriate Christians in Riyadh. Their monthly meetings soon became weekly, and the Macals soon formed a church in their Riyadh home. After a year, their small group ballooned to 100 participants, and they were forced to stop meeting in the house because the authorities might get upset.
To solve the problem, the Macals decided to rent a building in Riyadh for their Friday morning meetings. "It's on our visa that we are non-Muslims," said Brandon, "so we decided we were going to be who we are. If we get kicked out of the country, we'll hold our head high."
Their church gatherings posed a problem because Christian services in Saudi Arabia are only allowed in foreign embassies and compounds. But the Macals braved on. Brandon became the church administrator for Grace Outreach Riyadh, while Misty became their worship pastor. They believe it's the only openly worshipping Christian church in Saudi Arabia.
From 100 members, the church grew to 1,200 people. All of them are expatriates from Asia and Africa, with a few Westerners from the United States, Europe, and Australia. Saudi locals were not allowed to attend for their own safety.
Brandon said they only have had minimal difficulty with authorities. He thinks it's because they've been very open about what they're doing. "We don't hide what we do. We're very transparent, very honest," he said.
The Macals are proud of what they've accomplished, and every time Misty reflects on what has happened in her life, she is always brought back to the time when she was crying on a curb with a doughnut in hand.
"Here you see God's love; you are directed by God. You have fellowship with all these people. It is just an extension of God's love that brings us together. This is what heaven is going to be like," she said.
