Story Contributed by a Global Worker in Asia
Christian is married with two children, and over twenty years ago, he felt God call him to reach the people of a radically Muslim region of Asia that still practices Sharia Law.
For a long time, Christians could not move to this region because they must receive government permission to do so, and they were usually denied. But about 20 years ago, a door opened for them to move after a natural disaster struck the area, and humanitarian aid was allowed in.
Christian and his family moved to the area and helped with the humanitarian effort for a few years. Eventually, other Christians started leaving or getting kicked out, including all of his team. His heart was still greatly burdened for the people of this area, and he committed to staying. He started a small business that legally allowed him to stay while also providing financially for his family.
Christian continued to minister, pray and cast seed, but after 17 years, he grew frustrated because nobody was interested in Jesus, and there was still not one believer.
His wife began to doubt their call and longed to return to their home, but Christian’s burden for the lost was too intense to give up. In faithful perseverance and Christlike compassion, Christian increased his prayer effort, “praying more than the Muslims.” After several months, he saw a miraculous breakthrough as radical Muslim leaders started coming to faith in Christ.
Christian’s life has been threatened many, many times. Still, the Holy Spirit has moved in unexplainable ways as Sharia Law enforcing religious radicals have been brought to their knees as the Spirit of Christ encountered and humbled them into repentance, worship, and salvation.
Today there are over 300 believers in this region.
- They cannot meet in large groups.
- They cannot have paper copies of the Word (thank God for e-versions they can hide on their phones).
- They do not sing worship and praise because
- a) music is not a form of worship to Muslim background Believers,
- and b) worship songs would expose their gatherings and be very dangerous.
Two weeks ago, our Global Worker from Asia spoke at a missions conference where he met Christian.
For the first time in three years, Asians from around this nation gathered to share and learn about what God is doing in this area. Asia Global Workers, church planters, disciple-makers, faith network and denomination leaders, and businessmen interested in missions gathered in one place to worship, encourage one another, cast vision, and mobilize Asia to reach the unreached.
And at this conference, with over 100 other like-minded, mission-focused believers, Christian could worship the Lord in song for the first time in 20 years!
Discussion:
- If you could not worship with song in public or gather in a building each Saturday or Sunday, what would your worship look like every day?
- Describe a time when you worked in a ministry, and you didn’t see any fruit. How did you persevere through it?
- Share about people in the Bible (with verses) that grew frustrated with serving in a ministry that seemed fruitless. What can we learn from their experiences?
On the prayer wall, write out a prayer for Christian and the Global Worker in Asia. Click here.
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