Wife Beater to Jesus Follower

Wife Beater to Jesus Follower

Nur had an anger problem. Almost daily, he would say degrading and vile things to his wife. One day, he went a step further and landed a few punches on his defenseless wife. Fearfully, she fled to her parents’ house, and the police arrested Nur.

When his wife refused to press charges, Nur was released. Filled with humiliation and deep remorse, he returned to his empty house.

Sam and Nancy visited Nur. They listened patiently, then said, “Nur, what you did is inexcusable. You must change, and real change starts on the inside. Study about the prophets and Jesus with us and ask God to change you.”

Like a starving man, Nur devoured the Scriptures and sought to apply them to his life. He put aside his Islamic beliefs and decided to follow Jesus as his Savior and Lord.

Though she was still living with her parents, Nur’s wife observed the change in him. When he invited her to come back home, she cautiously agreed. Nur gathered his son and daughter-in-law, and the four of them studied the same prophet and Jesus stories under the mentorship of Sam and Nancy.

They have all come to faith, been baptized, and now meet as a house church.

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“I Am Ready!”

“I Am Ready!”

“I have some great news to tell you,” Job shared with Frank over the phone. “I’m ready to follow Jesus!” 

Thrilled to hear this good news, Frank invited Job and his wife Sarah over for dinner later that evening to celebrate and hear the rest of the story. Since then Job has invited his friend, Chris, to also discover God. Chris said,”Yes,” he is interested in reading the Bible and learning about Jesus. Now the two men are looking for a third person to join them in a new discovery Bible study!

Behind the scenes, over the past year, Job heard the good news, met followers of Jesus for the first time, and began reading the Bible. He was interested, but he wasn’t ready to make a commitment to obey and follow Jesus. 

Then, during the Sacrifice Holiday (Eid Al Adha) this past June, when you and hundreds of  other people were praying for the Muslim world, Job made a decision to follow Jesus. 

When God’s people pray for the lost, He responds. 

*pseudonym

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“It Must Be Jesus Who Did This!”

“It Must Be Jesus Who Did This!”

*Uhn was the town drunk and the senior patriarch of his large extended family. Over a year ago, *Scott’s local partner, a capable movement catalyst, led Uhn to faith in Jesus. After prayer, he was able to stop all drinking and has taken deliberate steps to walk in obedience to Christ. After completing a short set of lessons with his discipleship group, they dug into the book of Mark using an obedience-oriented discovery process. Uhn even took upon himself the task of memorizing the Gospel of Mark. Scott was very moved when he followed along as Uhn recited Mark chapter 10, word for word.

Uhn’s change in behavior is captured in the words of his Buddhist brother-in-law: “It is miraculous how he has changed. We used to be afraid of him, [but not now]. How can I explain it? It must be Jesus who did this!”

Since November 2021, Uhn and the leader working with him have actively gathered his extended family and shared God’s word with them. Some have already come to faith and obeyed in baptism. Even more encouraging is the weekly Discovery Bible Study group with his extended family. Pray they grow into maturity as a church and function as one among their extended community to the glory of God.

Thank you for impacting the lives of unreached peoples and spreading God’s glory among the nations.

*pseudonym

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“I’m Baptized!”

“I’m Baptized!”

After months of doing Discovery Bible Studies with Sue, Havva decided she wanted to be a Jesus follower. 

Knowing that it’s generally better to baptize someone together with their closest community, the women pondered whether to wait for Havva’s husband to come to faith too. And where could they hold the baptism? Bathtubs are rare in their part of West Asia. They brought these matters before God. 

When Havva remembered a public pool she once visited, she called immediately. “Okay, I’m just going to tell you straight,” she said to the owner. “I’m going to be baptized, so I want to come when no one else is around.”

“Oh really?! I’m so happy for you!” the man said. “Yes, please come early. We open at 10, but you can come at nine before anyone else arrives. We’ll be waiting for you.”

Havva and Sue were not expecting that response! On the contrary, a more expected reaction in a 99%-Muslim country would have been anger and a lecture on why she shouldn’t do it. They were amazed! God had made a way.

Later that day, Sue saw a man with a Matthew 28:19 T-shirt walk past … in the middle of Islamic West Asia. “All I could do was gawk as he walked by,” Sue says. “When I finally collected myself, I breathlessly read the verse to Havva, and in [Havva’s language] the verb “baptize” is written in the command form. It hit me like a ton of bricks: the Father is confirming His will to us: ‘Do it.’ I had been worrying, but God had given us a place and a command.”

The following morning when they were in the warm pool waters, Sue got momentarily caught up in the mechanics of how to baptize someone in a pool with no shallow end. “But Havva was focused and got it done,” Sue recalls. “She said, ‘In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I’m baptized!’ And then she dipped under the water and popped back up. 

“I love that Havva was so determined that she didn’t need me to say or do anything; I just put my hand on her back as she went underwater. It was such a joyful morning! Our Father showered us with His kindness and care because we’re His beloved daughters.”

Sue asks that we pray for Havva to have the opportunity to baptize her husband and daughter when they, too, become followers of Jesus. Her husband is close, but something is still blocking him. Ask the Father for another miracle of faith. 

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Dussehra

Dussehra

Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 24th. It is the final day of a Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil, generally marking Lord Rama’s defeat of the demon king Ravan.

Different parts of India celebrate Dussehra in different ways. Scenes from Rama’s life might be enacted, grand processions may take place or effigies of Ravana burned.

For some Hindus it is a very religious holiday; for some it isn’t. Hindu families who celebrate Dussehra in a religious fashion commemorate it with the worship of idols, objects of prosperity, and weapons.

Another common religious duty is fasting – though only the women fast. There is not one set way to fast; some will fast all daylight hours, some might only fast garlic and onions. 

Many Hindus feel the pointlessness of following empty customs. They feel the hypocrisy of oppressing their neighbor while observing supposedly meaningful religious traditions. It has been reported that many are actually becoming atheists.

Let us pray that those truly desiring to connect with God will meet the God for whom there is no idol. Pray that they come to understand that it is by mercy and lovingkindness and truth (not superficial ritual) that wickedness is cleansed from the heart. [Proverbs. 16:6]

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