Here’s another report from a B4T worker in Asia.
We were visiting one of our branch offices in another city. After work one evening, my husband and I invited Adul (a young Muslim background believer and an employee we’d not met with before) and his family to dinner together with the two other local believers who work with us. After a nice dinner, my husband and I wanted to talk about our business’ vision, and specifically why we as believers operate this business for Jesus’ glory. But Adul immediately started to talk. He told us how his wife, Fatima, is not a believer and that she comes from a very conservative Islamic family. Abdul shared that a few years ago when he decided to follow Jesus, his father-in-law said nobody from his family was to have any contact with them. Now the pressure from the Muslim community was increasing. His family was to be shunned from the mosque and all social community functions unless Fatima separated from "this pagan" and returned to live with her parents. Abul felt convicted to act. Though he’d not seen his in-laws in 7 years, Adul and his wife went to visit her parents to try to make amends with them. The father told his daughter in no uncertain terms, “You have to come back to us, your marriage is invalid, your husband is a pagan”. During this discussion, Adul made it clear that he would not return to Islam because only in Jesus is there hope for eternal life. After returning home Adul said to his wife, "You are free to do as you please. If you want to go back to your father, go. But under one condition: they have to give you and our daughter your own room. You need a place for yourself."
When she told her father on the phone about the condition, he first didn't want to agree, but later the father did say she could have her own room. Adul then said: "They have to also notarize this agreement with you to make it legal. I don't want you to end up on the streets. I fear that once your father passes away your step-mother and siblings will cast you out." She told her father the second condition and he refused to legalize the agreement. Adul by no means wanted to put pressure on his wife but he wanted her to be well cared for if she chose to separate from him.
One of the other believing employees who came to faith many years ago had also told Fatima, "When you're old there will be no father or mother to care for you. Also no brother or sister, but only your husband!” After Adul told us these things, we prayed for Fatima, her family and him. After 4 weeks, yesterday, we visited his city again and my husband saw Adul at a funeral. He asked, “What has happened the past month”? Adul answered with a glowing face: "Two weeks ago my wife decided to follow Jesus!"
Do you have a story to share? Plowing, sowing, bearing fruit? Do send it to me that we may share it and encourage one another!
We were visiting one of our branch offices in another city. After work one evening, my husband and I invited Adul (a young Muslim background believer and an employee we’d not met with before) and his family to dinner together with the two other local believers who work with us. After a nice dinner, my husband and I wanted to talk about our business’ vision, and specifically why we as believers operate this business for Jesus’ glory. But Adul immediately started to talk. He told us how his wife, Fatima, is not a believer and that she comes from a very conservative Islamic family. Abdul shared that a few years ago when he decided to follow Jesus, his father-in-law said nobody from his family was to have any contact with them. Now the pressure from the Muslim community was increasing. His family was to be shunned from the mosque and all social community functions unless Fatima separated from "this pagan" and returned to live with her parents. Abul felt convicted to act. Though he’d not seen his in-laws in 7 years, Adul and his wife went to visit her parents to try to make amends with them. The father told his daughter in no uncertain terms, “You have to come back to us, your marriage is invalid, your husband is a pagan”. During this discussion, Adul made it clear that he would not return to Islam because only in Jesus is there hope for eternal life. After returning home Adul said to his wife, "You are free to do as you please. If you want to go back to your father, go. But under one condition: they have to give you and our daughter your own room. You need a place for yourself."
When she told her father on the phone about the condition, he first didn't want to agree, but later the father did say she could have her own room. Adul then said: "They have to also notarize this agreement with you to make it legal. I don't want you to end up on the streets. I fear that once your father passes away your step-mother and siblings will cast you out." She told her father the second condition and he refused to legalize the agreement. Adul by no means wanted to put pressure on his wife but he wanted her to be well cared for if she chose to separate from him.
One of the other believing employees who came to faith many years ago had also told Fatima, "When you're old there will be no father or mother to care for you. Also no brother or sister, but only your husband!” After Adul told us these things, we prayed for Fatima, her family and him. After 4 weeks, yesterday, we visited his city again and my husband saw Adul at a funeral. He asked, “What has happened the past month”? Adul answered with a glowing face: "Two weeks ago my wife decided to follow Jesus!"
Do you have a story to share? Plowing, sowing, bearing fruit? Do send it to me that we may share it and encourage one another!
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