The following is written by one of the couples we mentor. May it encourage you as it did us.
After work one evening, we invited “Abdul” (an employee we’d not met with before) and his family to dinner together with the two other 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 do this work. But Abdul immediately started to share: His wife (not a believer) comes from a very conservative Islamic family. He shared that a few years ago when Abdul decided to follow Jesus, his father-in-law said nobody from the family was to have any contact with them. Now the pressure from the community was increasing. The family was to be shunned from the mosque if Abdul’s wife did not separate from “this pagan,” and come back to her parents.
Recently, after a 7-year absence, Adul and his wife visited her parents for the first time, to try to talk and 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, Abdul said to his wife: “I won’t hold you. 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 he did say, she could have her own room. Abdul then said: “They have to also notarize this agreement with you. I don’t want you to end up on the streets. I fear that once your father passes away, your stepmom and siblings will cast you out.” She told her father the second condition, and she did not receive a positive answer. Abdul by no means wanted to put pressure on his wife but wanted her to be well cared for if she chose to separate from him.
Another employee who came to faith many years ago also told his wife, “When you’re old, there will be no father or mother to care for you. Also no brother or sister, but only your husband!” Then we prayed for Abdul and his wife.
Yesterday, 4 weeks since our visit, my husband saw Abdul at a funeral. He asked what had happened the past month. Adul answered with a glowing face: “Two weeks ago my wife decided to follow Jesus!”
Be encouraged, He is working!
OPEN USA supports workers in the 10/40 Window, who are doing Business for Transformation. This author’s identifying information has been withheld due to security reasons. To learn more about OPEN USA or to get involved in B4T, visit Find Yourself in B4T