Sacrifice and Joy
While on my recent Middle East trip, we met a young woman who was a convert from an offshoot branch of Islam. As a teenager Narjes became disillusioned with her religion and sought answers. In time she found Jesus Christ and surrendered her life to Him.
Her parents tried to force her to recant her newfound faith in Christ but failed. They threatened her not to tell anyone about Jesus because that would bring shame to her prominent family. Whenever she brought a Bible home, her parents would throw it away as soon as they found it. Her mother would never leave her alone in the house so that she couldn't pray. Narjes played hymns on her guitar for a time praying the hymns' words in her mind. After a year or so, her mother figured out what she was doing and threw away the guitar.
As Narjes grew older she took classes while still living at home and gained a professional license. She secretly kept a Bible at school, and each day she would copy a page of the Bible. Carrying the copied Scripture home under her clothing, she memorized verses late at night.
Narjes earned good money at her profession and managed to put away some savings. Her parents wanted her to marry a cousin of her parents' faith. She wanted to be able to live out her own faith.
Ultimately Narjes ran away from home, and her parents are still trying to track her down. She changes apartments every few months to avoid detection. She can no longer practice as a licensed professional because her parents could use her license to find her if she is employed in her profession. She had found work paying a fraction of her former salary. Recently the decline in the world economy caused layoffs where she worked, and she is currently unemployed. She has used up her savings.
Despite sacrificing her family relationships and her profession, joy radiates from Narjes' face as she talks about Jesus. Now in her twenties, Narjes is one of the youngest women in her new congregation. Yet her pastor has assigned her to teach the women of the church. Through the generosity of the saints we were able to help our ministry partner assist her with some expenses while she seeks new employment. Please pray the following for Narjes:
Her parents tried to force her to recant her newfound faith in Christ but failed. They threatened her not to tell anyone about Jesus because that would bring shame to her prominent family. Whenever she brought a Bible home, her parents would throw it away as soon as they found it. Her mother would never leave her alone in the house so that she couldn't pray. Narjes played hymns on her guitar for a time praying the hymns' words in her mind. After a year or so, her mother figured out what she was doing and threw away the guitar.
As Narjes grew older she took classes while still living at home and gained a professional license. She secretly kept a Bible at school, and each day she would copy a page of the Bible. Carrying the copied Scripture home under her clothing, she memorized verses late at night.
Narjes earned good money at her profession and managed to put away some savings. Her parents wanted her to marry a cousin of her parents' faith. She wanted to be able to live out her own faith.
Ultimately Narjes ran away from home, and her parents are still trying to track her down. She changes apartments every few months to avoid detection. She can no longer practice as a licensed professional because her parents could use her license to find her if she is employed in her profession. She had found work paying a fraction of her former salary. Recently the decline in the world economy caused layoffs where she worked, and she is currently unemployed. She has used up her savings.
Despite sacrificing her family relationships and her profession, joy radiates from Narjes' face as she talks about Jesus. Now in her twenties, Narjes is one of the youngest women in her new congregation. Yet her pastor has assigned her to teach the women of the church. Through the generosity of the saints we were able to help our ministry partner assist her with some expenses while she seeks new employment. Please pray the following for Narjes:
- that she would find new employment
- that she would remain concealed from her parents
- that her parents would be saved
- that she would find a loving Christian husband