I want to say a huge team thank-you to everyone who gave to the Gospel MP3 project. I know I say it all the time but it has been a huge blessing to the ministry. Grace Baptist Church in Middletown, Shenandoah Baptist Church in TN, Oakwood BC in SC, New Beginnings BC in LA, my dad, my sister, and many friends gave thousands of dollars combined to help us finance this project. The money helped us record a Sat. TV program that has been airing here in North Africa offering the MP3 players as a gift to viewers. We have bought hundreds of these MP3 players and are loading onto them the gospel.
This week my family and I travelled to the capital city for three days to follow up on some of these respondents. We stayed in a hotel and my wife watched the kids while I met a couple of the contacts around the corner. Then it was my turn to watch the kids while she met a lady requester. Here are their stories:
Jamal- Jamal struck me as an unusually dedicated requester over the phone. We never know what we’re going to meet. But Jamal was traveling over an hour to meet me so I was very interested. I met him at the door of the old medina (city). He hugged and kissed me (on the cheeks) just like I had known him for a long time. We crossed the street and took a corner seat at the coffee shop. I explained to him what was in the plastic bag in which was a whole Bible, the MP3 player, and two DVD’s. He was so excited and I noticed that he was shaking. He began to tell me his story.
He is 45 years old and the father of two kids, 12 and 8. Ten years ago he began to watch Sat. TV programs about Christianity. He has had doubts about the Koran and Islam his whole life and as he began to learn about Christ and the Bible it made more sense than what he read in the Koran. Three years ago he “made the decision” (his words) to become a Christian. He wrote to Joyce Meyers and asked for a Bible but nothing came. He wrote to others but nothing. He is not super techi so he doesn’t know anything about Skype and other VOIP apps to discuss with Christians. As a result he has never met another Christian nor had he ever held a Bible in his hands until yesterday!
We only had about an hour together before my wife had to meet Meriem. The whole time we spoke he held his hand over his mouth and spoke with a shaking voice. He shared how he had shared with his family that he had become a Christian and they had kicked him and his family out of the house. (the extended families will often live together in the same 3 level house) He now lives in his own home with his wife and kids that he explained to be more like a room. His wife and kids are not yet believers. He asked that I come and share with his family so that they may believe as well. He asked me about other believers. “Are there any others in this country?” He asked. “I’d like to meet some.” He replied after I confirmed his first question. Our time was short but a huge blessing for the both of us. I had the great privilege of praying for him by name as we sat at coffee. What a blessing from God to meet the embodiment of the amazing working of the Holy Spirit in the life of someone so far from Him.
Thank you for giving so that we could make contact with Jamal. Now please pray for the funds to start a church in his home. We are training a couple young men as pastors but it will cost about $200/month in travel expenses to send a preacher each week to minister to Jamal and his family and other believer in their city which is about 4 hours from us.
We are strapped as can be right now so I don’t know where that money will come from but we are stepping out by faith.