Two of the men we are training in ministry, Suffian and Morad, where on the way back from a follow-up trip last night. The bus ride is about 5 hours. After the first hour and a half two men boarded the bus, as it had stopped to pick up more passengers. These men where selling books about “Aid el Adha” (The Feast of the Sacrifice) and other Islamic books. Morad felt led by the Spirit to start a conversation with these men about the purpose of the sacrifice as a forgiveness for sin. Of course the men had no idea what he was talking about, they were just trying to make a buck (or dinar).
As the conversation continued the whole bus got involved and demanded to hear more. Together for the next 3 hours or so Suffian and Morad explained and defended their Christian faith to a busload of Muslims in a country where it’s illegal to be a Christian. Not a single person on the bus (over 40 people) had ever met a Christian from their country. The reactions were disbelief, accusations, and some listened. They were at one point ordered off the bus by some and defended by others. Their testimony was drowned out at times by the driver playing the Koran chant loudly. They had no rest until they got off the bus. The great thing is that as they got off the bus they were thanked by the passengers and wished well. The Bus driver even gave them a honk and a wave as he continued on without them.
One assumption a lot of missionaries to Muslims make is that they can somehow make Christ famous while remaining anonymous. What do I mean? They want to see Muslim’s converted and churches begun and pastors trained and at the same time maintain their non-religious persona as a businessman or teacher. Because a student becomes like his teacher, the few believers said missionary may train usually is an underground believer who sometimes even his family doesn’t know about his faith. Tentmakers around the world have anonimity as their method of ministry and anything bolder than that they condemn as “foolish”.
The only problem with this idea is that it is historically impossible. The success of a people’s cause is directly attached to their willingness to be known and die for that cause if neccesary. Take The Civil Rights Movement, The Gay Right’s Movement, the day of Pentacost, and Christianity in the Roman Empire as varied examples among many others.
My wife has been praying for these two ladies for months. She printed out their picture and put it on our fridge. We had our kids and church praying for them as well. We were all thrilled with this news we read yesterday: