STORIES OF HOPE
Samir found the God he was searching for.
“Why do I have to pray five times a day? Samir questioned. “Is God a terrible master waiting to punish me when I do wrong?” Despite his attempts to follow the religious requirements, Samir wrestled with the teachings of Islam.
Samir lives in a very closed Central Asia country, where over 84 percent of the population are at least nominally Muslim. According to the Qu’ran, Allah is unknowable and created evil. Man cannot have a relationship with Him except to obey.
Such teachings didn’t make sense to Samir. “I tried my best to observe all the rules, but blindly following rules did not profit me or God.” He shared, “I decided to reject all religions and look for the true God.”
Today you can help people searching for truth to find the answers they need in Jesus.
Samir read about various religions and studied faith. He watched films and tried to understand the nature of God. He even attended a Forgiveness Seminar hosted by our local partners and sponsored by Global Heart Ministries.
He was drawn to the seminar because he desired reconciliation with his estranged father. During the meeting, he met a local church pastor and his wife. The couple befriended him and in the weeks that followed, they showed him love and lived out the Gospel before him.
The more he learned about Jesus, the more God showed Samir the answers to his questions. “I found the God I was looking for. The God who cares, loves His creation, offers refuge and mercy.”
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Samir put his faith in Jesus and prepared to be baptized at his local church. But as the day of his baptism approached, fear gripped his heart.
Because his country is extremely closed to the Gospel, people take baptism very seriously. It’s a public sign of identifying with Jesus. And as a result, one can face ostracism from family, isolation in the community and even persecution for converting to Christianity.
Samir asked the Lord for a sign to assure him that he was doing the right thing. Just a couple minutes later, a dove flew through his window, made a few circles around the ceiling and flew away. The Lord often uses signs in Samir’s culture to point people to Himself or give them guidance, and this was the confirmation he needed to move forward.
He was baptized and began serving poor and needy families, sharing the Gospel and running the social media outreach efforts for his local church. Encouraged by his pastor, Samir also joined the Global Heart Ministries’ team. Today he helps connect new believers into the persecuted church so that they too can build relationships and grow in their new faith.
“I am so glad to be a part of this God-given ministry!” he said. After years of trying to live up to endless religious rules, Samir now has a relationship with the God who loves him and cares for his needs.
Right now there are so many people just like Samir all across the Middle East and Central Asia who are searching for truth and answers to their toughest questions. Through innovative technology and digital media, Global Heart Ministries shares the message of Jesus, provides faith-building resources, and helps connect people to a local church where they can develop relationships and grow in their faith.