The following story was shared with us by Justina, one of our contacts in Egypt. She was able to sit down with Badra, who you will read about, and share her story with us. She has asked that we pray for her to be a good encourager to this young lady and other Muslim background Believers she encounters.

Badra grew up in Sudan. Her father is a very wealthy businessman. He owns a beautiful villa where Badra lives with her brothers and sisters. Private guards surround their large estate, and each of the children has their own car with their own private driver. Badra was raised Muslim, yet because of her dad’s work, in which he travels to many different countries, he is more of a moderate Muslim, unlike Badra’s uncles who are all fanatical Muslims and even Sheiks (a Sheikh is a spiritual leader of Muslims).

From an early age, Badra knew she didn’t like Islam. She saw how her uncles lived and thought they were very hypocritical. “They are Sheiks and do their prayers, preaching, and other religious duties, yet they also are adulterous and drunkards, that cheat on their wives, and do many other bad things.”

When Badra was old enough, she was able to attend a nearby college. One of her professors assigned her a research project to compare the differences between women’s rights in Islam and Christianity. Badra believes that her professor thought she would see many negatives on the side of Christianity, and a better view of the Islamic side.

She fully committed to this project. She studied many books, including the Bible, and discovered that in the Christian religion women have many rights. When looking into women’s rights in Islam, she couldn’t find any. Badra wrote about her findings along with her opinions. When she presented her paper to her professor, he became angry. He yelled at her and tore up her papers. He demanded she never show her research to anyone, and she must rewrite it and say nothing negative about Islam.

After such an extreme encounter with her professor, Badra said, “I started to feel there is something very wrong to make the professor become so angry. I questioned why he got so upset about my research. While struggling through these thoughts I started to read my Bible more, and God started to work on my heart.”

At the same time, “Mary”, a Christian, came into Badra’s life. Badra over time, came to admire Mary. She said, “She was a really great young girl, the way she dresses, talks, behaves and everything was really proper and nice.” They would meet regularly, and Badra noticed that her own life was changing. She was no longer going to clubs, drinking, and doing other “bad things”.  Ther friends began to ask her what changed in her life, but she was still Muslim and was unsure how to let people know about her new Christian friend.

Mary stopped showing up to class, so Badra decided to visit her at her home. Mary’s sister was there and informed Badra that “Mary went home to heaven”. This was a shock to Badra. She found herself crying and depressed. She didn’t feel she had anyone she could talk to about it, but she remembered that Mary loved going to church. In hopes of making Mary “happy in heaven”, Badra decided to go to Mary’s church. That day, the pastor was talking about sin and repentance. She said she didn’t understand all of what he was saying, but she felt peace like she had never known before in her life. Badra began attending the church regularly, and one night she had a dream in which she saw Jesus and He told her to “follow Me”. She shared her dream with the Pastor, but the pastor told her that he did not want any problems with her family or the government.

Before long, one of Badra’s uncles saw her coming out of the church. He informed her father. Badra said, “They brought me in the middle, between them and beat me…” After the beating, her father said, “We trust you, and we know you will not do that again”. He was wrong. Badra continued to go to church and grow in her relationship with God.

One day, Badra’s dad walked into her room and found her reading the Bible. He was so angry he beat her again. He then had her locked in the basement where her uncle abused her. He beat her with an iron rod, burned her, stabbed her with nails, and harmed her in many other ways. Her body is marred with many scars, and she still suffers pain throughout her body.

Badra’s family decided to kill her, but because it was during the month of Ramadan (the Islamic holy month), they had to wait. They left her locked in the basement throughout Ramadan. She said, “I stayed 40 days like Jesus, with no food or drinks.” She was given a little water every week, but she exclaimed, “God helped me to survive”.

The last night of Ramadan, during the feast, Badra learned she could open the door! She ran! No one saw her except her younger brother who simply waved goodbye from the balcony of his room. She ran to the church she had been attending. Once again, the pastor told her that he could not help her, but she was able to connect with a friend. This friend let her stay the night, and with help from many people, she was able to acquire a new passport, a new ID, and then escape to Egypt.

For the time being, Badra is safe. Her dad has a lot of money and influence because of his job. He filed reports throughout Egypt and Sudan stating that Badra has a very serious mental illness and if anyone sees her, they should call him immediately. He has shared this report with hospitals and airports. Badra can’t go anywhere, but she feels fine staying in Egypt. She said, “My dad took every penny, all my inheritance, but God is good!”

Badra’s body is scarred, and she lives with a lot of pain, yet her smile and the joy she gives off is nothing short of a miracle. She once was rich, and now has nothing, she lived in a fancy villa, and now has no home of her own, but she has Jesus.

Join us in praying for Badra. Pray that her needs are met, and her relationship with God deepens. Pray also for Justina, for wisdom, guidance, and protection. Pray that as she continues to work in this country, God will provide opportunities and finances.

Ali is a 53-year-old doorman who Brother ‘S’ has encountered every Sunday on his way to church for the past six months. Initially, Brother ‘S’ would greet him casually and Ali would return the greeting. Eventually, Brother ‘S’ introduced himself and shook Ali’s hand. Each Sunday since, Brother ‘S’ has asked Ali about his and his family’s well-being. The Lord has given Brother ‘S’ a heart of compassion toward Ali. 

One Sunday, Ali was waiting for Brother ‘S’ in the front of the building where he works. He knew precisely when Brother ‘S’ would pass by, but this week Brother ‘S’ was late. Ali said he had been waiting for hours and asked why Brother ‘S’ was late. Slightly perplexed, Brother ‘S’ explained and asked if everything was okay? Ali began to share from his heart. He said Brother ‘S’ treats him kindly and in a way that is different from how others treat him. The humble and loving way Brother ‘S’ greets him and asks about his family and his circumstances encourages him. It is a kind of loving care that he has never felt from anyone. Ali mentioned that the people he works for, who see him daily, do not care for him and they treat him as if he were not good enough for them to greet. Being a doorman is a very humble job. Ali exclaimed to Brother ‘S’ “You come, greet me, and show me how much you care for me!” Then he said, “The smile that I see, the light that surrounds you when you come. Let me tell you this, you will be in paradise!” Brother ‘S’ asked him, “How about you? Will you be with me in Paradise?” Ali did not know, and Brother ‘S’ told him it would be shameful if he were to be in Heaven without Ali! 

Brother ‘S’ shared the story of God’s love for everyone with Ali. He spoke the message of salvation, from Genesis to the end! Ali had tears in his eyes, and his lips trembled words of praise! In the end, Brother ‘S’ told Ali he should not feel forced to follow and believe in what Brother ‘S’ believes. Rather, he encouraged Ali to set aside a quiet time, bow down and ask God directly to reveal His truth. He then told Ali if he was interested in the Gospel, which Brother ‘S’ believes and shared from, he would have a copy ready to give to him. 

Brother ‘S’ said, “I still meet my friend Ali coming and going to church. I am not sure if he has decided to follow Christ. Still, he is passionately open to hear about the love of Christ, about the humbleness of Christ. His eyes are opened to the love of Christians for all people, regardless of their colour, race, academic level, or social status!” 

Please pray that Ali would come to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. In addition, pray for Brother ‘S’ to be safe as he shares his faith and builds the Body of Christ in Morocco.

Aiden is a 74-year-old farmer. He has been a Believer in Jesus Christ for more than 30 years. He was first introduced to the Gospel through a radio program. Today he lives in a mountain village in rural Morocco. He is a true Believer in Christ and his family bears witness to the depth of his faith. It is not always easy being a Christian in a small village. Though most of the community is Muslim, Aiden is still respected by many. He does not hesitate to share his faith with all who ask.

Our dear friend, Brother ‘S’, stays in contact with Aiden, and over the last two to three years he has noticed that Aiden’s eyes were getting weak; he was gradually losing his sight. News Service 2000 was able to pay for Aiden to visit an optometrist, and for him to get medical treatment and receive glasses. What a blessing for Aiden to be able to see clearly again!

Please be in prayer for the challenges that Aiden faces and pray for the needs of his family. Aiden had not been able to work because of his eyesight, perhaps now he will be able to return to farming. Through all of this, his faith in God as his provider has remained strong.

Adam is a gentle man with a wife and six children. He lives a simple life in a small community far from any large cities. He has been a leader in the local church for years and is a critical part of the Christian community there. Through donations from our supporters, Living Stones International has been able to provide Adam with finances to help provide food and medical supplies to Christian families in his area.

Adam lives in Western Africa, in a country where it is a crime, punishable by death, to convert to Christianity or try to convert a Muslim to Christianity. This country considers its population to be 100% Muslim. That means that any Christian native to this country must have converted.

Brother ‘S’, who lives in a country that is about 99% Muslim, describes it like this: “Believers here must persevere in regular persecution from society and the authorities. We must take care before, during, and after our house church meetings. We must gather without fear and with wisdom as we worship the Lord and study His Word together. These challenges are part of our daily lives in a country where laws prevent us from living out our faith freely.”

Adam and other Christian leaders were shown in a video that was distributed via social media. The message was calling viewers to “Go and persecute Adam and all the other leaders in the church.” This sparked persecution towards Believers. Because of Adam’s faith and his leadership in the local church, he refuses to leave his community. Adam wants to set an example for other Believers and among church leaders during this persecution. His prayer is that he will have an opportunity to proclaim the Gospel and testify about his faith in Christ. He hopes that through this situation there might be an opportunity for government leaders to change the way they view Christianity. He prays that one day Believers will be able to practice and share their faith freely in his home country.

Since we originally shared this story, Adam has reported that the persecution has decreased. He continues to minister to the community around him and continues to trust that God will protect him and his family. He is aware though, that God’s will may lead him home to heaven at any time.

Pictured at right is a Mauritanian village

Her name is Akoe Deng, she is one of more than 5 million refugees from Sudan who have fled to Egypt due to persecution and war within their own country. She has been completely blind for many years because of an illness she suffered when she was young. When our contact, Emily, first met Akoe two years ago, they brought her to a doctor to see if there was anything that could be done for her blindness.

The doctor said there was no hope for her to regain her vision. He also said that, sadly, just one tablet given when she was ill would have prevented her from becoming blind. Akoe broke down crying in the doctor’s office, she said, “I want to be able to see where I am going!”

For two years, Emily has been faithfully visiting Akoe. Within that first year, Akoe became a Believer! Christ became the light in her dark world, the true Light in her heart. However, there is more to her story. You see, due to her blindness, she is dependent upon other refugees for everything. During these two years, Akoe has been moved from family to family. Due to the lack of food, clothing, and other resources, it is difficult for families to take on additional responsibilities.

In spite of these many difficulties, God has used Akoe in amazing ways. Each family that has sheltered Akoe during the past year and a half has heard about Jesus and has seen the Light that shines from her. Emily has visited every home Akoe has lived in and together, they have shared the Gospel with each family. Many Sudanese have heard about the love of Jesus Christ because of their willingness to provide shelter to the blind woman from Sudan.