"Torch" struggles to find work because he is a Believer in christ

UPDATE: About two months after Torch's story "STRUGGLE TO FIND WORK" (below this update), we received an answer to prayer:


While in Morocco, I had the opportunity to sit down with Brother “Torch.” For those who may not remember, Torch is a bold evangelist in his country. His dedication to sharing the Gospel once led to a criminal record for attempting to convert people from Islam. As a result, his job opportunities and many other aspects of his life were severely limited. However, through the support of Living Stones, an attorney was able to help clear his record. When I met with him, I was overjoyed to learn that his record is now clean.


This trip also allowed me to get to know Torch on a deeper level. Because of his decision to follow Christ, his own family has been trying to take his property away from him. Despite this, he continues to respond with love and grace, demonstrating the love of Jesus. In a testimony of God’s work, Torch shared that he has begun to see Jesus’ love reflected in his mother, even though she is not yet a believer. He recognizes that she is mirroring the love and kindness she has witnessed in Torch himself.


One of the greatest challenges Torch has faced is his relationship with his uncle, Absolom—the very man who had him imprisoned for his faith in 2011. Today, this uncle is suffering from Alzheimer’s. Yet rather than holding onto anger or seeking revenge, Torch desires only one thing: for his uncle to see Jesus. He wants to extend the same love and mercy that Christ has shown him.


Meeting Torch was a true blessing. His story is one of an unshakable commitment to sharing the Gospel, no matter the cost. Please continue to pray for Torch and for all the Believers who are working daily to bring the life-saving message of Jesus to the people of this Muslim nation.

STRUGGLE TO FIND WORK

“Torch” is a 35-year-old former Muslim, who has been a Believer for more than 16 years. Because he openly shared his faith with neighbors and friends in his village, he was arrested. He spent about two months in prison, was badly treated, beaten, and starved before being released. He met with Dr. Pat soon after he was released.


Since then, Torch has endured psychological and legal persecution because of his past imprisonment. The main issue he faces now is the notary document from the police, which states that he was arrested for two months for changing his religion. This record has become a major obstacle in his life.


Whenever Torch applies for jobs at companies or seeks funding for projects through state or quasi-banking institutions, this document is used to disqualify him. As a result, he is unable to secure employment in industrial companies or receive any financial support for projects.


Today, Torch faces great difficulty due to being unemployed. He is the primary breadwinner for his family, and his mother is seriously ill. She requires daily medication for diabetes and high blood pressure. Torch is struggling to support her and provide for his family, all while being treated as a criminal in his village simply because he converted from Islam to Christianity. This is another type of persecution faced by believers in a strict Muslim country.


His nickname, "Torch," describes his desire to spread God's love and light like a torch lights up other torches.


Please pray for Brother Torch as we search for a legal solution to remove this record from his criminal history. Pray for an attorney who can help him with this issue. Also, pray for his emotional well-being as he suffers isolation in his village, concern for his mother’s health and lack of financial resources for her medications, and his family‘s material needs.


TORCH'S HISTORY AND TESTIMONY, A TRAVELER'S ACCOUNT

Recently, I was able to travel with a team to the MENA (Middle East, North Africa) region. Our first morning of the trip after we arrived in our first country, we dutifully loaded our jet-lagged bodies into a van and traveled for about four hours, and eventually entered a busy city. Finally, the van stopped in front of a beautifully ornate door on a run-down building, and the bus driver helped us out. I was immediately met by a gentleman who smiled warmly, kissed me on each cheek and gestured for me to follow. We entered a surprisingly cool building and followed him to a tall room, with lots of refreshments.


We were introduced to a fellow believer nicknamed “Torch” because he spreads God’s love and light like a torch lights up other torches. Torch’s voice was soft, and if I hadn’t seen his face, I would have assigned it to an old man. But I remembered his piercing eyes from a previous prayer letter.


Slowly, through translation, a story unfolded of how Torch was jailed for his Christianity, narrowly avoided being raped by his cellmates, and ultimately ended up sardined in a prison where his assigned spot to sleep was under the leaking toilet. His story concluded with a miraculous intervention by God (the American Embassy contacted our partner about Torch), which allowed him to be released from prison (Dr. Pat met with him right after he was released).


When he finished sharing, a team member thanked him for sharing his testimony and began to cry, out of empathy for what he had been through and appreciation for his faith. I watched as another MBB (Muslim Background Believer) in the room silently removed his glasses to wipe away his tears because he shared in what our team member was feeling, and in that moment, I was consumed with the brotherhood of the Holy Spirit. We were one body, and we felt each other’s sufferings and joy.


Torch explained how he was now using social media and internet to reach people and follow up with seekers in this predominantly Muslim country. It is a brilliant strategy because our “western” forms of evangelism clearly would not work there. Through translation, Torch emphatically shared his desire to share Jesus with the lost. His voice became excited, and another team member said, “I know what he is saying!” Translation was no longer necessary, since we were again one body and we understood his passion, if not his exact words.


As we enjoyed sharing into the late afternoon and heard the testimonies of the other brother and sister who were there, we heard outside the curvy metal-filtered window, the Muslim call to prayer. This vocal siren, sounding throughout the neighborhood, quickly snapped me to the reality that our new friends were not just fellow believers, sharing over lunch, but a bright light in a dark country. And once again our brother’s name, Torch, was brilliantly significant.