Practical Evangelism
“I found a cross on the street.” Christine’s story of leaving Islam, losing everything, and gaining Christ
In our ministry, we are blessed to meet and partner with many wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ from the persecuted church in the Arab world, many of whom have amazing stories of God’s faithfulness and providence. Christine is one of those special sisters. She was excited to share her story in this blog of how God drew her and her family to Him and how His love has changed her life.
How did you come to know Christ?In 2006, I was a Muslim wife and mother to my one year old daughter working and living with my husband in North Africa. We decided to visit our home country, Iraq to see our families. We flew to Jordan, and as we were crossing the border to Iraq by car, we were robbed by a rebel group who threatened to kill my husband if we do not hand them everything and turn back and never come back to Iraq. We had been traveling with all my gold and all the money we had because we were hoping to move home. We lost everything, even our passports and papers and were forced to take refuge in Syria. We were incredibly poor. We arrived during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting and prayer, but we stopped praying because it was obvious Allah did not protect us or hear our prayers. We were a family with no country, away from our families, not knowing where the next meal will come from, living in a small room. We were desperate to find refuge in a western country, but the UN denied our applications so we were stuck as aliens in a foreign country for three years.
I was so depressed because of our situation. One day my husband and I were walking together when suddenly, I saw a shiny small thing in front of me. I bent down and picked it up. It was a small golden cross. My husband was excited and he wanted to sell the cross so we could have money, but something in my spirit told me this was a sign from God. Even though I had no faith in God, I held the cross to my heart wishing for some comfort.
No more than five minutes after we found the cross, my phone rang. The United Nations told us that they had reopened our case and we had been approved to be refugees in the United States! Within six months, all of our papers, medical exams, and tickets were prepared. Our family safely arrived in the United States in September 2006, a day I will always remember. This was truly miraculous. We had many friends who were also refugees in Syria with us who had been waiting for years to be assigned a country by the UN who were still waiting for their case to be accepted.
Within a few days of our arrival to the U.S., a Syrian pastor visited us and gave us a copy of the New Testament in Arabic. For the next two weeks, he visited us and taught us about the differences between Islam and Christianity. He taught us how we had come from a religion of rules, but what God truly desires with us is a relationship. He was direct and kind when he asked us whether we were ready to have a personal relationship with Christ. I was so excited to follow Him, but I waited to hear my husband’s response first, hoping that he would feel the same. My husband agreed, and we prayed together asking Jesus into our hearts.
Since then, our life has been a testimony of the many ways God has continued to care of us and provide for us. I still have the cross we found on the sidewalk in Syria, and it is framed in my living room as a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Photo caption: This is a photo of the cross Christine found in the street in Syria.
What is the greatest change you have seen God do in your life?
There have been many times that I have experienced anxiety or fear, especially when we were stranded in Syria. I felt that God did not see me. God gives me peace, and I know that I can always trust in Him to provide what we need. And not only does He give me peace, but He gives me courage to pursue His calling on my life! The Lord also helped me love and forgive my family who persecuted me and cut me off.
What do you wish the western church knew about Islam and Muslims?
I think the western church needs to realize the Muslims are not our enemies. Despite the images of what we see in the media, we should see Muslims as friends whom we should love and grow a relationship with. They need to hear the Gospel and see Jesus’ love through you. Christians need to recognize that Islam, the religion, is an ideology that oppresses people and leads them to destruction.
What is the biggest thing the church needs to pray for when it comes to new believers who have left Islam?
I believe the church needs to constantly pray for those who are persecuted for their faith. I myself have experienced persecution, and I know that our Lord is faithful to answer our prayers for strength. Ask that in addition to keeping them safe, God will give our brothers and sisters in Christ wisdom and that their lives can be a testimony to everyone around them.
What did the discipleship process look like for you?
The first person to disciple us was the Syrian pastor who first welcomed us to America. After we accepted Christ, he continued to pour time into us and help us grow in our faith. He taught us what it meant to have a personal relationship with God, because we both were so used to the rules of Islam. Together, we learned how to read the Bible and devote time to prayer, and we eventually got connected to our local American church where we continued to grow in faith and built lasting relationships with several families!
What would you like to tell an American who has a Muslim neighbor they want to reach?
I would tell them, “Pray for the blessing of Christ on them, whether they love you or not.” We cannot control their feelings towards us, but we are told to love and pray for our enemies. Welcome your Muslim neighbor in your community and invite them to your church!