Nasser al’Qahtani, our Regional Team Leader, tells the story of Musa (not his real name), who grew up being prepared by his father to become a sheikh, or religious leader. In his teens, Musa began to question some of the teachings of Islam, but the responses from his elders were harsh and accusative. “I was not allowed to ask,” he said, “not allowed to think.”
Then Musa stumbled across an online Christian program that invited questions. The floodgates opened, and for the first time he was able to converse about faith without fear. Online chats led to phone calls, then to meeting in person and, won over as much by the Gospel message as by the peaceful confidence of the Christians he met, Musa gave his life to Jesus. His father was so ashamed that he took the family and moved to another city, leaving Musa to fend for himself. Musa lost his family, his home, his community. His business was targeted, and he lost his income. He spent three years living in the street, scrounging for whatever food he could find.
When Multiply workers met Musa in 2018, he had been stoned by angry mobs, stabbed, beaten, and jailed. Local believers tried to protect him, shuffling him from city to city. But Musa did not give in to fear. Instead, he planted a home church. Now he is married to a woman equally committed to Jesus, expecting their first child.
Pray that this young family would be protected as they seek to share the love of God in a difficult and dangerous context.
