Twenty years ago, Bashir* was the most feared man in his village. A powerful witch doctor, he was believed to wield dark spiritual forces. But when his own child became gravely ill, his power failed him. He tried every ritual, every chant. Nothing worked. 

“Why do I have power,” he wondered, “yet can’t even heal my own child?”

That cry of desperation led him on a different kind of search–not for spirits, but for truth.

One day, a friend told Bashir about Jesus, the One who had healed him from a tormenting illness. Desperate and intrigued, Bashir traveled to meet the man who had introduced his friend to this Healer. There, he opened the Bible for the first time and read a verse that pierced his soul:

“...Those who practice magic arts... will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” ~ Revelation 21:8

Bashir was undone. “I have power,” he realized, “but I am a fraud. I have lied to so many, pretending to be more than I am.” That day, he fell to his knees, repented of his sin, and received Christ’s love and forgiveness.

Because he lived in a country that is hostile to the Good News of Christ, the moment Bashir declared his faith publicly, he was arrested. While in prison, the government and local people persecuted and starved his family. Tragically, his wife and ten children all died.

“The Holy Spirit spoke to me while I was in stocks and chains,” Bashir recalls. “He said, ‘Never look back, Bashir. Your eternal reward is waiting for you.’”

Putting his faith completely in Jesus, Bashir found the strength to go on. Comforted and empowered by God’s Word, he pressed forward with a heart full of Christ’s love, determined to forgive the enemies that had destroyed his family. 

Twenty years passed. Bashir remarried and had ten children. The small band of believers grew to 156 house churches! Still severely persecuted, they continue to share the Gospel among unreached people groups in their region–tribes that still wait to hear the name of Jesus for the first time.

Please pray for Bashir and these courageous brothers and sisters as they seek to faithfully serve the Lord and proclaim Jesus in a very difficult part of our world. 

“...One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:13,14

*We use aliases for our workers and partners serving in sensitive areas to ensure their safety and security.