There is much to share regarding progress with our church services with Iranian Christians, progress with our new radio site in Egypt, and a new convert in Dearborn. However, recent events in Afghanistan have shifted our focus to this singular need, and I am eager to share what God is doing.
Eight months ago, God had us begin a work in Afghanistan, making the Gospel available directly inside its borders. Knowing that much of the population is semiliterate, if that, we were careful to structure our Bible teaching so that it could be understood on virtually any educational level, using visuals, radio, and the written word. These are all crafted to connect with religious Muslims, respectfully teaching the true Jesus of the Bible.
God knew the events of these past days would explode on the world’s stage, and He has used our online community to flood us with Kabul-based contacts through social media: almost 9,000 contacts have reached out to us in a 5-day period. This is more than we could humanly handle, but God has helped us serve many. We have a bilingual radio-video school, where we use Pashto and Dari language instruction to bring hope to these desperate people. A___, an Afghani refugee and pastor, has furnished us with Gospels in Pashto. M___, one of my Iranian partners in ministry, is able to work with me, giving biblical answers in the Dari language to many of their questions.
Your intercessory prayers are greatly needed. A young lady sent us the military ID photo of her father, a soldier with the now deposed Afghani Army. His daughter called us and said, “I am afraid the Taliban will kill my father and use me for XXX slavery. Please pray for God’s protection for my family.” M___ was able to speak to her briefly about the Lord. She had also taken time to review our content. She told us, “Yes, I believe in Jesus. I want to know more.” We are praying for the opportunity to follow up with her on this subject, but most Afghani seekers are going into hiding now, and we won’t compromise their safety. Please pray that the many contacts we are gathering will remain valid and that we will continue to see conversions. We do have contacts inside Afghanistan through Pastor A___ but feel it is not safe to connect people at present.
Tragically, this is a humanitarian crisis, but it is also an opportunity. Persecution can drive lost people into the arms of the Lord and grow His church. Please pray for His will to be done! Please pray for our work, as it continues to grow and mature during its relative “infancy.” Thank you for your faith and support. Generous people have come alongside this effort and have invested in it. This has been such an encouragement. There is an awakening among our fundamental pastors, in growing numbers, that technology is not a toy, but a precious tool in the hand of our King, and it is gaining us access into closed countries, where even five short years ago it was not possible. Praise God for His love! Praise God for supporting churches that love enough to fund a vision. Thank you for being faithful!
Gratefully in His service,
Missionary #6505
