Breaking through the darkness: Abdu's story

By Ben Shroeder

We sat under a shade tree in the heat of the day with Abdu’s father. His faith and ways of life have been rooted in generations of Muslim tradition. However, the Holy Spirit was at work. Abdu’s father did not turn us away but rather welcomed us with
open arms. In time, as we shared stories about Jesus and prayed for God to open his heart, a trust was built between us.“I want my children to go to school,” the man said one day. “Can you help?”

“We can,” we told him. “It’s a Christian school,” we explained. “We teach from the Christian Bible and tell the stories of Jesus.” He didn’t hesitate, and proceeded to tell us, “That is not a problem.”

“It’s a Christian school… We teach from the Christian Bible and tell the stories of Jesus.”

It was weeks later that Abdu, a shy and nervous 11-year-old boy, arrived at the school with seven of his brothers and sisters. True to his faith, he refused even to enter the chapel. “It’s pagan,” he insisted. “I will not go in.” Faithful to the belief he knew so little about, he continued to pray as he was taught.

The staff was concerned and wanted him to come to chapel. “Be patient,” I told them. “Let the Holy Spirit do His work.”

I told our team to let God’s light shine through with kindness. And as the light of love began to work, the walls of tradition and fear began to crumble. In just a few weeks, Abdu’s curiosity got the best of him, and he walked into the chapel service on his own.

The teachings of Jesus caught his attention. He had many questions. “How could Jesus be God’s son? God had no children?” He was earnestly searching for the true God, and we answered him with God’s Word from the Scriptures.

Then one afternoon, Abdu came to us quietly and said, “I want to follow Jesus.”

He immersed himself in Bible study, joining our Sunday discipleship classes. He learned that Jesus invited us to be baptised by water as a commitment to follow Him. He wanted to be baptised… but there was a catch. We could not baptise him without his father’s permission.

Bravely, he wrote a letter to his father and asked one of his father’s wives to deliver it. He was afraid, but trusted Jesus. We prayed with him. And then we waited.

“If this is the way God is working in my son’s life, who am I to stop it?”

At last, we received a phone call. Answering it eagerly and fearfully. “If this is the way God is working in my son’s life,” Abdu’s father said, “who am I to stop it?” With his brothers and sisters watching and his father’s approval, Abdu was baptised.
God’s Light, clearly shines in Abdu’s life as he continues to grow in his faith with confidence. A Bible was gifted to his father, who welcomed us to his village. Jesus’ light now burns strongly in Abdu’s life, breaking through the darkness with His marvelous light. Abdu is the first believer in his family, and we’re praying that he will not be the last.

This story first appeared in the SIM Canada‘s SIMNOW magazine. Download to read the full magazine today!