By Millie Bugg
Growing up in a Muslim family in South Asia, Joel* lived with questions about who God really was. He once heard the name of Jesus as a child, but the years dimmed that memory. Then, through two SIM programmes that combined learning with discipleship, God broke through his darkness with the light of Christ, filling his life with joy and a faith.
Looking back, Joel now sees that God’s light had been reaching into his life long before he recognised it. When he was around eight years old, he began staying in a Christian hostel run by believers, including his uncle and aunt. There, he first heard stories about Jesus and learned about living in a way that pleases God. Although he only knew the name of Jesus then, those early experiences planted a quiet curiosity in his heart.
“Growing up in a Muslim family in South Asia, Joel lived with questions about who God really was.
Years later, life took Joel away from that environment. At home and during his secondary school years, he no longer had contact with believers or a church. Eventually, when he went to university, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his studies. During this time, he joined a residential training programme that gives young men job skills alongside discipleship. They regularly meet and study the bible together.
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