
(A few of the folks we met with five days ago. Satin is in the middle.)
As I sat on a stiff wooden chair in an oblong room of a small home nestled in the midst of a city I had never heard of a few short months ago, I sat enthralled as Satin shared her story.
This scene was five days ago in a region that has been under martial law for the past 20 years because of Muslim vs. Buddhist terrorism. Incidents of violence and bombings have been consistent during these two decades of imposed martial law, with the latest being just a few weeks ago.
“My father raised me to be an Islamic warrior. My family were the first people to bring Islam to this region centuries ago. I was raised to carry on the tradition of extending Islam by any means necessary.”
But her story was just beginning. When Satin was away in a different city for college 12 years ago, she began having visions of “Jesus in a white robe” during the Muslim calls to prayer. She then started having dreams of Muslim women wearing traditional hijabs worshiping Jesus.
Satin went to her local Muslim Imams and asked them about the meaning of these dreams and visions. Their responses were similar: “Just listen to us and follow. Don’t ask questions.”
Satin disobeyed and kept seeking truth. She kept asking questions.
Satin sought out and found a Bible and began to read it. She searched for and miraculously found a Christian in the city of her university.
Through these dreams and visions, in studying her Bible and asking questions of her new Christian friend, Satin radically converted from “Islamic Warrior” to follower and daughter of Christ Jesus.
Satin wasn’t alone in this room. There were four other locals who had turned from Islam, embraced Christ, and are now living as Christians in one of the most intense environments to do so on earth.
As I sat listening to Satin and the others share their stories of faith, I was spellbound. I was filled with gratitude and a deep sense of privilege and joy to be sitting in that room, meeting and learning from Satin and the other sisters and brothers in Christ.
Do you know what stuck out most to me about this time and these people, though?
The room was absolutely brimming over with an atmosphere of FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE in a way that I have rarely experienced. The small group from America with whom I was traveling all agreed that there was “something extremely special going on” simply being in the midst of the five Christians who had all come to faith out of Islam.
In the midst of active terrorism, ongoing martial law, and following Christ at great personal risk to their lives, these men and women are absolutely filled with what the Bible describes as “the fruit of the Spirit.”
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – Galatians 5:22–23
I went on this trip with the goal of learning more about if and how One Bridge could be involved in this beautiful region in Asia. That was certainly accomplished.
However, as is always the case, I am leaving this trip deeply encouraged by learning from Christians in areas of the world that are deeply persecuted for their faith.
With Satin and the others, I was able to witness that love and joy and faith and peace and HOPE have little to nothing to do with our external circumstances. They do, however, have everything to do with trusting and cherishing Jesus and the extraordinarily good news of the Gospel!
Lord Jesus, in a world filled with acrimony, vitriol, and angst, may we drink deeply of your life-giving waters and hope eternal as found in the Gospel. Also, please protect and direct Satin and the other brothers and sisters in Christ there in that extremely perilous region of the world.