E-Connected Archive - November 2009

For as long as it takes...

Here in the UK we live in an ‘instant’ society, a society that likes quick results.
From microwave meals which give you dinner in minutes to TV on-demand,
we’re becoming more and more accustomed to having things how we want
them, when we want them.

When it comes to taking the gospel to Muslims, we need to be prepared for things to take a bit longer than we may have initially anticipated. For Mary and her family, that ‘little bit longer’ lasted a staggering 22 years. But as you’ll see, it was more than worth the wait!

Mary's story
Mary, her husband and their children have lived in South East Asia for the last 22 years, and have ministered in the same city for the whole of that time. For the first 18 years, it felt as if they saw very little fruit. There were occasional moments of light but they were always short lived. It seemed as if everyone was working really hard but seeing very little progress.

Everything changed when the family decided to move into a new house in a different area of the city. They were joined in their home by Fatima, a Muslim background believer with an incredible testimony of God’s hand upon her life. Mary so enjoyed having Fatima around and the two ladies were able to pray together regularly. As Faitma’s faith in Jesus began to grow, so did her desire to
share the good news with her friends, family and all those in her existing social networks.

Eventually, the time came for Mary’s family to take a few weeks’ holiday. When they returned home, they discovered that ten of Fatima’s friends and family had
come to faith in Christ through her testimony. One by one they had asked if they could read the Bible with her and had come to realise that they too could follow Jesus.

Picture of Fatima Over time, more and more Muslims came to the Lord and more groups formed in the area as new believers shared their faith with family and friends. There has now been so much progress amongst these new believers that Mary’s
family are looking to begin new work amongst Muslims elsewhere.

What patience and tenacity to keep going for so long through the hard, painful and seemingly ‘unsuccesful’ years.
Thank God that this family, and many others like them, are willing to stay the course. Join us in praying for more workers who are willing to stay for as long as it takes.