She tried to refocus on the field work at hand, but problems filled her mind like weeds. Dara, her first daughter, had been married for five years. She and her husband longed for children, but their longings remained unmet. They’d tried everything, but the treatments hadn’t worked, and their faithful trust in their traditional religion had been to no avail. If that weren’t bad enough, Dara’s husband and in–laws had started blaming Dara, adding to her sorrow. Sarina’s heart ached for her daughter.
At least her second daughter, Amaya, had been able to have a child. Yet that had not brought peace, either. Amaya’s husband and in–laws had eagerly awaited the birth of Amaya’s first baby, hoping for a boy. Sarina had probably anticipated the birth of her first grandchild, also—especially after Amaya came to stay with her mother before the delivery. But then Amaya delivered a beautiful baby girl.
When the time came for Amaya to leave her mother’s house and return home with her baby, her husband and his family refused to take her back. In the year and a half since Sarina’s granddaughter was born, Amaya’s husband had not so much as called, much less come to see, his wife and baby girl.
A New Name
Day after day, as Sarina watched her granddaughter toddle around the house, she must have been reminded that things weren’t going as they ought. Her mother’s heart worried over her girls, and there was no assurance that anything was going to get better.
She was powerless. Her daughters were powerless. Her husband was powerless. Was there no one they could turn to?
Then one day, the sound of singing cut through the worry in Sarina’s mind, catching her attention. The song’s words were different than what she was used to hearing—and she liked them. Following her ears, she traced the singing to the home of some neighbors who had recently moved in. There was a small group of people gathered at the house, and they seemed to be having a worship service. She took a seat, listening as those gathered sang and prayed. It felt unfamiliar, but Sarina stayed anyway, taking it all in. One man—a leader, by the looks of it—spoke to the group, sharing about Someone named Jesus.
She had never heard that name before.
After the worship service, she went up to the man who had shared and told him about her family’s struggles. Perhaps this group of people would pray for her, just as they had prayed for others.
More Than Coincidence
GFA pastor Radwan, the pastor leading the prayer meeting, listened as Sarina shared her story. He didn’t live in her village—his home was a short distance away in another town—but as a father of two daughters himself, he could probably empathize with the worry and pain Sarina was describing.
What a provision from the Lord that he would be in this village on this day! One of the families from his church had recently moved to Sarina’s village, and Pastor Radwan had started visiting them in their new home, encouraging them in the Lord and holding prayer meetings. It was their singing that had attracted Sarina. But of course, Jesus was the real reason she was there. Christ loved her—she just didn’t know it yet.
Sadly, Sarina was one of many who still wait to hear of Christ’s love. In Sarina’s area and many others where GFA missionaries serve, many people have never even heard the name of Jesus. Others may have heard the name, but that is the extent of their knowledge. In fact, there are 2–3 billion people like this in our world today—people who build families, make a living, rejoice, grieve and, ultimately, die without ever being introduced to Jesus and the life and joy He offers. 1, 2
It’s that reality that motivates national missionaries like Pastor Radwan to share Christ’s love with their communities. As Pastor Radwan talked with Sarina, he told her that Jesus was the answer to the problems she and her family faced.
Hope Begins
Pastor Radwan’s words resonated in Sarina’s soul. She could feel the thorny fears giving way to a new joy as she learned more about this Jesus. Truly, the peace He offered was unlike anything she had ever encountered. Belief blossomed in her heart—and with it, hope.
She needed to know more. The very next Sunday, she went to Pastor Radwan’s church. She also kept attending the prayer meetings and, week after week, her trust in Jesus grew. She shared her family’s struggles with the other believers, and they started praying for her daughters. But Sarina didn’t stop there. She also told Dara about Jesus, and together, mother and daughter started asking Him for the miracle of a baby.
Answered Prayer
One day, about two months after Pastor Radwan first met Sarina, Dara and her husband came to see him. The young couple, visibly ecstatic, didn’t take long to share their news: Dara was finally pregnant! “Truly, it is a miracle from the Lord Jesus,” they told Pastor Radwan.
Truly, it is a miracle from the Lord Jesus,
He rejoiced with them, sharing more about the love of God. “What is impossible with man is possible with God,” he told Dara and her husband. The young couple went home that day with a new Bible and a growing trust in the Lord.
As for Sarina, she could barely find the words to express just how much she loved Jesus. Jesus was making a difference in her family when no one else could. More than that, He was bringing her the peace and joy she had lost when her daughters’ marriages began falling apart. She couldn’t contain the hope welling up inside her, and she began sharing it with everyone in her area. If Jesus was doing this in her family’s lives, what could He do in the lives of others?
Hopeless No Longer
Watching Dara and her husband anticipate the birth of their first child must have brought much joy to Sarina’s heart, serving as a reminder of the power of Christ in her family’s life. But there was still no word from Amaya’s husband, no sign that he even cared about his wife and daughter.
Now, however, Sarina was no longer hopeless. In faith, she and her new church family continued asking the Lord to change the heart of Amaya’s husband. Then one day, he arrived at Sarina’s house, wanting to see his wife and meet his little girl.
As Amaya and her husband reunited, the entire family was amazed. How could such a thing be happening? Sarina praised Jesus. Truly, He had made the impossible possible. Sarina’s husband and her son could only agree. Jesus’ power in their family was unlike anything they had ever experienced, and like Sarina, they put their trust in Him. Amaya and her husband also began trusting Jesus.
Ripples of Transformation
Sarina continued to share her story with her neighbors, telling them the Good News of a God who loved them and who could bring hope to hopeless situations. Because of Sarina’s testimony, two more ladies came to know the Lord and started attending prayer meetings led by Pastor Radwan. To disciple Sarina and her friends, the local Women’s Fellowship—a prayer, discipleship and service group for women in the church—started a new group in Sarina’s area.
In addition, Pastor Radwan was able to begin a monthly prayer meeting in a new area when Dara and her husband opened their home for gatherings. Sarina had no idea, when she walked into her first prayer meeting, what God wanted to do in her family and community. But as she and her family grow in Christ, they are sending ripples of hope into their community, too, offering transformation to even more people!
Just as Sarina, her family and her community once did, many people across Africa and Asia still wait for someone to introduce them to Jesus. The harsh reality is that thousands upon thousands of them may die without getting that chance. Today, tomorrow and the next day, men, women and children will enter eternity without Christ. Yet, in Romans 10, our Lord promises that anyone who calls on His name will be saved. If we can get His name to them, their stories can have a different ending.
That’s why Pastor Radwan and other national missionaries like him are so dedicated to bringing Christ’s name where it has never been heard. They labor so that more people like Sarina can call on Jesus.
Did you know that you can labor right alongside these national missionaries? Over the years, Pastor Radwan has had many partners praying for him and supporting him financially. Together, he and his partners make up the team that God is using to transform Sarina’s community with the love of Jesus. Because of them, Sarina can say, “My only desire is to live for Jesus for the rest of my life.”
When you partner with a national missionary like Pastor Radwan, you can send Jesus’ name to even more precious people—and bring hope to entire communities.
