“While cleaning my new apartment I found a New Testament in the dust, which shock me a little bit, since how can a holy book left behind in a dirty apartment?! But I was happy too in finding it, so I immediately began to read. And soon I discovered that Jesus is a God of love and healing”, shares Ahmed, a secret believer in Algeria. God is at work in North Africa and here are more testimonies.
Ahmed was witness of the killings of four of his friends and he was completely in shock. He lost his own reason for living and became very depressed. Other friends tried to encourage and to comfort him, but all in vain. Finally these friends offered him to live for a certain period in an apartment in the city to recover and Ahmed accepted this offer. While he cleaned the apartment he found the New Testament and that changed his life for good to the best. “I found the Lord Jesus Christ and that changed my life. I kept on reading in the Bible and during some years of reading and reading I slowly recovered from my depression. I was still living in that apartment and I had no friends, so nobody actually knew about my healing and my new faith in Jesus Christ.”
But it became time for Ahmed to step out and to become more active with his faith and with social networks. “One day I was watching Christian satellite TV and I saw the phone number of a Christian in Algeria. I immediately contacted that person and soon afterwards we met, which was great and wonderful. This brother in Christ brought me in contact with a small group of believers, which I am attending regularly nowadays. Praise to God for his healing and mercy. And thanks to the one who had forgotten his New Testament in my apartment.”
Said
Not far from the city of Ahmed another secret believer is living and is having a difficult time. Said is working for the government and is reading all kind of papers, articles, newspapers and magazines for his work. One day Said finds a pamphlet between his paperwork and he starts reading it. It is about the Christian faith and that has a growing interest of Said, since he had watched some programs on TV and he actually had become a Christian, but nobody knew yet. His employer is not amused with the fact that Said is reading a pamphlet on his work, although it was between his paperwork. The employer is quite fanatic Muslim and reports this reading to the police. Later that evening the police enter the house of Said and search the whole place. They find some Christian CD’s, some Christian movies and a New Testament. It is clear that Said has become Christian. His boss is not happy and fires him, which is causing some challenges for Said, because no work means no money. “With the help of God and of you I can manage. Praise to God and it is so good to be in his Kingdom, but please pray for me and my family.”
Omar
In another city in Algeria Omar is watching TV and is hearing about the Gospel. He decides to become Christian and to start a different life. His wife noticed very soon a change in Omar’s life and behavior and she found out that her husband has become Christian. That is a shameful idea for her, so she informs his family and asks Omar’s family to intervene and to persuade Omar to come back to Islam. His relatives try, but without success, so they bring Omar to the imam. The imam cannot convince Omar either, so finally the imam gives Omar an ultimatum. Within 24 hours he returns back to Islam, or he shall lose his wife and child. Omar is not willing to deny his new faith, so the court has declared the divorce, and Omar has lost his family. “This is a tragedy, but with the help of the Holy Spirit I will overcome all of this.”
Djamel, another secret believer in Algeria, faced similar problems. “I started attending church services, but my wife was not happy with that. She and my father-in-law began pressurizing me to stop going to the church. I did, but they hoped that I would stop believing when not going to church anymore. But that did not happen. Actually it made my Christian faith stronger and stronger. Finally my wife asked for a divorce, under pressure of her father and with the advice of an imam, and the court accepted this. Now I have lost all contact with my wife and children, but the Lord Jesus is with me. I pray and hope that one day I will be reunited again with my family.”
Lady
Zohra is an Algerian lady and she discovers the Christian message and faith by watching TV. She has two children, but one of them is ill. When she starts praying following the pattern of prayer on Christian satellite TV this child starts healing and becomes healthy again. Her husband cannot believe that the healing is a result of prayer and he starts opposing the Christian faith of his wife. He finally forced his wife to make a choice: him or her Christian faith… She cannot reject her faith in Jesus Christ anymore, so her husband has started the process of divorcing her. What will happen with the children is not clear yet, but normally they go with the father. Please pray for comfort and peace for Zohra. Pray that God will bring justice in this situation.
