Khaled and the Power of the Word

Khaled dropped out of elementary school to help his family earn money. He spent his childhood waking up every morning between 3:00 and 4:00 to haul a heavy cart of produce down a dirt path, through a small alley, and to the market a few miles away.

Then, when he was 18 years old, he heard about a program, run by Frontiers worker Marie and her teammates, that offered training in job skills. He enrolled in the two-year intensive program, and shared with the trainers that his dream was to run a roadside store in his village.

When some of the trainees started studying the Bible with Marie, Khaled also joined. Soon, he started following Jesus.

“Is it true that we will be persecuted when we tell people about Jesus?”

But when Khaled started telling his friends about Christ, they mocked him. Intimidated by their ridicule, he stopped sharing about his faith.

Then, after reading through portions of Mark and Acts in his Bible study with Marie and other believers, Khaled asked, “Is it true that we will be persecuted when we tell people about Jesus?”

They talked about persecuted believers in the early church and looked at Jesus’ promise to always be with those who follow Him (Matthew 28:20).

“Well, then,” Khaled responded, “even though my friends ridiculed me for following Jesus, I want to learn to trust God to share my faith again. I want to tell others about Christ. But I am still afraid.”

Over the following weeks, Marie watched as Khaled’s trust in the Lord grew. The young believer started studying the Bible more diligently and looked for ways to apply what he was learning. Every day he seemed happier, more full of joy, and incredibly hungry for the Word of God.

Then one day he came to the Bible study beaming.

“My sister and mother say I’ve changed so much,” Khaled said. “And they wanted to know why.” He had told them what he’d been learning about Jesus and how the Lord was changing his life. Later, his sister came to him with more questions. Khaled told her everything he knew about Jesus and suggested they start studying the Bible together.

“They say I’ve changed so much, and they wanted to know why.”

“She’s been reading it with me every day since then,” Khaled said. “And she’s excited about what she’s learning. Now my mother is asking questions about Jesus.”

Seeing God working in his life and in the lives of his family members has strengthened Khaled’s faith.

It’s also given him more confidence. He’s dreaming bigger dreams than he ever did before.

“I want a job that will allow me to share God’s Word with people,” he said as he discussed his job goals with Marie. “I think God wants to use me to share the Gospel with others.”