Kanita lost almost everything after her cousin turned on her.
What started out as a spat between relatives had spun out of control, pitting one side of the family against the other. In the fallout, a cousin laid claim to Kanita’s house—the home where both their mothers had been born. Rallying the support of extended family members, she forced Kanita and her 20-year-old daughter, Aylin, out of the home.
Homeless and struggling to find work, Kanita and Aylin sought refuge in a neighboring country. As poor immigrants, they worked multiple jobs and skimped on meals to save as much as they could to go back to their country. After 10 years, a kind employer gave them a generous gift to help them return home.
Back in their home country, much had changed. The economy was stronger, and Kanita and Aylin easily found work. They were also surprised to discover that several people they knew now followed Jesus.
“Isn’t being a Muslim good enough?” Kanita asked Nafiset, a friend who had become a Jesus follower. Nafiset replied that what Islam offered didn’t compare to the peace of knowing Christ.
“Islam is all about peace,” Kanita insisted. But as soon as she said it, she realized it had been years since she’d felt anything but anger and disappointment. Islam had given her no comfort and no hope. Peace had always eluded her.
“Isn’t being a Muslim good enough?” Kanita asked.
“How did you first hear about Jesus?” Kanita asked her friend.
Nafiset explained that some years earlier, she had started studying the Word with Jeremy and Laura. These long-term Frontiers workers introduced Nafiset to Christ, nurtured her faith, and helped her start a Bible study with her friends and family. It grew and multiplied as more people joined to learn about Jesus.
Kanita and Aylin joined one of the Bible studies and started reading the Word regularly. After some weeks, they both committed to follow Him and began sharing the Gospel with others. Several of their friends and neighbors also embraced Jesus as Lord and Savior through their witness.
For the first time, Kanita felt hopeful about her future. She knew Christ had forgiven her. But she still struggled to forgive her cousin. The anger weighed Kanita down, and she felt powerless to let go.
Then at a Bible study, she read Jesus’ command about loving others.
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” — Luke 6:32
Kanita could see that God had shown her, a sinner, great mercy. But up to now, she had refused to extend His love and mercy to the people who had hurt her. Kanita decided it was time to reconcile with her family. After all, they were just like her—sinners in need of grace.
So she and Aylin made a list of ten family members they no longer spoke to. The next day they visited each estranged family member, beginning with the one who had taken their home.
Sitting in her former living room, Kanita told her cousin how angry she had been and how difficult her life was after being kicked out of the home.
“I wish things had turned out differently back then,” Kanita continued. “But I want you to know that I forgive you—just as Jesus Christ has forgiven me, a sinner.” Kanita asked if they could start visiting each other again. Her cousin tearfully embraced her and said they would always be welcome.
Fueled by the joy of reconciliation, they were practically running to their final visits.
As she left her cousin’s house, Kanita felt an unexpected joy fill her heart. She and Aylin spent the rest of the day going from one relative’s home to another. Fueled by the joy of reconciliation, they were practically running to their final visits.
“Nothing compares to the peace that Jesus gives,” Kanita shared. “There’s no joy that compares to following Him.”
Since making peace with their family members, Kanita and Aylin have shared the Gospel with each one. Many relatives have started studying the Bible, and several are now disciples of Christ.
- Praise God for drawing entire Muslim families to the Savior.
- Pray that Muslims will read the Word and discover that through Christ they can be forgiven and can forgive others.
- Pray for more teams of long-term workers to boldly share the message of the Gospel with families.
- Ask the Lord to multiply Bible studies and Christ-centered fellowships in Muslim communities.
Persecuted for his new faith, Hadi found himself locked up with criminals. But God made sure his imprisonment wasn’t wasted.
This account comes from a long-term worker. Names have been changed for security.