The 20-Year Wait

Basima was 10 years old the first time she had the dream of a foreign woman giving her a book. She didn’t think much of it at first. But after having this dream several more times, Basima told her parents. They took her to a neighborhood mullah who specialized in interpreting dreams.

“What is it about?” her parents asked after describing the dream to the mullah.

“It means that one day she’ll leave Islam,” he predicted.

They paid the mullah and left. “That was a waste of time and hard-earned money,” Basima’s father said to her mother as they walked home through their poor, conservative neighborhood. “Our daughter will never leave Islam.” But Basima kept having the dream.

Two decades later, a new worker named Denise joined the Frontiers team serving in Basima’s city. Around the time of Denise’s arrival, her teammate Christina met 30-year-old Basima, who was selling bananas on a street corner.

“I’m selling bananas to support my children,” Basima said, pointing to a newborn tied snugly to her back. “I was eight months pregnant with this one when my husband left me.”

Divorce was common in the culture, and Christina knew several other mothers working hard to make ends meet. She wondered if her team could help Basima.

“I have a friend who could use your help learning the language,” Christina said. “Can I introduce her to you?” Basima agreed and told her to come to her uncle Mahmoud’s house, where she and her children had been staying since the divorce.

The next day, Christina and Denise visited Basima, and they arranged for Denise to start language lessons immediately.

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. — Colossians 1:27

As Denise began stuttering her way through their class times, one of the men on the team started meeting with Uncle Mahmoud and sharing the Gospel. When Mahmoud learned that there was a film about Jesus in his own language, he invited his friends and family—including his niece Basima—to watch it with him.

On the appointed evening, men, women and children filled Mahmoud’s sitting room. Throughout the film, Basima sat fixated by what she saw.

Later, when Christina and Denise asked her what she thought of the film, Basima said without hesitation, “I want to be with Jesus. I want to follow Him.”

At their next language lesson, Denise gave Basima a copy of the book of Luke. “Because you said you want to follow Jesus,” Denise said, stumbling over her new vocabulary, “I want to give you this book. Read it and you’ll learn how to follow Him.”

Basima’s eyes widened. “You’re the woman who’s been in my dreams all these years!” she exclaimed.

Christina joined them, and then Basima shared about her recurring dream and the mullah’s prediction that she would leave Islam. “My parents rejected his words,” she said. “But now I know that God has a better way than Islam.” Embracing Denise, she said, “It’s just as I’ve dreamt about since I was 10. Now I’ve met you in person, and you’ve given me the book I’ve been waiting for all these years!”

Denise and Christina prayed with Basima as she affirmed her desire to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

After that, Denise and Basima met regularly to study the Bible and pray together. Basima also began sharing the Gospel with others.

But following Jesus as a poor divorcée in a conservative Muslim community wasn’t easy. Basima faced many struggles as she learned to walk with Christ. And one of her most persistent struggles was with finances.

In her culture, wealthier family members are expected to give money to less fortunate relatives. But once Basima started following Christ, her family refused to help her. Furthermore, her uncle told her to find somewhere else to live. Basima and her children were on their own. Sometimes, she had nothing to feed her children. The financial stress often felt unbearable.

“I feel like I’m in the wilderness,” she said. “I’m lost. I don’t know how I’ll feed my children their next meal.” If she returned to Islam, her family would welcome her back and start helping her again.

We know Him, we’ve experienced his grace and love, and it is He who allows us to boldly proclaim, “taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!” — Psalm 34:8

But Jesus had promised to be with her always. She couldn’t turn away from Him now. So again and again, she opened God’s Word. She and Denise explored what the Bible says about money and tithing, and they talked about putting Jesus’ teachings into practice.

Encouraged that God would provide for her, Basima started giving faithfully from the little she had. She gave even when it looked like she didn’t have enough to feed her family. She’d take a tenth of her proceeds from selling bananas and give it to someone in need. She also gave rice and other food regularly to neighbors who were destitute or sick.

As Basima gave out of her meager resources, she found joy in God’s grace and in the ways He lovingly provided for her family. With encouragement from Denise and Christina, Basima started a soap-making business. It started out small. But Basima worked hard, earning enough to feed her family and to be even more generous in her giving.

Basima’s faithfulness to Jesus has not only blessed the families she’s given to. She has also introduced others to Christ. Many of her friends, neighbors, and family members meet weekly for Bible study and fellowship, and several have begun following Jesus.