Though a slight breeze ruffled the palm trees overhead, Omar’s shirt clung to his sweaty back. He’d lived in the Middle East his whole life and was used to the soaring summer temperatures, but the arid heat wasn’t responsible for the perspiration beaded over his skin.
Nerves had caused that.
Omar tried to remember the words he’d prepared for his friend Walid’s baptism, but his focus drifted.
A few dozen people had gathered around the edge of the apartment pool to watch, including ten young men who stood a bit apart and watched warily.
Walid had invited them. All had grown up Muslim—just like Walid and Omar. When Omar shared the Gospel and what it meant to follow Christ, it would probably be the first time these men heard it.
He needed to communicate clearly.
He knew he couldn’t keep such good news to himself.
His pulse skyrocketed as Walid stepped into the pool. Instead of following, Omar turned to his friend Shane, a Fronters field worker, standing nearby. “Maybe you should do this.”
Shane shook his head. “I’m happy to be here for you and let you use our community pool, but it will mean more to Walid and everyone here if you do it.”
Omar sighed. He knew Shane was right.
When he first met Shane, Omar had been a new follower of Christ. Shane invited him to study the Injil, and for months the two men met every week.
Omar brought his questions, and Shane pointed him right back to the Word for the answers.
As Omar learned more about Jesus’ love and grace, he knew he couldn’t keep such good news to himself. Jesus offered a freedom and hope that Islam never could, so Omar asked several friends to read the Injil with him. Walid had said yes.
Disciples are making disciples, and the Great Commission is in action even in hard-to-reach places!
Omar had been overjoyed when Walid put his faith in Jesus Christ and asked to be baptized. But Omar felt inadequate and unqualified now that the time had come.
Taking a deep breath, he took a step of faith into the pool where Walid waited expectantly.
Standing next to his friend, Omar’s heart filled with joy as Walid shared with everyone how his life had been changing since he placed his faith in Jesus.
With a final glance at Walid’s friends, Omar explained how baptism represented the death and resurrection of Jesus, His forgiveness of sin, and cleansing from shame for those who follow Him. Then he dipped Walid under the surface of the water.
The moment Walid rose, Omar understood why Shane had wanted him to baptize his friend. Indescribable joy in his heart burst out into a radiant smile—one almost as big as Walid’s.
Omar’s happiness wasn’t only for his friend’s courage and infectious faith, but it also flowed from a deep sense of awe that God would use someone as ordinary as him to share such incredible news.
Since that afternoon around the pool, Omar’s happiness and determination have only continued to grow. The small gathering of Muslim-background believers he was discipling has now multiplied into several groups that are busy equipping and baptizing even more new believers.
Disciples are making disciples, and the Great Commission is in action even in hard-to-reach places!
Orar:
- Praise God for Frontiers workers like Shane and Muslim-background believers like Omar, who effectively share the truth of Scripture.
- Pray that more MBBs will continue to mature into disciples who make disciples.
- Ask God to start movements of the Gospel in hard-to-reach places.
For eight years, Muslim-background believer Najla didn’t know how to move forward in her faith. Then she met a Frontiers field worker.
Este relato procede de un veterano obrero. Los nombres y lugares han sido modificados por motivos de seguridad.