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Arif* has experienced both blessings and hardships for following Jesus. Before becoming a believer, he was an imam’s helper in Azerbaijan. When he started following Jesus, he stopped doing this work — and was thrown out of his home. Arif and his wife, Fidan,* had been living with her parents, and when he stopped making that income, her family kicked him out. They even tried to convince her to divorce him, but Arif told Fidan that he would never leave her because Jesus did not want that. Having a change of heart, she let him return home.
After graduating from OM’s REACH school in the Caucasus, Arif joined OM full time as a disciple-maker and started several Discovery Bible Study (DBS) groups. Although Fidan has not yet become a Jesus follower, she regularly attends one of these groups and has been sharing Bible stories with families around her. Whenever Arif receives training and knowledge, he passes it on to his disciples, equipping them to grow in their faith and make their own disciples.
Recently, Arif has been using live streams on social media to talk about Jesus and share his faith with a wider audience. After one live stream, he connected with Ramin*, who asked for a New Testament. Arif wanted to give him the book, and Ramin wanted to receive it. Yet, despite this mutual goal, it was difficult for them to meet. After multiple failed attempts, Arif was finally able to hand him the New Testament. But when they tried to meet again, it was once more difficult.
Finally, Arif figured out why: Ramin owned a tractor spare parts shop. Not only was he the only tractor spare parts owner in his rural town, but he also was the only person in his shop who knew their full inventory. Even though he had four employees, he could never leave his shop.
After this realisation, Arif began going to Ramin’s shop and studying the Bible with him and one of his employees. After reading Genesis 4 together, Arif encouraged Ramin to share it with the people around him, and Ramin agreed.
A week later, Arif returned and asked if he had shared with anyone. Ramin responded, “Well, I’ve been pretty busy, but I have shared with all of my customers.” When anyone entered the shop and tried to buy something, he told them, “Before you buy this piece, I need to tell you something. So come, sit and let me tell you a story.” Then, sitting and drinking tea together, Ramin had told each customer about Genesis 4.
Although Ramin himself is not yet a follower of Jesus, his obedience is encouraging. As soon as he started reading the Bible, he immediately shared what he was learning with the people around him. He and his employee have even started meeting with their families to repeat the DBS together.
Another of Arif’s disciples, Javidan,* began a construction job in a different town. Because Javidan had loved studying the Bible with others in his old town, he began looking for new people to study with him after he moved. Arif had been coaching him in this and encouraging him to look for grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the Kingdom.
Javidan started doing DBS with a few men, including Orhan.* Before this, Orhan had been addicted to drugs, and that was where all his money went. However, when they had read Genesis chapter 3 together and talked about sin, Orhan felt convicted that God wanted him to change. He decided that from his next paycheck, he would keep a small amount for his own expenses, and he would give the rest of it — 80 per cent — to his parents.
When he called his parents and told them, they were shocked. Orhan had never given them anything. He had always been the taker. They asked him, “Why are you doing this? What happened?”
Orhan said, “Well, I met this Jesus follower. We started reading the Bible, and he was teaching me about sin and stuff. I knew that I needed to not do [drugs] anymore, and I wanted to give this to you.”
His parents said, “We don’t know about the Jesus stuff or the Bible, but you should keep spending time with Javidan and learning from him.”
Orhan is not yet a follower of Jesus, but he has continued to study the Bible with Javidan and even invited a friend to join them. He has also been sharing what he’s learnt with his family over the phone.
God transforms people through His Word. Even in areas which are almost impossible for expatriates to enter, national workers are reaching out and forming house groups to share the good news. We long to see spiritual grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the Kingdom. Please pray for Fidan, Ramin and Orhan, as well as their friends and families, to believe and join the family of God.
*name changed
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