Countries with strong traditional churches like Iraq and Egypt are seeing an exciting period of renewal going on in them, with members starting to read and understand their Bibles and young people eager to attend Bible seminars and meetings. The literature distribution that has been carried out by Open Doors in these countries over the past thirty years has been crucial to that renewal.
The availability of Christian literature, along with satellite television, radio and the witness of Christians, is absolutely essential in strengthening the faith of believers throughout the Middle East and building up the many who are finding Christ, often in quite miraculous ways.
Brother Timothy* an Open Doors co-worker, has lived and travelled in the Middle East for 35 years, making Christian literature available. He tells the following stories of changed lives:
Zakiyaa*, a 15-year old girl found a Christian programme on her shortwave radio - the first time she had ever been in touch with anything Christian. She kept listening, not fully understanding all she heard, and wrote down all the Bible verses, trying to compile her own Bible.
One day, she heard a voice telling her, "Go out, take a bus and go the centre of the city". At first she did not obey, but reluctantly, she finally went. Stepping off the bus, a man in Muslim religious attire approached and said, "I must talk to you". Zakiyaa walked away, afraid of being attacked.
She boarded the next bus, and the same man, Jamal*, appeared again. Zakiyaa told him she was a Christian and didn't want to get into an argument. He said he'd also heard a voice that day telling him to go to the city centre and meet someone he didn't know. Zakiyaa said she was looking for a complete Bible. Jamal said his brother, a Christian, could get one for her. Jamal and Zakiyaa kept meeting. Jamal became a Christian too and the two were married and are living for Jesus.
Delshad* became a Christian and for 13 years he was ostracised by his wife and family. Many times he felt like giving up, but fellowship in a Kurdish church, Bible reading and prayer, carried him through. Just as Delshad gave up all hope of his wife finding Christ - she started secretly reading his Bible and soon came to the conviction she was in need of 'his' Saviour!
Written by Open Doors
*all names have been changed for security reasons
