Pastor O’s Testimony
(Editors Note: Names and places have been changed or redacted due to government persecution.)
We are proud to introduce Pastor O who is serving in the Middle East. Pastor O has served in ministry for many years and began being supported by White Fields in 2018. Take a moment to read his testimony of how he became a believer in Jesus.
“For many years, I thought that I was a Christian because I was part of the Catholic church. I had the title but had no idea about the grace of God. Because of my Christian identity, I was often ridiculed by my coworkers about my religion. They used to challenge my beliefs continually and, although I claimed to be a Christian, I had no understanding of the Bible or answers to their questions.
This constant conflict created hate in my heart against them, and I started to search to understand both religions. My motivation was not to know God but to be able to win arguments. I was a very bitter person and lost jobs repeatedly because of my antagonism. The saddest part is that I also lost many friends. I had arguments to make, but I didn’t have a hope to give them because I was personally a hopeless person.
One day I met a Baptist pastor at a wedding party who reached out to me and came to visit me in my home. It was interesting to find that he was involved in sharing the Christian faith with Muslims. As I listened to him more, I was shocked to see how he trusted them, loved them, and considered them friends. He invited me to his church, and I found many new believers who had come to Christ from the majority religion. I discovered that, without loving them, there is very little hope of reaching them.
This Pastor challenged me and told me that I needed to admit my sins and accept the grace offered to me through the gospel. I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart, and I was baptized. I finally found the hope that had been missing. I believe that Jesus is God, that He is the only way to salvation and that He alone offers eternal life and reconciliation with God. Offering this great hope to others is now my mission.”
Recent Ministry:
We visited families in different villages and focused on two families with whom we discussed many verses and topics. We met the son of one of the families in the village region and spoke with him at length, comparing his beliefs with the Bible. We prayed with him that he would know who the true God is. In a meeting with another family, we spoke about the Lord with the father, whose young son had passed away a few months ago. We prayed with him and arranged to visit his house to speak with his wife, who had previously refused to listen to us.
We continue home meetings in the capital city with families from various regions. My wife continues to serve Iraqi women in the Ladies Center, continuing their handcraft training and holding many activities with them.
Pray for new open doors in ministry. Pray that families will have their material and spiritual needs met. Pray for the two families in the Village. Pray for my family and our ministry.
Prayer Report
The son of one of the families was sick with spinal cord cancer; we fasted and prayed and consoled the family when he died. We saw and felt the faith of the family of the deceased young man. We consoled them by asking and thanking the Lord for His will and mercy. Pray that the Lord will open the door to visit his mother because she is the only one in the family who did not accept Christ.
We continue with home meetings in several areas of our city, where we study the Word and pray. We then follow up with individual discipleship lessons. I also visit local and refugee Christian families in our city, where I encourage them, pray with them, read with them, and discuss their needs. We helped and encouraged three new refugee families to attend church and its meetings.
We continue to serve refugee women in the women’s center. We encourage them to strengthen and refine their personalities, support them in learning professions, and follow up with each of them individually while they take apprenticeship lessons.
In various villages, we visit families, get to know them and open the door for discussion. We provided needs for two new families outside of the city and discussed many things from the Bible and the Qur’an with them as they are good listeners and want to understand. We followed up with another new family outside our city and continued discussing many matters they wondered about; we prayed with them that the Lord would open their minds and touch their hearts.
We visited more than one refugee family who were open to discussion. Some discussed Christ’s divinity with us, and we explained the whole story to them and prayed for them. One new refugee family had not heard about Jesus; we encouraged them to read the Bible and learn more.
Praying for the family of the deceased, that the Lord will complete their condolences and pray a special prayer for new families that are difficult to meet. Pray for our meetings and home churches Pray for the spiritual and financial needs of the families. Pray for my family and me and the ministry.
Previous Ministry:
We visited the local families in one village; all the visits were about holidays and Christmas. We visited impoverished families in another village and distributed some aid to them during Eid. We talked more about the Christmas story, discussed it, and prayed with them. We also visited families in a different village, distributing aid and praying with them. We visited the refugee families in a different part of the city and distributed coupons to them. Each family asked about the Christmas story and Christianity, and we prayed with them. We follow up on visiting local and refugee Christian families in our city and encourage them to pray, read, and discuss.
We visited new families from a neighboring country, helping and encouraging them to attend church and continuing our visits to discuss the Bible with them. We continue serving refugee women in the women’s center during the holidays, joining them in prayer. My wife and I teach personal discipleship lessons with several people. Pray for families that their spiritual and material needs to be met. Pray for attendance at meetings and house churches. Pray for the refugees and their families. Pray for me, my family, and the ministry. We pray that the Lord will bless you and your labor of love.
During our recent journey, we revisited families in remote villages with whom we had connected before. We were able to engage in heartfelt discussions about the Lord. Upon arrival at one family home, we were met with an eager presence as the father had an inspiring story he wanted to share. He had immersed himself in reading the Bible since our last encounter and had fervently discussed its teachings with his family. They still had some lingering questions and were seeking further understanding. Grateful for this opportunity, we thanked the Lord for guiding us through a long and wonderfully insightful conversation. Together, we shared prayers, and our hearts were filled with hope that the Lord will continue to bless and accompany this family on their spiritual journey.
I have initiated a Bible study with a brother and his wife who embraced Christianity some time ago. As we delve into the depths of God’s Word together, I was humbled by their profound dedication and eagerness to grow in their faith.
In addition to our missionary endeavors, we have made several visits to refugee families in need of spiritual support and comfort. Each visit presents unique challenges, but we rely on the grace of the Lord to guide us and provide strength during these encounters.
Our home meetings have unfolded beautifully, and we recently shared a powerful moment of breaking bread together. Since the families have grown more acquainted with the fundamental aspects of faith and salvation, as well as their consistent attendance and dedication in the meetings, we have decided to embark on a more in-depth study of the letters of Paul. To ensure active participation, we encourage them to read a chapter beforehand, and then we discuss it during our gatherings.
Families continue to face numerous challenges from certain relatives and neighbors who are aware of their newfound faith in the Lord Jesus. As a result, we have had to adapt and change our meeting location each time to safeguard their safety and peace.
Our ministry and visits continue in the town of our sending church, and we also recently initiated a service in a nearby region, catering to refugee families from the majority religion. Throughout these visits, we immerse ourselves in their lives, learning about their unique circumstances. It is through these interactions that we can share the profound message of the Lord Jesus and His unconditional love for all. The word was well-received, and they engaged in insightful discussions, raising questions about the Christian faith, particularly regarding the belief in the Trinity. With patience and clarity, we addressed their questions, deepening their understanding of our faith in Jesus Christ. Together, we prayed earnestly, asking for God’s grace to continue guiding their spiritual journey.
What stood out to me during these visits was the presence of a group of young men and women who demonstrated remarkable wisdom and understanding beyond their years. Their involvement brought a sense of hope and enthusiasm, further motivating us in our mission to spread the message of love and redemption in Christ.
Our commitment to serving refugee women at the women’s center remains unwavering. We diligently continue our follow-up visits to their homes, where we share the teachings of the Bible with the women. Engaging in heartfelt discussions, we take the time to answer their questions and dive deeper into the wisdom of God’s Word.
We have also been conducting Bible lessons for multiple families within the comfort of their homes. Furthermore, we extend our hospitality by hosting gatherings in our own house, providing a warm and welcoming space for people to come together and learn. In both endeavors, our ultimate goal is to spread the light of faith and knowledge in Christ, nurturing a sense of spiritual growth and unity among those we serve. We feel humbled and blessed to be a part of their journey and are dedicated to continuing our efforts with unwavering enthusiasm and devotion.
- Please pray for the church to grow more and more and to bring other souls to Christ.
- Please pray for the persecution that comes against the church.
- Please pray for the remote villages and for the ability to keep visiting them despite the great expenses.
- Please pray for all of the family’s needs to be met.
- Please pray for the refugee ladies of the center. Pray the Lord continues with them and opens their minds and hearts.
- Please pray for the new ministry that is nearby because it is in a dangerous area and not easy.
- Please pray for me and my family. Pray for our ministry and pray for my children. We are in a great challenge to get them out of their school because of the accumulation of monthly payments.
We pray that the Lord will bless you and bless your labor of love.
Previous Report:
We visited a few families in all of the regions outside our city, and they were fruitful visits. We thank the Lord. The families needed us to pray with them for spiritual challenges and other challenges.
Village One:
At one of the families in Village 1, we called to help them and to pray for them because of their son. They feel that there is an evil spirit inside him through his dealings with his relatives. He was in a very tired state and even lost his job. His life was just different. We talked with him about the Lord Jesus and His work in our lives, and His miracles. We all prayed for him with one spirit. He accepted the prayer and we prayed with him to surrender his life to the Lord, and he did. We pray that the Lord will complete His work and be glorified through it.
Village Two:
Our meetings in Village 2 are continuing with the families with the help of God. Most of them gather in one house and pray for each other. They asked that we set aside a day for fasting for the sake of the son of a family, so the Lord would save him. So, we set aside a day and fasted together, and prayed during the day. At the end of the day, we went to them and prayed together, praying that the Lord would open His heart and mind.
We were also invited to visit the son of one of the families who got married again. He knew about Jesus, but he had many doubts and many comparisons. The Lord allowed him to read the Bible and understand more. What caught his attention and thinking was that the Bible talks so much about love.
Supporting Church
We are continuing our service in the city of our supporting church and its neighboring city. We continue to visit refugee families. We follow up with them, share the Word, and pray with them.
My wife continues to serve refugee women. After visiting them in their homes, she invites them to the women’s center. She shares the Bible with them on a daily basis and prays with them. They also carry out many activities.
We hosted several people from different backgrounds in our home. We nurtured and discipled them.
We also visited families in neighboring cities. We shared with them the Bible and prayed with them in the name of the Lord.
- Praying for all families who need work and need winter expenses: such as heating and other needs.
- Pray for the young man for whom we fasted, that the Lord would open his heart.
- Pray for the newly married young man, and that the Lord would save him.
- Pray for me and my family and ministry.
- We pray that the Lord blesses you.
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