As Nor* describes it, there was no magic trick that brought her to faith in Christ. It was just the simply someone sharing the story of the gospel that she heard as a child.
Growing up, Nor lived next door to a church in a time when churches were abundant and more ‘out in the open’ than they are now. Although Nor’s family is ethnically Malay, and therefore Muslim, Nor’s mother sent her to the church often. She learned the story of Jesus from the pastor of that church and even went with him as he shared with others.
When her family moved to a neighborhood with more ethnic Malays, their neighbors said that Nor needed cleansing because of her exposure to Christianity. From that time on, she was not allowed to go to church or even touch a Bible. While outwardly she followed Islam, on the inside she didn’t believe in anything. She says her life went south, and she found herself all alone supporting two children. The pressure became too much, and she went up to the top of her apartment building prepared to take her own life.
Sharing the Gospel
But then the wind blew, and for some reason, Nor felt compelled to sit down and think. The next day, a Christian shared the gospel with her. She recalled all she had learned about Jesus as a child, things that she had been brainwashed to forget. As she heard that simple message again, she knew that she should give her life to Jesus.
She experienced the peace and joy that comes with salvation in Christ, but her life was far from easy. Immediately she wanted to be baptized, but the lady who shared with her cut off contact out of fear. Finally, she found a church that was willing to baptize her. Her family doesn’t support her decision to leave Islam.
Despite these difficulties, Nor has found some Christians who are teaching her to view everything in her life through the lens of the Bible. She is even sharing her faith with other Muslims, using the same simple story that brought her new life.
Pray for ethnic Malays like Nor, who are isolated from the gospel, to hear the message of Christ and believe.
Pray for more Christians in Malaysia to share the gospel with ethnic Malays and disciple them to be faithful followers of Jesus.
*Name changed for security purposes.
