The testimony of a pastor from a Muslim island I recently visited proclaims the power of God to transform lives in the most dramatic of ways. In order to protect my friend’s identity due to the sensitive nature of his ministry in closed-access areas, I will call him “Paul,” because he reminds me of the Apostle Paul in many ways.

Paul was raised to be a marine naval captain. Although now nearly 60 years old, yet he is still vigorous, disciplined, strong, and in his words “unstoppable.” His ancestors are from Yemen, and his wife is from Oman, so they have a STRONG Muslim background. Let me share with you just how strong…

Paul’s older sister was sick with cancer for many years. It ate away at her abdomen and spread through her organs till she was just skin and bones despite being under care of best cancer doctor in East Africa for 2 years. Finally, the doctor gave up, stating there was no way she would heal. He told her to go home to be with her family for she would be dead in less than a week. At home, the family prepared for her funeral. The day after she arrived home, three Christian men came to visit her, shared a bit with her, asked to pray for her, then left immediately afterwards. The following day, for the first time in two years, she wanted solid food (ugali), and the next day she stood up and walked. Later that week, she said she wanted to go back to the doctor so he could check on her condition. She shared about the prayer and he did tests, and was amazed to find her system was completely clean and restored. In fact he said it looked like she had new internal organs, to the point she could have children, which she had two more children later. She became a Christian as a result and shared her faith with the doctor and he also became a Christian.

In response to her healing and conversion, Paul said to her, “Cancer did not kill you. Now that you’ve become a Christian, I will kill you!” With their parents’ approval, he went after her, but she slipped away. He began pursuing her and for the next two years (1978-1980) he chased her trying to find her and kill her. Each time he got close, God spared her and helped her escape. Finally after two years he caught up to her and prepared to kill her. As he approached her, she turned and faced him and declared, “You have been hunting me, but Christ has been hunting you!” In the power of Christ she confronted him on how ridiculous it was that he was trying to kill his own sister. He was struck back by the power and truth of her words, and Christ broke and humbled him. She shared Christ with him, and he asked for forgiveness and asked Christ into his heart.

Upon hearing of Paul’s conversion, his wife’s parents threatened that they would kill him for becoming a Christian. Yet he began to study the Bible and preach the truth. In 1990 he moved to a large island when it was 100% Muslim, and began to share his faith and plant churches underground. God blessed his efforts, and although his life was often in jeopardy, yet God used this chosen man, this “Apostle Paul,” to do His work in difficult places. Today he continues to use Paul to reach out to other nearby areas and islands that are under even stronger Islamic control, and the kingdom of God is growing, all praise to our gracious, mighty God. Paul, and many other pastors with whom Paul works, are hungry for the Bible training I offer. Praise God for the opportunity to train these gifted, passionate leaders so they may reach many others with the power and truth of the Gospel.

Pressing on by God’s grace, Eric