With Zeal and Joy
Abedi is from a nearby country of the UAE where most of the local population are Muslim. He became a Christian outside of his country and then moved to Dubai. He found a solid evangelical church and began to grow in his faith. He went through an intentional discipleship program that lasted about a year. When the year was finished, he understood what it meant to be a follower of Christ.
Abedi was excited about his walk with Christ and wanted to share what God had done for him with his friends. During his year of discipleship, he had begun to message his friends back home. Once his year was finished, he decided to move back to his home country. He began to hold Bible Studies in his apartment. His friends started to come, and then more and more people began to attend. Abedi was very excited when two of his university buddies prayed to receive to Christ. However, his local community and some government officials were not happy about what was happening.
Abedi decided to go back to Dubai for an event and just to let things cool down a bit. He had checked in and had boarded the plane when security came onboard and escorted him off the plane. They took him to the police station and began to interrogate him. The authorities held him for 2 or 3 hours before they released him. However, they kept his passport and warned him to stop doing the Bible studies.
Abedi knew it was important for his friends to grow in their faith as he had in Dubai, so he continued meeting and discipling them. Abedi continued to have a joyous countenance even in the midst of this persecution. He was brought back to the police station and the interrogation continued. This time, however, Abedi had prepared a statement explaining what he believed. As they pressed him further, he respectfully asked them to read his statement which laid out the gospel clearly and boldly.
The authorities finally released Abedi without charging him. They told him that he could not hold Bible studies in his home as it was strictly forbidden. He found a room in an Anglican church to hold the Bible studies. Things were still tense, so plans were made again to get Abedi out of the country. Once again, the authorities got wind of his departure and stopped him.
This scenario has continued for months, but Abedi has stayed strong. He continues to faithfully serve his community well by teaching Bible studies when he can and being a gospel witness. The joy and light of Christ can be seen on his face. His desire is not to leave. His desire is for the people in his county to know the hope of Christ.
Prayer Requests
Pray for Abedi to stay strong in his faith. Pray for wisdom and understanding of how to continue sharing the Great News. Pray that he will be able to teach others how to share their faith.
Pray for churches in the UAE to grasp the importance of discipling new believers from different religions. Pray that other people like Abedi will be equipped and trained to take the gospel back to their home countries.