Growth of the Afghan Church
Deeply saddened by the images of destruction caused by a suicide bomber, Abib* turned his television off. “How can they kill people indiscriminately!” he exclaimed. Removing his shirt from the ironing board, he said to himself, “They claim to be fighting a holy war and all they do is kill innocent people.” After getting dressed, he quickly drank the last drops of tea before he rushed out to work. Abib worked for a non-governmental organization in Kabul.
Sitting at his desk, he could not put his mind to the work that lay in front of him. All he could see and hear were sirens screaming, people carrying the injured, and the bodies of those killed in the explosion that morning. In spite of the chaotic scenes being replayed in his mind, he remembered the words of a Christian worker he had encountered in the bazaar the previous week. Their discussion quickly moved from the weather and the war to Jesus Christ. Abib was greatly attracted to the message of God’s love that draws people to Himself.
He was determined to find the man who told him about Jesus Christ. He hurried to the restaurant where he had met him. Peering into the dimly lit room, he quickly identified the figure stooped over a book with a piping cup of coffee. He made his way to the corner table. The other gentleman invited Abib to sit down. In a few brief minutes, Abib unburdened his heart–his disillusionment with all the killing and his desire to know Jesus Christ and His love. It was not long before Abib became a Christian Believer.
His decision to become a Christian proved to be hazardous. Word got around that he had converted. He began receiving menacing letters and threatening phone calls. His family looked upon his conversion with hostility. It no longer was safe for Abib to remain in Kabul. He embarked on a difficult journey to India. It was difficult for him to find employment without an identification card. In order to be treated as a refugee he would have to apply with the United Nations Refugee Agency. If the application was rejected, he would be deported.
Through Divine Providence, he met other Afghans who had become followers of Jesus Christ. He met them regularly and they studied the Bible, worshipped God, and prayed together.
Nearly a hundred Christian Believers fled Afghanistan in 2009. So far in 2013, around forty Christian converts have fled persecution and certain death in Afghanistan. Most Afghan Christian converts choose to flee to India because of its closeness and their familiarity with the country. Once in India, their struggle continues. They struggle to find accommodation and employment. In spite of the many hardships the Afghan Church in India is thriving. The 250-member church meets every Sunday in the basement of a building. They read Scripture in Dari, the Farsi dialect spoken in Afghanistan.
Every Christian Believer is encouraged to pray for faithful Believers who endure hardship for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer is essential to fortify those who suffer danger and difficulty for the Gospel. This requires research and information from Christian Believers inside the 10/40 Window. This is the mission of WIN. WIN strives to inform Believers how to pray strategically, specifically, and Scripturally.
Pray for the removal of forces that threaten the safety and protection of Afghan Christian Believers in Afghanistan and elsewhere (The Bible, Psalm 82:4).
Pray for the Afghan Christian Church in India to continue to persevere even in the midst of acute danger and hardship (The Bible, Psalms 27:14).
Pray for God’s peace to prevail in regions that are held by destructive powers of darkness (The Bible, Isaiah 9:6).
Pray for God’s abundant blessings upon the financial partners of WIN (The Bible, Luke 6:38).
Source: http://win1040.com/page.php?id=2005
