he shade of the towering baobab tree was a welcome relief from the blistering dry-season sun. This time of year in Guinea, daytime temperatures often reach 110 degrees. My friend and I sat in the shade and talked as he worked on repairing a motorcycle. We have been friends for years—he a devout Muslim, and I an Adventist missionary.

We talked about the intense heat as we suffered through it together. It reminded my friend of the past week’s sermon at the mosque. The Imam had riveted the congregation that day with vivid descriptions of the Day of Judgment and hell. In hell, the sun would be just inches from people’s heads. They would cry for relief and find none. Mercy would not exist anymore. The sufferings of the wicked would be acute. I heard my friend’s voice break, and I looked up at him. Tears were streaming freely down his face. He began to weep as he talked about the judgment and the suffering of the afflicted, he looked desperate as if unable to reconcile the eternal suffering of sinners with the character of God.

As my friend wept at the terrible thought of Judgment Day, it struck me that he felt no hope of salvation. He felt he was at the mercy of a God he didn’t really know who would likely condemn him.

There is only one remedy for the sin-sick soul, and that is Christ. Can you hear people like my friend crying out for help? Let’s dedicate ourselves to finding ways to reach them with the gospel of salvation.