“They are probably making tons of money with that organization. That is why they are here,” said Normie’s wife, Ini, skeptically.

“No way. They could be making thousands of dollars a month back in America, but they decided to come here and even risk being jailed!” Normie replied in our defense.
Normie recounted this conversation to Eric and Joshua one day at morning worship.
“Jailed?” Eric asked. “Why would we be jailed?”

Normie then told us, “There was a foreign Muslim man who came to our area some years back. He started charities, schools and stuff. Other Muslims became jealous of him and did not like what he was doing, so they came up with fictitious stories and framed him as a terrorist. He ended up getting thrown in jail! There are people around here that are just like the Pharisees we just read about, who paid false witnesses to get Jesus crucified.”

He softened the weight of his words with a smile and a chuckle.

We got to meet with Normie and his wife, Ini, briefly before leaving on furlough. When we returned, we found that, through loving care and discipleship from the Lewis family, Normie was deeply interested in the Bible, praying for his wife, eager to engage in morning Bible readings with Joshua, and very much aware of the cost of following Christ.

So many others in his place have gotten persecuted for their interest in the teachings of Jesus, and quickly succumb to societal pressures and abandon Bible studies, stop answering our messages, or even disappear altogether. It has been hard for us to watch this happen over and over again. Normie’s earnestness gives us a sprout of hope, growing out of a garden of crushed anticipations.

Please join us in praying for Normie to have holy boldness and for his wife Ini’s heart to open. Normie can see, just from our presence among his people, that we take risks to be here. And he realizes that he, too, must not be ashamed of following Jesus and His words and living His life.

“If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26 Berean Standard Bible). 

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