In a closed Middle Eastern country, a missionary couple prayed for a home church and soon met Salman, a taxi driver who had become a Christian online but had never met another believer. When he joined their worship group—and later brought his wife and his secretly Christian brother Faisal—the small fellowship became a spiritual home for new disciples rejected elsewhere. Their story shows how God connects seekers, missionaries, and families through Spirit‑led encounters.
The names of the author, characters, and location have been withheld.
My wife and I prayed earnestly that God would help us establish a home church in the veiled country where I serve as a witness. We knew only foreigners would attend initially, but we had faith that God would send us local people whose hearts He had been working on. It took some time, but He provided!
I met Salman one day when I ordered a taxi service. As he drove me to my destination, we started a conversation that soon diverted to religious topics. He shared that he had become a Christian two years ago after searching online for answers to his spiritual questions.
Salman and I slowly formed a friendship. One time, I asked him whether he was part of a community of believers or had Christian friends. I was shocked when he said he had never met a Christian before! My wife and I felt compelled to invite him to our home worship gatherings, and he began attending regularly. We were delighted that when he married, he brought his wife, and she too fell in love with Jesus.
One day, Salman decided to tell his brother Faisal about his love for Christ. To his surprise, Faisal told him he was already a Christian! He explained that he also sought answers to spiritual questions online and gave his heart to Jesus.
Salman told Faisal about our home church, and Faisal joined our group. He had no doubt that God had brought us together. He had recently visited a church seeking Christian fellowship, but the leader told him not to return because it was forbidden for people of Faisal’s faith to be there. We praised God for helping us provide a place of belonging for Faisal.
After two years of silence and prayer, Salman and Faisal decided to tell their family about their newfound faith. By the grace of God, their parents accepted their decision, but other family members turned their backs on them.
Please pray that Faisal and Salman and his wife will continue to grow in their relationships with Jesus and that my wife and I will experience many more Spirit-led encounters with God’s children in this closed country.
We call a country veiled when we have withheld its name to protect the lives and ministry of frontline workers serving there. To learn about Global Mission’s church-planting ministry, visit bit.ly/GMPioneers.
