There’s Purpose in My Suffering: Stories from Refugees

God is at work in the midst of this pandemic. He is bringing people into His kingdom. We thought it would be encouraging during this time to share some stories of how God is working from our colleagues working with refugees and Muslims all around the world. Though these stories took place prior to the coronavirus outbreak, they are still reflective of God’s ongoing, never-ceasing work around the world.

Amir* is a refugee who began searching for God in Iran. Not knowing where to find a Bible, he began looking online. But it wasn’t until his arrival in Berlin that Christian workers gave him a Bible and introduced him to Jesus. He later publicly committed his life to God through baptism.

As part of his testimony, he said, “I was seeking God through Islam but never found him there. I had a huge hole in my heart that Islam couldn't fill. I knew only Jesus could and he has filled it now. There is no real love or forgiveness in Islam. But through the Bible study, I learned that Jesus forgave all my sins on the cross granting me access to God. God brought me to Germany to discover Jesus and learn how to follow him in peace.”

This man is now our brother in Christ.

The following testimony is from another newly baptized family of believers from the Middle East who fled to Europe:

“When we arrived here back in the fall, you gave us a Farsi Bible. I have read it twice from cover to cover since then. Two things stuck out to me while reading the Bible. One was that Jesus gives a purpose to my suffering. I love the book of Job. God confronts Job with the fact that he wasn’t there at the foundation of the earth. The other was the use of the law and how Jesus rebuked the Pharisees with trusting the law for their salvation instead of trusting Him. It is not about outwardly keeping the law but about the heart. Through reading the Bible, God lifted the veil from my eyes to see Jesus as the only way to God. I want to live my life for Jesus, body, heart, mind, and soul. Life without Jesus is not worth living anymore. God had a plan to bring me to Germany so I could find Jesus. Now I am 100% convinced that I want to live for Jesus. God is now giving me endurance to suffer like Job. We have found joy even though life is so hard here.”

Rejoice with us over the new brothers and sisters who will be with us in glory. And pray for God to use this time of global crisis to bring others to Himself. 

*Name has been changed.