Medina’s husband was killed for his faith in Jesus, but thanks to your prayers and support, Medina continues to follow Christ and share her faith. 

 

Medina’s* childhood was fairly typical for a girl growing up in Afghanistan. Although she was born in a poor village in a remote part of the country, she was still able to attend school and graduate. Her father then arranged her marriage to a wealthy man who was also a close relative. 

Their marriage was not an easy one to begin with. Medina loved her husband dearly, but he was not always kind to her. “He worked in a government office and was displeased with my rural background, often expressing his dissatisfaction,” she remembers. 

An old friend and a new faith 

Two years after getting married, Medina gave birth to their daughter – and around the same time, an old schoolfriend of her husband’s entered the picture. 

Medina wasn’t sure how to feel, until she saw how the friendship was changing her husband. “Initially, I resented my husband’s friend as my husband’s attention shifted away from me and our daughter,” Medina says. “However, he began sharing stories of Abraham and Moses and I listened with enthusiasm and love.” 

Not long afterwards, Medina’s husband became a Christian, and the first person he shared his faith with was her. “I embraced Christianity,” she says. “This newfound faith brought happiness to my life, and my husband and I became content together.” 

As they grew in their faith, the couple made the risky decision to share what they had learned. “We later began teaching disciples, with my husband having nine and myself having four,” she says. “Despite the challenges, our work continued.”  

A sinister visit   

Medina is one of an estimated few thousand believers in Afghanistan. For Medina especially, as a woman, the risk of her faith being found out is enormous; it can result in a death sentence, or torture and imprisonment.  

Medina had given birth to their second child when she received a strange visit. “Two people visited my home, claiming to work for my husband,” she remembers. “They left without conveying any specific message. I was very concerned, but my husband reassured me there was nothing to worry about.”  

Soon after the men arrived, Medina’s husband disappeared. She never saw him again.  

The ministry continues   

Medina was comforted by other believers. “I found solace in reading the Bible and praying for my husband and our fellow believers,” she says. “I did not lose my faith and continued following the path of Jesus.”  

She knows that, now that the Taliban are back in power, the risks involved in sharing her faith have only increased. And restrictions prevent women from travelling alone, which makes evangelism harder. But nothing will prevent Medina from doing the work she believes God has called her to do – and your prayers and gifts are helping her to continue.  

“I express my gratitude to all our believing brothers and sisters who have supported us with study materials, food and fuel,” she says. “May God bless them abundantly. We remain happy in our lives because we have Jesus with us, who continues to bless and strengthen us.”  

*Name changed for security reasons  

Source: Open Doors

Photo: wikimedia