When missionaries arrived in the town where they planned to stay overnight and share the gospel among the people, they did not want to stay in a hotel. Instead, they hoped to stay with a local resident. The problem, however, was that they knew no one there.
“Lord, show us a man of peace,” prayed Marat*, the ministry leader, as they drove through the city. “Someone who will open the doors of his home and be ready to hear the Good News.”
The missionaries then went to a bank to exchange money into the local currency. While Marat waited in the car, a stranger suddenly approached. The two men exchanged greetings, and the stranger, who introduced himself as Aldiyar*, said to Marat, “Would you like to stay at my house?”
Marat could not help but smile. God had answered his prayer.
An Encounter That Led to A Gospel Opportunity
“We will stay with you,” Marat said to Aldiyar. “But we have one condition: Will you please eat dinner with us?”
It might have seemed like an odd request, but Marat knew that in this particular town, it was common for a host to serve his guests a meal but not necessarily eat alongside them. “It was important to me to get to know Aldiyar,” Marat said later. “I wanted to tell him about Christ.”
“I went to bed with a special sense of gratitude to God, realizing that it was the Lord Himself who had led us to that house.”
That evening, Marat and his fellow missionaries went to Aldiyar’s home, where they shared a meal with Aldiyar and learned of his life, his family, and his children. “We listened attentively,” Marat said. “Then, I shared the gospel with him. I told him of Jesus Christ and God’s love, and I invited him to consider salvation. I went to bed with a special sense of gratitude to God, realizing that it was the Lord Himself who had led us to that house.”
During their dinner conversation, Aldiyar also shared that he had suffered severe back, leg, and joint pain for many years. “You know, God can perform a miracle,” Marat said to him. “He can heal you, and if you let us, we can pray for you right now.”
To the missionaries’ surprise, Aldiyar agreed. They laid hands on him and prayed in Jesus’ name, asking the Lord to touch Aldiyar’s body and heal him.
A New Day
The next morning, Aldiyar couldn’t wait to talk with his guests. With his face filled with joy, he said, “I didn’t feel any pain last night! I slept soundly and peacefully. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a night like that.”
The missionaries knew this was a powerful testimony of God’s power and love. “God doesn’t only want to give you physical healing,” Marat told Aldiyar. “He wants to give you eternal life.”
“We parted ways with hope.”
Aldiyar didn’t choose to give his life to Jesus during that visit, but he promised to reflect on all that he had learned. “We parted ways with hope,” Marat said. “On our next visit, we will meet him again and see how the Lord continues to work in his life.”
Support Missionaries in Eurasia
Please consider a donation today to support missionaries such as Marat as they look for opportunities to share Christ with others and persevere in their relationship-building with those they meet. “Pray for Aldiyar,” Marat asks. “May the Lord continue to reveal the truth to him, strengthen his heart, and one day lead him to sincere repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.”
