"I do drugs. And don't talk to me about Jesus."
M is a graduate of 4G3 Discipleship Institutes in Luxor, Upper Egypt. His heart was broken because his 17-year-old son had just started doing drugs, and no one could reach out to him. M was sadly sharing with Botros Boulos, one of the 4G3 Discipleship Institute trainers. He was praying that Botros would somehow be able to talk to his son, as he listened to no one.
On the day of the Discipleship Institute graduation, the son decided to attend his dad's graduation. The son was very defensive about anyone talking to him about Jesus. Botros approached him and asked him why he had attended the graduation. He said he wanted to encourage his father and was very proud of him.
They started talking, and the son said, "I do drugs. And don't talk to me about Jesus." Botros smiled, "I won't, but why are you telling me? We've only just met." The boy started telling him that he was angry at God because his grandfather died early and he loved his grandfather very much.
Botros asked, "What are you willing to do for your grandfather's memory? What tales would you like to tell him about yourself when you meet him in heaven?" The boy was shocked at the question. "I am not even sure I will make it to heaven!" The boy exclaimed. The Lord softened the boys heart and he asked Botros to start a Bible study with him! Not only did he start studying God's word, he also quit using drugs.
Thank you for praying and supporting 4G3 and the ongoing expansion of our Discipleship Institutes. Thousands of lives are being transformed as a result of your partnership and God's amazing grace.
Grateful,
Dr. Wahid and Laila Wahba
P.S. The note below came from Dr. Bryce Norton, President of Hearts for Eternity. Dr. Norton spent time with us in Turkey recently. We hope it encourages you in the work you make possible!
"Thank you for the prayers for Wahid, myself, and the Arabic leaders of refugee ministries at the recent conference in Turkey. Wahid’s team did a fantastic job leading these leaders through many key leadership and spiritual topics. They had great experiences in their time spent listening to the Lord. We had many hours of coaching and encouraging discussion. Many of these Arabic leaders are missionaries who live completely by faith month to month. Very difficult challenges. Amazing testimonies.
I enjoyed eating a meal with “Sam” from Jordan today. Sam lost all of his family due to his faith. His parents disowned him, his wife divorced him, and his son died. Sam spent a month in the hospital due to an illness. He lost his job due to his faith. Yet He praises God for using all of this to bring him to Turkey as a missionary. Two years ago, he moved to Turkey to share Jesus with Arabic refugees. He now has 85 new believers, most from Muslim backgrounds that he is discipling! Sam is yet another example of how the Lord has special blessings for His people (i.e. spiritual fruit) when they are willing to trust Him despite terrible life experiences and sacrifices. I was able to provide a session for listening to the Lord this evening. We had a wonderful time of sharing how God spoke to different people during this time.
One woman admitted she complained to God for much of the time that she could not read the Bible or sense His presence. At the end of her listening time, in her mind, she heard God clearly tell her how much He loves her. She had tears in her eyes as she shared with the group. Others shared that they heard the Lord affirm His love for them out loud. Others felt led to a specific Bible verse that touched their heart. I encouraged them to try another session soon to continue to learn how to better listen to the Lord.
Please pray both for the spiritual seeds planted at the conference to transform their hearts and for the Lord to provide the funding for more events like this in the future."