Our current Discipleship Training School outreach team was just in Russia for the World Cup. YWAM outreaches teams have been going to large international events for years to do ministry and reach out to the nations that attend the event. Our team had an amazing time using the World Cup event as an open door to minister to people from unreached Muslim nations that have never had a chance to hear the Gospel.
Here is an inspiring testimony from their outreach in Russia written by one of our current students:
“On one of our days during ministry in Russia, my wife and myself had a chance to go out on ministry together. We began our time praying, we specifically asked God to lead us to people whose hearts were ripe, we wanted to reach someone who wanted it!
As we were out and praying for direction we both felt led to stop and chat with a man (that we will call Ken) at a park. We quickly found out that Ken was from Yemen! Which is a majority Muslim nation and currently unreached that is currently in a civil war. He was studying in Russia as there are not very many opportunities to study in his home nation. After briefly talking to him we felt like this was an open door to hearing the Gospel.
Ken came from a Muslim background but during the conversation we found out that he was way more curious about experiencing God. Which is amazing because in most conversations with Former Muslims or current Muslims there is usually an aspect of defending Islam that takes place in conversation. Later we found out that one of his friends from Africa had been talking to him about Jesus and was reading the gospels with him! His roommate has moved away. Ken now lives with other Muslim men. My wife and I were delighted to be part of the story God was weaving in his life since his heart had clearly been prepared through all the discussions he had with his former roommate, it was an answer to prayer.
Ken was interested in a faith that was tangible and experiential, so my wife and I shared our testimony. After we had a chance to share he exclaimed “how can I have that?” We shared with Ken about accepting Jesus. He was afraid to pray in public because of the laws against praying in public in Russia. Ken wanted to know how to ensure that He had received Jesus once he prayed on his own. We explained about our own experiences of being born again and filled with the Spirit. We had also shared with Ken about our own experiences of God speaking to us through dreams, and he said he really wanted that. We prayed that he would be able to receive dreams and revelation from the Lord. Ken left awestruck as he walked back home.” – Ebby (current DTS student)
Romans 10:9-10 says “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”
While Ken may not have prayed a prayer of salvation he did confess with his mouth that he wanted Jesus and wanted to have the Lord in his life. He understood the full story of the death and resurrection of Jesus and had a good understanding of what it looks like to be born again. Ken even wanted to make sure that he could be sure that he was able to receive Jesus as his savior! He didn’t have to pray a prayer to enter into salvation. The only requirement we see in scripture is confessing that Jesus is Lord and that he was raised from the dead.
Now all of heaven is rejoicing at Ken’s story to redemption and salvation! We are so excited to be a part of welcoming him home!
If you would like to learn more about what it looks like to minister to Muslims you should check out our school of Islamic Studies! The heartbeat of this school is to equip our students to go out and share the Gospel within unreached people groups. Click here to read more information!