Kalil embraced me as I stepped out of the taxi in the small village. It had been some time since I had seen his big smile and perfectly combed beard, but he was as affectionate as ever.

Mourad stepped out of the taxi behind me, and before I had a chance to introduce my friends to each other, Kalil had him in a big hug as well.

Kalil and I had studied the Bible together a few times. But because he lived in a distant village, we weren’t able to study together often. I wasn’t even sure if he would still be interested in continuing to study the Scriptures with me.

Mourad was a friend from the city that my family and I lived in. He was a national believer who had just been trained on how to reach Muslims with the Gospel.

Mourad had seemed a little anxious during the ride to the village, but I could see the tension easing under Kalil’s friendly embrace. Kalil smiled broadly at us and ushered us into his house where he introduced us to his cousins who were also visiting.

We exchanged pleasantries, then I turned to Kalil’s cousins and asked if they had ever read about Jesus.

I liked their response.

“Not yet,” they said.

Then Mourad started sharing the Gospel with them. By this time, several other men had wandered into the room, and Mourad had a captive audience.

He started with Adam and Eve and how sin entered the world, then he shared about all the prophets up until Jesus. Mourad described how the Son of God died on the cross for our sins, and he made a point to look at each person and say, “Jesus died for your sins.”

After dinner, everyone left except Kalil and his two sons. We talked some more about Jesus as Kalil listened intently.

As we got up to go, I asked Kalil if he wanted to continue to meet together to study the Scriptures.

“Of course,” he said. Then he added, “I will believe anything if it’s the truth.”

On the drive back to our city, Mourad said that he felt afraid when we first walked into Kalil‘s house. But as he began sharing with the men in the room, he sensed the Holy Spirit give him peace and confidence, and the fear left him.

“I had a great time,” Mourad said. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel with men like these—this is what God wants me to do!”

• Pray for Kalil and his family, that they will hear the truth and believe and begin to follow Jesus.
• Pray for national believers to step boldly into opportunities to share with their Muslims neighbors.

**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**

Original article: FrontiersUSA.org/blog/article/hope-takes-a-taxi