Murat glanced behind him as he hurried down the street of the unfamiliar seaside village.
It felt strange to walk alone, especially in a place he’d never been. Although he was an adult according to both Islam and his country, his parents still treated him like a child, refusing to let him leave the house unaccompanied. They were finally discussing the idea of letting him get a driver’s license so he could run errands, but Murat wasn’t very hopeful.
He wondered if they suspected that he had decided to follow Jesus. If they tracked his internet use, they might have been able to tell that he’d done research about Jesus since his early teens and had struck up a friendship over video chat with Stanley, a Frontiers field worker who lived in his city.
He’d been talking with Stanley for two years, studying the Injil and getting answers to his questions, but the two friends had never been able to meet. Every time he tried to leave his house, one of his parents insisted on going with him.
He’d never even managed to make it to a meeting of believers that Stanley had invited him to.
But today that would change. Distracted by the details of their vacation and outings with his younger siblings, Murat’s parents had left him alone at their hotel. It was Sunday morning, and he had at least a few hours to visit a church he’d noticed as they drove through the city.
When he reached the small building, dwarfed by the mosques in the area, Murat stopped and hesitated. A few families walked past him through the door. A young man around his age smiled over his shoulder before disappearing inside.
Taking a deep breath, Murat climbed the steps and entered too.
The single room was small but full. Murat found an empty chair toward the back and waited. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but when the pastor began speaking, Murat listened, enraptured. All these people got to speak of Jesus and hear about Him every week. Here, nobody had to sneak around or watch their words. He wished he could live like this.
When the service ended, Murat made his way to the front of the room to meet the pastor.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked.
“Of course,” the pastor replied. “What’s on your mind?”
Murat shared everything: his journey to faith in Jesus, his online meetings with Stanley, and his parents’ strict rules. “I want to be baptized,” he finished. “I have been hoping to do this for a long time.”
The pastor nodded. “Would you like to be baptized now?”
Murat’s heart leapt. “Yes! I don’t know when I will have another chance, and I want to show my choice to follow Jesus.”
The pastor gathered several men to witness the event. Together, they walked to the beach. Then, with much joy, the pastor baptized Murat in the ocean.
Murat couldn’t wait to tell Stanley what had happened and called his friend when he returned from vacation.
“That’s wonderful!” Stanley exclaimed. “It is so encouraging to hear that you’ve been able to make a public proclamation of your faith.”
“And I have more news,” Murat continued. “I got my driver’s license.” His voice filled with excitement. “Can you meet next week? In person?”
Stanley grinned. “Of course! I will look forward to that.”
Murat smiled back. God had answered his prayers for the opportunity to freely demonstrate his trust in the Lord. Now he would be able to meet more Jesus followers and grow in his new faith.
Pray:
- Pray that Murat will continue to read the Bible and grow in his faith.
- Praise God for giving Murat the opportunity to become baptized.
- Ask God to give young Muslim-background believers the community they need to learn more about following Jesus.
**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**
Main photo on iStock
Original article: https://frontiersusa.org/blog/baptized-on-vacation/