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“My vision is to live like Paul. He lived in a dangerous place, just like I do. He was surrounded by Pharisees; I’m surrounded by extremists. Yet he transformed his community from darkness to light. This is what God has called me to do.”
These are the courageous words of Zaid*, a believer and church planter who lives in Yemen—the third most difficult place for Christians to follow Jesus (Link to your WWL profile on Yemen). He is one of the faithful remnant who remains in his native land, following Jesus in the face of fear. Under secure protection, Zaid agreed to share his story with us.
Zaid wasn’t always devoted to Christ’s mission. Like the apostle Paul, he once loathed and verbally attacked Christians.
Growing up in a conservative Muslim home in Yemen, he prayed daily, went regularly to the local mosque and followed all Muslim rituals. But deep down, he wasn’t convinced. In hindsight, he realizes that something was always missing. He was 16 when his doubts started as he began to realize that with one slip, God could keep him out of Paradise. He had no guarantees.
As he searched for truth, he began to explore other religions, including Christianity. At that point, he was reading about Christianity to attack Christians. “I was trying to win debates with them online,” he says.
“However, when I would notice that I couldn’t win, I would curse them to see their reaction. The thing that attracted me to them was their love. They had love and would not curse me back!”
Slowly, he began to listen to understand and not argue. And then one night changed everything for this motorcycle-driving church planter, now with a vision to plant a house church in every Yemeni town.
“God came to me in a dream,” he says. “I was in a lush, green garden, and I saw a strong light approaching me. And then a voice said, ‘I left the 99 and came for you.’”
As soon as he woke up, he grabbed his phone and a photo of a green garden appeared. Jesus was standing there with sheep surrounding Him. “Written on that photo were the same words I heard in my dream,” he remembers. “I felt unspeakable joy. I knew I had encountered the true God.”
Desperate to learn more, he downloaded a Bible app and began reading. He contacted people online, hoping to learn more about Jesus. In Yemen, there are no public churches that people can visit … and leaving Islam can be a death sentence. Almost all Christians keep their faith a secret. So, when people reached out to the young believer to meet him face to face, he was too afraid.
He continued to spend time in God’s Word. “When I read my Bible, I always felt safe,” Zaid says. “Jesus told us that in this world, we will have trouble.”
For Zaid, that “trouble” began at home when his father found his Bible hidden in his room and unleashed his fury at his son who had left the family religion.
“He beat me, imprisoned me at home for three days and finally, kicked me out of the house,” Zaid says. “I had nowhere to go, no food. I spent several nights on the street, wondering if it was all worth it. But I remembered Jesus’ words in the Bible: ‘What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?’ I knew the cost was worth it.”
Zaid is one of the millions of Christians who is following Jesus and His Great Commission (Matthew 28) despite the risk. He wants to see God change his country. And like his biblical hero, Paul, he wants God to use him to spread His gospel.
“In Yemen, we cannot share our faith openly,” he says. “We could be imprisoned, tortured, even killed. As a human, I’m scared. But if fear traps us, how will anything change? If we don’t take risks, we will never see change.”
Zaid refuses to bow to fear and instead trusts God to protect him and provide the necessary resources. Through your prayers and gifts, our partners have come alongside him to help him start a local discipleship house where new believers can meet, live together and be discipled day after day. He wants to provide a safe place that offers daily Bible studies where believers can discuss difficult questions and tough topics together—a place to equip believers to lead house churches across the country, as he begins to put shape to his vision to plant churches throughout the country.
“Your support strengthens us,” Zaid says. “Your prayers let us know we are not alone.” He recalls a recent time when he deeply felt the Body of Christ sustaining him and others.
“Not long ago, we asked for specific prayers for a delicate meeting we had, and the brethren prayed for us through a voice note on WhatsApp. We played the recording at the beginning of the meeting, and it was indeed an amazing encouragement. Not only for me, but for all the brothers who were present. It was like a spiritual charge, just like when you recharge your telephone battery. We are very much encouraged when we know that we have brothers and sisters who are praying for us.”
*Name changed to protect security
Zaid asks us to pray with him and other leaders that Yemen will come to know Christ.
“Pray for peace, not only peace from war but also spiritual peace. We want Jesus to reign over Yemen. May God open the eyes of the people to see Him. May the Lord continue His work and give me the strength to lead the ministry he called me to do.”
Will you support faith that defies fear?
Every PHP 1,500 supports a Persecuted Christian to attend a persecution- preparedness training.
Every PHP 2,500 supports our trauma care ministries for Persecuted Christians.
Every PHP 3,500 supports a Christian family who fled or lost sources of income due to persecution.
Or a monthly donation of PHP 1,000 will support secret believers where most needed!
