In Armenia, 17-year-old Arman had a Christian teacher who would use examples or stories from the Bible to illustrate a point.

Arman was intrigued. He had many questions but was too embarrassed to ask his teacher. On the Internet, he found lots of information about different religions. But the answers he found did not settle his heart.

His younger brother was invited by a friend to attend a camp. One of the campers backed out at the last minute, so Arman joined in.

The first day of camp was filled with the usual camp activities: stories, games, singing and snacks. On the second day, something changed. The words read from the Bible touched Arman’s heart. He heard that we are all sinners, that we need God’s forgiveness and that we cannot be saved through our own effort (Ephesians 2:8-9). He became quite unsettled as he started to think about this. One of the camp leaders sensed that Arman was troubled. They talked together for a long time, and Arman asked his questions and heard all of the answers he had been searching for.

He accepted Jesus as his Savior and Lord. He now meets with the leader regularly to talk and study God’s Word together.

Arman will be back at camp again – but this time, as a leader! 

Ediyan was born into a family of traditional Muslims in North Macedonia. His grandmother taught him about Islam and faithfully took him to the mosque. There he learned the traditions and beliefs. Eventually, he followed the ways of Islam.

At age 15, Ediyan moved with his family to a Gypsy Roma neighborhood. A Bible study group was meeting weekly across the street from their house. When the believers invited him to attend, he took a risk and joined them.

Instead of hearing the truth of the Gospel that night, however, Ediyan filtered everything he heard through his Islamic faith. Feeling hurt and offended by these new beliefs, he refused to return. In fact, he stayed away for an entire year — even when his new friends invited him again.

One day, he decided to accept their invitation. This time, he felt welcomed. With the help of group members, Ediyan learned more about Jesus and began to read God’s Word. Soon, he was standing up for his newfound faith in Jesus as the Messiah in the presence of other Muslims. “As the Gospel entered my life, I realized that faith in Jesus Christ was in my heart,” he says. “I’m committed to serving the one true God and my Savior.”

Today, Ediyan is one of our ministry partners and leads a team of believers who travel to nearby villages and share the Gospel. He leads two Bible study groups and looks forward to starting new churches in his area.

Ediyan adds, “Now that I know God’s truth, I want to tell everyone I meet about Jesus Christ.”

Vithu in Cambodia was carrying the weight of the hopeless struggles in his life. His granddaughter was causing serious trouble in their family. His body was weak, and he could find no relief from his sickness.

Consulting a fortune teller, Vithu paid a lot of money to hear: “You have done wrong to your ancestral spirits, and you must please them.” He followed the instructions given, offering food to the evil spirits and participating in a ceremony to worship them. His sickness only became worse, and Vithu was certain he was going to die.

One day, Ponlok, a follower of Jesus, came to visit. He asked, “Do you want to hear the Good News that can save your soul and spirit?” When Vithu said yes, Ponlok told him about Jesus. Vithu gave his life to Jesus that day.

“My life is filled with love, and I want to tell everyone about Jesus,” Vithu says. “I even shared the Good News with my granddaughter.”

Vithu prays for his family and his country every day. He says, “I want Jesus to change them, just like he is changing me.”

When Taimoor decided to divorce his wife and leave his Muslim life in Iran, he believed he and his son, Davar, had a better future waiting for them in Europe. So they began their journey. From Bulgaria to Serbia to Hungary, they searched for their dream life.

After a brief time in Bulgaria, Taimoor and Davar illegally crossed the border into Serbia. Authorities apprehended them and placed them in a shelter for migrants. God was waiting to meet them there. He sent Luka, a Bible teacher, to share the Gospel with them. Luka also helped find resources to meet their physical needs.

“Luka’s genuine concern stirred up a desire for us to learn more about God and His Word,” Taimoor says. “We couldn’t get enough of the Bible. Some of us in the shelter read it all night long! Then we would get up early to pray together.” He and his son believed in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and they were baptized.

Some of the believers decided to escape from the shelter, but Taimoor stayed and began sharing the Gospel with new migrants who arrived. He even saw the power of God heal his son from a hearing loss.

God continued His miracles in Taimoor’s life when they moved on to a migrant shelter in Hungary. Taimoor’s talents as an artist gave him a way to share the Gospel with more people. A filmmaker heard about their story and produced what became an award-winning film about their life.

Taimoor and Davar continue to live in the shelter in Hungary. “God is using me to bring more people to Christ in ways I would have never dreamed,” Taimoor says. “I consider my current situation as a huge blessing from God.”