The radio broadcasts of Call of Hope reach Muslims even in areas where other means…
No one can run away from God, not even you!
No one can run away from God, not even you!
Bro. Tiyumba* coordinates the literature work of Call of Hope in Ghana. Thanks to cooperation with local schools, by the grace of God thousands of Muslim students participate in Call of Hope’s literature correspondence course. Every year, Bro. Tiyumba organises a youth conference for interested students, featuring sports, games and the Word of God. Bro. Tiyumba reports on this year’s student conference:
“It was a great joy to welcome 620 students from 22 schools to this year’s conference. Most of the participants were students from Muslim families who have been participating in the Bible correspondence course for several years. Many of them were now presented with their graduation certificates. The conference was filled with exciting activities, games, sports and great fellowship. Bible quiz competitions were held, where students from the participating schools could bring to bear their hard work. All participating schools received a rubbish bin as a gift. This is to help keep the schoolyard clean!
The spiritual part of the conference focused on Galatians 5:19-22. By the grace of Jesus, our lives are transformed. He helps us to overcome sin. The Spirit of God causes “good fruit” to grow in our lives. The Muslim students also joyfully participated in our worship services and sang songs to the glory of God. Two Muslim students remarked, ‘As Muslims, we are actually forbidden to enter a church or sing Christian songs. But here we experience a joy that we have never experienced before, even on the Muslim holiday of Eid-ul-Adha (the Feast of Sacrifice at the end of Ramadan)!’
We also gave opportunity for testimonies. Zara*, a 15-year-old student, told us how she came to faith in Jesus:
‘I used to live according to the rules of Islam, as I was taught at home. There was no school in my village, so my parents sent me to my aunt in the city. There I was able to go to school. My aunt is a Christian and encouraged me to take part in the Bible correspondence course offered at my school. Through this, I learned a lot about the Bible. Much of it was completely new to me, for example, that Jesus teaches us to love our enemies! I was fascinated by Jesus’ words, but at first, I continued to live as a Muslim and performed my Muslim prayers to Allah.
At the beginning of this year, the booklet entitled “What must I do to be saved?” was on the reading list for the correspondence course. This book convinced me of the need to entrust my life completely to Jesus Christ. But I was very afraid of the consequences that such a step could entail. How would my Muslim relatives react?
In the time that followed, I avoided reading the literature from the Call of Hope. I suppressed the voice of God speaking to my heart. I did not want to be reminded that I must accept Jesus as my Lord! During that time, a Call of Hope co-worker came to our school to lead the weekly devotional. He read from the Book of Jonah. In his address, he said, “Just like Jonah, no one can run away from God. Not even you!”
I sat right at the front in the first row and felt as if he was speaking directly to me. His words touched my heart. Immediately after school, I ran home to my aunt’s house. My heart was beating with fear. Despite my fears, I made the decision: I want to give my life to Jesus. I knelt down in my room. With my hands raised, I said, “Lord Jesus! I want you in my life. You ask you to be my personal Saviour!”
The good news of my conversion was bad news for my parents! They were furious. They told me never to show my face at their house again! It is very painful for me that my own parents are now so opposed to me. But I thank God for my aunt. She is a great support to me during this difficult time! I thank God for the literature from Call of Hope. It allowed me to come to know the way of salvation – the way to Jesus Christ.”
“Dear friends,” Bro. Tiyumba continues. “I too would like to express my gratitude to you. Thanks to your prayers and support, students like Zara are finding faith in Jesus. Please pray for Zara, that God will strengthen her and help her grow in faith. Pray that God will touch the hearts of her parents. Please pray for the seeds of the Gospel that have been planted in the hearts of many Muslims thanks to the literature from Call of Hope, to grow and come to fruition.”
Call to action: Dear friends of the mission, we warmly ask for your prayers and support for the valuable work of Bro. Tiyumba and his team. Through their efforts, thousands of Muslim students in northern Ghana are hearing and reading the Word of God!
*Name changed
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