This is a story of two men with different mindsets who crossed paths while venturing on their own faith journeys.
Andrew arrived as an immigrant in northern Africa whose faith was ignited by a series of vivid dreams that flickered like a candle in a dark world.
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Asher grew up in a staunchly Muslim family, and his sharp intellect yearns for a tangible sign of something beyond the faith of his upbringing.
Both men found themselves living in a region where Islam shapes public life. Their unlikely friendship became a quiet, risky witness to the power of hope amid persecution.
Andrew’s adventure in becoming a Christian
Seth Taylor works in northern Africa and first met Andrew in a populated city that balances old customs and modern industry. Andrew fled his homeland for the bigger city to find work. Taylor is an International Mission Board missionary who connects regularly with Muslims, and Andrew found Taylor to be someone he could trust.
“We spent time discussing his questions about Christ, studying the Word, and sharing life together,” Taylor said. “Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians were particularly instructive for me as I worked to ‘share not only the gospel, but also my own self’ with Andrew.”
With his own Muslim upbringing, Andrew turned to agnosticism after witnessing oppression.
He first learned of the gospel through two men who were short-term missionaries. Though Andrew had a brief experience with them, these men were effective in planting the gospel seed in Andrew’s heart.
Andrew became a Christian as a result of the dreams he experienced. “It was a series of dreams,” Taylor explained. “There were clear biblical allusions that he couldn’t have known because he had never read the Bible.”
The dreams propelled him to an Arabic-language house church where he was eventually baptized, a step that would later become a quiet declaration of faith in a hostile workplace. Andrew’s move to the city came with a price, as the host government threatens imprisonment or expulsion for sharing the gospel.
A parallel path: Asher’s collapse of certainty
Asher’s story begins on the opposite side of the same fence. He too saw the violence of Islam and oppression of women. What finally turned him away from the religion was attending a gathering of Islamic fundamentalists who celebrated the Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. tragedy.
Taylor made friends with Asher as well, and they would discuss Christianity often. “He started studying the Bible, took notes in the margins,” Taylor said about Asher, “but his biggest desire was ‘I want a dream.’”
While Taylor tried to give him a clear explanation of the gospel, Asher insisted on a dream as proof, a sign he could cling to amid intellectual, apologetic questions. Dreams and visions are a common expectation among many Muslims.
“I said, ‘Look, the point of a dream is to bring you to a person who can proclaim to you the message of the gospel,’” Taylor said, recalling his talk with Asher. “’I’m here telling you of Christ, His death and resurrection. This is the gospel. Jesus is your salvation and hope.’”
A chance encounter at work
Certainly not by chance, Andrew and Asher ended up being co-workers. They once found themselves sharing a coffee, and Asher pushed to know more about Andrew’s beliefs. Though fearful, knowing that discussing his new faith could get him fired, or worse, Andrew eventually divulged his faith in Jesus Christ.
Asher listened and was challenged by Andrew’s testimony. Though he is much older than Andrew, Asher felt a chill of fear in the forbidden exchange but also found hope.
Andrew went home nervous that day. He was aware of the threat of losing his job if he talked about his faith in Christ. Later that evening, a notification lit his phone. “Do not fear, for I am with you.” It was a verse from a Bible app that frequently sends messages.
“Andrew believes it was a message from the Lord,” Taylor said.
A growing bond
Inconspicuously, Andrew and Asher continue to talk about spiritual things at work. Andrew knows he could face persecution, but he does not waver from growing as a Christian. He consistently attends a house church and is being discipled and equipped for church leadership.
Asher has yet to step into the house church. His journey, Taylor said, is still about “seeing his need for a Savior, not just satisfying his intellectual curiosity.”
Taylor has hope for both Andrew and Asher. “I see Andrew as a possible future pastor,” he said. “We are praying that Asher will soften his heart and accept God’s gift of salvation.”
Pray for Andrew that his evangelism be rooted in love, that his fear of persecution be replaced by the boldness of the Spirit and that he may shepherd others as he has been shepherded.
Pray for Asher that he may hear, through Andrew’s witness, the gentle voice of Christ beyond the noise of intellectual doubt.
In a world where the Christian faith is a whispered secret, the lives of Andrew and Asher remind us that God works in the most ordinary places — cafes, offices and even phone notifications — to draw people into the light.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Chris Doyle and originally published by the International Mission Board.
