Eden
Eden was spunky from the beginning. A woman living in Saudi Arabia requires fortitude, but even more so when she has doubts
about Islam and lives in Mecca. As a teenager Eden began to search online (the internet has had an incredibly powerful impact on getting the gospel into restricted access places, thank God!) and study who Jesus was and what it meant to follow Him. Her family discovered her internet searches and beat her severely, which confused her deeply. Why would her family, whom she loved and whom she thought loved her, beat her for asking questions? But because she was spunky, she continued searching and continued being beaten.
One day a family relative was sick and taken to the hospital. Visiting the relative with her family, Eden noted the loving care and gentle spirit of the Christian Filipino nurse who cared for her relative. Eden’s brothers mocked and insulted the Christian nurse, while Eden thought to herself: “My Muslim brothers beat me, mock a gentle nurse, and talk of violence and threat while this Christian simply loves my family quietly. Whatever the spirit of Islam is in my brothers, I don’t want that! Whatever the spirit of Jesus is in this Filipino nurse, THAT is what I want!” And Eden gave her life to Jesus.
Infuriated, her family beat her again, attempted to kill her numerous times in numerous ways, and married her to a strict Muslim by whom she had two children. She remained faithful to Jesus and they continued to beat her. Every beating strengthened her resolve that the way of Jesus was true and that the way of Islam was false. At one point her brother put her in a car with her young daughter and pushed the car off a cliff. The car turned end over end and smashed on the ravine floor. Miraculously, there was not a scratch on the baby and Eden survived with one broken bone. This, too, strengthened her resolve that life in Jesus was true and hate in Islam was false. In so many words Eden’s testimony to her family was that every time they beat her, they proved Islam wrong and Jesus right.
Over time Abraham led his wife and children to the Lord and became part of a group of believers in Mecca who are followers of Jesus.
Desperate, the family sent a gentler relative to speak truth to Eden. Abraham listened to her story, and it sparked doubts in his own mind. He then began to investigate the claims of Christ via the internet, and there in his seeking Jesus found Him. Over time Abraham led his wife and children to the Lord and became part of a group of believers in Mecca who are followers of Jesus. It has not been without pain. Abraham has been jailed numerous times, lashed, falsely accused, and beaten. He helped Eden escape, and con- sequently he is now told that his own children will be killed. He lives under constant pressure, but he lives with joy, is part of our house church, and helps us disciple and baptize new believers with great wisdom and courage.
Every believer is called to go
Whether to your neighbor across the street or to the nations across the world. At Live Dead, we exist to take the good news of Jesus Christ to those who have never heard in the countries that have limited to no access to this good news. We seek to mobilize advocates, both individuals and churches, to pray, speak, give, and go for the sake of unreached people groups. How will you join us in this work?
