Where Are You, God? 30 First Encounters With Godਨਮੂਨਾ

Day 28: Northern Africa - From Secret Reader to Underground Seminary

In a 100% Muslim province of Northern Africa, Nabil* became the first believer in his remote village through reading a New Testament Bible. Years later, a teenager named Ahmad would encounter the same life-changing book in an unexpected way.

At the village coffee house, Ahmad met Nabil, not knowing he had become a Christian. "After our discussion, he gave me a book and said, 'You might want to read this.' I didn't realize it then, but it was the New Testament."

Transformed by Scripture

Ahmad found himself captivated by what he read. The Sermon on the Mount spoke directly to his Muslim understanding of prayer and fasting, but with revolutionary new meaning.

Desperate for truth, he prayed: "God, if you are giving me a chance, speak to me and answer my question. What is the way to God? If it is Muhammad and Islam, let me know! If it is Jesus, let me know!"

As he continued reading through the Gospels, he found his answer in John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

From Reader to Leader

Ahmad's journey led him to Europe for theological studies. The young man who once secretly read the New Testament became a pastor, serving in Europe for twelve years.

In 2017, Ahmad returned to Northern Africa with an audacious vision—to establish the region's first underground seminary. In a nation where Christian education is illegal, twelve Muslim-background believers now study God's Word in secret.

Underground Movement

"After graduation, the students serve in the underground churches," Ahmad explains. "Even though they've closed the physical churches, we continue in house churches with five to seven people in each."

Today, Ahmad watches as 200 believers from across Northern Africa gather annually—a number that would have seemed impossible in his village years ago.

One Book, Endless Impact

From one New Testament in a remote village to an underground movement of courageous Jesus followers, God's Word is transforming nations one heart at a time. What started with a teenager's curiosity has become a seminary, house church network, and growing regional movement.

Your Secret Impact

How might the Word you share today impact someone's eternity? Ahmad's story proves that one conversation, one book, one act of courage can launch movements that span continents.

Back to the Book of Revelation

For the last two devotionals, we will return to the book of Revelation. Properly known as "The Revelation of Jesus Christ", this last book of the Bible is a series of visions that the apostle John received while in prison on the island of Patmos. Much of the vision is about the last days before Jesus returns.

*Names have been changed