From a Faith Crisis to Sharing the Hope of the Gospel

Sara* was born to a Middle Eastern family, devout to their faith. Her father was a strict religious leader; discussing other faiths was out of the question. So when her interest in Jesus began at the age of 13, she had to keep it secret. 

Sara walked a long and difficult journey towards faith in Christ. When she knocked on the doors of local churches, most of them turned her away. When her family found out about her faith in Jesus, their brutal reaction forced her to drop the matter for a while. But the Lord opened a door for her to live and work in another country where a local church walked alongside her until she was baptized. 

After returning to her home country, Sara went through a hard time that led to her having a crisis of faith. She sought help from another believer who offered her an opportunity to join AWEMA’s Theological Studies School (ATSS).

Sara graduated from ATSS in June 2019. “It was a journey of healing,” reflects Sara, “I came back a different person. I was cheerful. My face was radiant. And I was full of passion for ministry.”

At ATSS, Sara understood that the Great Commission wasn’t only given to the apostles, but to all of Christ followers. After graduation, she joined a discipleship group where she shared with other members some of what she learned at ATSS (e.g. difficult Old Testament issues, understanding Scripture in context, the Trinity, etc.) She was also able to help a friend from a non-Christian background in his own walk with Christ. Sara also worked for several months for a ministry organization where she shared the Gospel through online counseling and apologetics. Although she has to keep her faith hidden from her family, when a family member decided to embark on his own journey to seek the truth, he found no one to confide in but Sara! And she is excited about walking this journey with him.

* Name changed for identity protection