More than a Meal

ABDUL'S STORY

Some of the Convoy of Hope team recently visited a Program Center about 12 hours outside of Nairobi, Kenya. When the team arrived, the Program Center Director told them they must meet Abdul and hear his story. First, they needed to understand the context of Abdul’s life and upbringing in this village. The village is primarily Muslim and Islam is woven into the fabric of their community. When a baby is born, before the umbilical cord is cut, someone in the room will take a piece of chalk and write the Shahada, which says “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the prophet of Allah.” They will then take a wet rag, wipe the chalk off, and drip it into the baby’s mouth. Islam is not just their religion; it is their identity. 

This village is quite poor, and many struggle with food insecurity. Convoy of Hope was able to establish a Program Center there, and Abdul was sent so his family could ensure he would receive at least one meal each day. When children attend Convoy programs, they do not only get a warm meal and clean water; they also go through our Spiritual Formation classes and hear the Gospel! When Abdul began attending the program, he loved that part so much he would take the materials home and read ahead. After two weeks of being in the program, Abdul came to the center and said, “I have been reading in the Gospels, and I believe I am supposed to make Jesus my Lord and Savior. Can you help me to do that?” The team immediately led him in a salvation prayer, and Abdul committed himself to Jesus. But he did not stop there! He continued to read his Bible, and after another week, came back to the team at the Program Center and said, “I read that my Jesus was baptized, and if my Jesus was baptized, I want to be baptized too.” That day, Abdul made a public declaration of his faith in Jesus! 

As you can imagine, his family and community did not support his newfound faith. After Abdul made the decision to give his life to Jesus, his family kicked him out of the house, and he was forced to live with members of the team from the Convoy of Hope Program Center. But Abdul’s family continued to observe him daily. After 2 weeks, they came to the Program Center and asked the team, “What have you done with our son? We have been watching him, and he always has a smile on his face. He is always helping others. What has changed in our son to cause him to have so much joy?” The Convoy of Hope team shared with the family that Abdul was changed by Jesus, and they could have Him too. That day, Abdul’s entire family gave their lives to the Lord!