Standing Strong

Standing Strong

Posted October 27, 2010

NORTHERN AFRICA – When his boss heard he was following Christ and sharing his faith with coworkers, Stephen* was fired from his job and beaten in the stomach with a piece of iron. When his village heard of his new faith, the villagers rallied against him and told him never to return.

Stephen has been a believer in Jesus Christ for less than two years and has experienced more persecution than most Christians experience, or even hear about, in a lifetime.

“We are like a candle being blown by much wind,” Stephen said of himself and other believers facing persecution. “It is difficult to remain aflame.”

Many people in Stephen’s country follow a syncretistic religion that mixes traditional African beliefs with Christianity. Those who choose to become sincere followers of Jesus Christ often face rejection and harassment.

Stephen is persevering with the encouragement of IMB journeymen Paul Anderson* and Chad Simms*, who led Stephen to faith in Christ.

The Journeyman Program is a two-year missions experience that allows college graduates to go to the farthest corners of the globe to share the Gospel with people who have never heard it – people like Stephen.
“I have longed to hear these things my whole life, but there was no one to teach me,” Stephen said.

Beaten and fired

One day when Stephen stopped to visit Anderson and Simms at their home in northern Africa, something did not seem right.

“It was pretty evident that he was down about something,” said Anderson, who is from Kentucky. “I invited him in and asked what was wrong.”

Stephen told Anderson he had been sharing the Gospel with his coworkers and his boss overheard. Stephen’s boss told him he must only come for work, and that he should not come back if he wanted to talk about God. The young believer knew his job was at risk if he continued sharing about the One who changed his life.

Stephen, however, did not have a chance to decide what to do.

The next time he went to work his boss fired him, accusing him of being a bad worker because he taught about God and refusing to pay him for his prior work.

The next day, Stephen went to his boss to ask for his final payment. Instead of being paid, he was struck in the stomach with a piece of iron and thrown out. But Stephen’s response was not what one may expect; he returned to his boss and gave him a Bible, which the man accepted.

Humiliation and supernatural strength

Stephen, an orphan who was raised by an uncle and aunt, has taken Anderson and Simms to visit his family in the countryside and share the Gospel with them using the JESUS film.

Stephen’s family has been receptive to the Gospel, and he and his relatives are now the victims of vicious attacks from other villagers (see related story). Once, during a visit he made to the countryside to encourage his family, three men confronted Stephen and quickly attacked him. After being distracted by one man, Stephen was kicked so violently in his groin he lost consciousness.

When he awoke, the men had removed his shirt and bound his hands. Using human feces, they wrote a demeaning word on his T-shirt, then interrogated him, beat him, wiped feces on him and urinated on him. When they tried to remove his pants, Stephen prohibited them and they beat him more.

As Stephen shared the story with Anderson and Simms, he credited God with giving him “supernatural strength” to break free from the men and escape to the nearest town. Once he returned home safely, Stephen received a phone call with another threat.

“You started a fire that will consume you,” the anonymous caller warned.

Although heavy-hearted, Stephen continues to walk by faith and trust in the Lord. The persecution on his family is taking its toll, as some have made comments blaming him for their problems.

Anderson encourages Stephen to seek the Lord and trust in God’s power to transform the community where his family lives.

“Discipling Stephen has been one of the best and most challenging parts of my journeyman experience,” Anderson said. “Knowing Stephen, however, in many ways has discipled me. … I have really learned a lot from him.”

Despite everything, Stephen is a bold example of Christ’s heart for His people and for the lost world.

“God has given me love for my enemies,” Stephen said.

Anderson and Simms have also received threats because of their faith. Read more at Persecuted Family. To learn more about the Journeyman Program and other missions opportunities, visit GOING.

*Name changed for security reasons