Afghanistan's Faithful Witnesses: Stories of Sacrifice and Fruit That Remains

Hello, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus. Today I need to share some stories that are both heartbreaking and inspiring—stories of modern martyrs in Afghanistan, one of the most dangerous places on earth to follow Jesus. These are stories of people who gave everything to bring the Gospel to a nation that desperately needs it. And I'm going to share something deeply personal with you—how I know that their sacrifice was not in vain.

Afghanistan. Just saying the name conjures images of war, Taliban rule, oppression, and danger. It's ranked as the most dangerous country in the world for Christians according to Open Doors' 2025 World Watch List. There are no open churches. Owning a Bible is illegal. Converting from Islam to Christianity is punishable by death. Afghan Christians must practice their faith in absolute secrecy.

Yet even there—especially there—God is at work. And faithful believers have given their lives to see Afghans come to know Jesus.

[Christianity in Afghanistan - ancient and hidden]

First, let me give you some context about Christianity in Afghanistan. Christianity actually has ancient roots there. Afghanistan was once part of the Persian Empire, and Christianity spread along the Silk Road in the early centuries after Christ. There were Christian communities in what is now Afghanistan as early as the 4th and 5th centuries.

But with the rise of Islam in the 7th century, Christianity was gradually pushed out. By the time of the Mongol invasions and subsequent Islamic rule, Christianity had nearly disappeared from Afghanistan. For centuries, there was virtually no Christian presence.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, some Western missionaries tried to enter Afghanistan, but with little success. The country has been hostile to Christian missions for hundreds of years. During the Soviet occupation (1979-1989) and the subsequent civil war and Taliban rule, Afghanistan became one of the world's most closed nations.

Today, estimates suggest there are between 10,000 and 30,000 Afghan Christians—all of them secret believers, almost all converts from Islam. They cannot attend church openly. They cannot own Bibles openly. They cannot tell their families they follow Jesus without risking death. Yet they believe. And their faith has been watered by the blood of martyrs.

[Werner Groenewald - educator and witness]

Let me tell you about Werner Groenewald. Werner was a South African, 46 years old, who had been working in Afghanistan and Pakistan for about 12 years. He worked with Partnership in Academics and Development, a U.S.-based education charity, focusing on education, training for Afghans, English as a second language, and life skills.

Werner wasn't operating as a traditional missionary in the sense of openly preaching and planting churches—that would have been impossible in Afghanistan. He was an educator and aid worker. But make no mistake—he was there because of his love for Jesus and his desire to serve the Afghan people in Christ's name. His work was an expression of his faith, even if it had to be quiet.

Werner lived in Kabul with his wife, Dr. Hannelie Groenewald, who worked at a hospital, and their children. For over a decade, they sacrificed the comforts and safety of South Africa to serve some of the world's most vulnerable people.

[The attack - November 29, 2014]

On November 29, 2014, everything changed. Gunmen attacked the compound in Kabul belonging to Partnership in Academics and Development. The attackers claimed it was a "secret Christian missionary center." One of the gunmen had a suicide vest. In the attack, Werner Groenewald and his two teenage children were killed.

Their two sons were Jean-Pierre, age 17. Rode, age 15. Teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them. Children who had grown up in Afghanistan, who had learned to love the Afghan people, who were serving alongside their parents.

They were murdered because the Taliban viewed their father's educational work as Christian mission. And they were right—it was. Not in a covert way, but in the sense that Werner's love for Afghans flowed from his love for Christ.

Dr. Hannelie Groenewald was away at the hospital when the attack happened. She survived, but lost her husband and two children in one horrific day.

[The fruit that remains - a personal testimony]

Now let me tell you why I'm sharing this story. I know a family—an Afghan family—who came to Christ through Werner Groenewald's ministry. I have seen their baptism certificate, signed by Werner himself. When I learned about Werner's death, I reached out to his wife, Hannelie, and I let her know: The family Werner led to Christ is still following Jesus in Afghanistan almost ten years later. Despite the danger. Despite the persecution. Despite everything. They are faithfully following Jesus.

Werner's death was not in vain. His children's deaths were not in vain. The seeds they planted are still bearing fruit. Jesus said in John 12:24, "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

Werner and Jean-Pierre and Rode were grains of wheat that fell to the ground and died. And they're producing fruit—fruit that remains.

[Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer - imprisoned for the Gospel]

Let me tell you about two other women whose story with Afghanistan is different but equally powerful: Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer. These two American women were aid workers with Shelter Now International in Kabul in 2001.

On August 3, 2001, they were arrested by the Taliban on charges of proselytizing—sharing the Gospel with Afghans. This was during the height of Taliban rule, before the U.S. invasion following 9/11. Being accused of proselytizing in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan was essentially a death sentence.

Dayna and Heather were imprisoned for 105 days. Think about that—three and a half months in a Taliban prison as accused Christian missionaries. Can you imagine the fear? The uncertainty? The very real possibility of execution?

But God had other plans. On November 15, 2001, just weeks after the U.S. invasion began in response to 9/11, they were rescued. The Taliban fled Kabul, and Dayna and Heather were freed.

[Prisoners of Hope - their testimony]

After their release, Dayna and Heather co-authored a memoir titled "Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan." That title is so powerful—"Prisoners of Hope." Even in a Taliban prison, facing possible execution, they had hope. Hope in Christ. Hope that God was sovereign. Hope that their suffering had purpose.

Their story brought international attention to the plight of Afghan Christians and the brutality of Taliban rule. It also demonstrated the courage of young Christian women willing to serve in one of the world's most dangerous places for the sake of the Gospel.

What strikes me about Dayna and Heather is this: They knew the risks. They knew Afghanistan was dangerous for Christians. They went anyway. And when they were arrested, they didn't renounce their faith to save themselves. They held onto Christ and trusted Him through the terror.

[The state of Afghan Christianity today]

So what's the state of Christianity in Afghanistan today? It's worse than ever in some ways. When the U.S. and coalition forces withdrew in August 2021 and the Taliban retook control, Afghan Christians faced renewed persecution. Many fled the country. Some who couldn't escape went even deeper underground.

According to Open Doors, Afghanistan has been the #1 most dangerous country for Christians every year since 2022. If a convert to Christianity is discovered, they face honor killing by their own family, execution by the Taliban, or both. There are no church buildings. All worship must be completely secret. Possessing a Bible or Christian materials can lead to death.

Yet there are believers! Estimates range from 10,000 to 30,000 secret Afghan Christians. They meet in tiny house churches of two or three people. They can't tell their own families. They risk everything just to pray in Jesus's name. And many of them came to faith through the witness of people like Werner Groenewald, Dayna Curry, Heather Mercer, and countless other faithful workers who served in Afghanistan over the years.

[Why they go - love compels them]

So why do Christians go to Afghanistan? Why risk everything for a nation so hostile to the Gospel? Why would Werner Groenewald raise his children there? Why would Dayna and Heather serve there knowing they could be arrested or killed?

Because they love Jesus. And because Jesus loves Afghans. Second Corinthians 5:14 says, "For Christ's love compels us." They couldn't stay comfortable in South Africa or America when Afghans were perishing without the Gospel. They had to go.

And because they believed Romans 10:14-15: "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

Afghans deserve to hear about Jesus. God loves them just as much as He loves Americans or South Africans or anyone else. And if no one goes and tells them, how will they hear?

[The cost and the fruit - was it worth it?]

Was it worth it? Did Werner's death and his children's deaths accomplish anything? Did Dayna and Heather's imprisonment matter?

Here's how I know it was worth it: That Afghan family with the baptism certificate signed by Werner Groenewald. They're still following Jesus almost ten years later. They're risking their lives every day to worship the King. They're raising their children to know Christ in a nation where that could get them all killed.

That's fruit that remains. That's eternal impact. That's what Jesus meant when He said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last" (John 15:16).

And there are others—we don't know how many because they must stay hidden. But secret believers scattered across Afghanistan, meeting in twos and threes, reading their hidden Bibles, praying in whispers, and trusting that one day Jesus will return and make all things right.

[Our response - what should we do?]

So what should be our response to these stories? Let me give you four things.

First, pray for Afghan Christians. Pray every day for those 10,000 to 30,000 secret believers. Pray for their protection. Pray for their courage. Pray that they won't deny Christ under pressure. Pray for their families who don't know they're Christians. Pray that more Afghans would come to faith.

Second, support ministries reaching Afghans. There are radio broadcasts in Dari and Pashto. There are online resources. There are ministries working with Afghan refugees who have fled to other countries. Support these efforts financially and with prayer.

Third, reach Afghan refugees in your own community. Many Afghans who fled when the Taliban returned are now living in Western countries as refugees. They're more open to the Gospel outside Afghanistan. Befriend them. Serve them. Share Christ with them. They need to know that Jesus loves them.

Fourth, be willing to go if God calls you. I'm not saying everyone should move to Afghanistan—that's impossible for most people and currently extremely dangerous. But some of you listening might be called to work with Afghan refugees, or to serve in nearby countries where Afghans can be reached, or to join ministries focused on the Muslim world. If God calls, will you go?

[The promise - persecution doesn't stop the Gospel]

Here's what we need to understand: Persecution doesn't stop the Gospel. In fact, it often spreads it! Tertullian was right: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." Werner Groenewald's blood, along with his children's, was seed that produced fruit in Afghan soil. Dayna and Heather's imprisonment became a testimony that reached millions.

Jesus promised in Matthew 16:18: "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Not even Taliban gates. Not even in Afghanistan—the hardest place on earth for Christians. Jesus is building His church there, one secret believer at a time.

[Closing prayer]

Let me pray:

Thank you for joining me today. The story of Afghan Christians challenges us all. Will we pray for them? Will we support efforts to reach them? Will we go if God calls us?

Until next time, remember—keep your eyes on the nations, and never forget that even in the darkest places, Jesus is building His church!

Dreams and Visions: Jesus Awakening Afghan Hearts (Part 3)

 Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus.

This is Part 3 of our Afghanistan series, and today I'm going to share stories with you that still bring tears to my eyes every time I think about them. Stories that prove beyond any doubt that Jesus is moving powerfully in the Muslim world.

Before I dive in, let me read you a verse that has become so real to me. It's from Joel 2:28:

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions."

Friends, we are living in the days when this prophecy is being fulfilled before our very eyes. God is pouring out His Spirit on all flesh—including Muslims in Afghanistan and across the Islamic world. And He's doing it through dreams and visions.

I had been praying for the 10/40 Window for years. After September 11, 2001, God spoke strongly to my heart to pray specifically for Muslim people. As I prayed and learned, I began reading reports of Muslims having dreams of Jesus. It fascinated and encouraged me so much!

But before 2021, I never thought I would actually know Muslims who had dreams of Jesus. I thought these were amazing stories that happened to other people, through other missionaries. I had no idea that God was about to give me a front-row seat to see it happen myself.

When I started helping Afghans during the evacuation crisis, I told every person I spoke to that I was a follower of Jesus Christ. I explained that it was His love for them that caused me to want to help them, and I told them I would pray for them. And I did pray for them—by name, regularly, fervently.

Each person was kind and thanked me for praying. The praying hands emoji became a frequent part of our online conversations. I wasn't pushy. I simply told them the truth about why I was helping them, loved them with the love of Christ, and let God do the rest.

One of my contacts seemed interested in Jesus, so I began sharing more. But then this person became fearful and asked me to stop. Of course, I respected that and stopped immediately.

But friends, two days later—just two days—I received a message that this Afghan had a dream of Jesus Christ. Two days after asking me to stop talking about Jesus, Jesus Himself showed up in this person's dream.

Over the next couple of years, this Afghan had two more dreams of Jesus. We had conversations, I prayed and shared Biblical truth. And then—praise God—this Afghan became a Christian under Taliban rule, where conversion is punishable by death. But the story gets even better: This Afghan went on to share their new faith with a friend, and soon that friend trusted Jesus as well! One dream led to one salvation, which led to another salvation.

The next year, I had another Afghan contact so desperate for food that he was planning to sell his kidney. But Jesus showed up in his dream. This man had an encounter with Jesus while sleeping, and soon after, he put his faith in Christ. A friend in Pakistan helped disciple him in his new faith. Jesus didn't just save this man's soul—He met him in his moment of greatest desperation.

I've also become friends with a Muslim from the West Bank who had a dream of Jesus at age 10. Years later, after much study of both Sunni and Shia Islam, he encountered the Holy Spirit supernaturally, and put his faith in Jesus Christ. The next day, he heard singing and found a church in Jordan—and they were singing the exact same song he'd heard in his dream as a 10-year-old! That's divine orchestration. That's the fingerprints of God all over a salvation story.

Yet another brother came to Christ through dreams and now helps many Afghan pastors online through the underground church network. Do you see the pattern? Jesus appears in dreams. People come to faith. Then those new believers help others, disciple others, and strengthen the church. One dream at a time.

Why dreams? In many Muslim countries, it's illegal to own a Bible or evangelize. But God can still reach people through dreams—the Taliban can control borders, but not what happens when people sleep. Dreams carry significant weight in Muslim culture. And dreams show God's initiative—He pursues Muslims who've been taught Christianity is false. It demonstrates that salvation is God's work, not ours.

What I've witnessed is part of something much larger across the entire Muslim world. There's a book, one of many on this subject, called "Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?" by Tom Doyle. From Iran to Afghanistan, from North Africa to Indonesia—Muslims are encountering Jesus in supernatural ways at unprecedented rates.

Despite the Taliban, despite persecution, despite the fact that conversion can mean death—the Afghan church is growing. Ministry leaders estimate it's growing as fast as Iran's explosive underground church movement. It's miraculous. Jesus loves all people, and Muslims are not forgotten by Him.

So what do we do? First, pray for more dreams. Pray for Muslims to encounter Jesus across the Islamic world. Second, be ready. If God is giving Muslims dreams of Jesus, some will seek out Christians to ask questions. Are you ready to share the Gospel clearly? Third, support the underground church risking their lives to disciple new converts. Fourth, tell these stories. Share what God is doing. And fifth, increase your faith. If God can reach Muslims in Afghanistan through dreams, He can work in your life too.

When I started helping Afghans in 2021, I thought I was just doing humanitarian work. But God had so much more in mind. He was connecting me with people who would have dreams of Jesus. I'm just one person who said yes to God. You don't have to be a trained missionary. You just have to be willing to be used.

I want to close with this: Don't lose hope for the Muslim world. Jesus is moving powerfully. The church is growing. Lives are being transformed. The Taliban can't stop it. Persecution can't stop it. Because when Jesus decides to reveal Himself to someone, nothing can stand in His way.

Dearest Lord Jesus, we love You! You move in ways we can't even imagine. Please use each of us to reach others. Whatever You're calling us to do, may we say yes. In Your name, amen.

Friend, your yes might be part of someone else's salvation story. Your prayers might lead to someone's dream. Your obedience might open the door for Jesus to reveal Himself to someone who desperately needs to know Him.

Thank you for joining me for this three-part series on Afghanistan. If these episodes have stirred your heart, don't let that stirring fade away. Do something. Pray. Give. Go. Get involved. Until next time, keep your eyes on the nations, keep praying for the Muslim world, and keep believing that Jesus is building His church in the darkest places.

You can listen to this as a podcast at Spotify podcast

Afghanistan - How God Called Me to Help (Part 2)

Hello, friends, and welcome back to Nations 4 Jesus.

This is the second podcast in our Afghanistan series, and today's episode is different. Today, I'm not going to talk about statistics or global persecution trends. Today, I'm going to share my personal story—how God called an ordinary mom from South Carolina into the chaos of the Afghanistan evacuation in August 2021, and how that experience changed my life forever.

Before I dive into my story, I need to give you some context about what happened in Afghanistan in August 2021. Because if you don't understand the crisis, you won't understand how God showed up in the midst of it.

On August 15, 2021—just two weeks before US troops were set to officially withdraw from Afghanistan—Taliban fighters entered the capital city of Kabul and the Afghan government collapsed almost immediately. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, and the speed of the Taliban's takeover surprised US officials, allies, and reportedly even the Taliban themselves.

What followed was absolute chaos. Videos circulated showing desperate Afghans chasing and clinging to departing American military planes at the Kabul airport. Tens of thousands of Afghans and foreign nationals rushed to the international airport in Kabul. Many had fought the Taliban or had supported Afghan or NATO forces and feared retaliation, but many more just feared the Taliban and wanted to get out of the country.

On August 26, 2021, an ISIS-K suicide bomber attacked the airport, killing 13 US service members and at least 169 Afghans. It was the deadliest day for the US military in Afghanistan since 2012. By August 31, more than 120,000 people had been evacuated in just a few weeks—but countless others, American citizens and Afghan allies, were left behind.

Friends, this was one of the most chaotic evacuations in modern history. And right in the middle of it, God called Jeff and me to help.

Our journey into Afghanistan began on August 8, 2021, with a video message shown at our church. An Afghan missionary our church supported was housing members of the underground church in his home. They were coming from all over Afghanistan, fleeing as the Taliban advanced across the country. He was asking for help.

Just one week later, on August 15, Kabul fell to the Taliban. Shortly after that, a team from our church began working frantically to get this missionary and his family out of Afghanistan.

Then, on August 24, a former military friend of ours asked if either my husband or I might have some time to help input names of Afghans, who had helped the US military over the past 20 years, into the US State Department website to help with evacuation efforts. I volunteered. I thought maybe I'd help for a few days, maybe a couple of weeks.

Friends, I had no idea what I was signing up for.

I began working with a group called Digital Dunkirk. The name came from the famous World War II evacuation at Dunkirk, where civilian boats helped rescue Allied soldiers from the beaches of France. This modern Digital Dunkirk started when a few veterans were on vacation and suddenly their phones began blowing up with desperate pleas from Afghan friends for help.

They started an ad hoc group and I joined up. We got names and documents of people who needed to get out and started trying to help them get permission to go to the airport, then get through the gates, and finally onto flights out of the country. There are so many harrowing stories from those first few weeks.

Those first few days were absolute chaos. My husband was working with a group at our church to get the missionary family out, and I had been assigned to help a couple of families. But it quickly grew beyond anything I could have imagined.

I was initially assigned to help a former interpreter for USAF Office of Special Investigations who had just gotten married in August. He was an American citizen and had just flown back to the US. His new wife was supposed to follow in a few days—and then her flight was canceled. She was trapped.

My husband and I were on our phones or computers almost 24/7 for those first few weeks. A dear friend even watched our son for a few days. We were passing on information, telling people to go to this airport entrance or that one, telling Afghans which areas of the city were safe, talking to the US government about passports and visas and paperwork.

And then the word spread. Afghans told their friends. Suddenly I went from trying to help two people to trying to help close to 55 Afghans by the end of August. These included American citizens, Legal Permanent Residents with green cards, and people who had worked for the US government and had begun US immigration paperwork. The US government had made promises to these people if they would help us the past 20 years. Now they were desperate because their help made them a huge target for the Taliban. 

Some of them came to me through Digital Dunkirk. Others came from friends in the US military who saw my Facebook posts about helping. Congressman Bacon's office sent people to me. Senator Tim Scott's office sent people to me. Our Afghan missionary gave us lists of Christian families who needed help.

And it wasn't just military interpreters. I tried to help a female Supreme Court judge. A Brigadier General in the Afghan military. A man who worked for Google. A female journalist.

In just a few days, huge networks began to form over an app called Signal. These networks were made up of hundreds of veterans, current US military personnel, civilians, people in other US agencies, Christians, and others all trying to help.

Digital Dunkirk changed its name to Task Force Argo and got the backing of a Congressional candidate named Jesse Jensen from Washington state. I also got involved with AFGFree, another ad hoc group started by Perry Blackburn, a retired Lieutenant Colonel and member of the "Horse Soldiers"—the first US boots on the ground in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001.

Another group I worked with was Heart of an Ace. All these organizations were doing the same thing: trying to save lives. They helped with food drops for the people I was trying to help. I was on Signal chats with all these groups, coordinating, sharing information, praying together.

Friends, what happened in those weeks was nothing short of miraculous. Complete strangers—veterans, civilians, Christians, people from all walks of life—came together with one mission: to save as many people as we could.

So much of what I did every day for that first year—and honestly, what I'm still doing now in 2025—was to talk to my Afghan families. I encouraged them. I prayed for them. I shared information with them. I made sure all their data was updated in the US State Department system. And when they were running out of food, we coordinated food deliveries. My husband, family and church family were a huge support! 

I set up a GiveSendGo page and by the end of 2021, I had raised over $2,400. Since that time, I honestly have no idea how many thousands of dollars have been donated. Our amount is a drop in the bucket compared to the money that US veterans, and others, have taken out of their own pockets to support these families.

Really, I have no idea how to get a good picture of how much private funds have gone into saving Afghan lives over the past few years. But I can tell you this: it's been a lot. And it's been given willingly, sacrificially, by people who saw a need and responded.

The first person I helped, the interpreter’s wife, finally made it out of Afghanistan in late December 2021—via Doha, Qatar—and joined her husband in the United States. His mom made it out later. I can't tell you the joy of that moment. After months of stress and prayer and work, she was safe.

I helped a family of eight from Virginia. The wife and four kids were on vacation in Afghanistan when Kabul fell. Like so many others, they tried over and over again to make it through the airport gates in late August, but were not successful. They went into hiding. Finally, on September 21, they were able to get out and made it home on October 16.

That whole family came to visit our family that Thanksgiving. They spent the night and brought amazing Afghan food with them. We had such a wonderful visit. I tutored the wife with her English every Tuesday evening for quite a while so that she could get her US citizenship and I still talk to them regularly,.

Friends, as of October 2025, I have seen 64 people that I helped make it safely out of Afghanistan to America or elsewhere. Sixty-four lives. Sixty-four stories. Sixty-four Afghans who are now safe and building new lives.

We still support a family in Afghanistan every month, along with a young lady in Pakistan, who has become like a daughter to me. They're not forgotten. They're still waiting. Still hoping. Still trusting that somehow, someday, they'll make it out.

I know there's so much more to this story than I can share in one podcast. There are individual stories that would make you weep. There are moments of God's provision that still give me chills. There are answered prayers that have no explanation except divine intervention.

One of my new friends, who runs a lot of the food distributions, summed up the past few years this way: "It definitely seems like a bad dream some days, but with some of the most rewarding consequences when we get victories. Each and every person here has helped prevent what could've been a genocide by helping with evacuation, processing, sustainment, holding the Taliban and other government accountable, and keeping the story in the public eye. It is truly amazing what this team and all the other people in the evacuation community have accomplished."

Friends, I never thought God would call me to this. I'm just a mom. I'm just a wife. I'm just an ordinary person who loves Jesus and tries to follow where He leads.

But when God opens a door, when He puts people in your path who desperately need help, when He gives you an opportunity to be His hands and feet in a crisis—you say yes. You just say yes.

Here's what I've learned through this journey:

First, God can use anyone. You don't have to be specially trained or uniquely qualified. You just have to be willing.

Second, when you step out in faith, God connects you with the people and resources you need. Those networks I told you about? That wasn't coincidence. That was God orchestrating connections.

Third, the most important thing you can do is be present. My Afghan families don't just need money or logistics help—though they need that too. They need someone who cares. Someone who remembers their names. Someone who asks about their kids. Someone who prays with them.

Fourth, this work is long-term. The crisis didn't end when the evacuation ended. These families still need support. They're still traumatized. They're still adjusting. They're still fighting to bring family members out. This isn't a sprint—it's a marathon.

And fifth—and this is the most important one—God is faithful. When I look back at the past four years, I see His fingerprints everywhere. I see miracles. I see provision. I see protection. I see answered prayers. I see God showing up again and again and again.

So here's my question for you: What is God calling you to do?

Maybe it's not Afghanistan. Maybe it's refugees in your own community. Maybe it's immigrants in your church. Maybe it's supporting missionaries. Maybe it's something completely different.

But I guarantee you this: God has a role for you to play in reaching the nations. The question is, will you say yes?

When I answered the call on August 24, 2021, I thought I was just going to input some names into a website for a few hours. I had no idea it would become a more than four-year commitment. I had no idea I would gain dozens of Afghan friends. I had no idea how much it would change me.

But I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Yes, it's been hard. Yes, there have been sleepless nights. Yes, there have been tears. Yes, there have been times when I felt overwhelmed and inadequate.

But I've also seen God work in ways I never imagined. I've been part of saving lives. I've had a front-row seat to miracles. I've built relationships that will last a lifetime. And I've learned what it really means to love my neighbor as myself.

In our next podcast, I'm going to share some specific stories of God's faithfulness with Afghan believers—stories that will encourage your faith and remind you that God is still moving powerfully in Afghanistan.

But for now, I want to leave you with this: Don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Don't wait until you feel qualified. Don't wait until it's convenient.

When God opens a door, walk through it. When He puts someone in your path, help them. When He stirs your heart, respond.

Because you never know—that one yes might change everything. Not just for the people you help, but for you too.

Thank you for letting me share my story with you today. I know it's different from my usual podcasts, but this journey has been such a huge part of my life for the past four years, and I wanted you to know about it.

If you want to help or learn more about the organizations I mentioned, check out the links in the episode description. 

Heavenly Father, we lift up Afghanistan to You. You know each person, each story, each heart that needs You. Be with the families still waiting to get out. Bless, protect and grow Your underground church. Please Lord, continue moving in this dark place with the bright light of Jesus Christ! We ask this in His name, amen.

Until next time, keep your eyes on the nations, be ready to say yes when God calls, and remember—He can use anyone who's willing.

You can listen to this in podcast form at spotify.com

NEXT EPISODE: Afghanistan Part 3 - Miraculous Stories of God's Faithfulness with Afghan Believers

Read more on my blog: nations4jesus.blogspot.com