East-West Blog

A New Purpose

Written by East-West Staff | Jun 16, 2016 1:00:12 PM

In Africa, Mahdi*—a local singer—turned to alcohol and cigarettes to suppress his feelings of failure and defeat. The release of his second album had been a disaster, and his family chided him for wasting their money on producing music.

He felt alone, especially since he no longer had the support of his family or other community members.

Then one day an East-West national partner came to his home and shared the gospel with Mahdi … explaining that Jesus Christ came to set him free from sin. He shared that even when the people around Mahdi deserted him, God’s love for him would never change.

Mahdi had heard about the gospel before but had not chosen to believe. The Holy Spirit had been working in his heart since then, and this time he was ready to follow Jesus.

Unfortunately, his family members and community rejected him, so Mahdi and his wife were forced to move to a new village. Despite breaking ties with those he loves most, Mahdi is now filled with the hope and peace of Christ. He will be baptized soon and is praying that the Holy Spirit would convict his wife to follow Christ too.

God has completely transformed Mahdi’s life and given him a purpose—to make disciples everywhere he goes.

*Names changed for security reasons.