Jacob

When Justin arrived at Tesi's house for their weekly drive to church, he didn't expect to be shouted out of the doorway by her grown son.

Tesi is nearly 80, and she has walked with the Lord for almost 40 years. It is a remarkable testimony in a context where her faith has cost her relationships, money, and standing. As Jacob writes, "Many have tried to persuade her to return to her former religion, going so far as trying to pay her off and even dragging her before the highest local authorities, but in the end, she has remained firm in her faith." On this particular Sunday morning, though, her son Mohammad stood in the doorway and refused to let Justin take her to church.

"Justin tried to explain to Mohammad that Tesi's choice about how she worshiped God was ultimately between her and God," Jacob recounts, "however, Mohammad remained firm in his refusal." The longer Justin attempted to persuade him, the more threatening Mohammad became. After consulting with leaders from the local Arabic-speaking fellowship, Justin left without Tesi and continued on to the church service. The encounter, Jacob reflects, was "a sobering reminder of the spiritual darkness that surrounds us."

Radius prepares its students for these kinds of moments. We take spiritual warfare seriously and soberly, as we are well aware that this is the norm in the lives of believers, especially those actively working in cross-cultural church planting among unreached language groups where the gospel is unwelcome, often openly opposed.

What happened next though was unexpected.

"Slightly dejected, we continued on with our Sunday worship service, planning to go see her afterwards," Jacob writes. "About an hour into the service, Tesi walked in the door! All of us were in disbelief at what we were seeing." Tesi is nearly blind and on a normal Sunday can barely walk the short distance from the car to the church. Yet she had somehow made her way across the thick sand and uneven roads of the town. "There she stood," Jacob writes, "guided by two young girls who found her walking on the street."

For Jacob and the church, this event was a real encouragement. "This felt on some level miraculous," he writes. "She shared about her experience and the whole gathering praised God for bringing her safely to us."

Later that week, the leaders of the fellowship sat down with Mohammad and gently reminded him that Tesi is part of a spiritual family that will stand with her. "Praise the Lord," Jacob writes, "he has not caused any more problems for Tesi since then."

While this may have been a victory, the war continues to be waged. Tesi still lives in her son's household. Justin, Jacob, and their team still work in a place where opposition can flare up without warning. But these events reveal what long-term missionaries come to know: perseverance amongst opposition and spiritual enemies, both Tesi's and her missionary friends', is the shape faithfulness takes on the field.

Pray for Tesi's continued endurance, for Mohammad's heart, and for Jacob, Justin, and their team as they keep showing up week after week in a place where simply walking into a neighbor's house can be a confrontation with the powers of darkness.