Abdirahman’s Testimony
Abdirahman (name changed for security) was born to Somali parents in the Horn of Africa. Growing up in a Muslim community, he had little interaction with Christians and few opportunities to hear the gospel.
That changed as a young adult when Abdirahman met a missionary who gave him a Treasure audio Bible in Somali.
One night, he was listening to the Gospel of John when the words of John 14:6 caught his attention: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Abdirahman had questions. The missionary took time to explain the passage and what Jesus meant. That night, Abdirahman gave his life to Christ.
His decision to follow Jesus was only the beginning. A Somali ministry team welcomed him and began walking alongside him. They prayed together and helped him work through difficult questions. Over time, his faith deepened and became his own, even as following Jesus grew more costly.
Today, Abdirahman is serving his own people as a volunteer teacher in a Somali mission field.
He helps children learn to read and build practical skills they can carry into everyday life. But the classroom is more than a place for education. It has become a doorway into relationships with entire families. And because Abdirahman is Somali and speaks the language fluently, he is able to enter spaces that may remain closed to outsiders.
He is not seen simply as someone coming in to minister. He is part of the community. He is known and trusted as a teacher and as one of their own.
Following Jesus and serving his people has come at a cost. Abdirahman has faced suspicion from neighbors and rejection from family members. He has even received direct threats. There have been seasons marked by isolation and fear.
Through those seasons, the believers around him have continued to walk with him. They have prayed with him, strengthened him in his faith and reminded him that he belongs to the family of Christ.
And Abdirahman has continued to persevere.
“The Lord is with me,” he says. “If I deny Him, who will tell my people about Jesus? My people need to know that Jesus loves them.”
We are already seeing fruit from his faithfulness, and it is growing.
A student who was once shy now asks to pray before class. A mother who was hesitant to engage now invites the team to share Bible stories. And a new believer is learning to follow Christ and share what he has learned with his cousins.
Abdirahman is one of the first in his family to follow Jesus openly. Now, he is returning to serve among his own people.
“God is doing something among us,” he says. “It is slow. It is quiet. But it is real. I just want to be faithful with the small part He’s given me.”
The harvest is ripe. God is raising Somali men and women to reach their own people. As new believers are discipled and equipped to serve, the Church is being built and strengthened from within.