Ameen’s* ministry was heavy-laden with risk and danger from the start, but he never could have predicted what was coming. A courageous Sudanese pastor trained by MENA Trauma and Healing Resource Centre (THRC), Ameen began journeying with Nader*, a young man from a Muslim background who had quietly come to faith in Jesus.
In Sudan, Muslim-Background Believers (MBBs) face rejection, isolation, and physical and verbal abuse. So, when Nader’s family rejected his faith, fearing the shame it could bring from their relatives and neighbours, it was no great surprise.
But what happened next came as a devastating shock.
An impossibly difficult decision
Nader died unexpectedly. His family, crushed by grief and shame, accused the Christians of “stealing their son.” The church in the area, already under pressure, withdrew in fear. Even local pastors avoided getting involved, afraid they would be blamed or attacked.
Nader’s parents did not want to bury their son, a Christian convert – and even if they had wanted to, Islamic rituals did not permit them. The young man’s body lay unclaimed.
Ameen, who had walked so closely with this young believer, knew he had an impossibly difficult decision to make: seek safety like so many others around him had done, or face up to the danger and show Christ’s mercy to an angry and hurting family.
“Just as Jesus did”
Ameen’s experience in trauma healing and lay counselling helped him to see how the excruciating pain felt by Nader’s family was impacting their actions. “The training helped me understand that they were reacting out of grief,” he explained.
Ameen knew what he had to do.
“I [realised I] must show kindness toward the family instead of returning their anger, just as Jesus did with those who abused Him. When no one else would stand beside them, I knew Christ was asking me to.”
Risking his safety, Ameen decided to speak with the family about what happened to Nader and a potential burial. He sat quietly with the family, listening to their sorrow and confusion. Slowly, their hostility shifted to curiosity.
Using the counselling skills he had received through training, Ameen demonstrated Jesus’ compassion in practical ways. The family became convinced that they should honour their child through a proper burial, and even more astonishingly, they gave their lives to Christ.
Ameen’s story reveals the deep cost of discipleship among MBBs in Sudan, where following Jesus can mean exile, danger, or even death. Yet it also testifies to the power of Christ’s mercy, channelled through obedient and courageous believers like Ameen.
12 million hearts and counting
Thanks to your support, Biblica has worked in partnership with MENA Trauma Healing and Resource Centre (MENA THRC) since 2021 to provide life-changing counselling throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Millions of people in these areas have experienced war, displacement or violence, but psychological help is in short supply.
Together, we have reached over 12 million hearts with the love of Jesus expressed through trauma healing. Thank you for helping more people access hope, wholeness and restoration.
*Ameen and Nader’s names have been changed to protect their identity
