I have already finished my meal, but Laura still did not have a moment to sit down and chat. As she rushed back and forth by me, she gave me dozens of apologetic look and said, "Phiona, I am very sorry. I have to rush in and out and haven’t had a chance to take a break."

Laura* was super busy. Even though she hired two waitresses to help her out, she still had to help serve the dishes, take orders, give checks, and tend to the throng of customers at her restaurant.

*Name changed for privacy.

I was happy to see her restaurant doing so well, but it was already 7:25 pm, and I worried that we wouldn't be able to make it to Bible Study as more customers came in.  Ten minutes later, she grabbed her purse and I asked, "Time to go?"  She nodded to me and we rushed out of the restaurant.

In the car, I told Laura, “Thank God! Your restaurant is doing very well. But I’d bet you must be very tired?”

"Yes, I am so busy and so tired," she replied as she wiped off her sweat.  I jokingly told her, "You looked like you just escaped."

Then she broke out in a smile and said, "Indeed, I did. I feel as if I stepped into a muddy swamp and got myself all dirty and stinky. Yet, I still want to go to church."

I replied, "Okay, now it's your time to put on make up while I focus on driving."

After a while, I glanced at her and was taken back by her beauty.

"Laura, you are so beautiful. Your eyes can talk."

She gave me a mesmerizing smile.

The Only Afghan Sister

Sis. Laura speaks Farsi and is of Persian descent. She is also the first Muslim to come to Canada's True Jesus Church to believe in the Lord.

I saw pictures of her mother when she was young. Her mother looked very much like the Italian movie star, Sophia Loren. Laura has her mother’s eyes. Her lashes curl naturally. I wish I have her curly lashes.

I remember last October when I first visited her restaurant, the weather was so cold and I felt like some hot soup. The business had just started and they were still working on their menu. They didn't have Afghan soup at that time, so I opted for her homemade ginger tea. It was quite delicious. On each subsequent visit, her restaurant grew and got better as days go by.

Since I have come to know Laura, I could see the grace of God upon her. Even though she was barely 30, she had experienced so much. After 911, the whole world turned its focus on Afghanistan. Laura is the only Afghan believer in True Jesus Church. I was especially curious about her since she was a Muslim previously. I asked her how she came to believe in Christ, and she traced her story back to the exile and her later rebellious life.

Seeking Peace in Exile

I grew up in the capital of Kabul at Afghanistan. I came from an affluent family. My father was a businessman. He traveled to many places to conduct his import and export business. My mother was from the Afghan royal family and my grandpa was a mayor.

However, one morning when we woke up, we saw streets filled with tanks and the Russian military in their red uniforms. From that day onward, our life completely changed.

My parents were worried and moved us from Kabul to India. In doing so, they gave up their wealth in our homeland. I was around 7 or 8 at that time. My mother placed great importance in our education. So she pawned the jewelry she brought with her to get us into the local English school in India. As my parents gradually used up the money they brought, my father decided to return to Afghanistan to see if he can sell some property.  Unfortunately, he did not return since. Years later, he escaped to Iran.

We became very poor afterward. Even though we applied to the United Nations for some relief fund, the money was merely enough for rent. So we decided to apply for immigration to various countries. Yet, only the Canadian government was willing to take us in. After a decade of living in India, we were finally able to immigrate to Canada with refugee status.

A Young Woman Trapped in Sin

Muslims believe in the Old Testaments. They keep the Ten Commandments. They also believe that God is a spirit, rather than a physical form or an idol. Although they also believe in Lord Jesus, their belief is that He is only one of the prophets, whom like Elijah did not experience death before being lifted to Heaven and will return again.

When I was little, my mother often read the Koran to us. The stories depict many prophets. My impression of Lord Jesus was that He did not die like the rest of the prophets. Even though I did pray to Allah when I was in Canada, I always felt as though there was a wall between us.

According to the laws of Muslim, a woman must stay at home and have her parents arrange her marriage. This clashed with my environment, where the Canadian culture emphasizes on personal freedom. Thus, I began to rebel against my mother’s teachings. I befriended people who did bad things. I left home and lived with my boyfriend, got into drugs, and went clubbing. Consequently, I could not continue studying and dropped out of college in my second year.

The irony about Satan's tricks is that at first it seems very appealing. However, after I fell into that trap, I was in complete darkness. The drugs could not satisfy me. My boyfriend could not make me happy. I often felt empty, sorrowful.  It was as though my body was mired in a black pit. Trapped, my heart locked in hell. My soul cried out. I lived but felt like a walking dead.  It was as if I was walking on the streets and all of suddenly I realized that I was naked and all the people stared at me, covered in shame. I felt like this because my conscience kept admonishing me for rebelling against my family and God.

During that time, I had a taste of what it felt like living in hell while on earth. I told myself I might as well die to end such life of misery. Yet, another part of myself wanted to stay alive. Therefore, I made a call for help. But instead I was sent to the mental hospital.

Over there, I saw many deranged people. I thought that was the end of my life. At those last moments of hopelessness, I met Sister Chiou from True Jesus Church. She was not baptized at that time, but she did receive the Holy Spirit. I told her I did not know what to do. According to the laws of the Old Testament, if a woman committed sins, she will be severely punished.

Because of my guilt-stricken conscience, I did not want to go back to my boyfriend. Sis. Chiou told me that Lord Jesus will forgive me and will grant me the Holy Spirit. As I read about the woman who was caught in adultery in John 8:1-11, I felt that there was still hope for me yet. Later on, Sis. Chiou asked me to help out at her house, and I moved in with her.

A Sorrowful Repentant Heart

One day, Sis. Chiou invited me to attend True Jesus Church Evangelical Service.  It was August 12, 1999, my first time attending this church.  I had a special feeling when I stepped into this church, as if I came home. I felt at ease, peaceful, and joyful.  I enjoyed every word the Pastor said and when it was prayer time, I followed the others to the front to pray for spiritual grace.

When I knelt down, the first thing I said was, "Lord Jesus, please forgive me."  Afterward, I said, "Hallelujah!"  All of sudden, a power from above rushed down on me. It was so warm. Even though my eyes were close, I could see all the sins I commit in the past— they were played back like a film before me. I felt so ashamed and asked the Lord, "Lord! Please forgive me. I am truly sorry!"

Then, Lord Jesus opened my heart, and removed all the sins from my heart.  I felt that Lord Jesus had given me a new heart. I felt very content and no longer empty.  I also couldn't stop crying. Lord Jesus held me and told me, "I forgive you, but you have to stop sinning."

Then, I started to thank the Lord and was speaking in tongue.

At that moment, the tears I shed were tears of joy.

Completely Washed and Became a New Person

After the prayer, the minister told me I had received the Holy Spirit. Actually, I did not know anything about the Holy Spirit. Yet, I felt so free, no longer trapped. My whole being felt so light, as though I could fly. At that moment, I quickly expressed to Elder Ho that I wanted to receive the water baptism because I wanted to belong to Lord Jesus completely and not be a part of the world any longer. Elder Ho told me that I had just come to the church and not yet familiar with the teachings of the Holy Bible. And on top of this, I was a Muslim previously. He was concerned about rushing to baptize me so quickly. But I was resolute in my will. I didn't want to remain an outsider; I was willing to learn the teachings and asked the Elder to teach me.

Subsequently, Elder Ho said that he will have to pray and get back with me later because he needed to find out whether or not it's God's will. While returning home, I continued to pray with tears since I had walked too long on a dark road and finally found the destination.

The next day, Elder Ho called and agreed to baptize me. Within 3 days of my visit to True Jesus Church, I became a child of God (August 15, 1999). Sis. Chiou also baptized along with me.

The moment I came out of the water, I felt that my body was completely clean. One day, as I was praying in my room, I saw a glorious being appearing in front of me.  I knew in my heart that it was Lord Jesus Himself and felt as if He was my groom and I his bride.
The whole experience was filled sweetness, holiness, and purity.
I asked, "Lord Jesus, is that you?" and He smiled back.

My Mother's Dying Will

Lord Jesus has since changed my heart. I have cast away darkness and come to live in the light.  I now taste the sweetness of heaven while living on earth. I have also quit many bad behaviors and loathe living a sinful life. Even my family who had given up on me previously was amazed at my transformation. In addition, I attended NYTS. I gained many spiritual knowledge there and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Upon my return, I found my mother ill. She was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. In the beginning, I tried to testify to her, but she was quite disappointed that I had converted. However, when she saw that I had truly become good, she was thankful to Lord Jesus for saving me. During the year while she was ill, many brothers and sisters from church would often visit her. I was very sad during those days. Whenever I felt weak, I would recall the vision I saw and realize that my faith was indeed small.

Last year, July of 2001, my mother passed away. She left a sum of money for us and told me to take care of my brothers and sisters. In my name, she wanted me to start a restaurant. Thank God for this restaurant!

It enabled my brothers and sisters to live together again. We busied ourselves after the restaurant to ease the pain of losing my mother and the restaurant business gradually prospered.

Note:  Laura was from Afghanistan, baptized in August 1999.

Having believed in Christ, Laura seemed to have grown up overnight.  After her mother passed away, she took up her mother's responsibility. One of her sister was very close to her mother. When her mother passed away, her sister became mentally unstable. She attempted suicide, left home, and often grieved Laura. During that time, Laura started to have doubts about her own belief. She would ask me, "Why doesn't God save every one? Why couldn't my mother be saved? What is the relationship between Lord Jesus and God? Is it true that only True Jesus Church is the only church for Salvation? What about someone so good like Sister Theresa, couldn't she be saved?"  Because of work, she started to miss services.

After missing several Sabbaths, she dreamt of a voice one night. The voice spoke of three Bible verses: "Lord Jesus is God."  "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." (John 2:19)  "While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me." (John 17:12). After hearing this, Laura understood then that Lord Jesus is God himself. In the past, she always thought Lord Jesus was merely the Son of God.

Protective Shield

Not too long ago, something strange happened at Laura's restaurant. A middle-age Caucasian man came to dine. He was a Hindu believer and appeared very emotional. Usually, she was the one preparing the food in the kitchen, but on that day, she happened to switch with her sister to manage the store front.

The man came up to talk to her and praised the food as delicious. He was very touched after eating the food and asked if Laura said a prayer for the food. Laura asked why he was crying, and he replied he had just gotten a divorce with his wife of ten years. Then Laura told him, "I will pray to Lord Jesus for you." After she said that, the person became rather strange. His eyes were filled with hostility. His crossed his hands to block his chest and said, "Don't pray for me. You have a huge shield of protection around you. I can only keep my distance from you. I can't come close to you and don't come near me. I respect your privacy, but please don't pray for me. Your eyes have light and I couldn't look at you straight." Laura was confused by this and quickly said, "Ok, ok, I won't pray for you."

Afterwards, Laura found out from her employees that the man often dined at the restaurant. The next day, Laura was tending to the customers, and the man came again. He brought two bottles of old wine and appeared to be in a good mood. He wanted Laura to keep his wine bottles because he believed that there was hope to get back with his wife. He expressed that when they have a wedding again, they will hold the banquet at her restaurant. Laura was afraid he might cause a scene so she declined his request and asked that he come back with the wine later on when he gets married. Little did she know that the man would become aggressive.  His voice turned violent, and blew out all the candles in the restaurant. He said that it was too bright, and then started to kick and knock the tables and chairs over. No one was able to stop him. Laura was frightened, and had to call the police to take him away.

After the incident happened three or four days later, Laura returned to church to keep Sabbath on April 20^th.  That day, she ran into Eileen, who was previously possessed by devil. What Eileen encountered was similar to what happened at Laura's restaurant. After hearing Eileen's account, she understood fully that the name of Lord Jesus is filled with power and authority, and that satan is powerless against the Lord.

She also understood that True Jesus Church has the abidance of the Holy Spirit. The Church has the power to cast out satan, and we as the children of true God have a layer of protective shield around us. Devils can't come close to us. After learning this, she gave thanks to God with all her heart, and all her doubts were gone.

Removing Obstacles - Cultivate Spiritually

This year in July, NYTS (National Youth Theological Seminar) was held at San Jose Pacifica church. Last year, Laura was not able to attend due to her mother passing away. This year, she did not want to miss it. Even though there were many obstacles. First, her sister became ill and needed to be hospitalized. Then, the restaurant did not have enough people to help out. Her brother was very against her taking time off. So Laura continued to pray about attending NYTS. Miraculously, right before she departed for NYTS, her sister felt much better and was able to work. At the same time, a Chinese family who had lived in Afghanistan for several generations, came to talk to Laura for work. So then, now that there was someone to take care of kitchen work, Laura's wishes came true.

Upon her return from two weeks in San Francisco, Laura was in great spirit. Her words were filled with joy. I said to her, "Laura, you are like another person. I can feel that you are filled with the aroma of the Holy Spirit. Your have now filled up your gas tank and can go very far and fast. Am I right?"  She chuckled happily and nodded. Laura understood that following Christ also meant that we have to carry our own cross. After NYTS, her sister once more became ill and had to return to the hospital. Again Laura's life became very occupied. But this time around, she was not afraid, and she no longer felt weak. She deeply believed that Lord Jesus will help her sister. Laura admitted that she had never experienced so much faith in God.

Carrying her cross and Following the Lord

Although it had only been three years since Laura came to believe in the Lord, her faith often inspires me, a long time believer. Her story also touches me as a recent immigrant. One time, Laura told me, "Phiona, I feel so lonely. At home, I am the only Christian; and at church I am the only Afghan."  My heart ached when I heard this. I could only comfort her by saying, "You have many spiritual brothers and sisters. We are all your family." Putting myself in her shoes, I have to ask myself whether I could muster her courage to attend church service where most believers are Asians.

I cheerfully told Laura, "You are a gospel seed. Start with your family first. You never know, someday you might be spreading gospel in Afghanistan. This way, you won't feel so lonely." Currently, she is most concerned about her family. She longed for her brothers and sisters to come receive the Salvation along with her. So she replied, "It's very difficult to convert a Muslim. Unless they are moved by the Holy Spirit, it's hard to lead them to come believe in Lord Jesus."

Today, Laura knows clearly what her tasks are. She also possesses a clear understanding of the Biblical truth. “After believing in the Lord, we need to take up our cross. We need to overcome tribulations, and glorify God. In truth, Lord Jesus is still carrying us as we grow. He is there to help us to become a true Christian." (Matthew 10:38) Her words spoken with great maturity.

I look at her with concerns as we talk about her current troubles.  Yet, she told me with great strength, "I am not worried. Just pray and entrust all things to God."

Yes, indeed, let us all pray.