Like most in India who are from low-income families, Amira, a Muslim, had a basic mobile phone but was saving for a nicer one. Poor, widowed, and caring for her two sons, saving wasn’t easy, but she was finally able to get a mobile with a larger, brighter color screen and good speaker. She immediately began using it to enjoy Hindi-language music videos as she went about her daily work. Her sons were as excited about her new mobile as she was, and played with it regularly.
Donna, a friend of Amira, visited her often and noticed how much she was enjoying using her phone as a media player. Remembering that she had a microSD (memory) card with The JESUS Film and other videos in Amira’s heart language, Urdu, a plan hatched in Donna’s mind. The next time she visited Amira, she brought the microSD card with her and, as was somewhat common among their circle of Indian friends, asked Amira for her phone. Upon taking it, she replaced the existing microSD card with the new microSD card she had brought. She thought Amira and her sons would enjoy watching films about Jesus. When they met again a week later, Amira returned the microSD card and told Nikki that she and her sons had, indeed, enjoyed the videos about Jesus. In fact, they had watched them over and over again on her mobile phone! As they stood in Amira’s kitchen, Donna and her teammate, Liz, began talking with Amira about what she thought of Jesus after watching the videos. They felt God was very much at work in Amira so asked if she wanted to believe that Jesus took away her sins, and by accepting his sacrifice, she would be made clean and pure and acceptable before God. Amira said yes! Then Donna and Liz asked if she wanted to invite the Holy Spirit to come live inside. Again Amira said yes, and Donna and Liz prayed for her to receive the Holy Spirit.
There was much joy in that moment, but of course, there was discipleship to come. In the weeks that followed, Donna and Amira began meeting regularly to read God’s word. They continue to meet and encourage each other to obey what they are reading. Amira has also been having periodic dreams about Jesus in which he instructs her how to live. She has a shown a quick obedience and has forgiven some very difficult people in her life. It seems clear that Amira’s life is being transformed by Jesus! She now talks about her desire to see God’s kingdom come to the whole neighborhood. As she is a poor, widowed mother, her neighbors do not yet pay much attention to Amira as she shares Bible stories with them, but she prays with tears for them to also come to know the One who has changed her life.
As for Donna, she is excited not only about Amira’s growing relationship with Jesus, but also about finding more opportunities to use mobiles and media to make Jesus known to Muslims in her neighborhood.