Stories from our field
Dependent on a Facebook Page
Imagine recently coming to faith, yet having no Christians around you to worship God with. And imagine that for your spiritual nourishment, you’re entirely dependent on a Facebook page. It’s the reality for Khalid* and Faris*, two Afghan brothers in the faith who are active as online evangelists.
Khalid is a 27-year-old Afghan man who came to faith a few years ago. Before the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, it was still possible to talk about the Messiah. “A friend who was also a pastor came to our home and shared about Jesus,” Khalid recalls. “His message touched my heart. When I knew the truth, I gave my life to Jesus and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior.”
Khalid began reading the Bible daily. He also searched online for spiritual nourishment. “I found a Facebook page in Dari (a language spoken in Afghanistan) that posted inspiring Bible verses every day, and I started following it. I also reached out to the page administrators.” This led to a connection that meant a lot to him. “These brothers provided me with online discipleship. But I didn’t want it to stop there—I wanted to help them spread the gospel.” And so, Khalid became a volunteer for this GlobalRize page.
Khalid now responds to comments from visitors on the Facebook page. He shares the daily posts in groups and on his personal Facebook account. He invites friends and others to follow the page, and he encourages people to sign up for the online Bible course. He does all this alongside his daily work as a farmer, with which he supports his parents, brothers, and sisters.
Faris, a father of five and farmer, was introduced to faith through this same Facebook page. One day he found the page and was touched by the Bible verses that appeared daily. After a year, he contacted the page administrators and began a conversation with them. He was deeply touched by the message of love and forgiveness. Ultimately, he decided to place his trust in Jesus as his Savior and Lord.
Like Khalid, he now also volunteers for the page. He shares Bible verses daily on the Facebook page, writes short texts, and invites people to participate in Bible courses via WhatsApp. Faris also shares the gospel with friends and family.
Before the Taliban came to power, Khalid used to attend a house church. “But now I’m completely alone. Since the Taliban took control, all the brothers from that house church have left Afghanistan. For my spiritual nourishment, I am fully dependent on the people behind GlobalRize’s Facebook page.” The same goes for Faris. He, too, relies on this Facebook page for contact with fellow believers.
Faris and Khalid want to reach their own community and Afghanistan as a whole with the message of hope, love, and forgiveness. Khalid puts it this way: “I’ve given my life to serve the Lord. That’s why I want to use my time to spread the gospel in my country. Now that I know the Lord Jesus and believe in Him, I want the same salvation for my fellow countrymen. I feel a responsibility to make disciples in my nation by sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus, the only begotten Son of God.”
How lonely it must often feel for these brothers, with no other Christians nearby to physically meet with and worship Jesus together.
“Dear Father in heaven, be with Khalid and Faris and protect them. Comfort these brothers in the faith when they feel alone. Strengthen them in their walk with You. May many Afghans come to faith through the testimonies of Khalid, Faris, and others. We pray that You will make it possible for Christians in Afghanistan to meet one another and worship You together. We also bring to You the great need of the country and the difficult position of women. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
For safety reasons, we have used a pseudonym and a stock photo.