Her head covering was blue and tightly framed her face. Zeinab (not her real name) glowed as she spoke through an interpreter speaking softly in my ear; I was listening to her story. Though still in her late teens, she has been married for a number of years already. She and her husband had fled from one Middle Eastern country to another to escape ISIS and the war.
A former Muslim, Zeinab had arrived in their current country as a shamed woman because she was unable to get pregnant. She began to attend a DBS (Discovery Bible Study) that one of our local leaders and others were facilitating. Zeinab was able to get some food and clothes but the deeper impact was witnessing people loving and caring for each other, and the real love of Jesus being demonstrated. Someone in this community paid for her to go see a doctor. The results were bad—she had over 100 cysts in her reproductive organs and would never be able to get pregnant.
As the DBS group heard the results, they asked if they could lay hands on Zeinab and pray for Jesus to heal her. She was not a follower of Christ at this time so this was a big moment for her. After this time of prayer, she felt something had changed. The group arranged for her to go back to be examined. The doctor said he did not know what had happened but all the cysts were gone! Zeinab went home and asked Jesus to show himself to her. As she described to me how our Lord Jesus revealed himself, she became radiant. With great joy, she told me, “I am a Daughter of God!”
Jesus healed Zeinab’s body and her shame, and she now has a baby boy! Despite not being able to read or write, she facilitates her own DBS groups with others, so that they, too, can experience the life-transforming love of Jesus.
Zeinab’s story is just one of many emerging out of CRM’s commitment to pioneer new ground and foster gospel movements. The core of these efforts is building relational networks, often incorporating Discovery Bible Studies that introduce people to the study of scripture and the simple challenge to obey what they read there. As these small groups come to know Jesus and the power of God, many are becoming faithful disciples, committed to sharing Jesus within their own relational networks.
This year, CRM is celebrating 2,909 active Discovery Bible Studies that have taken place around the world, and the continuing discipleship of 45,181 participants through those groups [download our 2015 Annual Ministry Report]. God is clearly on the move, and we rejoice in all he is doing!