A Life of Many Roles
In the village of Yonday, near Kismayo in Somalia, Musa Mohammed Yusuf had many roles – he was husband to Helima, whom he had been in love with seemingly forever; he was the father of three cherished sons: Omar, twelve; Ali, eleven; and, Salat, seven. A follower of Jesus, Musa was also leader of a house church, whose people he had served honorably for years; and, above all, God had called him to share the truth of Jesus in a country on the east African coast where people strongly oppose(d) that truth. Every role we have in life exacts a price, and some exact a higher price than others. Musa learned this painful truth in July 2009.
Sharing the Gospel at Risk
Each day, when he walked among the villagers, Musa engaged in quiet conversations here and there that he hoped would lead to “Jesus talk.” One woman always listened intently. Never coming too close, she was always there on the edge of a group of people. Her face was mostly covered, but her ears obviously took in every word he spoke. Like most Somali women, she had been tattooed with henna when she was a little girl. Her arms and parts of her face were covered with intricate patterns and designs. She was, he knew, married to a high-ranking leader in al-Shabab, an Islamic extremist group in Somalia.
“My prayer is that I will have the opportunity to lead her to Christ,” Ahmed pursed his lips and shook his head. “Musa, you are my friend, and I honour you for loving God as you do and sharing your faith so freely; but, you are playing with fire. You know who her husband is.”
“Yes, I know,” Musa replied. “And, I also know that God’s Word tells us to preach the gospel to all nations, including ours. I do not see any exceptions.” “But you could put yourself in danger,” said Ahmed. “You could put your family in danger.”
“If nobody dares to share Christ with her; then, her life, in eternal terms, is more than in danger,” Musa stated. “We are not responsible for outcomes, Ahmed, but we are responsible for sharing.”
To Be Continued…
Date: 1st February 2025
Martyr: MUSA
Location: Somalia
Source: Tortured for Christ (The voice of the martyr)
Author: Richard Wurmbrand
Suffering Saturday 128
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