All my life I have never considered there was another option besides being Muslim. My dad is Salar. My mom is Hui. As far as Salar and Hui people are concerned, Islam is the only faith. To be Hui or Salar is to be Muslim. Growing up, I learned how to worship at the mosque and follow many rituals. However, there is much about Islam that I did not learn.
My parents own a restaurant in my hometown. Running a successful business can distract a person from worshipping and praying daily at the mosque. My parents believe Allah will understand why they are not faithful mosque attenders. They have done well with their restaurant. It allowed them to send me to a good high school. I did well on my college entrance exam, and now I am a sophomore at a university. As a freshman, I studied English. That was my choice as I really enjoy English. However, my parents were afraid I could not get a good job, so now I am studying marketing. I am learning that providing for your family is almost as important, if not more important, than regular worship of Allah at the mosque.
At the university, I heard about Jesus for the first time. I was interested in Jesus, but I did not ask any questions. Then I went home for summer break. One night during Ramadan I broke fast with two guys who follow Jesus. They shared more about Jesus, and my interest grew. I decided I should ask my mother to tell me about Jesus. She has shared some stories with me, but there is much she does not know.
I am back at my university now. I have connected with a follower of Jesus who is willing to study the Bible with me. I am so excited. I want to understand who He is. He is also a prophet in Islam, so there is no harm in learning more about Jesus, right?
Xiao Ma earnestly is seeking Jesus. At this point, he does not understand that what he is about to learn may change his life forever. He doesn’t understand that the truth about Jesus will cause him to either turn from Islam or reject Jesus. Pray that as he reads the Bible the Holy Spirit will open his eyes to Jesus, his Savior and Lord. May Xiao Ma turn and follow Jesus this semester!
Prayer Requests
- Pray that Xiao Ma will search the Scriptures for the truth. May his search turn him to follow Jesus.
- Pray that the Holy Spirit will convict Xiao Ma that Jesus is the only way to true life!
- Pray that God will continue to lead Jesus-followers to share the Gospel with Xiao Ma.