‘I use every opportunity to bear witness
to God’s love’

'I use every opportunity to bear witness to God's love,' says Mohammed Nasir. He has been a full-time evangelist with the Full Gospel Believers Church for 12 years. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo: Norwegian BS/Dag Smemo (ETH05DJ-335.JPG)

Story and photos by UBS photojournalist Dag Smemo

ETHIOPIA — When Mohammed Nasir first started hearing about Jesus from his friend Daniel Timichael (see story), he did not really want to listen. He was particularly scared about how his father, a leader at a local mosque, would react. Nevertheless he did listen and, two years later, became a Christian. He has never regretted his decision.

“I know that God has called me to witness to Muslims and that he is with me every day in this work,” he says. “I have seen God’s goodness and how he has allowed me to help many people. I use every opportunity to bear witness to God’s love and to how Jesus gave his life for our sins.”

Mr Nasir has now been a full-time evangelist for 12 years. One of his main tasks is to train members of the various congregations of the Full Gospel Believers Church in Addis Ababa to carry out Christian witness.

“There are around 80 people from three congregations who are active witnesses,” he explains. “We borrow a megaphone or a microphone and we go out preaching in the marketplaces or on the streets. We always try to meet people where they are active in their daily lives.

'I use every opportunity to bear witness to God's love,' says Mohammed Nasir. He has been a full-time evangelist with the Full Gospel Believers Church for 12 years. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo: Norwegian BS/Dag Smemo (ETH05DJ-332.JPG)

“In my own preaching, I often use the verse from John’s Gospel that was so influential in my own journey to faith: ‘God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.’
(John 3:16, CEV).

“We really need more equipment and teaching materials. Booklets would be helpful, and we would also like to make more use of film, as we have seen that it can be a very powerful tool that really touches people.”

Although Mr Nasir’s father was initially very angry at his son’s decision, they were later reconciled. Now he is determined to maintain a good relationship with his family and to demonstrate his love for them.

“It’s important to be a ‘Good Samaritan’ today,” he says. “Perhaps it is more often our deeds than our words that bear witness for us?” (WR 396/15 - 09/10.05) [2 photos]