Daniel hated Christians, because in Tajikistan he was raised to believe Christianity was evil. It was during the years of civil war, following the independence from the Soviet Union, that Daniel learned that his brother-in-law had become a Christian. He contemplated to murder his brother-in-law, but the darkness inside Daniel proved to be no match to the light that had begun to shine on his family members. In the years that followed, several other in-laws became Christians. They talked to him about it and explained the gospel.
But Daniel could not accept that Jesus could be more than a prophet. One day as he was walking out in the country by himself, he heard a voice calling his name, three times over. Then the voice said, “Why don’t you want me as your Lord?”
Daniel asked, “Are you Jesus?”
The voice said, “I am Jesus Christ.”
Daniel did not see anybody but asked a question in the hope the voice would answer. “You are a man, why do they call you God?”
For more than half an hour as he walked, he heard the voice of Jesus answer his questions. At the end, Daniel kneeled down, convinced that Jesus was indeed Lord, and dedicated his life to Christ.
It was the beginning of a new life, but also the beginning of much suffering. He began to tell others about Jesus. His wife became a believer a year after him. When his parents heard about this, they were livid. They kicked Daniel and his wife and two small children out of their house in the middle of the night. With no place to go, they decided to go to the small house church to pray.
As they were praying for hours, the pastor came to ask what the problem was. They did not want to tell him, however, because they wanted to hear from God and see how he would take care of them. So, they told the pastor all was well. Later, because they were still praying, the pastor came again and suggested they stay in a little room in the church to get some sleep. This room became their home for the next three years.
It was still war, but God called Daniel to become an evangelist. Everyone knew he was a Christian by now. He lived in the church along with his family and a group of 15 war orphans, whom the church was taking care of.
One day, an armed group of Islamic rebels came to the church and shouted that Daniel had to come outside or he would be killed. Instead, Daniel instructed the children to kneel together and pray that God would save them. The children prayed loudly, so the rebels could hear them. They prayed God would let his church grow and the war stop.
One of the rebels jumped inside, started beating Daniel and screamed that he had to stop praying. Daniel told him “I forgive you, because God also forgave me. Even if you kill me, God still loves you.”
This made him even more angry, and he put the gun to Daniel’s head and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He pulled the trigger a second and third time, but the gun refused. As he threw his gun on the ground, it started firing. At this, the rebels became terrified and ran away. Together with the orphans they thanked God for saving their lives.
Later when they were outside, another group of Islamic fighters came to the church. They had Kalashnikovs and machetes. They took the Christians and made them lay in the mud. They beat them and threatened them, but as they did so, Daniel did not stop telling them about Jesus and assuring them that God loved them. Then he was told “If you are not gone before Sunday, we will kill you!”
Every day they came back to beat him, and everyday Daniel kept telling his persecutors about the love of God. The other Christians left the church, but Daniel stayed. He felt that he had to preach the gospel to these warriors, because he had been just like them one time, filled with hate and rage. If Jesus had not spoken to him, he would still be like them.
One day, Daniel was the only one left. One of the warriors suggested they should give him another good beating, but the other one said, “if we do that, he will just keep saying God loves us. Let’s come back on Sunday to kill him.”
On Sunday night at 2 AM, a group of eight armed guys came to the church. As he saw them approach, he told his wife to go to sleep, as there were ‘some friends to see him’. He went outside. The warriors took him and told him, “If you mention Jesus again, we will behead you and show your head everywhere as a warning.” They dragged him to a rubbish dump outside the town.
They gave him a shovel and told him to dig his grave. When he finished digging, he kneeled down. They held him by his hair, while another pointed the gun. A religious leader read an Islamic prayer. After that he was given one more chance to deny Jesus and pledge allegiance to Islam.
Daniel answered “I was a Muslim like you, and a tough guy and I could have killed at least two of you with that shovel before you had the chance to kill me. But I didn’t do it. Because Jesus tells me to love my enemies. So, I don’t want to fight. But please let me pray before you kill me.”
As they gave him permission to pray, Daniel asked God that he would find the words that would touch their hearts. He wanted to share the gospel one last time. So, he started to pray. “Lord, people make religion, but you are the true and living Word. I did not know you, but you gave me life. I pray for blessing and protection for my friends here. Please do not hold them responsible for my blood.”
They stopped him and asked “Are you crazy? We are here to kill you. Why do you bless us?” Daniel told them “I see no enemies when I look at you, but fellow Tajik. God can change your life like he changed mine.” At this, they pulled him up and brought him home. From that moment, this armed group protected the church.
Daniel went on to become a pastor and even do missionary work in Afghanistan for several years. “When my parents kicked me out, I felt so lost”, he said. “But now I realise I wasn’t kicked out, but sent out by God, into this ministry work.”
“Suffering is necessary,” Daniel and his wife both affirm. But as a result of these sacrifices, an indigenous church is being born among former Muslim Tajik. The first fruits of the harvest are being gathered in. May many more become followers of Jesus.
