I have become a Christian
By Arley and Janice
Rabina, our house-help, a young Afghan woman, very faithful and regular, showed no interest in spiritual matters. When she had family problems, including an abusive mother-in-law, we helped her and her husband move into a separate flat. After 9/11, when we left this place, we lost contact with her. She and her family moved back to Afghanistan.
During the 20 years of relative freedom in Afghanistan, we met her once but briefly.
Then came the Taliban takeover in 2021. By now Rabina had six children, the two oldest well into their twenties. Her husband had left for Iran a few years earlier in search of work but had disappeared without news of whether he was still alive. As a single mother with several daughters, Rabina felt extremely vulnerable with the Taliban in charge and possible Afghan suitors, real or imagined. They fled Afghanistan, and somehow she was able to contact us. We visited her in November 2022 when we spent a month among refugees. We shared with her, gave her a copy of the Jesus film, and prayed for her. But still no interest.
She got deported to Afghanistan, but with most of her children alone, she had to get back. Again, we were able to help her.
Arley speaks during a live broadcast for Square One World Media. (Scott Marble)
In January 2024, we received a voicemail from Rabina. She said, “I have become a Christian, on my own. I had a dream of Jesus and experienced healing.” We couldn’t believe our ears. Did she really mean it?
We immediately connected Rabina with Ariana Ministries—the ministry that Reza and Bahar Azimi serve. For more than two years, Bahar has faithfully walked with Rabina in a special 30-step discipleship program for believers with a Muslim background. Rabina’s life has transformed. She enjoys the personal connection with Bahar and tries to read the Word of God daily, even with her limited education. When reading is hard, she asks her children to help by writing texts for her, which gets them involved. She shared with Bahar:
I see now that I’ve often been the cause of family conflict when I yell at the kids so much … I wish I had become a Christian when I worked for Arley and Janice … I would not have had so many problems in my life, with my family.
In the spring of 2026, we visited the refugees again on behalf of Ariana Ministries. This dear woman wanted to join the larger home meetings we had in a different city. But she feared the police checkpoints, which could deport her back to Afghanistan. We agreed to have a special service at her house. But she had overnight guests and we were scheduled to leave soon. The day before our flight, her home was empty. We had a special service in their home bathroom. Most of her children—along with a Pakistani couple, and Reza and Bahar online—witnessed their mother committing her allegiance to Jesus.
What a privilege it was for Janice to lead her in this special event, as she declared before her children and friends her commitment to walk with Jesus.
Arley and Janice served overseas among Afghan refugees 25 years ago.
Audio is generated with AI voice technology.
