Mafdy was a strong, dedicated Muslim, but he encountered questions about his faith that he could not answer. This led him to consider a different path. Agape, Mafdy’s wife, was also born into a Muslim family. She was raised to believe and practice Islam. Her family locked her in her room for years when they found out that she converted to Christianity. Fear of Allah had been the driving force of their relationship with Islam. However, it was the love of Jesus that turned their hearts. Yet, their new love caused them many, many problems: solitary confinement, imprisonment, torture, rejection, rape, and poverty. In addition, when Mafdy and Agape’s son was persecuted in school because of his family’s faith, they made the gut-wrenching choice to give him up for adoption to a family in the United States in order to keep him safe. Just as God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, they were willing to give up their son. But where was the ram in the bush? Where was God in their troubles? Had He forsaken them? What does a Christian do when God hides his face? Would it be better to turn back to Allah? No! Despite the intense persecution they faced, they knew that God was with them even in their suffering and that they were called to evangelize their people. As a result of their sacrifices and perseverance under torturous conditions, God has used them greatly to reach other Muslims for Christ. Their story is one of thousands just like it in the persecuted church. Through this book, one can see God’s sovereignty in the midst of hard trials. May this book encourage you to find the faith to jump from the boat and join the great adventure of following God. Through the storms, the persecution, and the joys, His glory will be shown, and just as the story of Mafdy and Agape shows, God does not forsake His people.
