His Search for Christ Led Him to Prison

Bethany DuVal • Jun 12, 2018

As the prison door closed behind Milad, he knew his entire life was about to change. Just being discovered with a Bible was a criminal offense in his Middle Eastern country. But being caught in an underground church meeting? Was there any recovering from that?

Milad had only been a Christian for eight short months. And he had tried to do everything right during that time — meeting secretly, being discreet about his faith.

But his city was full of spies. Even if Milad got out of prison, they would never stop watching him.

If he ever got free, there was only one thing to do: He had to run.

A TV Show Got Him Curious

Milad hadn’t been looking for Christianity — or any religion, really.

“We were a pretty well-to-do family, so I didn’t need anything,” Milad says. “I didn’t need to ask for God’s help with provision or anything like that.”

After college, Milad started visiting nearby countries. Like his country, many of these nations followed Islam , and Milad started to feel unsettled by the problems he saw in them. But he didn’t have any idea what could solve these problems.

And then one day, Milad turned on the TV. From that moment everything changed.

On the TV, a Christian pastor was preaching about Jesus and the Gospel. It was the first time Milad had heard anything like it, and he was eager to learn more.

But satellite church wasn’t going to cut it. Milad wanted a real, physical church where he could ask all his questions. He wouldn’t stop until he found one.

He Felt Christ’s Power at Church

In Milad’s country, one ethnic minority is allowed to openly practice Christianity. And fortunately, Milad’s father just happened to have friends within that group.

On Easter Sunday, Milad went for his first church service and was amazed by the experience. The pastor even prayed with him for half an hour after the service.

“I wasn’t a believer at that point, but I experienced [Jesus’] power, and I saw that He loved me,” Milad says.

Milad was eager to come back again and learn even more about this Jesus.

But then the pastor delivered the bad news.

Milad couldn’t come back. It wasn’t legal. And besides, he didn’t even speak the ethnic minority’s language. How could he understand what they were saying during the service?

Milad had experienced too much to turn back now. He found an underground church in his own language. He heard the Gospel and put his faith in Jesus. Other believers started discipling Milad, and he even started serving the Lord in ministry.

It was a beautiful eight months. And then someone ratted them out.

Secret Church Rounded Up by Authorities

Milad’s church was in the middle of a secret meeting when the authorities came. They rounded up everyone and sent them to prison. Fortunately, the prison time only lasted a few days, but Milad and his friends knew they had to get out of the country.

The group fled to Turkey. It’s a Muslim-majority country, and the government isn’t friendly toward Christians, but Christianity is legal there. At last, Milad and his friends were safe.

One day, as the group prayed, they sensed God calling them to Antalya, a tourist city on the coast. They didn’t know anyone there, but they decided to go on faith.

God’s Calling to a Strange City

When Milad and his friends came to Antalya, Turkey, by faith, they soon discovered that God had been preparing a church just for them. Photo by TEAM

As Milad and his friends prayed, a new movement was starting in Antalya.

TEAM missionaries had already been planting churches in Antalya for years. That’s a big deal because the government has disrupted many church services and blocked many church buildings.

But through friends like you, missionaries opened a Christian cultural center , giving them a legal place to meet.

During the week, people come for classes, lunch at the café or to ask the staff about Christianity. On Sunday, the center hosts church services in several languages: an international service for expatriates, a Turkish service for locals.

And then, refugees from Milad’s country asked if they could start a service in their language, too. The TEAM missionaries agreed.

The church started on the very day Milad sensed God calling him to Antalya.

Six Refugees Saved in a Week!

Since coming to Antalya, Milad has fully embraced his freedom. He attends worship services, teaches Bible studies and leads meetings for the young people.

In a land of relative freedom, people from Milad’s country are coming to Christ in droves.

“Honestly, any given week, you might have six people come to the Lord, here, because they can, openly,” Milad says.

The refugees face many challenges as they look for jobs and find housing. But they are learning to trust God. And because they meet in the same building as two other churches, they have added support and fellowship.

As for Milad, he’s certain that the God who’s led him this far won’t let him down.

“I have a lot of faith in my God,” Milad says, “and my life is in His hand.”

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Exploring The Creative Power of Creative Arts Ministry

By Lorena de la Rosa • 16 May, 2024

Creative Arts Ministries focus on using the arts to provide new avenues for Gospel reach and discipleship around the world. Ever felt the urge to channel your creative talents into a higher purpose but were unsure where to start? Whether your passion lies in art, music, or another creative endeavor, God is opening doors where creativity meets ministry, where the journey of expression takes on new meaning with eternal significance. Creative Arts Ministry is all about using your creative side to share the Gospel, encourage the global Church, and build disciples all around the world. Made with a Purpose At TEAM, Creative Arts Ministry encompasses a variety of initiatives and global workers on multiple continents, all focused on using the arts to provide avenues for the Gospel. Jon Tello, TEAM’s Global Arts Ministry Coordinator is a creative person who was first called to ministry when he was in 9th grade, even though he had no idea what that meant. “I talked to my pastors, and they said, ‘Hey, this is awesome, you’re going to be a pastor. You’re going to preach and teach God’s word,’” Jon recalls. He wasn’t sure how his love and gifting for art fit into this. Yet in his heart, Jon knew, “God made me into an artist for a purpose.” Jon says his experience is not unique. Many who feel called to global missions feel that their passion for the arts must take a back seat. They are left with the question, “As an artist, how do I fit into the bigger framework of this thing that we call the global Church?” Luke, a TEAM global worker in Japan, concurs. “A lot of people get into [cross-cultural work] just adjacent to where their skill is,” says Luke. He goes on to explain a great metaphor for what happens next. “In music, there’s a term called ‘dissonance.’ It’s when there are two notes very close together, but they clash.” Being near to one’s true calling and giftedness, yet not quite able to express it can lead to frustration and burnout. For Jon, Luke, and many others in TEAM, God is helping them find a “sweet spot” where they can use their creative gifts for Kingdom work, particularly in areas where traditional church planting and direct evangelism are difficult if not impossible. A Call to Creatives In a world teeming with creativity and a growing desire for missions, many find themselves at a crossroads, wondering how to blend their artistic talents with the call to serve. Picture this: a vast landscape of possibilities, where your creativity isn't just a skill, but a powerful tool waiting to be unleashed in the mission field. Jon’s role in TEAM allows him to help global workers tap into this potential. Jon remarks that the concept of art for ministry is anything but new. During the Renaissance period, the literary rate was so low that the Church commissioned artists to create beautiful images to communicate with the people. Jon says Creative Arts ministry today works very much the same way to reach and impact believers and unbelievers alike in ways that words alone cannot. “In a sense, we are artists commissioned by the Church that are going out across the globe, doing just that: creating imagery, creating music, creating a story to tell,” Jon says. Though once a TEAM Italy global worker, Jon now works alongside other artists to help them use their skills in ministry. “They need somebody to help them embrace who God has created them to be and for what purpose,” Jon said. “And once we’re able to do that, it’s a beautiful thing to see these artists truly thrive.”

Loving Like Jesus Cross-Culturally (Part 1)

By Megan Lunsford • 23 Apr, 2024

When seeking to serve cross-culturally with an authentic love for others, there’s no better example for us than Jesus. If we sat around a table and threw out the question, “How do we love like Jesus?” I think we would have several commonalities as we respond. For example, Jesus loved all people right where they were. He loved those who were deemed the least, those hardest to love, or those who were His enemies. These are all beautiful realities of the heart of Jesus. When we step into relationships, it can be easier to take on the warmer, more gracious gestures of Jesus’ love, especially in cross-cultural relationships. Think about it––when doing life with those who look and act differently than us, we are already out of our comfort zones and would rather keep things as simple and familiar as possible. But there are other facets of Jesus’ heart we often overlook that can transform us and others even more into His likeness. Jesus is love because God is love. Everything Jesus did was out of love; it’s the mere definition of who He is. As followers of Jesus, He calls us to the same: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John:7-12) Every display of love we offer to others is an opportunity for them to encounter the ultimate love of the Father. That’s a pretty big deal! In this article, we’ll look at three expressions of Jesus’ love that we tend to overlook when engaging others cross-culturally. (Next month, we’ll look at three more.) 1. Jesus loved sacrificially. Everywhere Jesus went, crowds followed Him. We even see times in Scripture where Jesus had plans to step away for time alone but those who were hurting found Him and He had compassion on them and stayed with them. Can you imagine rarely having any time to yourself but, instead, constantly being surrounded by crowds of people wanting help from you? Jesus loved sacrificially. He welcomed all who came to Him with love and compassion, never turning anyone away. “When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) In the same way, we can make room in our lives for Jesus to bring sacrificial interruptions which, in His eyes, are orchestrated encounters to transfer His love to others. It can be tempting to be so “on mission” that we are full steam ahead and find ourselves frustrated when the Holy Spirit sends an interruption into our path that we feel we don’t have time for. Or, perhaps, we have scheduled a meet-up but it’s the norm in another culture to be 30 minutes or an hour late. We anxiously think through how it will affect whatever we have planned next. While it’s normal to feel a little stressed, what if the very "interruption” standing in front of you was really a divine appointment sent by God? Or what if that person running late experiences how peaceful and gracious you are in adapting to their culture and therefore, they can encounter a beautiful display of Jesus’ love? To truly represent Christ, we should remain ready and willing for each assignment the Lord sends into our path, no matter the cost or how much we will have to re-route our day. He is always a hundred steps ahead and will work all things for His glory and our good. 2. Jesus loved by discerning each situation well. Think about how many situations Jesus had to respond to on a daily basis. We read in Scripture that there were lines of people waiting to be healed by Him, talk to Him, hear His teachings, or simply touch the hem of His robe. Jesus was fully dependent on His Father to discern each situation before addressing it. “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) Another temptation we can have when in a relationship with those God has sent us to is to think we already know the solution or what God wants to do before we’ve even asked Him. We believe we are full of knowledge, so we just pull from the bank we have stored within and go with it. However, when we access what is familiar to us as our default, we risk missing out on a God-given solution that might truly be the key to unlocking whatever challenge is in front of us. What does this look like when interacting with others? We can simply ask, “God, what is on Your heart for the person standing in front of me?” Then we listen and respond as He speaks. When we make it a daily habit to pause and hear God’s heart for each situation before responding, we are guaranteed to be effective in loving those around us. He knows the heart of every person that will cross our paths. Imagine how impactful we can be if we first lean on His wisdom and discernment before moving forward. 3. Jesus loved by speaking truth. Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. If we are honest, this conversation makes us a bit nervous as none of us would be comfortable with Jesus calling out intimate details of our lives that we would prefer to hide. But Jesus went further than just airing her dirty laundry. He offered her the hope of the Gospel and a relationship with Him - a divine fulfillment that could never be found in an earthly relationship. Jesus modeled a powerful example of loving others well cross-culturally. He took the low place and spoke truth, truly out of love––speaking to her heart from His. Like Jesus, our goal in sharing the truths about Him and His Word is to bring hope and satisfaction through Him alone. When we speak truth from Scripture, we are calling others higher into all God has for them. The tricky part here is we should avoid speaking truth if it isn’t first fueled by compassion. If it merely comes from a place of judgment, condemnation, or self-righteousness, it will fall flat 100% of the time. But if it truly comes from love, you are likely to not only win a heart back to the Father but, like the story of the Samaritan woman, even an entire village! If you see someone living outside of God’s best for their lives, ask God to show you your heart before engaging theirs. Once your heart is properly postured, you can speak truth out of an overflow of God’s love and trust Him for a transformation in their lives.