How I Received True Life  
Lafi's Story of Faith

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ.  My name is Lafi.  I want to explain to you with the help of the Holy Spirit how I came to believe in Jesus Christ and how He became my Savior. 

 First, let me explain that I am Tamajaq from the clan of Kel Geres.  My country is Niger .  I was born in a Tamajaq village called (withheld).  Everyone is this village is Muslim.  My parents were Muslim also.  So I was born a Muslim.  I was Muslim because I was born into this faith.  I never knew that there was any other way to believe other than Islam.  I was 7 years old when I started both koranic school as well as public school.

 Koranic school didn’t last long.  I only did it for 3 years.  My life was not right.  Eventually I started drinking alcohol.  I chased after women.  I was praying 5 times a day.  I faithfully kept the fast.  But none of these things made a difference in my life.

 In 1993, I started middle school.  When I started the first year in middle school, I had some friends who were Christians, Yakubu and Sule.  Those 2 became my friends.  When it came time for afternoon prayers, I said to my friend Yakubu that we needed to go do our prayers.  He said, “That is not the kind of prayer that I do.”  I went and did my prayers then I went to school.  I didn’t talk to him about it again.  I kept it to myself but I thought about it for 5 days.  On the 6^th day I said to him, you have to do the prayers because everyone who doesn’t do the prayers is lost and it is forbidden to eat with such a person (it is a sin).

 I asked him again, “Why don’t you do the Muslim prayers?”  He told me, “I am a follower of Christ.”  I told him, “Jesus is a prophet in the Koran.  He had his day and then passed on.  Jesus himself said that after him would come Mohamed and people would follow him.”  After that I dropped the subject because I did think there was any other way to believe other than in Islam.  I knew no other faith.  I thought in my heart that Yakubu was lost and that he was going to Hell.

 When we met at school, he gave me a New Testament.  I took the book and started reading. A lot of verses would not leave me alone.  I saw in this book that death was inevitable.  I saw the love of God in John 3:16.  I read about the promise that Jesus made in John 14:13 where it says whatever we ask, He will do.  Also I read John 7:38, 8:7-21, 15:1-5 and Acts 1:8-9.  These verses touched me deeply.  I couldn’t sleep one night.  That night, I accepted Jesus and He became my Lord.

 This decision was no small thing.  I had lots of trouble in our family.  I had trouble in my village because I was the only one who went to church in the nearby town. I continued to follow the Lord for another 7 years.  At that point my church sent me to study at a discipleship school.  There I learned more about who Jesus was. 

So my friends, I want you to make the right choice.  I want you to know of the love that God has.  He loves us so much that he sent Jesus Christ.  And those who believe in him will not perish but will go to Heaven.  Believe that Jesus took your place.  He paid for our sins.  Let us believe in Him only.

 Author: Lafi (not real name)