Mamun* and his wife Tabitha*, have had a long and fruitful ministry within Bangladesh. They have faced extreme persecution, and many obstacles,yet have continued steadily in ministry. Here is Mamun’s testimony, followed by a look at his and Tabitha’s ministry.
“I was born in an ethnic Hindu family and my group were very low in Hindu society. This was because my people’s work was to remove the skin of dead cows and make shoes from the material. This is very bad in Hindu society, so we were in the lowest kind of work in society.
I grew up to do destructive things in society. I used to illegally make and sell wine in the market, and I had many addictions to drugs and alcohol. I had bad friends, and I was a bad friend.
I continued my school education and passed the Secondary School Certificate class, but when I went to college, I had the worst kind of fellowship. I joined a radical Hindu terrorist group; I became hopeless because nobody supported me or my work, and all people hated me, even my family.
All my friends rejected me and I thought about what I could do. In the meantime, I got a job as a film operator for the Campus Crusade for Christ Jesus Film program. I was among different types of people than I been before. While serving in this job I completed many theological trainings only to get promotions in my position, not knowing that it was for my life.
When I was preaching about the 4 Laws of Salvation after showing the Jesus Film, I was preaching Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me”. I thought to myself that what I was preaching, I myself had not done. I had not opened my own heart’s door, so how could Jesus live in me? I was also using John 16:33: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world”.
I was thinking to myself that I could not get His peace until I confessed of my sins. Then I was crying among the crowd of people where my senior pastors were present. I was sobbing and embracing my Pastor and leaders. I begged pardon for my sins to all the people and prayed to the Lord Jesus, saying I am here for You and I want to give my life to You, please forgive my sins.
Then each and every person from Campus Crusade for Christ put their hands on me and prayed, so on the 20th of June, 1986 I accept Jesus through water Baptism in a river. I became a new man in Christ, and promised that in my life I would continue for Him and His kingdom work, and that is what I have done.”
In less than three years, Mamun has directly led over 230 individuals to Christ.
This has happened by the Holy Spirit, through Mamun’s work of one on one evangelism in villages, job training programs, agricultural training, showing of the Jesus Film, and church planting. He and Tabitha are passionate about discipleship and creating sustainable Christian communities, so they are seeing their movement multiply in previously unreached areas!
Next week we will share the persecution this faithful couple has faced, as well as their perseverance.
Please keep Mamun, Tabitha, and their three children in your prayers!
*Names changed for safety