Sanjay, Who Found Freedom and Shared It

<p class="chapter-lead">An ad about finding freedom caught his attention. Freedom was the one thing he felt he’d lost completely.</p>

Digital ministry has a way of crossing borders and boundaries that might stop the spread of other efforts. Consider Sanjay, a man from the Himalayas who was offered a job working in the Middle East. It seemed like a great opportunity. He could make money to send back to his family! So he took the job and somehow managed to gather the funds for a plane ticket.

On arrival in the Middle East, though, he discovered there was no job waiting for him. He’d been tricked. And since he had no job, his visa was not valid, either. Sanjay was arrested and detained by the police. What would become of him?

Finding Freedom

While sitting in his detention cell, discouraged, Sanjay scrolled through Facebook on his phone. An ad about finding freedom caught his attention. Freedom was the one thing he felt he’d lost completely.

A short video about freedom in Christ found him receptive. It piqued his interest. Then he visited the ministry’s website to watch the whole video. “If you want to know more, contact us,” it said at the end. So that’s what Sanjay did. A member of the media follow-up team in his home country listened to Sanjay’s story, talked to him about Jesus and offered him hope and encouragement.

But They Didn’t Stop There

The media team also connected Sanjay with a local Christian fellowship in the Middle East. Members were able to visit Sanjay in the detention center, share with him about the life of Jesus and invite him to study the Bible with them.

And one more thing. These believers were able to help Sanjay find a real job so he could stay in the country.

A Faith Worth Sharing

Sanjay put his faith in Jesus and his new friends began teaching him what it means to have a relationship with the Lord. Sanjay was so intrigued he invited others to join the Bible study as well. And as he saw God work in his life and grew in his faith, he also shared the gospel with his family back home. Eventually his parents, brother, sister, wife and others gave their lives to the Lord.

A media outreach specialist says this kind of thing is happening all the time.

“This is part of what the gospel does. It excites people. They realize they have found a treasure and want to share it with others. We see that continually.”

The Power of God

The gospel seems to flow best through relationships, both long-standing relationships like those we have with relatives and new relationships we form with people who show us love and compassion.

When people like Sanjay are not only responsive to the gospel but also very honest and open about what they see God doing, they become gospel spreaders. Their stories about the work of God draw others.

Another media outreach specialist is quick to point to the power of prayer in all this, and ultimately just the power of God. It’s not about our efforts, he says. Yet media outreach allows us to connect with those God is already drawing to Himself.

“God is using media around the world, especially among people from the Himalayan region. They have been responding to the gospel and giving their lives to the Lord. And not that only, they are sharing the gospel with their relatives as well.”