Though he grew up in a Coptic community in Egypt, Boutros is now serving the Lord in a Muslim country in the Middle East that has no evangelical witness. For a number of years, he has felt a strong burden to move to this country in order to strengthen and establish indigenous churches. Boutros is a gifted preacher and has a heart to see the church equipped with the truths of God’s Word.

Testimony of Conversion

My story of seeking God started as I was searching for the best way to avoid His anger and wrath. I was worried about the unknown and hell and this took me to a level were I hated God and I believed that he was an unjust God that did not care. I even convinced myself that God did not exist and that everything we were taught about him were just unreal stories. I then met a man that started teaching me philosophy and how to prove that God does not exist. I studied that to the level that I ceased believing in God and refused to adhere to any religion. But even that ideology did not fulfill me. Then, I got involved in sexual relationships that did not fulfill me as well. Fear started overcoming me and filling my soul and mind. I assumed that there was no solution in becoming religious, especially since I was still involved in sexual relationships. Yet, I became more afraid of hell and God at the same time.

I then decided to become religious again, but this time my religious practices had a different goal: I was seeking to be closer to God. This time, I started going to an Evangelical church and got attached to their way of worshiping, especially since I am from an Orthodox background. I felt the love of the people around me and their willingness to answer my questions. But still I was empty, until the day came that I went to the church and sat between two brothers and started singing. Suddenly, I started crying in a hysterical way. I collapsed on the ground as I sang the words of the song, “The blood of Jesus is Precious.” I started shouting in front of everyone, saying: “I am sinner, O Lord, save me. I don’t deserve your blood that you shed on the cross, thank you for dying instead of me.” I kept weeping until the end of the song. Then, I heard the message from the preacher and at the end of the service, I hugged the brothers at the church for the first time and I felt the love of Jesus pouring into my heart.

The apostle John says that this is a sign that we have came out from death to life. I felt like I had a big rock on my back that was removed. On the next day, I was on the train heading to my university and I spent the whole time in prayer and worshiping the Lord. I started seeing God in different a way. I felt that everything I had known about God was a lie and I realized that God was forgiving and full of love. Now I believe that I am in debt to the Lord for His mercy and love toward me. Glory belongs to God and His Son and the Holy Spirit.