Joelle grew up in a nominal Christian home, but didn’t exercise saving faith until college. After she graduated, she joined the ministry team that had been instrumental in her conversion and growth. Now she is married to Nathan and works full-time with Middle East Student Fellowship.

Testimony

I grew up in a nominal Christian home in my country in the Middle East. I did not really understand the gospel. As I grew older, I came increasingly under a conviction of sin. I became convinced that I was going to Hell and that there was no way out of it. When I was in university, a friend of mine (who is now my husband) shared the gospel with me. I was so glad to hear that God had made a way for me to be rescued from judgment and I put my faith in Christ for my salvation.

After coming to Christ, I immediately became involved in the Middle East Student Fellowship on campus. I was very eager to tell others about the good news I had heard. I also loved being part of the small Christian community on my campus where we would meet up to pray for the lost and strategic to reach our friends with the gospel. At this point, I also felt the burden to take the gospel to my family. I invited my brother to a conference organized by the Middle East Student Fellowship. He was not a student but was allowed to attend. He came to Christ at that conference. We then shared the gospel with my parents who thought they were Christians at that point. Both of them accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior after they heard the message of Christ. Now my parents are actively involved in our church, teaching and discipling people from many different countries.

When I graduated, I committed to working full-time with the Middle East Student Fellowship because I wanted to see other students experience the same life-giving gospel. I’m so glad that God has called me to this work, because I see so many like me not having ever heard the gospel. I love training Christian female leaders to share the gospel with their friends. I have seen many women follow Christ boldly as a result of the witness of Christian student leaders. Almost all of them are members of healthy local churches and are following Christ in spite of opposition from their families. I pray that God would give life to many more women from this region who we are sharing the gospel with.