Lucas was forced to leave his home country and ministry in 2015, but is currently training pastors and church leaders who still live there. His ministry consists of translating biblical resources into his mother tongue, corresponding regularly with church leaders, and organizing training for pastors. He and his wife have four daughters.

Testimony of Conversion

I was born and raised in a war-torn country under control of an extremist group. I attended a religious school where I was seeking for God – to find answers to my prayers and to encounter Him. I was fasting and praying five times a day in the mosque beginning at the age of 12. As I was learning at the religious school and learning the law of Sharia, I saw that few could observe all of these. I saw many rules but no joy there. As I finished school, I changed subjects due to family pressure and began attending the university to study medicine. I was done with religion and wanted to live my life and enjoy whatever I could.

As time was passing, I met a couple from a different nation who were the first to share with me about Jesus. Although I was anxious because of the bias I had toward Jesus, I thought it would be worthwhile to search and listen to them. I decided to read the Bible, and after only a few months I had read it from Genesis to Revelation. My understanding about followers of Jesus and my hatred toward them changed as I began to see their lives. As I was reading through the Bible, John 10 captured my attention and I started meditating on it. I started to believe, but it took me a long time to truly believe in Jesus as God and Savior. Later on I was baptized and married my wife who also believed in Jesus.

Call To Ministry

We were some of the first believers that we knew of in our country to be called to the ministry. In 2010 we started our ministry, but I was put in prison later that same year for preaching the gospel. By the grace of God I was released from prison and we resumed our ministry in 2011. During those years we saw great fruit and planted a number of home groups. As we started to become well known for our ministry, we began to face persecution and had to leave the country to reside in another nearby country. From that country we continue to support the ministry that we started. We translate biblical resources, talk regularly with church leaders, and organize conferences for them across the region.