Growing up in a Muslim country in West Asia, Ipek* came to know Jesus in her late teens. Soon after, disaster struck, and as a new Christian needing support, Ipek lost her footing. Yet God remained close to her.
Ipek’s world was shattered by a devastating natural disaster. Forced to relocate, she was physically separated from the church that had led her to Christ. Feeling traumatised, confused, and angry with God, Ipek became spiritually lost.
A couple of years later, while travelling overseas, she met some believers who helped rekindle her faith and a new sense of hope. Returning home to start university, Ipek was eager to join a church to learn more about God and grow in her faith.
One Sunday, Ipek entered a church for the first time in years where she met Rebecca*, an OM worker serving there. Rebecca invited her to lunch with other young adults, and on the way, Ipek shared her story. It was the connection Ipek needed—someone to come alongside, listen, and take an interest in her. Now a church regular, Ipek is preparing for baptism.
“I’ve loved seeing Ipek understand more of the Bible and grow in her desire to share her faith with others,” shares Rebecca. “Last month, she joined a short-term outreach as a translator, but by the end of the outreach, she was sharing the Gospel herself.”
Rebecca builds relationships with young women like Ipek who seek truth and meaning in a country where Islam is the dominant religion. “Building relationships is everything,” says Rebecca. “I do my best to share the love of Christ in ways people can understand. Sometimes that means sharing the whole Gospel; other times it’s a Bible story or gifting a copy of the New Testament.”
In her work, she tries to be there for the women she meets, being a good listener, supportive and providing guidance. Rebecca believes, “It takes time and attention to build the trust needed to answer questions, disciple, and encourage them to ask God to reveal Himself through His Word.”
Growing up in Australia and spending some years as a ‘missionary kid’ in Kenya, Rebecca was determined not to follow her parents’ footsteps; she wanted to do something “more interesting”. “I like to joke that God tricked me into missionary work,” she says.
She started a double degree in Law/Arts hoping to work in Aid and Development or Human Rights. As part of her studies, she took a subject on Islamic History and Institutions, which piqued her interest. At the end of that semester, she had the opportunity to visit West Asia on a short-term trip. The following year, she spent six months in the country as a homeschool teacher for a missionary family. It was during this time that her interest grew into a deep desire to share the Gospel in that country. By 2020, she called it her ‘home away from home’.
Rebecca joined OM in 2023, although the work remained the same: sharing God’s love and finding people with open hearts, not just open minds.
For Rebecca, the wonder of the Gospel and the love of Christ are unmatched: “You don’t know how wonderful the love of Christ is until you’ve compared it to a counterfeit, to a version of Jesus who didn’t die for us, a god who wouldn’t come close. And you don’t appreciate the wisdom of God until you’ve heard it be called illogical.”
And yet, through perseverance and Rebecca’s desire to be faithful to what God has placed before her, she continues to meet and come alongside young women like Ipek.
Ipek is preparing for her baptism later in the year. When she first met Rebecca, she wasn’t sure she could call herself a Christian, but now she is confident in declaring and sharing her faith with strangers.
*names changed
