Ali’s life had been turned right-side-up the moment he encountered Jesus. What had once been a life filled with fear, oppression, and darkness was now full of light and hope. He knew he had to share this good news! But in his war-torn country, religious leaders were notorious for torturing and even killing those who followed Jesus. The Bible was considered a “Forbidden Book,” and anyone caught with it could face dire consequences.
But Ali wasn’t alone. He had found a small, tight-knit community of believers who supported him, prayed with him, and talked about strategies on how to share their newfound faith. They knew that the message of Jesus had to reach others, even if it meant taking great risks.
A High-Tech Trek
In 2018, a breakthrough came. Ali obtained a powerful device called the Lightstream. About the size of a pocketbook, this unassuming piece of technology contained a microcomputer capable of holding an immense library of media—everything from the Bible, to Jesus films, to powerful video testimonies. Even more astonishing, the Lightstream allowed people to download or stream these resources directly to their phones, without needing internet access or a cell tower. It could even transfer data to memory cards, allowing the gospel to spread from one phone to another.
Ali saw a vast opportunity. He knew that, even in remote villages, people owned cell phones. And for many, even if they couldn’t read, they could still watch the films or listen to the audio messages. He and his friends planned to take the Lightstream into the surrounding villages, sharing the good news in a way that was both discreet and powerful. But the questions lingered: “Would the find any truth-seekers? Would anyone be willing to download the Forbidden Book? Would they be open to hearing the gospel, especially when doing so could cost them everything?”
Their journey began with hope. In the first village, people gathered eagerly to download the teachings of Jesus, fascinated by the videos and testimonies they could access on their phones. Even a midwife from a neighboring village joined in, listening intently to the message.
But as the team packed up to leave, a sudden panic swept over Ali. The Lightstream was gone. It had vanished, and there were no signs of who might have taken it. Neighbors quickly suggested that the midwife, who had been so intrigued by the message, could be the one responsible. They urged Ali to go after her. But this was a difficult decision. What would he say if he confronted her? What if the device had simply been misplaced?
After much prayer and discussion, Ali and his team reluctantly decided to make the journey to the midwife’s village.
Did She Do It?
The trail to the midwife’s village was long and exhausting, but Ali’s heart beat with a mixture of fear and curiosity. When they finally arrived, they were greeted by the midwife herself, who, to their surprise, welcomed them with open arms.
“Please, stay at my house,” she urged. “I’ll cook for you.”
Despite their suspicions, Ali and his friends accepted her invitation, though their minds raced with uncertainty.
As they entered her home, Ali’s eyes fell on something that made his heart skip a beat. There, on a small table, was the Lightstream—decorated with flowers, placed almost ceremoniously in front of a gathered group of twenty-five men and their families. Ali’s pulse quickened. Could it be? Had she really taken the device?
The midwife nervously moved about, serving food as the group watched her every move. Ali could sense her anxiety. Then, breaking the tension, she blurted out,
“I know what you want to say! YES, I WAS THE ONE WHO STOLE IT!”
For a moment, the room fell into stunned silence. The truth was out, and everyone was waiting for Ali’s response. The midwife continued, her voice trembling, “I took it because I thought it could help me. I planned to sell it, but when we listened to it… we couldn’t stop. We had to know more. It changed everything for us.”
Ali, though still shaken, managed to ask, “How did you learn how to use it?”
“My grandson taught me,” she said, still visibly nervous. “And it did help us—can’t you understand that it’s changed all of us? It transformed us, even my business.”
Ali, of course, understood and suppressed a smile. Despite the tense situation, he felt a surge of hope.
Then the midwife, still holding the device, asked Ali a question that cut to the heart of everything.
“Don’t you know what’s inside of it? What really is in this device?”
Ali hesitated, unsure of what to say. Was she aware that the Lightstream contained the very words of Jesus, the teachings of the “Forbidden Book”? His mind raced.
“Tell me,” he asked quietly, “what is inside of it?”
The room erupted in excited chatter as the families began to explain, one after the other, how the device had brought them a life-changing Message of hope, redemption, and transformation.
The midwife, her eyes shining, turned to Ali and his friends, urging them, “You need to follow Jesus too. You need to accept the washing,” referring to baptism, the act that would identify them as true Followers of Jesus.
Ali and his friends stood there, overwhelmed with joy. What they had seen was nothing short of a miracle. In a place where the gospel was considered forbidden and dangerous, it was quietly and powerfully spreading—one heart at a time.
Perhaps you know a missionary like Ali whose ministry could become even more effective if they had a Lightstream. Please share this story with them!
