Thanks to you, Sarah is using her agriculture degree to strengthen believers in DRC

Sarah is a young Christian from a Muslim background in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Her parents stopped paying her university fees after learning about her decision to follow Jesus Christ, but thanks to your prayers and gifts, she was able to complete her education and now wants to serve and strengthen other believers from Muslim backgrounds.

Thanks to you, Sarah was able to complete her education despite facing threats and abuse from her family because of her faith (image is illustrative)

Sarah (24) became a Christian in 2014 after a teacher at her school shared the gospel. She was baptised in 2017 at the church where she serves on the worship team. All this time, Sarah enjoyed relative safety and freedom to live out her faith. 

But that changed in 2018 when her parents moved to the city where she was studying agriculture. When they learnt of her conversion, they told her she had brought shame on their family. Sarah began to face threats and abuse as her family hoped to force her back to Islam. However, the more they pressured her, the more her faith in Christ grew. Finally, her parents stopped paying her university school fees. 

Although the majority of the DRC is Christian, believers there still face intense pressure and persecution – largely from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a violent Islamic extremist group. Believers from Muslim backgrounds, like Sarah, also risk discrimination, abuse and even forced marriage for their decision to follow Jesus. 

Sarah has plans to strengthen believers through farming projects 

Sarah’s church saw how deeply committed Sarah was to Jesus and reached out to Open Doors for support to help her continue her education. “I am currently an agronomist (crop scientist) – I just finished my studies last year in 2022,” Sarah says. “God gave His grace through the brothers and sisters by my side and I overcame that difficult time. It was not easy for me; I came out by the grace of God.” 

Thanks to your continued prayers and support, Sarah was able to complete her education and she is determined to help other believers from a Muslim background through a farming project. “I would say that I have achieved my dream of becoming a person who is contributing to my community and wider society,” she says. “I want to support other converts so that they too can make an impact and contribute in a meaningful way. 

“To the brothers and sisters who have supported me, and helped me, I pray that this love you have shown me is not limited only to me because there are many people who go through the same situation as I did.” 

Sarah hopes that her family will eventually choose to follow Jesus, too. “My daily prayer is to see that one day my parents come to know Christ like I did. I know that man does not have the capacity to change man – it is God’s work to change us, which is why my prayer is that one day my parents accept Jesus Christ.”