Messenger FM

Irresistible music leads a young Muslim to Christ!

Whenever they sang, I felt something pushing me toward the tent. The music was nearly irresistible! But then I would hear my father’s voice in my mind: “Never get close to the Christian evangelistic meetings. Those people worship three gods, and the Qur’an says God is one.” I wanted so much to listen to that sweet music, but I dutifully turned away. Over the course of ten years, I passed up twelve Adventist evangelistic meetings in my city!

Although I avoided the Adventist meetings, I did buy a music DVD they had made. When I watched it at home, my father punished me, so I sneaked over to the neighbors’ and watched it in secret. Still, I hungered for more.

One evening during the COVID-19 lockdown, I turned my radio set toward Crooze FM, a popular radio station that plays music for an hour every evening. As I turned the knob, I passed a station playing a hymn. It sounded like Adventist music! When the song ended, a jingle announced the name of the radio: “Messenger FM.” Sure enough, this was an Adventist station. From that day, I had no need for my DVD! I listened to Messenger FM every chance I got.

One evening, my father came home from work and found me listening. “I warned you never to get close to Christianity!” he roared. Grabbing the radio, he tore out the batteries. 

For a moment, I felt upset. Then an idea popped into my mind. Why not listen from my cell phone? Then my parents would not have to know about it. 

I found the frequency with my cell phone and kept listening. In a program called “I Believe,” the radio preacher explained the Bible logically and clearly, and I was amazed. One evening, the pastor taught about the Godhead, referencing both the Bible and the Qur’an. As I listened attentively, the truth came out! I discovered that Seventh-day Adventists worship only one God, but that God has three individual Persons united as one. Above all, I realized that Jesus had died as a substitute for me, and that only by believing in Him could I have my sins forgiven. I yearned for a personal relationship with Jesus, and I wanted to be baptized. I did fear immersion, since my father had told me that people sometimes drown during baptism, but love for Jesus overpowered my fear. When the radio pastor announced a date when the listeners could come and be baptized, I was the first to sign up. My heart delighted as I stood in the waters, cold and fresh. “Jesus, today I make a covenant with You with all my heart,” I silently prayed. “Take hold of me and walk with me, because I am weak but You are strong.”

After my baptism, my parents disowned me, saying that I could never pass the threshold of their door again—but it is worth it as long as I have Jesus. I feel sympathy for Muslims who neither know nor believe in Jesus, especially my parents. I don’t want them to be lost. I pray that Jesus will help them to receive Him into their lives. 

I ask God often to help me to remain faithful to Him and to direct as many people as possible to Jesus. One way I know I can help reach Muslims is to support the radio station through my offerings. The radio reaches where people cannot. I should know. If it were not for the radio, the message of Jesus may never have entered my home!  


Location
Uganda

Author
Told by Arinda Hadijja to Pastor John Kaganzi, a district pastor in the Ruhandagazi area in Uganda. 

How You Can Help
Pray for Pastor John as he preaches the Three Angels’ Messages on Messenger FM, a broadcasting project of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Southwestern Uganda covering a radius of 60 kilometers. Pray that the station will reach many souls with its waves!

Give to the work in Uganda. Needs include church buildings, Bible worker training and support for church planters. Send your gifts marked “Uganda Evangelism” or “Uganda Churches” to: 

Mission Projects International 
PO Box 151
Inchelium, WA 99138

To give securely online, visit:
www.missionspro.org/donate