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Anwar* found himself stuck in Europe after fleeing for his life from Middle East. His entire family was killed by the Taliban when they raided his home … and he alone survived.

The journey had been long and left Anwar with nothing but fear, exhaustion, and loneliness.

He found himself in Europe—wandering the city parks, surrounded by people, and lost in his life’s own darkness.

While walking through the park one summer day, a person on a short-term mission trip approached him. Anwar was confused. The man looked Middle Eastern and spoke to him in Farsi, but he was with Americans and was wearing American clothing.

The trip team member introduced himself, starting a conversation—something rarely done in these parts—but Anwar found no threat from this man, and introduced himself in return saying, “My name is Anwar.”

The team member paused, and with a gleam of excitement in his eyes, asked him, “Do you know what your name means?”

Caught off guard by this question and the look in this man’s face, Anwar stumbled through his words without giving a real response. But the man answered for him, “Anwar, your name means light!”

While Anwar’s thoughts raced, our national partner began to tell a story of the Son of Man who was Light. He explained that this Man was Jesus, and He came to bring Light into the darkness as the Hope for all people … even for Anwar.

Anwar looked up at the team member—his mind racing and his heart beating—and said, “I want to believe.” And in that moment, he became a member of the Kingdom of Light.

*Name changed for security reasons.

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