Mariah is a student in one of GoTEN’s English classes and has been attending classes for a little over a year. As a young Muslim woman from an unreached people group in an African country, Mariah has not had many opportunities to pursue expanding her education, so from the beginning, she was extremely faithful to English class. As her teacher got to know her, she learned that Mariah walked for 15 or 20 minutes to a metro transit station where she boarded a train for a 45-minute ride to the GoTEN Training Center. Mariah would then actively engage in English for an hour and fifteen minutes before walking to the transit station again for her journey back home. Despite the extreme effort and intentionality it cost her, Mariah remained committed to learning. 

Mariah eventually told her teacher that she loved to read and wanted to use it to better her English, so her teacher started taking her to the city library after class one day each week. They would check out books, then go to Mariah’s house to read together. On one of these visits, Mariah’s teacher shared with her the story of Jesus healing the woman who was bleeding. Mariah smiled as she listened to the story and then said, “I have seen this story in a movie. One of my grandfathers is a Muslim, but my other grandfather prays to Jesus!” This was incredible news to Mariah’s teacher! 

As her teacher began to learn more of Mariah’s story, she was able to tell Mariah about times in her own life when she felt the touch of Jesus. How He brought peace in the middle of a scary time, and how He brings daily joy. During this conversation, Mariah said, “I am a Muslim, but I believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that God sent Him to save us.” More beautiful words have never been spoken! 

This story is a perfect picture of GoTEN’s purpose to engage with people in discipleship relationships! Through this same English class, Mariah has also connected with a volunteer who shares her love for reading and they talk and read together weekly. Now both women are at the beginning of a discipleship journey with Mariah, and it all began with a simple connection in English class, furthered by a developing friendship over a mutual love of reading. Connections like these are being made every day in our classes. Make yours this month!