When Latif was a young boy, his parents made their living by begging in the streets. As he grew, his parents began to pressure him to become a beggar, too. Latif wanted to go to school and study, but the very strict caste system in which they lived prevented him from doing so. Latif got married, and his wife joined his parents begging in the streets.
One day, Latif met a man, Nabeel, who was reading a Bible. He was reading about the miracle of the man with leprosy. In the passage, Jesus touched the man while others were afraid of him. Jesus then healed the man and cleared his leprosy. Nabeel told Latif that Jesus came to the world to love everyone. Latif wanted to know more about Jesus.
Nabeel and Latif began to meet daily to discuss the Bible. They studied passages that explained how Jesus gave His life for everyone, and how He is the only way of salvation. Latif noticed that the Bible didn’t say anything about the caste system, and people did not receive eternal life according to their high caste status. That realization would change Latif’s life. He accepted Jesus as his Savior and was baptized.
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After a while, people in Latif’s community realized he had left Hinduism. They gathered and beat him, screaming at him to leave their tribe. Then a tribe leader declared Latif’s family could stay, but no one from the community was allowed to speak to them; he added no one could help or employ Latif’s family either.
Inspired by her husband’s faith against such opposition, Latif’s wife also came to accept Christ. She was still a beggar and would beg with other women in the community, but those women grew to despise her because of her belief in Jesus. She, too, became a persecuted Christian living in Pakistan.
One day, heavy rain and flooding came to the region. Roofs had caved in and children were injured. But because of their caste status, no one from surrounding villages came to their rescue to help.
Then a local Christian couple, a Global Christian Relief partner, found out about the situation in the community and offered to help. They arrived with a medical team and provided emergency care. Latif told his extended family, “This all is from my Jesus! You all were searching all day for someone to come and help us, but no one came because we are beggars. But in my Jesus’ eyes, we are princes and princesses.”
The Christian couple then invited one person from every family in the village to their house. There, they prayed together and surprised everyone with bags of food items.
The couple has continued to meet with the disadvantaged families. Because of the couple’s kindness and compassion, many have come to Christ and have been baptized.
In Matthew 25:40 it says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me.” Latif, his family and their community have been looked down upon because of their status in society, but through the support of GCR and our partners, we’ve been able to show them that they matter and are loved—just where they’re at.
We’ve since received some prayer requests from Latif, a persecuted Christian living in Pakistan. Join us in praying now.
Lord God, we’re thankful for this story of salvation—a story possible because Christ demonstrated His love for the least of these. What abundant love that we’re grateful for.
We pray for the Sansi tribe, and specifically the beggars. We ask You open opportunities for them to find work—that they may maintain their dignity. We ask the Sansi people be able to attend schools and learn. And we pray the gospel will continue to grow within this tribe, that they’ll experience Christ and surrender all to Him. In Your name we pray. Amen.
*Name changed to preserve security
Pictured: A baptism of a Sansi tribe member
About the author
Tim Dustin writes for Global Christian Relief and tasks himself each day with sharing the stories of the beloved persecuted with the worldwide Church. Read the latest Christian persecution stories on our website and learn more at GlobalChristianRelief.org.
