“I grew up in a Padal Muslim community and I even learned to speak Padal,” Hannan began. “I had Padal friends but never thought seriously about building relationships with them until challenged by my Global Teams leaders.  So, I started sharing stories with them about Isa: the feeding of the 5,000, the healing of the paralytic, and the disciples’ extraordinary fish catch.  They’d wait until I left, then they would discuss about whether the stories I told them were true or not. The community was quite closed and I didn’t see much fruit.

“Then about three years ago, GT leaders laid hands on me and officially commissioned me into the Padal work.  I don’t know how to describe it, but after that my words had more authority and I had an infusion of faith for God’s breakthrough among the Padal.  Some members of the Padal community started coming to me privately – for fear of persecution – to discuss the stories I was sharing.  I began teaching a handful of Padal that wanted to follow Isa.

“I live in a cold region of the country and one year the winter was especially bad.  The Padal are mostly poor, so I began passing out blankets in the community.  They naturally asked where I got the blankets. When I told them that I shared their needs with my friends and that they had helped, they were deeply impressed. During my distribution, I discovered a group of homeless Padal living at the train station. The blankets opened doors of friendship among them and I learned more about their needs.

“I decided to help a number of them open small sidewalk stalls selling needed items to the many train passengers.  God blessed our efforts with success.  One boy was particularly successful, so much so that he could afford to take a wife!  The Padal community said it was a miracle – a miracle of love – that a street boy could start his own business and succeed.  The love of God softened their hearts and whole Padal Muslim families began to put their faith in the saving work of Isa.

“Over a period of about eight years, approximately 100 families began to follow Christ. Then six months ago, something amazing happened. I was invited to pray for a woman and her infant daughter who was dying.  The baby refused to nurse and they expected the child to die at any moment.  I went with others to the house to pray and the Padal started coming to observe.  We had prayed for needs before, but this time the numbers coming to watch kept growing.  I mentioned that through the laying on of hands, God had given me the gift of faith and so we prayed with great boldness.  The Padal lingered at the house to see what would happen and the baby started nursing again. Within two days, it was clear that she would live.

“News of this miracle done in Isa’s name has spread like wildfire among the Padal.”