Once a woman becomes a Muslim, she should follow this faith through rest of her life. But this is not the case for Gulzhan, a former Muslim and now a believer in Christ. She met Jesus in her dream. After that miraculous encounter, she decided to surrender herself to Jesus and accept him as Lord and Savior of her life.
Her "traitorous" decision spread rapidly throughout a village in Middle East, where Islamic belief is deeply entrenched in people's minds. Gulzhan faced persecution from her neighbors, according to a report from Christian News.
Most of the time, people stare at her, and talk about her new belief, which they described as "evil." They think that it is ridiculous to believe in Jesus Christ.
After the winter had arrived, the cold weather drove villagers off the streets and into their homes. During that time, Gulzhan decided to stay indoors to avoid persecution from the community.
However, the worst persecution did not come from the outside. Gulzhan's husband Elemes did not want her new belief. He felt shamed by Gulzhan's new faith in Jesus and turned violently angry towards her.
Gulzhan has a habit of reading the Bible every day, but she did it in secret so that her husband would not beat her.
Whenever her husband sees her reading the Bible, he would pull her across the floor while yelling curses at her and saying insulting words to Jesus Christ.
Even though Gulzhan faced persecution from her husband, she still wants to be with him. She learned that she should have patience and love in her heart in times of trouble. Whenever she feels lonely or troubled, she prays to God to touch the heart of her husband.
One day, as Gulzhan was reading the word of God, Elemes dragged her from their house and shoved her out into the snow. He did not provide shoes nor coat to his wife.
Despite this condition, her soul praised the Lord.
"God had so filled my heart with His Spirit and joy," Gulzhan said. "I simply continued singing and didn't feel the cold as I searched out a place to stay."
Elemis eventually let Gulzhan return home, but his beating did not stop. Gulzhan stood strong, she read the Bible every day and prayed to God to give her more strength in times of trouble
After a year, one night, Elemes woke up in a panic. He can't move his body. "I can't move!" he screamed. Paralysis had overtaken his body.
Elemes languished in his paralysis, and after several days, God started to fill his heart with a holy fear.
One night, God spoke to Elemes in a dream. God said that the paralysis was the result of Elemes' insults to Jesus.
Within a week, Elemes repented to God and asked his wife for forgiveness, which she gladly accepted. After that, he asked her wife if she and other believers could pray for his healing.
The healing process for Elemes was not instant. But God slowly restored his strength from his upper body down to his feet. Day after day, he felt God's love for him.
Elemes' anger toward Gulzhan and his hatred of Jesus have been dramatically transformed. He became the strongest ally of Gulzhan in spreading the word of God to their community.
Pray for this couple, that their radical faith in the Savior would draw many in this hostile village to Him.
