Sometimes, the most powerful Gospel message is caring for those in need.
Jakodi, his wife, Qadira, and their two children had a stable life in Iraq. He enjoyed a steady job at a heavy industry company, and they were very religious. Jakodi would visit the local mosque regularly to offer prayers.
But then everything changed. When his town was invaded by extremists, they tried to recruit Jakodi, telling him that if he didn’t join their ranks, they would kill him. So Jakodi and his family fled to Jordan. Two months later, however, when Jakodi returned to retrieve his parents, he was captured by the extremist group.
Jesus on the Other Side of Hardship
They tortured Jakodi, ripping out his nails and teeth. And when they thought he was dead, they discarded him like garbage. In their eyes, he was nothing more than trash. But Jakodi was still alive and was soon discovered by strangers. They treated him kindly and took him into their home for a month.
Jakodi tried to take a taxi to Baghdad to begin his journey back to Jordan, but he was still very weak. His cab driver noticed Jakodi’s condition and thought it best to deliver him to a Christian family he knew would care for him.
For six months, these Jesus-followers cared for Jakodi as he continued to recover from the beatings he’d received. When he finally did make it back to Jordan, it was clear to all that he had also suffered significant emotional trauma. This created challenges in his marriage and made it difficult for him to find new employment. At the same time, Jakodi discovered that his wife, Qadira, had her own difficulties—she was enduring tremendous pain as a result of a newly diagnosed brain tumor. She would need surgery.
Accepting the Christian Gospel Message
At the advice of a friend, Jakodi decided to visit a local church. Upon returning from the service, Jakodi told Qadira: “You must come with me! God is present there!” And so, together, the couple began attending the meetings. A member of the church discipled Jakodi, and he began studying the Bible fervently and watching messages on Christian television. In all this listening and reading, Jakodi became convinced of the Christian Gospel message and accepted Jesus as his Savior.
The Gospel Message and Miraculous Healing
As Qadira’s scheduled surgery drew near, the church lifted her up in prayer and continued sharing the Good News with her. The night before the surgery was to take place, Jesus appeared to Qadira in a dream and healed her. The next morning, she was so convinced that her experience was more than a simple dream, she asked for a new MRI scan. The results shocked the doctors. Her tumor was gone! Qadira accepted Jesus into her life and decided to take off her hijab. She began receiving discipleship lessons and taking Bible courses.
While this was wonderful news for Jakodi and Qadira, not everyone saw their new commitment to Jesus Christ as a good thing. When their extended family discovered their newfound faith, they disowned them and declared that it was now permissible to kill them. All communication and financial ties were severed.
Help The Persecuted Team Lives out the Gospel Message
Today, Jakodi, Qadira, and their two children are doing everything they can to build a new life for themselves in Jordan. Jakodi still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to his kidnapping and beatings by the extremists. He did find a job, but when the global pandemic hit it was eliminated. The couple are now expecting their third child, and trusting God’s provision in this miracle.
The Help The Persecuted team and our partners have stepped in with financial support to help during this time of transition, funding living expenses, medical care, and tuition for the couple’s oldest daughter, Sabella. Members of our team follow-up with Jakodi and his family, providing discipleship and encouragement as they navigate their new life.
Neither Jakodi nor Qadira were looking for Jesus, but He showed up all the same—and it all started when a Christian family took a wounded and broken man into their home. Today, the healing, restorative power of Jesus is showing up through support of the Body of Christ—people like you.