A Glorious Moment

Samy and Eman Awad (Navigators Nations Within) are embracing pandemic ministry, watching with joy as God removes barriers and heals hearts.

“We see this as a glorious moment,” Samy says. “Fear, uncertainty, and sickness do not discriminate between citizens and immigrants, young and old, rich and poor. Everyone is equal. This is the time to tell people about our hope and peace and rest in our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. As 1 Peter 3:15 says, ‘But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.’“

The Awads believe God can turn a curse into a blessing, and that He will transform the hearts of the nations as billions face the unknown.

“Eman is investing in a 19-year-old college student,” Samy says. “This young woman had a lot of questions and confusion about God and her identity in Christ. After eight months of weekly meetings with Eman, God has restored her completely, freed her from her struggles and doubts, and has restored her relationship with her family. She has decided to follow God and study the Bible.”

One couple Samy and Eman had been reaching out to had struggled for a long time in their marriage and were headed to divorce.

“After the pandemic hit, we prayed with the man and they started to mend their relationship,” Samy says. “I recently reconnected with my friend about this miracle in his marriage. He likened the transformation to when Jesus ordered the sea to be silent. God touched their hearts. Now he is trying to bring the light of Christ to his wife and prays continuously for her. I trust God to restore their lives and give grace for the glory of our King Jesus.”

While the pandemic drives most of us physically apart, God has used it to spiritually regather many.

“Another of our friends who had been involved with our ministry in the past but had stopped for a while reached out to me when the pandemic started,” Samy says. “He called me and we prayed over the phone. He decided to join us online again.”

Samy recently began texting Psalm 91 to people in their neighborhood. Many were touched by God’s Word in an uncertain time. Eman sent the Jesus Film (the Gospel of Luke) to five women, praying that God would open eyes and hearts.

Though all their meetings are now being run over social media platforms, these meetings are continuing on schedule every week. God has been faithful to continue His ministry.

“We miss the face-to-face interaction, but we are thankful for technology,” Samy says. “We’ve found God in the midst of this. We’ve had local and international Bible studies and facilitated prayer and discipleship online. People are more available now, and God is doing a great work among families. Our online international discipleship meetings are working wonderfully well and seem to be even more effective than before the pandemic. We can see lives transformed through the gospel of Jesus in young and old generations!” 

Praise the Lord for what God is doing in the lives that Samy and Eman are investing in through online discipleship. Be praying for how you can be used to bring light and hope to those God has placed in your life. God will bless it! No virus can stop His power to do good!