We wanted to get to know our Pakistani neighbors and bless their local restaurant with our patronage, so we started eating early dinner there a few times a week.

We had come to know several of the staff, along with many people from within the community. But during one unusually empty night, we found ourselves alone in the dining room with Ahmed, our Pakistani waiter.

“I know you are followers of Isa,” Ahmed told us. “I know this because you are so nice.”

Then he leaned in closer and whispered, “I follow Isa, too.”

We were speechless. We had been praying for months that God would lead us to seekers of truth in our neighborhood. Now God was answering our prayers.

Ahmed’s faith continues to grow. He is now being discipled, and he shares his faith little-by-little. But like many of the 125,000 Pakistanis in New York City, his desire to provide a better life for his teenage children keeps him busy. Ahmed works 60 hours or more every week.

There are several Pakistani Christians from a Muslim background living in New York City, but most, like Ahmed, are secret believers, and so far, there’s no Pakistani church for former Muslims.

Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

• Pray that God will use Ahmed to bring many of his friends and family to faith in Christ.
• Pray that secret believers can find each other and form churches.
• Pray for God to raise up a missionary team to reach out with the love of Jesus to the Pakistani community in NYC.