By Dr. Musa Suleiman

In the year 2000, I walked into a conference for the wrong reason.

I wasn’t looking for Jesus.

I was looking for a girl.

She was popular and respected in the community, and many young men were interested in her. She hadn’t given much attention to them and honestly, that was exactly what attracted me to her.

So I walked into that hall with one thing on my mind.

Her.

But God had something completely different in mind.

As I entered the conference, I heard the words:

“I sought for you.”

Those words stayed with me.

They kept ringing in my mind. I couldn’t escape them. And somehow, I found myself at the altar, committing my life to Christ even though there had been no altar call.

That moment changed everything.

I didn’t know it then, but it was the beginning of a journey that would take me from medical school into some of the hardest places in Northern Nigeria and beyond.

THE FIRE BEGAN TO GROW

When I got to university, my passion for Jesus grew stronger.

After a campus programme with Evangelist Gbile Akanni, I began preaching and sharing my story. I spent time praying, preaching, and looking for ways to make an impact for God’s Kingdom.

But deep inside, I still felt that something was missing.

Then one night, while I was praying, I heard God say:

“I will make you a threshing instrument.”

I didn’t understand what it meant.

So I shared it with mature friends in the faith, and they helped me understand that God wanted to use my life to win souls for His Kingdom.

I began making plans.

My plan seemed simple: finish medical school, build a church, and raise money to support missionaries.

My parents were wealthy, so I thought that was how I would serve God.

But God had another plan.

THE DARK, DIRTY FIELD

One day, I had a dream.

I was shown a dark and dirty field.

I wondered why I wasn’t being shown the beautiful places filled with flowers and trees.

Then I was told that I was being asked to clean the dark, dirty places and make them like the beautiful ones.

I asked, “How do I do what you have asked me to do?”

The answer came:

“My grace is sufficient for you.”

When I woke up, something became clearer to me.

The thought of missions and becoming involved in missions began to take root in my heart.

I started searching for mission agencies that did not pay salaries or allowances because of the picture God had placed in my heart.

Eventually, I met a CAPRO staff member who was mobilising missionaries.

I asked him plainly:

“Do you pay salaries?”

He said, “No. Our salary is Philippians 4:19 -‘My God shall supply all your needs.’”

I remember thinking:

“I have gotten it!”

I wanted to drop out immediately, but they insisted that I finish my schooling first.

Today, I am grateful they did.

WHEN EVERYONE THOUGHT I WAS WASTING MY LIFE

I finished my schooling and received training as a missionary.

It wasn’t easy.

My family thought I was throwing my life away.

My friends thought the same.

They had good jobs and were building their careers. Whenever I needed support, they would sometimes say:

“We thought God called you.”

But God had called me.

And He kept His word.

God began to provide in ways I could never have planned.

Towards the beginning of my ministry, I remember needing funds. Then one day, a foreigner came to me in the desert and gave me foreign currency.

I asked where he was from.

He told me God had not told him to give me his location.

I asked his name.

He said God had not told him to give me his name either.

I asked him to fill in his details in our visitors’ book.

He said there was nothing like that.

God had simply told him to give me the money.

I told him I would escort him, but asked him to allow me to close the door first.

He agreed.

But before I could come out of the compound, I could no longer see him.

I knew something extraordinary had happened because it was not possible for someone to walk out of sight that quickly in that desert area.

That experience strengthened my faith and trust in God.

Over the years, I have experienced supernatural provision and incredible testimonies concerning finances. Our partners have also shared similar testimonies when they give towards the work.

WHEN YOUR PROFESSION BECOMES A MISSIONS TOOL

God has allowed me to serve among different people groups in Northern Nigeria and in countries including Chad, Benin Republic, and Cameroon.

Along the way, I discovered that the profession God had given me could become a powerful tool for missions.

I began using my medical training to open hearts.

The medical care we brought into communities often made people more receptive to the Gospel.

In one village, it even saved our lives.

People had started attacking us until they realised that we could help them medically.

That experience taught me something important:

God can use what is already in your hands.

I remembered Exodus 4, when God asked Moses:

“What is that in your hand?”

Moses had a rod.

God used that rod to perform miracles.

In the same way, God can use our professions, skills, resources, and abilities to reach nations.

THE HARVEST IS WORTH THE SACRIFICE

God has used my ministry to see thousands come to Christ.

But our focus is not on taking glory for the numbers.

We are focused on doing the work.

Many of those who have come to Christ have been baptised, are standing for the Gospel, and are discipling others.

I have learned that it pays to serve Jesus.

No sacrifice is too much.

No amount is too big when we consider what Jesus did for us.

There is a great fulfilment in seeing people saved and rescued from the clutches of darkness.

But I often think about those who are still waiting.

Those who have never heard.

Imagine the souls that could be lost simply because the Gospel was never preached to them.

This is the life I have chosen.

Giving my all for the Gospel.

THE MISSION BELONGS TO ALL OF US

The work of the Great Commission is not for a select few.

It is for all of us.

Some are called to go.

Some are called to pray.

Some are called to give.

Some are called to send and support missionaries.

But everyone can be involved.

Churches and believers should be actively involved in adopting missionaries and supporting missions.

Just imagine the souls that will populate heaven because you chose to yield your life, your resources, your prayers, or your influence to God’s mission.

The question is not whether you are a missionary.

The question is:

How will you be part of the mission?

The harvest is still plentiful.

The unreached are still waiting.

And there is still a role for you.

Will you pray?
Will you give?
Will you go?
Will you send?

The Great Commission belongs to all of us.

Join me as we reach the unreached.

 Dr. Musa Suleiman