By Daniel Khoroshchak –
From Pakistan, she arrived in Canada with hopes of becoming a CEO and making lots of money. Instead, Shulammite Nasir found herself doing the same, old thing as her parents.
Ministry.
“Surrendering to God for me meant letting go of my own desires, which my desires of being a CEO, making lots of money, having five years plan ahead,” says the young lady who immigrated in 11th grade. “That was me trusting myself and my own will and my own strength. And so surrender is when you let him take charge and telling God your pursuit will be my pursuit.“
As a result of relinquishing self plans, thousands are being impacted for Christ in her native Pakistan. When she started college, she also started an internship with Lakemount Worship Centre in Ontario. She also started a banking job.
She didn’t want to do to the church internship, especially since it was unpaid. But her dad insisted and she relented. Eventually, it grew on her. Or perhaps more correctly, God softened her heart.
In any case, she got a vision. One day she saw a pamphlet presenting the Gospel in her native tongue of Urdu. It sparked something. She proposed to the ministry the work to reach the 235M Pakistanis, 98% of whom are Muslim. The Bible wasn’t translated into every native language in Pakistan.
They teamed up with Wycliff Bible Translators and her ministry Alpha Pakistan was born, which aslo coordinates with her dad’s church in Lahore, Church of Pentecost. They do conferences. She is reaching young people, especially girls.
“Girls are forced to convert for their religion,” Shulammite says. “They don’t have any awareness. There’s no one to protect them… I have seen women saying, If she can do it, then we can do it. And guys too have come saying, Even though we’re guys, you inspire us just because what God has done in you, God can do in us as well.”
Shulammite’s grandfather was a Muslim imam, a teacher. But when he debated Christians, he wound up becoming one. To leave one’s religion in Islam can mean ostracism, rejection from family and even death. But her grandfather was determined to stay the course with Jesus.
That fervor passed on to his son, Shulammite’s father, Jamil Nasir, who leads a movement of churches based out of Lahore. The family immigrated to Canada, but maybe Pastor Jamil goes back to Pakistan to minister.
She carrying the torch of ministry.
“I’m always reminding myself that there’s a purpose and a plan in my life and God wrote it before I was even born,” she says. “So in my life it’s I can do all things in him who gives me strength.”
Sources: 100Huntley, others.
