Terri Stipanovich, wife of famed sports legend and All American BMA star, Steve Stipanovich, experienced a call for her life into a ministry that was to see many responding to the love of Jesus Christ.
Largely through reading the Bible book of James, she knew that real faith expressed itself in good works. (Ephesians 2:8-10) Her call included helping the homeless, addressing the wickedness of “sex slavery,” the poor, and especially women who were followers of Jesus as former Muslims.
In that culture, having a life change brought on by Jesus, persecution is often severe. They are frequently divorced by their husbands because of their new faith, ostracized and persecuted by their people, and often their children taken away from them.
Terri reports of some of the women in Eastern Africa where she regularly visits must sleep on the floor of the church fellowship because they no longer have a home to which to go!
Yet they keep coming to Jesus, the Son of God, drawn by His love and seen in the lives of Terri and the others who visit them. She and her “Faith That Works” ministry friends focus on being like Jesus to these women.
She reports of their having “dreams and visions” of Jesus, sometimes multiple times! This is happening all over the Muslim world. (A strong and high quality reenactments of five individuals from five different Middle Eastern countries is available for anytime access and viewing at www.morethandreams.org. From that website: “More Than Dreams” tells the compelling, true stories of five Muslims from five countries who share one life-changing experience. Each of them saw Jesus Christ in a dream or a vision and their lives were forever transformed.” )
And impressive and practical way in which “Faith That Works” helps these persecuted women have a livelihood. The ministry helps them in skills in making garments that are sold on the website. My wife Joan went home on this day of recording with Terri, visited www.faith-that-works.org/shop and ordered three lovely garments. They arrived at our home very quickly, and Joan was delighted! A big part of our joy was knowing that, even in a small way, we had helped these ladies in their great time of sacrifice and need … because of their faith in Jesus!