[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_custom_heading text=”By Haley Knudsen” font_container=”tag:h6|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1610463314641{margin-bottom: 22px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”120674″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]01/13/2021 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – Charles woke up in disorienting darkness to a throbbing pain splintering through his entire body. The chatter from his father, uncles, and imam were a muted whisper coming from beyond a locked door. Fragmented memories of an exorcism, name-calling, and the crack of the whip brought back the horrific experience his family had put him through only hours before. But one hopeful thought drowned out the fear: If he were to die, he would be in Heaven with his God.
After two days of captivity and torture at the hands of his family, Charles was free. But life would never be the same.
Charles was raised in his early years by Christian parents who were killed in a car crash. He was then adopted by Ilhar Mudasir, a wealthy and dedicated Muslim originally from Saudi Arabia.
By 15, Charles had memorized the entire Quran. Later, he traveled from Kenya to Iran to further his studies in Islam. But when he returned home in 2014, he met a missionary named Robbie who was determined to share the Gospel with Charles.
Charles was determined to convert Robbie to Islam, and this made his father proud. But as the Lord softened Charles’ heart, his foundation in Islam began to crack. In his analysis of the Bible and Islamic texts, he found that only the Bible clearly outlined the way for him to get to paradise.
“John 14:6 struck me, and I started doubting if Mohammed was a true prophet…Nowhere in the Quran showed us the way to paradise,” recalled Charles.
Eventually he turned his life over to Christ and that’s when everything with his adopted family exploded. When he told his father he had turned to Jesus, he was beaten mercilessly and his father dragged him to the bathroom to behead him. The only reason it didn’t happen was because his mother screamed at his father to not kill him, as it was illegal in Kenya and he would be jailed for life.
He was eventually able to escape, but a year later, his father reached out to him to reconcile. However, his father was actually planning on taking him to the Middle East where he could kill him.
By God’s grace, Charles’ brother told him of his father’s plan while he was on his way to the airport.
After that, Charles didn’t speak with his family for two years.
During this time, Charles had been praying for his father’s heart to be softened by the Word of God. He agreed to meet his father one more time. He called to let his father know that he had forgiven him, and they agreed to see each other at a café.
After just a few sips of his coffee, Charles’ stomach began to ache, and a sinking feeling overtook him. He realized that he had been poisoned. He rushed to the restroom and began to vomit violently. Soon after, he passed out and a good Samaritan brought him to the hospital.
“After healing from my father’s poison, I purposed to never meet him or any other family member, including my two blood brothers. I started volunteering at Word of Life ministries, which gave me a sense of hope and a future,” Charles said.
ICC helped Charles relocate after yet another assassination attempt from his father. After narrowly escaping death numerous times, Charles is now working full time as an evangelist to Muslims in one of Kenya’s most fundamentalist neighborhoods.
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