God is using a bold husband and wife team based in the UK to be His witness among Somali people everywhere. Why? Because the story of Jesus transforming their lives stands out among Somali people. Both born in Mogadishu as Muslims, Shino and Shania today are followers of Jesus, and they want everyone, especially Somalis, to know.
The couple creates and uploads videos once or twice every week that explain the gospel and teach new believers. Facebook Messenger is a big part of their outreach. On a typical day, the couple spend their time with earbuds plugged in, huddled over their phones, responding to the dozens of messages they receive daily from Somalis interested in the gospel of Jesus.
Over the past couple of years, the couple has created a database of Christian Somali resources on their website. “We always answer questions from the Bible. We never talk about Islam; we just share the love of Christ and the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing the Word of Jesus,” Shania explained.
When possible, the two advise new Somali believers living in western countries to connect with local fellowships for further spiritual growth. But for those living in Muslim countries or Somalia itself, “we are their church,” Shino explained. “We disciple them through Skype, WhatsApp, email, different things…I say we have a church without walls.”
The same tools Shino and Shania use to disciple new believers — social media, messaging apps, the Internet — are also used to threaten and intimidate them. These virtual threats are reminders of the very real attacks they face on a regular basis. In Somalia, “if you convert to Christianity, the sentence is death,” Shino said. Although the couple now live in the UK (having immigrated from Somalia with their families in the ‘90s), Somali religious authorities have still issued orders to shut them down.
