My Testimony

Does Jesus still perform miracles today?

It was when I lay in a New York Hospital in a coma and was not expected to survive, that He came to me and restored my life. It was this experience that radically changed my reality.

My wife Fabina and I, with our two small children, had just arrived in the United States from the Middle East. Having been born into a nominal Christian family in Pakistan and also living in Saudi Arabia, for 10 years I had experienced my share of overt and covert persecution. For this reason my wife and I longed to move to the United States, a country that provided religious freedom.

Robbed & Left for Dead

Although my background was in electronics, I opened a small convenience store in Brooklyn, New York, and was just getting on my feet when disaster struck. On May 1, 1995 a young man entered the store to “look around” and I asked him if I could help him find anything. I was abruptly greeted with an iron pipe to my head, and I landed on the floor bleeding to death and unconscious. Once I was found, I was transported to a local hospital where I lay in a coma for 22 days with a severe brain injury. The doctors only gave me a 50% chance of survival.

Do You Want to Live?

As I lay in that coma, Jesus appeared to me in a vision and simply asked me one question: “Where do you want to live?” My only response was to be with my mother, who lives in Pakistan. He then pointed His finger at me and told me that I must be “born again” if I would like to see my mother again. Before I had a chance to ask about this unusual term of being “born again”, He disappeared, and I slowly came out of the coma to the excited shouts of “He’s alive!” by the doctors and nurses.

Ten days later I was transported to a rehabilitation center for further evaluation. I was told that the right side of my brain was severely damaged and the left side of my body would be permanently paralyzed. The doctors also told me that I had lost my short-term memory, motion control, and planning abilities. In short, I was a “vegetable”.

My doctor then sent me to the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit for a 90-day treatment and therapy program to see if there was any chance of improvement in my condition. If not, I was to be sent to a Long Term Disability Unit. This only discouraged me more, since at this point I couldn’t even move or sit in a wheel chair.

Born Again

One day while being treated at the Traumatic Brain Injury Unit, a Christian Pastor visited me. He told me about acknowledging my shame (sin) before dying, though he said that confession alone was of no use. He said that the realization of my guilt had to be accompanied by a desire to be changed, and to follow Jesus as the person in charge of my life. Jesus was the only One who could truly pay the price for this change to happen. As I prayed for this inward change, I felt an electric current pass through my body and I started to proclaim in confidence that I was not going to die, but live and walk again by the newly discovered favor of God. This was when I knew the real meaning of being “born again”, allowing Jesus to change my life from the inside out.

Before the 90 days were over, much to the disbelief of the doctors, I had progressed from my wheel chair to my first step and started walking again. From there God started restoring my strength, and I became stronger both physically and spiritually. The doctors couldn’t believe the miraculous recovery of my memory and simply called it “incredible”. When they asked how I recovered so quickly, I joyously testified that Jesus had touched and healed me. As a result of these miraculous recovery steps, my wife Fabina also accepted Jesus’ invitation to become born again, and my heart was filled with joy in spite of impending surgery.

Plastic Skull and Full Recovery

My neurosurgeon told me I was going to have cranial surgery, which involved inserting a plastic plate underneath the skin to replace my damaged right skull bone. Again doctors warned me that there was only a 50% chance of full recovery. Despite this diagnosis I had confidence in my heart and trusted Jesus for a 100% recovery. During this time I constantly cried to God in prayer and visualized myself running, driving, and getting back to my normal activities. These prayers and visions lasted an entire year and thanks be to God, the surgery was a success.

During this year and a half of difficulties and trauma my family and I lost everything we had, including our business investment. However, despite these devastating circumstances and being physically weak, emotionally down, and financially broke, God gave me renewed courage, hope and enthusiasm to make a new start in life. As a result we moved to California with some relatives and I started working various jobs to reestablish me life. But once I arrived, it wasn’t as easy as I had wanted.

To California

I arrived in California after being renewed almost daily at a church in New York, but I was starving for fellowship in our new location. I fell into a deep depression and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The doctors in California acknowledged my miraculous healing, yet they indicated that my learning abilities were impaired. I believed that this was due to a lack of encouragement through relationships with other Christians. Soon I found a church and built strong relationships, renewing my faith. I again started to trust God for our future, and would constantly proclaim that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

Giving Hope to the Hopeless

With renewed strength and courage I started to train for a new career. I attended the International School of Ministry and Vision International University graduating in 2001 with honors, much to the amazement of my doctors. Upon completion God opened new doors for me through which I was able to re-establish my life. In 2006 I became an ordained minister through The Rock Church and World Outreach Center. God has placed the vision in my heart to reach the nations through media and healing. He gave me the mission to start a non-profit organization and to name it Hope In Christ Ministries.

The mission of Hope In Christ Ministries International is to reach Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Non-Christians and Christians alike, through the healing power and saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Today I feel blessed beyond belief. I have dedicated my life to my Lord Jesus Christ, who strengthens and guides me in every situation I encounter. I honor God for the miracles He has done for me. I am a living example of God’s miraculous power as He demonstrated by restoring my life.