Radio 7 has become a place of encouragement and a path that has taught people how to walk with God and know His nature better. For many people, Radio 7 has been ″ church ″ in every house or town in the Balkans because people have found it impossible to go to a local church for a variety of reasons. Such is the testimony we will share with you today.

Ida is a young girl from a small town. She gave her life to Jesus at age 15 when she was in the ninth grade. Ida had never heard of Jesus or His sacrificial love demonstrated for her on the cross. She grew up in a social environment where she thought no one loved her or even wanted to know about her. She had low self-esteem and had forgotten how to laugh or find a reason to move forward. Until one day, a relative talked to her about Jesus and His love. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior! And now, she has found the reason to laugh and live. Her life was filled with peace and joy. But the challenges had just begun. The culture and mindset in which Ida lived were at odds with her faith.

Her parents were not happy their daughter had converted to Christianity.  They were a Muslim family and would not accept their daughter’s decision. The parents forbid Ida to attend the local church in her hometown. They did not allow her to keep a Bible in her home or any other Christian book. She could not meet any other Christian friend.

In these circumstances, Ida did not have a church where she could grow in faith, nor could she read the Bible herself and learn more about God and His Word. But our God never leaves His children without the nourishment of His Word, even if it seems impossible. He uses the most beautiful ways to show Himself to His children. Ida could not attend a church, but Radio 7 programs became her church for the next two years. One fine day as she was looking for music on her cell phone on her Facebook page, she saw a post from Radio 7. She turned on the FM frequency and followed us on social media as well. Listening to Radio 7 every day, Ida began to understand more of her Heavenly Father’s nature.
She loved all of our programs, and through them, God helped her grow in her faith. She remembers how ″Unshackled″ stories encouraged her every week for those first months. Amazed by the stories and the lives that God had changed in the most extreme circumstances, she realized how much God loved the world and the people who were lost in darkness.

Leading the Way program with Dr. Michael Youssef helped her grow in faith and helped her to get rooted in the Word of God. Also, through our programs and posts on the Facebook page, she memorized verses from the Bible. She learned how to pray and understand the power of prayer, learned about the challenges and difficulties that the pursuit of Jesus had.
Radio7 programs helped her not to stumble and lose hope that her family persecution because of her faith would end one day. Radio 7 programs helped her in those first years to endure the persecution.
 
Even when everyone criticized her for the new path she had embarked on, our social media posts and programs nurtured her with hope. Radio 7 became for her the only window of hope, encouragement, and growth in the path of faith.

Now Ida is studying Journalism at University and is an intern at Radio 7, giving hope to many young people like her, who need Jesus and are persecuted for their faith.
Ida wrote, “No matter how far away you are, or how impossible it is for you to attend a church, read the Bible, for God, nothing is impossible, He finds a way, opens a door or window where you can enter to grow in life with Him.”