“The believers in Somalia, they are giving up all they have, just to follow Christ — and we can all learn from their sacrifice," shared Shino.
For least-reached people groups spread out around the globe or living in contexts where the gospel cannot be freely shared, social media has proven to be an effective way to share about Jesus. This is the case for ministering to Somalis in Somalia, as well as to the Somali diaspora. An estimated 53 per cent of the 28 million Somalis live outside of Somalia, with the highest numbers being in Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti, and yet the global number of Somalis who follow Jesus is still less than 1 per cent*.
Shino and his wife, Shanya, themselves both from a Somali Muslim background, are passionately reaching out to their own people group with the message of Jesus — primarily online. Transformed by their own encounters with Jesus, the couple utilises a variety of platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and a website to reach out to fellow Somalis. They regularly face opposition and threats as they share, but remain confident that the message of hope, joy and life found in Christ must be spread.
“A Somali will say that they are a Muslim and then that they are Somali,” explained Shino. “So when my wife and I left Islam, we had people say to us: ‘You cannot be Somali’. This is how it is for those that choose to follow Christ. They lose their families, they cannot go home, and they may lose their life.”
Abdi** lives in Somalia and came to faith after listening to Shino and Shayna's online teaching. He is growing deeper in his faith through an online discipleship programme with the couple, but faces challenges. Because his community does not have good internet connectivity and is not a safe environment for him to speak freely about his faith, Abdi walks 6 kilometres (3.7 miles) one way to join the calls. “We told him to ‘Stay home, we will find a different way to disciple you,' but he said, 'No, I want to be with the team. It gives me encouragement that I see you and know other believers; to pray together and to ask my questions.’” Committed, Abdi continues to make the long walk every week to join other Somali Jesus followers in fellowship and to grow in his faith.
“The Somali Jesus followers are like the widow [in Mark 12] who came to give God all the money she had at the synagogue — even if it was very little. And Jesus told the disciples that her small gift was greater than all the others’, because she gave all she had to live on,” Shino explained. “The believers in Somalia, they are giving up all they have, just to follow Christ — and we can all learn from their sacrifice.”
Pray for the many Somali viewers and listeners who are engaging with the gospel message that is shared online — that they would hear the truth and believe. Pray for wisdom as Shino and Shanya teach and preach messages of love. Pray too for the Somali Jesus followers to grow in their faith and be powerful testimonies of the hope in their families and communities.
**name changed