A Pilot Risks Persecution to Share Christ in His Homeland

Summary

Podcast Summary: GPS God. People. Stories.

Episode: A Pilot Risks Persecution to Share Christ in His Homeland

Billy Graham Evangelistic Association | January 28, 2026

Host: Jim Kirkland
Guest: Bassett Hamad

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Overview

This episode explores the remarkable journey of Bassett Hamad, a Christian from an unnamed country where following Jesus is met with severe persecution. Despite numerous obstacles—including poverty, societal rejection, and constant danger—Bassett chooses to dedicate his life to Christ and ultimately pursues a calling to become a missionary pilot, aiming to reach isolated communities in his homeland. His story embodies resilience, faith, and a steadfast commitment to the Great Commission, all under the threat of life-altering consequences.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Growing Up Under Persecution

• Early Life: Bassett shares that Christian evangelism is illegal in his home country (name withheld for safety). Christians are a tiny minority (~0.2%).

• Family Hardship: His father was denied employment due to his faith, pushing the family into poverty.

  “Sometimes all we have to eat is just bread and water. And when I talk about bread, it's just bread. No sides, no fancy ranch, nothing else. Just bread. Water was also one of the big challenges.” – Bassett Hamad [02:33]

• School Discrimination: Bassett was the only Christian student in his school, facing social ostracism and daily rejection.

  "They did not wanted to sit with me, share their meals with me, or sometime even play with me." – Bassett Hamad [02:58]

• Parental Guidance: His parents encouraged him to find strength in God. He particularly clings to Proverbs 3:5–6 as a life verse.

  "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean onto your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all thy ways, and he shall direct your path." – Bassett Hamad [03:16]

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2. An Unforgettable Gift: Operation Christmas Child

• At age 13, Bassett received his first-ever gift through Samaritan’s Purse. The shoebox, containing school supplies and a picture Bible, was deeply meaningful.

  "Before that, I have never received a gift in my life... one of the most precious thing that I received in my shoebox was a picture Bible." – Bassett Hamad [05:01]

• Despite the Bible being in English, Bassett’s mother would help him connect the stories to references in their language. The gift nurtured his budding faith.

  “My mom always used to tell us to pray about the things that we need and God will provide us at the right time. ...that picture Bible was an answer to my prayers.” – Bassett Hamad [05:31]

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3. Faith Tested and Solidified

• Teenage Doubts: At 16, Bassett sought deeper answers during a church camp after a minor accident embarrassed him in front of peers.

• Honest Questions: He privately questioned a preacher about suffering and why God allows his hardships.

  “Why did Jesus give his life for me on the cross? If God is sovereign, why doesn't he save me?... He answered my question, starting from the creation, from God all the way to the message of salvation and gave me all of the biblical references.” – Bassett Hamad [07:58]

• Conversion: Through reflection and hearing John 3:16, Bassett accepted Christ, understanding both the cost and the joy found in salvation.

  “I know it is challenging, I know it's difficult, but there are believers in my country and they find joy if they will get persecuted on God's name.” – Bassett Hamad [09:11]

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4. Serving as a Young Christian

• Bassett began serving in his local church, playing a traditional instrument and participating in street evangelism.
• Recognized the need to reach remote villages inaccessible by road.
• Initial attempts to hike to these communities failed due to harsh conditions and lack of resources.

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5. A Higher Calling: Becoming a Missionary Pilot

• Prayed for a way to reach isolated villages with the gospel—envisioned using aircraft.
• Realized civil aviation was unavailable in his country and military charters were unaffordable.
• Contacted international mission aviation organizations; one in Alaska encouraged him to train as a pilot in the U.S.

  “They said...they couldn't do what he ultimately could do. So they suggested he come to the United States to get his flight training to become a missionary pilot back in his country.” – Jim Kirkland [12:05]

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6. A Long Wait and Miraculous Breakthroughs

• Nine years of struggle: raising funds, building connections, and waiting for a U.S. visa, facing significant discouragement.

• Faced near hopelessness due to political and personal barriers:

  “The consultants, everybody was telling me that I'm not going to be able to go to US because there is no chance they're going to give me the visa... all negative that I'm going to get visa. There was no chance.” – Bassett Hamad [13:38]

• Encouragement of faith:

  “Prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God. …We walk by faith and not by sight.” – Bible college president (paraphrased by Bassett Hamad) [14:22]

• Finally received the visa, moved to the U.S., and attended Bible college—calling it a complete miracle.

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7. New Connections and Life Transformation in the U.S.

• At a U.S. church, he recognized Operation Christmas Child and became a volunteer spokesperson, sharing how the shoebox ministry had impacted him.
• Met his future wife at a spokesperson training. Earned a master’s degree, became a pilot, and began the process of ordination.
• Established a nonprofit focused on bringing sound doctrine and the gospel to unreached groups, including in his own country.

  "There is a big need of the gospel in my country and we want to do that. And God is slowly opening up the door of aviation as well." – Bassett Hamad [16:11]

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Memorable Quotes & Encouragement

• On Enduring Persecution:

  “I personally know believers and pastors who have lost their lives because of their faith...But there is one thing that I knew that I'm saved and that was the joy because I'm saved from God's wrath. And that was just so precious and amazing for me.” – Bassett Hamad [09:11]

• On Trust and Prayer:

  “Trust in the Lord and lean onto your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all thy ways and he shall direct your path. ... Pray, pray, pray. …Great commission is for everybody. It's not a suggestion.” – Bassett Hamad [20:22]

• Encouragement from Billy Graham:

  "Nowhere in the Bible do I read that Christians should expect it to be normal, to be popular or comfortable or successful in the eyes of this world... you will be blessed and happy and have special compensations and rewards if you suffer persecution." – Billy Graham [17:33]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:00] – Bassett recounts the risks of being a Christian in his country
• [02:12] – Describes poverty and discrimination faced by his family
• [03:16] – Shares the life verse that shaped his endurance
• [04:40] – Receives Operation Christmas Child shoebox and picture Bible
• [06:59] – Youth camp questioning/accident leads to open-hearted conversation about faith
• [08:36] – His conversion and decision to follow Christ despite the risks
• [09:51] – Begins ministry and local evangelism
• [10:24] – Vision to reach remote villages, challenges of poverty and lack of resources
• [11:19] – Prays for ways to access remote areas—dreams of flying
• [12:05] – Invitation to the U.S. for pilot training
• [13:38] – Struggles and discouragement about moving forward
• [14:22] – Encouragement from Bible college president about prayer and faith
• [15:03] – Surprise church connection to Operation Christmas Child in the U.S.
• [16:11] – Forms nonprofit and prepares for long-term ministry back home
• [20:22] – Bassett’s primary lesson for listeners: trust, pray, and participate in the Great Commission

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Conclusion

Bassett’s life story is both a testament to the power of faith amidst hardship and a call to action for all Christians. His journey—from isolated believer to future missionary pilot and church leader—exemplifies how prayer, perseverance, and willingness to trust God’s direction can lead to extraordinary outcomes, even in the most restricted and perilous circumstances.

Final words from Bassett:

“Great commission is for everybody. It's not a suggestion... God has a way that he's going to use us for his kingdom and for his glory.” [20:22]

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For more resources on faith, boldness in adversity, or to learn about developing a relationship with Jesus, visit findpeacewithgod.net.

Transcript

[Bassett Hamad]

I personally know believers and pastors who have lost their lives because of their faith. Missionaries, pastors, leaders, being burned alive, being beheaded or being beaten down to death. All that happening in my country because we live under discrimination and persecution.

[Jim Kirkland]

If following Jesus Christ meant a life of persecution and hardship, would you still choose to follow Jesus? Baasat Hamad did, gladly and willingly. He's the man you just heard from, giving his life to Christ in a country where doing that could cost you your life to becoming a missionary to the people of his nation. Bossett's story is one of resilience and hope in Jesus Christ. You're about to hear it on this episode of GPS God People Stories, an outreach of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. I'm Jim Kirkland.

[Billy Graham]

All through the Bible we are taught that the upright man, the Christian, will suffer persecution from a godless, unbelieving, secularistic world. Jesus said, because the world hated me, it will hate you also.

[Jim Kirkland]

That's Billy Graham. More later from him on what the Bible says about the persecution of Christians as well as the hope Christians have in spite of their challenges. But if you need to know more right now about the hope Christians have, we invite you to Visit our website, findpeacewithgod.net when you're there. Click where it says begin a relationship with Jesus. That's findpeacewithgod.net you can also call us if you'd like to talk with someone at the Billy Graham 24. 7 prayer line, 855255 pray. That's 855-255-7729. And we have the website link and phone number in our show notes, People.

[Bassett Hamad]

Stories.

[Jim Kirkland]

Baset Hamad was born and ra Christian family in a country where Christian evangelism is not welcome. We're not going to share the name of his home country so as not to jeopardize any ministry work there, be it now or in the future.

[Bassett Hamad]

99.8% of the total population are non Christians in my country, and me living with my family in my country faced religious discrimination and persecution. My dad was rejected several good jobs because of his faith.

[Jim Kirkland]

Religious persecution in the job market for Bassett's father meant that Bossett and his family lived in poverty.

[Bassett Hamad]

Sometimes all we have to eat is just bread and water. And when I talk about bread, it's just bread. No sides, no fancy ranch, nothing else. Just bread. Water was also one of the big challenges.

[Jim Kirkland]

When he was just 10 years old, Bossett walked about a mile each way to get clean drinking water for him and his Family at school, Bossit faced the same rejection in the classroom that his dad had faced in the workplace.

[Bassett Hamad]

I was the only Christian student studying in my school, and I was often being rejected by other students. They did not wanted to sit with me, share their meals with me, or sometime even play with me.

[Jim Kirkland]

That rejection hit Bossit hard. One day after school, he asked his parents, why is this happening to me?

[Bassett Hamad]

And they always tell me to stand firm in the Lord. And he got you even in the hardest of situations. And that's where I memorized my very favorite verses from book of Proverbs. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean onto your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all thy ways, and he shall direct your path.

[Jim Kirkland]

And God started to direct his path when Bassett was 13. One day at his church, his Sunday school teacher announced that all the children would be receiving special gifts from the United States. These gifts were part of Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan's Purse, a sister ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

[Bassett Hamad]

Before that, I have never received a gift in my life before. So I was just so happy and very excited that I might receive that gift. And finally, after two weeks, the day came.

[Jim Kirkland]

It was a Friday. After school, Bassett went to the church as instructed. He had high hopes of receiving a gift.

[Bassett Hamad]

As soon as I entered into the church, I saw there was joy in the air. There was kids who are running from one corner to another. They have already opened up their shoe boxes. They have the toys or the stuff that they have got. They're show it to their parents and to their friends. There was some people who asked me to stand in the line and wait for my turn. And that's exactly what I did. And finally, after a little bit, I was handed over a beautiful, colorful Operation Christmas alchew box. And I was so happy. I was so excited.

[Jim Kirkland]

Bassett held the shoebox very close to his heart. He looked up and said, thanks God. The shoe box and the anticipation of the items inside of it was so precious to Bassett that he didn't open his box immediate immediately. He waited until he got home. And there on his bed, he opened it.

[Bassett Hamad]

There were some school supplies. There were some stationary supplies, some markers, some crayons, some coloring books, some tennis balls, some toys that I can play with and share with my friends and my siblings. But one of the most precious thing that I received in my shoebox was a picture Bible.

[Jim Kirkland]

Bossett's Sunday school teacher had used a picture Bible to teach his class. He had always wanted his own to see Bible stories like Jesus on the cross or David facing off against Goliath.

[Bassett Hamad]

That was something that I really loved. But I didn't have my own picture Bible because Christian resources at that point in my country were very few and they were very hard for us to get. But my mom always used to tell us to pray about the things that we need and God will provide us at the right time. So I just did that and I was praying to God and that picture Bible was an answer to my prayers. And that picture Bible became a treasure for me. I'll spend hours studying and reading from that.

[Jim Kirkland]

There was a problem, however. The picture Bible was in English, not Bassett's heart language. Still, he creatively found a way around the language barrier to put the Bible to good use.

[Bassett Hamad]

Every time I will open up that picture Bible and show it to my mom and she will give me the Bible reference of that story in my language and that's how I will read the Bible story and look at those pictures.

[Jim Kirkland]

Out of all the kids who received Operation Christmas Child boxes at the church that day, it seemed like God meant for that particular shoebox gift to land in Bossit's hands. Boss had started attending Sunday school more regularly and understood the importance of prayer and God in his daily life. But nevertheless, he still wrestled with doubts and questions about God for several years. At 16, Bassett was struggling with those concerns and when he had a small accident at a youth camp that would lead to a big change in his life.

[Bassett Hamad]

The preacher was a rock climbing guy and he was giving us a glimpse of how rock climbing works. So he tied down the ropes to a two story building and he was just letting everybody go down by wearing the belts on them. And whenever my turn came, I was just having a macho attitude because there were some girls that I really liked and I was just trying to have that attitude in front of them that, hey, don't tell me what to do, I got this. Just trying to be cool in front of them.

[Jim Kirkland]

Trying to be cool almost cost Bassett a very high price. His fingers almost got crushed in the rock climbing gear and he nearly flipped over while slowly making his way down the two story building.

[Bassett Hamad]

I was very upset because I made a fool of myself in front of everybody because I was trying to be cool. And the preacher just came. Everybody just came and started to ask me if I'm good or if I need anything. And the preacher came as well and started to ask me if I need something.

[Jim Kirkland]

Embarrassed Basa just wanted to go back to his room.

[Bassett Hamad]

Whenever I started to walk towards my cabin, the Preacher came and started to talk to me and asked me several questions and I started to ask him that why did Jesus give his life for me on the cross? If God is sovereign, why doesn't he save me? Why doesn't he provides me for the needs? I'm living in poverty and stuff. And he answered my question, starting from the creation, from God all the way to the message of salvation and gave me all of the biblical references.

[Jim Kirkland]

Boss had asked the pastor these questions in confidence. He didn't want anyone in his family or friends or community to know that would potentially bring shame upon them. After the talk, he walked on to.

[Bassett Hamad]

His cabin and during my time alone in the cabin, I was just praying. And then in the evening session he was particularly talking about John 3:16. And that's where I heard the message and I understood that I'm a sinner and I need a Savior. And I went up and I confessed there that I'm a sinner and I that's the time when I gave my life to Christ.

[Jim Kirkland]

Bassett understood just how challenging it could be to follow Christ in his anti Christian country. Yet he wanted a relationship with God anyways.

[Bassett Hamad]

I personally know believers and pastors who have lost their lives because of their faith, missionaries, pastors, leaders, being burned alive, being beheaded or being beaten down to death or all that happening in my country because we live under the religious discrimination and persecution. But there is one thing that I knew that I'm saved and that was the joy because I'm saved from God's wrath. And that was just so precious and amazing for me. So I would say that I know it is challenging, I know it's difficult, but there are believers in my country and they find joy if they will get persecuted on God's name.

[Jim Kirkland]

After surrendering his life to God, Boss had started to serve in his local church.

[Bassett Hamad]

I play a musical instrument which is very common played in my country and in the surrounding countries. And I started to play that instrument and I also started to serve with my pastor and we will go into the streets and do street evangelism. And one time I saw some other missionaries, the other time I will see some other pastors doing the street evangelism into the streets.

[Jim Kirkland]

Seeing people share the gospel in the streets made Bossett think about those who don't have access to good roads. And he realized no one was taking the gospel to them.

[Bassett Hamad]

I started to pray about it and I started to talk to my pastor that what we can do to go and talk to these people and share the gospel with them and My pastor came up with this idea that we should do some hiking trips back and forth into those villages, build a relationship with these people, and then share the gospel with them.

[Jim Kirkland]

Bossett was excited about his pastor's idea. They made a few trips, but soon they had to stop.

[Bassett Hamad]

We were living under poverty. We didn't have the proper gears and equipment to do those hiking trips. The last trip that we did was about 10 hours hike back and forth, and it started to rain. It was really cold. And whenever the team got back, everybody got sick. And they decided that we're not going to do it anymore unless we have the proper gears and equipment.

[Jim Kirkland]

But basit wasn't going to give up on those villagers. He prayed for God to make a way to build a relationship with these people and. And share the good news with them.

[Bassett Hamad]

One day I thought that maybe I can rent a helicopter or a small aircraft, and I can go into those villages, and that would be very easy. I can go in the morning, do whatever I have to do all day, and then come back in the evening. And I looked on Internet, and I find out that there is no civil aviation in my country, and the only aircraft that I can hire is military aircraft, which is very, very expensive. Like, it was more than three jobs that I was doing at that time to support myself, my education, and my family.

[Jim Kirkland]

Months went by while bassett kept praying for an open door. Through online research, he came across several mission aviation organizations, and he started reaching out to them.

[Bassett Hamad]

So I started to send them emails, and I was like, why don't you come to my country? There's a big need of the gospel.

[Jim Kirkland]

One of the organizations in Alaska wrote back to bossett. They said they'd be very glad to help, but they were unable to do their ministry in boss its own country. They couldn't do what he ultimately could do. So they suggested he come to the United States to get his flight training to become a missionary pilot back in his country.

[Bassett Hamad]

I was very excited, and I was young, and I'm just thinking that next week I'm going to us following week, I'm going to be a pilot, and the following week I'm going to come back and be a missionary pilot in my country. But it didn't work that way.

[Jim Kirkland]

It would take bossit nine years to build relationships and raise the support, and he needed to go to the United States. Some of the hardest moments of bossit's life were lived in that near decade of waiting and trusting God. He even made a backup plan just in case things didn't Work out.

[Bassett Hamad]

I was planning on taking a loan and starting a business in my country. And with that income, I can start a youth camp and youth ministry in my country.

[Jim Kirkland]

Some of Bossett's most difficult times of discouragement were about to come. Yet those times would be some of the best times for receiving encouragement from God.

[Bassett Hamad]

God was speaking to me through the scriptures, and every single day was a new scripture that will come. And I'm like, okay, I need to trust in him, and he's gonna make things right. And whatever it's his will is, it's gonna happen.

[Jim Kirkland]

Nonetheless, the odds seem to be stacked against Basat.

[Bassett Hamad]

I had a very bad, reputed passport, no travel history. And whenever I was applying for US Visa, everybod me, the. The consultants, everybody was telling me that I'm not going to be able to go to US because there is no chance they're going to give me the visa. Because all of the negative things that are happening with me and the scenarios that were with me are all negative that I'm going to get visa. There was no chance.

[Jim Kirkland]

Their words influenced Bossett, and he started to believe them. He called the president of the Bible college he was trying to attend overseas, saying he didn't think he was going to receive his visa. Bassett asked, why don't we spend that money to do some mission work here in my country?

[Bassett Hamad]

And he told me this thing that has always outstood with me, that prayer is the nerve that moves the muscle of God. And he tells me that we walk by faith and not by sight. And he told me that how many people are praying for me? So just keep applying, and if it's God's will, it's going to happen.

[Jim Kirkland]

In 2021, Bassett was finally able to come to the United States, and he was admitted to a Bible college. His first steps in becoming a missionary pilot. He considers it a complete miracle. But that miracle also led him to another one. Meeting the woman who would become his wife in 2022.

[Bassett Hamad]

Whenever I was in my Bible college, I went on a Sunday to my church, like as a regular church. And I saw this Operation Christmas child posters there. And I was like, I know these people. I know them. They were in my country. And I received a shoebox. So I sit down into the service, and whenever my pastor came, I told him that I know these people. And I received a gift just the same one whenever I was in my country. So then he went up onto the stage, and while closing, he told everybody that there's shoebox recipient that we have here.

[Jim Kirkland]

Afterward, the Operation Christmas Child representatives connected Bossett with Samaritan's Purse's headquarters. They asked Bossett if he wanted to be a volunteer spokesperson and after prayer he accepted. It was at his spokesperson training that Boss had met his future wife. Since then Bossett has graduated with a master's in ministry, become a pilot, and as of this recording he's in process of being ordained at his local church as a missionary. He formed a non profit for reaching groups of people around the world who have never heard of Jesus Christ, including groups of people in his home country.

[Bassett Hamad]

I'm in the process of support raising but once that's finished and my wife and I, we are hoping to relocate in my country and we are going to be doing full time long term missions there. And there's a big need of the sound doctrine in my country and there is a big need of the gospel in my country and we want to do that. And God is slowly opening up the door of aviation as well. So I'm going to start very soon my flight training again and see that how God can use that in my country. But our long term mission is to serve him in any capacity that he wants us to do.

[Jim Kirkland]

To serve God in any capacity he wants. That's a great example to us to boldly share with people the gospel of Jesus Christ, no matter our circumstance. If you'd like to know more about who this Jesus Christ is, we can help you with that. Visit our [e-mail] when there, click on Begin a Relationship with Jesus. That'[e-mail] you can also find a link to the website in our show notes. In just a minute, Bossett will share about trusting God regardless of difficulties or even the threat of persecution.

[Billy Graham]

You're listening to GPS God People Stories, a podcast production of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. All through the Bible we are taught that the upright man, the Christian, will suffer persecution from a godless, unbelieving, secularistic world. Billy Graham Jesus said, because the world hated me. It will hate you also, he said, because I've chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hated you. Nowhere in the Bible do I read that Christians should expect it to be normal, to be popular or comfortable or successful in the eyes of this world. In some parts of the world today, it still means physical persecution and suffering to become a Christian. However, Jesus also said, blessed or happy are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile and persecute persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were brought before you. In other words, Jesus said, you will be blessed and happy and have special compensations and rewards if you suffer persecution and if you suffer death. God wants men and women who will live the Christian life today and every day. In living that life, I can assure you that you will find a peace and a joy that you've never known before in the midst of suffering or persecution or even death. I'm asking you today, whoever you are, to say yes to Jesus Christ. To say, I too will follow him to the death of sin and self in my own life. I do want to commit myself to Him. I want to share in his glory. That is yet to come.

[Jim Kirkland]

Learn more about being bold in your faith and standing strong for Jesus Christ by visiting our website findpeacewithgod.net when you're there, look for grow in your Christian faith and click there. That'[e-mail] and if you'd like to speak with someone right now, there's someone waiting at the Billy Graham 24. Seven prayer line and 855255, pray. That's 855-255-7729. Once again, 855255 pray. Our guest on this episode of GPS is Bassett Hamad. As a man who has faced religious persecution, most of us will never know, we asked Bossit what's the one thing we could learn from him. Here's his response.

[Bassett Hamad]

I think that the biggest that I would tell is that trust in the Lord and lean onto your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all thy ways and he shall direct your path. We know that in our circumstances things can go down the road and it's very easy to question God or to question as why this is happening with me or like why God is not talking to me or why God is not opening up this thing, like, what am I going to do? Or what's going to happen with my life. But pray is the number one thing. Pray, pray, pray. And with prayerful consideration, seeking God's guidance and God's wisdom on what he wants in their lives. And I want to tell this to everyone that Great commission is for everybody. It's not a suggestion. It is great commission for everybody to go and make disciples of all nation. Every Christian is bound to Great Commission and God has a way that he's going to use us for his kingdom and for his glory.

[Jim Kirkland]

We're grateful. Basit Hamad joined us on this episode of GPS God People Stories. He continues in his calling as a missionary and volunteer spokesperson for Operation Christmas Child, as well as a husband and now father. If stories like Bossitz encourage you, and who can't use little more encouragement, why don't you hit the subscribe button on YouTube or your favorite podcast app? In the Middle of Life? GPS will be there for you in the middle of the week, every other Wednesday. I'm Jim Kirkland, and this is GPS God People Stories. It's an outreach of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Always good news.

[Bassett Hamad]

Sam.