How one Christian grandma managed to get a million Muslims to come and hear the Gospel in an Islamic country that's hostile to Christianity

The outreach in Karachi was attended by a million Muslims.(Photo: CBN video screengrab)

Countries where radical Islam is dominant are not exactly known for being friendly to Christians or for their opportunities to share the Gospel.  But God is truly at work as one recent outreach in Pakistan proved. 

A million Muslims came to hear the Gospel being preached in the heart of a country where Christians are regularly thrown in prison for their faith. 

'I love Muslims and they love me,' said 85-year-old grandmother and missionary Marilyn Hickey to CBN News. "It's beyond my imagination that we would have one million in one meeting!' 

But a million really did come to the recent evangelistic rally held in Karachi, in Pakistan, where Christians are often imprisoned on accusations of blasphemy and offending Islam.

Marilyn says the crowds were 'excited' to hear her message inspired by Psalm 139 about how they were created by God and each have a divine destiny no matter how unimportant and small they might feel.

She has been involved in outreach for many years now and has learned how to get committed, faithful Muslims to come and attend a Christian rally about Jesus.  She shares what it is that makes them come and it's genius.

It lies in the fact that Jesus is also revered in Islam and the Koran records Him not as the Savior who resurrected from death after the cross but as a prophet and healer. 

So when Marilyn organizes a Jesus event about healing, the people come. 

'This is a positive: the Koran says Jesus heals, so when you advertise and say come and be healed, they come to be healed,' she said. 

That's how she gets the Muslims to come, but once they're gathered, she assures that what they hear is the pure Gospel and nothing else.

'That's God's favor, but I don't compromise. I tell how Jesus died for your sins, rose from dead. If you repent and believe that He will come into your heart. It is not a compromising message but a healing message for spirit, soul and body,' she told CBN.