Detective in Search of Peace

Barbara Huff

"Nazim [nah-ZEEM]," his mother said as her adult son walked toward the door. "Where are you going?" Nazim did not want to tell her, for he knew it would cause problems.

"Out," he answered. "I will be back this afternoon." He smiled and quickly closed the door behind him before his mother could object.

Nazim comes from Azerbaijan [ah-ZEHR-bai-JAHN], a Muslim republic that used to be part of the Soviet Union.  Although his family did not actively practice their faith, Nazim grew up believing in prayer. His father had taught him to pray to Allah and often asked Nazim to pray for him when he went on business trips.

Change in Plans

Nazim wanted to be a detective, but his parents had other plans. They wanted him to study law and work for a prestigious law firm in the city. Although most lawyers would have to pay a large bribe to join a law firm, Nazim's family had connections, and Nazim was offered a position by the chief lawyer in this firm, even before he entered law school. Nazim decided to study law as his family wished. If he did not like it, he could always quit. Nazim began working for the law firm while still in law school.

On his way home from work one night he noticed some meetings that were being held near the office. He saw a large group of young people standing outside the meeting hall, and wondered what was so attractive about the meetings. He decided to go inside and see for himself. 

Nazim discovered that he had stumbled into evangelistic meetings. While the sermon did not appeal to him, he enjoyed the scientific movie that was shown. Nazim returned the following nights to see the movies, but when the meetings ended, Nazim made no decision for Christ.

For three years he had no contact with Christians. Then one day he met a young woman who also had attended the evangelistic meetings. They became friends, and during their conversations Nazim found that this girl could answer his deepest questions about God and the Bible. She invited him to attend church. He went with her because he liked her, not because he was convinced that the church had great truth. However, he made a number of friends among the group of young people in the church.

Near Drowning

One summer day Nazim and a group of these young people from the church went on an outing to the Caspian Sea to swim. They were enjoying the water and were far out from the shore when a sudden storm swept down upon them. The young people headed toward shore, but Nazim found himself growing weaker as he tried to swim to safety. He thought he was going to drown and sent a quick prayer to God, promising that if God saved him, he would become a minister. By God's strength Nazim and all the others made it safely to shore.

Nazim did not forget his covenant with God, but he was not sure how he should act upon it. He knew that whatever direction his life took, he had a lot of spiritual growing to do.

After he completed his studies at the university, he decided to test out his dream of becoming a detective. He traveled to Moscow, where he set about pursuing his dream. But from the first, troubles plagued him. When he tried to obtain the legal papers that would permit him to live and work in Moscow, he found that they were expensive and difficult to obtain. Without the papers, he could be fined or even jailed if he was stopped by police. He had to be careful whenever he went out, even if he was going only to the marketplace. Even though he was careful, he was stopped several times and fined for being in the city without necessary papers.

The situation became so tense that some of his relatives even suggested that he marry a woman from Moscow in order to get the needed registration papers. They suggested that once he was established, he could divorce her. But Nazim rejected this idea, and after several frustrating weeks in Moscow he finally decided that the hassles of living there were not worth it. He packed up his things and returned home to Azerbaijan.

Changes and Challenges

Nazim's Christian friends were glad to see him back and invited him to church. He began to attend regularly and study the Bible with them. Nazim's keen mind enabled him to quickly grasp a knowledge of the Bible. His faith in God also grew quickly. Soon the girl who taught the Sabbath School class realized that Nazim was an ardent student of the Bible. She offered to let him lead the class. At first the pastor objected, because Nazim was not yet a member. But the girl defended her action, saying that Nazim was a better teacher than she was. As the pastor watched Nazim, he soon recognized that what she said was true. Nazim's honest heart and leadership abilities were an asset to the church. The pastor talked to Nazim about his faith, about baptism, and about considering an invitation to attend the seminary and study to be a pastor.

Nazim's parents wondered where their son was going every Saturday morning. Nazim was a good boy and did not smoke or drink, but still they worried that he might be mixed up with the wrong kind of people. Nazim had not told them he was attending church, for he knew that his family would be upset if they knew. When his mother found religious books in his room, his parents asked him about his religious interest. "Are you attending a Christian church?" his father asked.

Nazim evaded the questions, so his parents asked his friends, who confirmed their suspicions. They became upset and tried to talk him out of his interest in Christianity. They cried and begged, and when this did not work, they forbid him to leave the house on Saturdays. Finally the pressure became too great, and Nazim went to stay with his grandparents. He knew that they would not ask why he wanted to stay with him. Ten days later his parents asked him to return home.

But returning home did not mean the pressure was off Nazim. His family still was not happy with his interest in another religion. They worked constantly to change his mind. They even threatened to go to the Adventist church and confront the people who were pulling their son into this sect.

One Sabbath while Nazim was teaching the Sabbath School class, someone whispered that some guests had asked for him. He excused himself and went to the foyer, where he found his parents and grandmother waiting. He knew they were there to make trouble, but he invited them to come in and see for themselves that the church was not a terrible sect.

At the close of the worship the pastor greeted Nazim's family. His grandmother, deeply rooted in Russian culture, knelt and kissed the pastor's hand, thus showing her deep appreciation for the pastor's sermon and the church's teachings. The rest of the family did not share his grandmother's opinion, but they realized that any further objections to Nazim's new faith was useless. They were defeated. 

Nazim was baptized and went to Zaoksky Theological Seminary to study. His parents visited the school and were impressed with the staff and students they met. Nazim is seeing changes in their attitudes toward Christianity and the Adventist Church. They now accept his new faith. Nazim prays that one day soon he can lead each one of his family members to the feet of Jesus.

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Barbara Huff was administrative assistant of the Euro-Asia Division of Seventh-day Adventists when she wrote this story. She and her husband, C. Lee Huff, have since retired and live in the United States. But Barbara remains an active support link for Euro-Asia Division, especially with Zaoksky Theological Seminary.

This story originally appeared in the adult edition of Mission, 3rd quarter 2001, edited by Charlotte Ishkanian. Used by permission.