“Do you mind if I sit here?” Hafsa asked. It had been a hot day, and she needed a few minutes of rest before heading home.
She didn’t realize she had stepped into a church—or that her life and eternity were about to change.
Hafsa had fled Syria for Lebanon when ISIS threatened her village. Like many refugees, she carried invisible wounds. Years of loss, displacement, and daily survival had left her worn down. She lived under the weight of religious obligations that brought no joy and carried the grief of losing her brother unexpectedly. That Sunday, she felt abandoned and forgotten.
But as the worship music filled the sanctuary, something changed. Hafsa felt peace. “The singing was unlike anything I’ve ever heard,” she recalled. With cautious permission from her husband, she began returning to the church week after week. Soon, the gospel began taking root in her heart. She said, “This amazing God gave me comfort and joy in my heart just by being in His church. He gave me a feeling I’ve never experienced before.”
One day, Hafsa learned that her family had been in a serious accident. She collapsed in shock and cried out, “Lord, if I am on the right path and doing what is right, let me see my children safe with no harm done to any of them.” At the hospital, she found them unharmed. That moment became a turning point—she gave her heart to Christ and resolved to follow Him.
She removed her hijab, was baptized, and quickly faced persecution.
Her parents severed contact.
Her father-in-law beat her publicly for being an “infidel.”
Her husband forbade the children from attending church.
Her brother promised reconciliation—if she returned to Islam.
But Hafsa stood firm, clinging to the truth of Psalm 27:10: “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in.” That verse became her anchor.
Over time, her transformation softened hearts. Her husband began attending church with her. Today, he encourages her faith. Their children join them, singing the same worship songs that first drew Hafsa in.
When Field Minister Leila met Hafsa through a local church network, she witnessed both a deep faith and significant needs: food spoiling without a refrigerator, difficulty cooking without a stove, and the stress of navigating refugee paperwork.
Because of your generous support, those needs were met. Hafsa experienced tangible care that reminded her, though her earthly family had rejected her, the Lord had welcomed her into His.
Psalm 27:10 became more than a verse. It became her reality.
This is the impact of compassionate partnership with the persecuted church. Because of support from believers around the world, individuals like Hafsa are not only enduring but growing, thriving, and multiplying the hope of Christ.