Persecuted Christian mothers bear a special burden. Not only are they persecuted for following Jesus, they shoulder the weight of caring for daughters and sons even as they endure pains and distress brought on by their persecutors. In many countries of the Middle East and North Africa, Islamic law takes precedence—and Islamic law is repressive to women.
You’ve read the statistics about persecuted Christian women in the Middle East and North Africa. These numbers have names, they represent the lives of faithful Jesus-followers, who risk their lives for Truth, and for preserving the lives of their children.
Christian Women like Amira
When Amira and her daughters came to faith in Christ, she kept it hidden from her Muslim family. A friend found out and told her husband. He and her parents beat Amira severely. Then they threatened to mutilate her daughters.
Afraid for their lives, Amira and her daughters fled Egypt with nothing. She has been living in a nearby country and recently heard that the police were looking for her. Her husband is well connected to government authorities in the country where she lives, and they have pieced together details of Amira’s life from a photo of her daughter found online. She is frightened, and doing all she can for her daughters.
Help The Persecuted is supporting Amira and her daughters, assisting them with medical needs and living expenses during this difficult time. Our Field Ministry Team also encourages them in Christ through prayer and God’s Word.
She is so grateful for the Body of Christ. “When you lose everyone and everything you feel that life is over. Having Christ, however, gives us hope and peace. Thank you for helping us.” — Amira
Most women who come to Christ are beaten, tortured, burned, or killed by their families. To be able to get your life back is considered a miracle. That’s what you are doing when you give to Help The Persecuted. You’re helping our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters to live again.
Yet, there are many persecuted Christian mothers who endure the pain of separation from their children. Ripped from their home, husbands take daughters and sons, abandoning and divorcing their wives—the mother of their children. This happens far too often to too many Christian women.
Persecuted Christian mothers like Noura
When Noura, a young mother of four, miraculously came to faith in Jesus Christ she felt alive for the first time. But not long after, her husband noticed a change and found her Bible. He threatened to kill her. He then divorced her and took her children to another country. He sent her back to her parents who also threatened her and locked her in her room—forcing her to watch Islamic TV all day.
Noura finally escaped and fled to a neighboring country. It was here that our Help The Persecuted team encountered Noura—abandoned and abused by her family, grieving, and alone in a new place. What a privilege to offer this young woman physical and spiritual support, assisting her as she rebuilt her life.
“I was threatened and almost killed by my husband. I lost my children and I still don’t know when I will see them again. Yet, I have hope in Christ. You gave me hope and I am forever thankful.” — Noura
Our omniscient Father has strategically placed Help The Persecuted Field Ministry Team members in locations throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Time and time again, He orchestrates our meeting and interactions with persecuted Christians who need the comfort and support of the Body of Christ.
So often, our Field Ministry Team members minister in the middle of crisis situations. They were not there at the beginning of a persecuted believer’s story, and they may not ever know how someone’s story ends. But they stand in the gap for these brothers and sisters. In times of crisis, when nearly everything in life is a question for these persecuted Christian mothers, they come alongside with the answers of God’s Truth. Team members’ hearts are burdened in prayer and support for our persecuted family, even if they don’t know for certain how these life stories will unfold—especially for persecuted Christian women.
Persecuted Christian women like Eeva
Eeva grew up in a devout Muslim family from Syria and used to wear the burqa. Her husband’s family owned several businesses, and they lived off the revenue.
When the war broke out, work stopped, so the family moved, and her husband had to work for the first time. He could not get settled and ended up leaving his wife and children.
Eeva had to provide for her and her children, so she began working as a hairdresser. She was exploited and made to work long hours for low wages, which caused her severe health issues.
A pastor provided them with better housing, and invited Eeva and her children to church, where they eventually gave their lives to the Lord. The church prayed for her physical disorders, and she was healed.
Her ex-husband, who had divorced her and allowed her to keep the children, heard about her conversion and began to stalk her, intending to kill her and take back the children.
Eeva and her children are struggling to live by faith in the wake of his threats. Help The Persecuted is providing living expenses and helping Eeva and her children apply for permanent residency in Iraq.
It is only through the multitude of prayers from the Body of Christ, and the support of Help The Persecuted contributors like you, that we are able to make a difference in the lives of persecuted Christian mothers.
Now is the time to send Christian mothers in the Middle East and North Africa a love letter of support—a current Matching Challenge Grant will DOUBLE your impact on persecuted mothers and children. Give today!