Page 19 - Voice-of-the-Persecuted-Christians-Apr-Jun2024-126

An encouraging supporter-made gift
US to follow Christ. As a result they have felt lonely and isolated notably after the start of the Tigray conflict involving Eritrea and Ethiopia.
‘Sophie’*, a mother of four, was arrested, then given 24 hours to leave Eritrea after the authorities discovered that her husband, ‘Isaac’*, was from Tigray, the northernmost part of Ethiopia.
However, although Sophie admitted to feeling suicidal at times, she has never thought of rejecting her faith, even when the Ethiopian authorities arrested Isaac on suspicion of being a spy.
‘OUR HIDING PLACE’
The family were dropped off at the border with Sudan by the authorities before making their way to Ethiopia. However, because she was Eritrean she first was forced to go to a refugee camp along with her young children while her husband had to go back to his home town.
Thankfully our partner, Release Eritrea, has recently been able to help Isaac to open a cycle repair shop in order to provide some income for the family.
Life has continued to be challenging: at one point they were able to open up a butcher’s shop, which proved
Among those who have been helped by our partner, Release Eritrea, to set up a small laundry business are ‘Paula’* and her son, ‘Anthony’*.
Paula’s husband, ‘Abraham’*, a church minister, is Eritrean while his wife is Ethiopian. They lived in Eritrea until he was arrested for his faith and imprisoned for six months. Paula fled the country with her three children and after his release from prison, Abraham managed to cross the border, eventually reuniting with his family in Ethiopia. The laundry business helps to sustain the family as Abraham ministers in the church.
initially successful but then customers turned away from them when they discovered they were evangelical Christians.
Grace and Mebrhit gave some of their best years to God in prison, when ordinarily they may have expected to have been married and have children, writes team member ‘Marian’*.
HEART-FELT MOMENTS
Neither of them mentioned
this but it seemed to me to be a significant but silent sacrifice. Humanly speaking they won’t get these years back.
I met Grace again a few days after our first encounter, at a church service. Even though she barely knew me, she embraced me and showed me genuine affection, which shall stay with me. She had more reason than most not to trust people but here she was showing a foreigner she had
only just met real warmth. It was humbling and extraordinarily heartwarming.
Another woman became very upset when we asked how we could pray for her. I had taken some embroidered felt hearts with tags with Bible verses on made by a Release International supporter and when she said she just needed strength to go on, I reached into my bag and gave it to her. On it were words from Psalm 31:34:
‘Be strong’! God knew her needs.
Sophie has faced significant trauma
in her life, not the least of which has been rejection from her family who refuse to communicate with her. Locals in the strongly Orthodox area in which they live also do not trust her because she is Eritrean and do not help the family because they believe that evangelicals are paid by the
The couple attend church together, where they are accepted. They described it as ‘our hiding place. Church isn’t perfect but we ignore the little things. We can also laugh at church!’
* Names changed to protect identities.
* Names changed to protect identities.
19