Hafsa,*a Syrian refugee woman, entered the doors of our church in northern Iraq. I greeted her and asked her about her family and how she came to know about Jesus.
The story Hafsa told me began seven years earlier. Although she had come from a Muslim background, she began to read the Bible. She had observed some of her Christian friends and wondered why their lives and morals were so different from others around her. And she wondered what made them act with so much love. As she searched for Christ, she began to learn and understand more about the Christian life. She ultimately made the decision to accept Jesus as her Savior.
When Hafsa left the Islam faith and took off her veil, she paid a high price. She was kidnapped by armed men who later released her. Her husband left her and emigrated to Europe, taking their children with him. She fled her home and sought refuge in Kurdistan where our church is located. Hafsa turned to our church for help. We welcomed her.
Recently, Hafsa emigrated to the West. In spite of all she had faced, when she applied for emigration with the UN she insisted she be registered as a Christian. Hafsa hopes to be reunited with her children.