Iraq: One Christian Family
Published on November 3rd, 2014
Rebekah and her family have joy in the Lord
Parents and Teachers: The November 2014 The Voice of the Martyrs magazine includes stories of Christians in Syria and Iraq. To subscribe to the free monthly magazine, visit our subscription signup page. As you read the magazines, you may want to share stories from this site about the featured Christians with your children. Then pray together for the people in the stories.
Rebekah and her three children were leaving their home in Iraq. Rebekah’s husband was not with them. Two years earlier he had died as a martyr for his Christian witness. Now Muslims from a radical group called “IS” (“Islamic State”) were threatening all Christians in their area.
Rebekah and her family are grateful to have a car that was provided by The Voice of the Martyrs after her husband died. Many fleeing Iraqi Christians have to walk 10 to 14 hours to reach a safe place.
Refugees
After they reached the city of Erbil, the family followed other Christians to a church. But the church was filled with refugees, and there was no room for another family. (Refugees are people who flee from an unsafe place to a safer place.)
They found another church, but it was also packed with people fleeing the danger. Finally Rebekah and her family were allowed to stay in the office of a Christian ministry.
Miriam, Rebekah’s oldest daughter, recently finished her second year of college. Because of the fighting in her country, she was not able to take her final exams. She won’t get credit for her school work.
The family does not know what the future holds for them. But they still have hope and joy in the Lord, who holds everyone’s future in His hands. (See the photo. Their faces are covered to protect their identity.)
Pray for Rebekah’s family and other Christians who have had to leave their homes in Iraq and Syria.