Finding Hope Far From Home

God works even amid brokenness to bring least-reached people to places where they can experience the love of His people and hear the gospel. Limon,* who’s served among Muslims for decades, recently saw the Lord use a desperate situation to lead one Iraqi woman and her children to a Christar team in the United States: people who could demonstrate His compassion and share the good news in her language. Below, he shares Tina’s story in his own words.

Tina was born into a good Iraqi home. From early on, she was encouraged to respect people of all backgrounds. One of her brothers, older than her, became a follower of Christ, had an Arabic Bible at home and attended church in their area. He encouraged Tina to also consider following Christ. 

Then, while she was still a fairly young woman, a marriage was arranged between her and an Iraqi man who had been an interpreter for the American army, was living in America and was older than her by quite a few years. Tina's parents nevertheless thought that he was a good man and that this would be a good match.

They were married in Tina's home country, following which her husband brought her to live in America with him. This was when her troubles began. He turned out to be a heavy drinker, and when he drank, he became more demanding and controlling, and occasionally violent. 

Over the next few years, they had three children together. One of them was born back in her home country, at a time when he had sent her back to her parents while he remained in America. Tina wanted to stay with her family in her country, and had no desire to return to live with him and face the same troubles again.

He eventually came to take Tina and the children back to America. Tina refused. Her extended family held a special council with both Tina and her husband. The council became convinced that Tina's husband was showing signs of repenting and wanting to do right by her and the children. In turn they convinced her to return with him to America.

However, it turned out to be all pretense. Once they were back in the States, he reverted to his old ways. After a few very difficult months, during which time he abused both her and the children, she took her children and fled to a safe house.

A lady who worked there knew us well as we had assisted her family with paperwork and other things, and she wanted us to see how we could help Tina. So, she introduced Tina to members of our team.

We got to hear Tina’s story and got to know her situation and needs. We shared some of our story, shared Scripture and prayed with her every time we met. We shared meals together with her family. We played with the children. For some of the visits, most of the time was spent taking care of needed phone calls and paperwork. It did not take long for us to realize that the Lord had opened her heart.

Tina expressed her desire to come to church and bring her children with her. During one visit, before we invited her to church, we talked about the Good Shepherd who gave His life for all who would believe in Him. She said she had believed in Him in her heart. We did what we always do when someone says something like that: We explained the gospel and gave her an opportunity to affirm her faith in Christ. She responded wholeheartedly and began attending our Arabic-speaking church plant with her children. 

Tina now has a job in a daycare facility and has her own apartment. After a long battle in court, she has won full custody of her children. Our team members have stuck with her through thick and thin during this long process, translating for her, filling out paperwork, helping with her children and helping her with legal and other issues—some of which are ongoing.

Life has not been easy for this single mother, an immigrant needing to navigate life in a new language and cultural system. In addition, her now-former husband has continued to cause trouble for her and for her family back home by spreading defamatory rumors and demanding that the children be returned to him.

Nevertheless, in the midst of this, the Lord has shown himself faithful and gracious to Tina and her children. She seems committed to her new community of faith and to growing in the Lord. She desires for her children to come to Christ at an early age and is living by faith and trusting the Lord for the future. She has quite a road ahead of her, not least of which is learning a new language. But "the Lord is near to all who call on him" (Psalm 145:18).

Your gift toward Iraqi Refugee Outreach will help Christar workers reach out to people like Tina, meeting tangible needs while pointing them to the hope of Jesus.