The Global Impact of Pure Religion
War, poverty, and persecution have displaced millions of orphans and widows. But beyond survival, we are witnessing transformation. Through your generosity, hundreds have given their lives to Christ—many taking the courageous step of baptism as a public declaration of faith, even in hostile environments.
Iraq
Two Cousins’ Journey to Faith
In a small village in Iraq, Layla* grew up in extreme poverty. Her father was mostly absent, but when he did come around, he was physically and verbally abusive. Without a loving upbringing, Layla suffered from depression and anxiety, and she grew disillusioned with her family’s Islamic faith.
Fareena* is Layla’s cousin. She was forced out of her home and displaced to an Ashti camp in Iraq’s Kurdish region. One day, World Challenge partners set up a medical clinic in Fareena’s camp and ministered to her. They not only provided medical care but also shared the good news of Jesus. Fareena decided to follow Christ.
On several occasions, Fareena visited her cousin Layla and shared her faith, even giving Layla a Bible. Although her Arabic was limited, Layla learned to read scripture. As she absorbed the Word of God, Layla began to experience healing from her depression and anxiety.
Despite the great risk to her life, Layla made a public confession of her faith and asked Fareena to baptize her. In a concrete trough used for animals, Fareena baptized her cousin. Layla came out of the water with a smile. She celebrated her new life in Christ!
Despite great risk, Layla publicly demonstrated her faith when her cousin Fareena baptized her in an animal trough.
Because of your financial support, our partners not only provided critical medical care in a displacement camp but also shared the good news of Jesus Christ. In a country known for its extreme persecution of Christians where less than 1% of the population are Christians, Fareena and Layla chose to follow Christ and are now sharing the gospel with others in their community.
Today, Layla is a new person in Christ and has found healing from her childhood abuse. She has married a good man and recently had their first child. “God is doing amazing things in my family!” Layla testified. “My husband is participating in our Bible studies, and my younger siblings want to learn about Jesus too. I am hopeful that we will baptize many of them in the coming months.”
Layla is outspoken about her faith to her Muslim friends and neighbors. Her dream is to have a church in her village. “There is no church for hundreds of kilometers from our home. It will be like being a ‘city on a hill’ and ‘salt and light’ in Salahadin Province. Please pray that the Lord gives us boldness and the ability to communicate the gospel clearly to others.”
*Names have been changed to protect their identities.
Ukraine
A New Family in Christ
Today, Anastasiia and Kate are happy and thriving teenage sisters, but they know all too well the deep pain of being orphaned and rejected by both their mother and father.
The girls grew up in a poor village in Ukraine, where their parents divorced when they were just toddlers. As a single parent, their mother struggled with physical problems and showed no care or love for her daughters. Anastasiia and Kate not only faced abandonment but also abuse at their mother’s hands. Yet through all their suffering, the Lord had a plan for their lives.
Nazar Ognivchuk pastors a small church in his village and has a care center for the community. One day, Anastasiia and Kate walked into the center with bruises on their bodies. When Nazar’s team found out that their mother was suffering from a mental illness, Nazar and his wife, along with their four children, opened their home to the sisters. Despite their small living quarters, they split their living room in half and put up a bunk bed for the girls.
The sisters celebrate Kate’s baptism along with their adoptive family.
Through the compassion of Christians like the Ognivchuk family and World Challenge supporters like you—who sustain their ministry in Ukraine—Anastasiia and Kate now have a safe home where they are loved. Most importantly, both girls have come to know Jesus as their Savior!
The sisters’ transformation is evident not only in their smiles but also in their desire to serve others. They are active helpers in the children’s ministry, giving back to their community the love they have received. Although their parents still show no concern for them, the girls pray that their mother and father will one day know the true freedom that they have found in Christ. He is their heavenly Father who has become their provider, parent, and protector.
“Even though our parents still do not care for us, I know I am not an orphan,” Anastasiia testified. “God is my Father, and he has given me a new family in Christ. I am thankful for the people who support this ministry, because without you, I might never have known Jesus. Thank you for praying for us and for standing with us. Please continue to pray for our parents, that they also may come to know the Lord.”
Will you continue to stand with World Challenge as we rescue and restore lives in war-torn and desperate areas around the world? A gift of $40 a month can change a life forever!