LEBANON — Often when someone converts to Christianity in Iraq particularly from a Muslim background it can mean a death sentence even threats to your life from your own family. That was the case for two Iraqi brothers who were forced to flee for their lives.

But Christian charity Help The Persecuted was able to provide a safe house for each of their families in Lebanon. While they lost everything they say it was worth the cost to gain Christ.

(Names changed and faces blurred for security reasons.)

Like so many Muslim background believers in Iraq, when Samer accepted Christ into hismlife he paid a huge price not just for himself but also his family. When his life was under threat from his own relatives he was forced to flee to Turkey. But when he returned to Iraq for his children he was shocked to discover his wife had been tortured by his own father and uncles. But through a series of miraculous circumstances his family was able to escape to Lebanon, where Christian charity Help The Persecuted provide a safe house for them. I had the privilege of meeting Samer and his family to hear their story.

Samer:

When I came back for my kids, my father had taken them away and my family tortured my wife for our faith. I had no one to turn into except Help the Persecuted. I was introduced to one of the team and he did everything for us. It is different being in another house in another country but, Help The Persecuted saved our lives! The entire team took us in and made sure wea re taken care of. The Lord was so good to us.

Help the persecuted was even able to reunite Samer with his brother George, when they also provided a safe house for his family in Lebanon.

George:

We felt welcomes! Like this was our house. We are taken care of, warm, and in good health. But most importantly, we are safe! We lost everything back home, but we have our families. Thank God!

And Samer became extremely emotional when I asked him if his faith in Christ had all been worth it.

Samer:

Of course it is! It is worth it! He saves us from so many things I cannot even mention. And gave us life and mercy and grace in His name. We are just so thankful for the gift of love and for the cross He carried. It is a huge thing for us!

So as many others who fled for their lives from Islamic countries like Samer and George, Help The Persecuted continues to rescue, restore and rebuild these people who lost everything but gained Christ.

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About Help The Persecuted

Rescue. Restore. Rebuild. Help The Persecuted has been supporting suffering Christians with practical and spiritual help since 2011 and in 2018 was established as standalone charitable organization. We pray our efforts will empower the global Church to flourish not just in Middle East and North Africa, but also in the Western world as we share in their suffering and bear their burdens. Help The Persecuted is a 501(c)3 organization and a member of ECFA, the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability