Ella* and Lilly* are two Christian young people living in a country where being a Christian is dangerous. That means they have to celebrate Christmas in secret.
“It feels like we’re the only ones celebrating Christmas,” Lilly says.

Outside their home, everything looks normal. But inside, it’s full of decorations, songs, and the smell of biriyani—a special meal. They make their own Christmas trees out of paper and prepare decorations by hand, often on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas night, their small house church gathers quietly.

“Our Christmas service is usually held on the evening of the 25th,” Lilly explains. “It begins with songs from the choir, followed by Bible readings, a message and the distribution of gifts. We end with Christmas cake and dinner, along with a thanksgiving prayer.”

Secretly sharing God’s love

Even though they can’t sing carols in public or hang Bible verses outside, they still find ways to share Jesus’s love

“Our parents told us we cannot tell our friends what happens in our church or that we gather at our home for church,” the girls explain. “We can’t tell others, ‘Jesus loves you,’ and we can’t hang any Bible verses on our door outside.”

But they communicate the life-changing truth of the gospel in different ways. For Lilly, this looks like showing simple kindness to her classmates.

“1 Corinthians 13:4–8 has been a guiding passage for me,” Lilly says. “In this country, we don’t have the opportunity to speak openly about Christ to everyone, but we can always show His love through our actions and behaviour. I remember a time when a student asked me, ‘Why are you being so nice to me, even though I’ve been mean to you?’ I simply replied, ‘That’s what I’ve been taught – to love you. I don’t hate you.’”

Despite their circumstances, their lives are rich with signs of God’s compassionate intervention. Ella testifies, “Since I was young, I have witnessed Christ’s miracles. Our parents always ask us to pray for everything – God has been answering our prayers.”

Their dad, Sundar, was once arrested for attending a prayer meeting. But he says: “Somehow, God still provided for me. I just know His hand was over my life.”

Ella and Lilly’s faith is strong, even though they face danger. “Persecution is when we learn that we must be ready to sacrifice our lives for Christ,” Lilly says.

Christmas should not have to be a time of isolation for children like Ella and Lilly. Their faith is vibrant, but it is fuelled by your essential support which enables them and their fellow believers to meet, encouraged by the knowledge that their brothers and sisters are standing with them.

Will you unwrap hope for Ella and Lilly this Christmas?

*Names changed for security reasons

Robin is 11 years old and lives in Bangladesh. He loves Christmas—it’s one of the few days he feels like he belongs. THANKS He gets to wear new clothes, eat cake, and celebrate Jesus’s birthday with other Christian kids.

But most of the year, life is really hard for Robin. He’s bullied at school and ignored by classmates. In Bangladesh, Robin’s faith marks him out. At school and around the village, people don’t even use his name: they simply call him ‘the Christian’.

“I feel sad when they treat me like this,” he says. “I want to play too, but I can’t even ask them out of fear. I just sit there and feel very lonely. I feel sad when they treat me like this. But I will never do the same to them. As a believer, we should not hurt others, even if they hurt us.””

WRITE TO ROBIN THIS CHRISTMAS…

Why are Robin and his family singled out?

Robin’s family converted from Islam to Christianity, which made them targets. After political chaos in Bangladesh, a radical Muslim group felt empowered and started spreading lies about them and other local Christian families, saying they were trying to convert others. Then, a mob attacked their house church.

“We had a church, our meeting house,” remembers Robin. “That’s where we all used to worship. Then some of the local imams [Muslim religious leaders] and some others came and destroyed our church. They were yelling, ‘You are Christians!’ and ‘Christians can’t live here!’ They came to kill us.”

Thankfully, the believers were warned and managed to flee just in time. When the mob found the house church empty, they turned their anger upon the building and the Bibles they found inside.

Even worse, Robin’s dad gave up his faith and left the family. He told Robin’s mum, Moly, to return to Islam or he’d divorce her. She chose to stay strong in her faith. “I miss my father,” Robin says, “but I have my mother who takes care of me.”

Now, Robin and his mum live in poverty and face threats from extremists. But they keep going. Robin reads his children’s Bible, provided by Open Doors partners, and loves the story of David. “I like the shepherd boy, David,” he says. “God said, ‘This is the king.’ Then he was made king on the throne – and he was a little boy.”

WRITE TO ROBIN THIS CHRISTMAS…

Christmas Hope

Christmas is a special time for Robin and his mum, because they get to gather with other Bangladeshi families who have converted from Islam. Other children who know what Robin’s life is like.

“On that day, I wear new clothes and we go to church,” says Robin. “We cut a cake for Jesus’s birthday, then we wear red hats, we eat cake, and have a lot of fun. We play with everyone.” He is keen to share the delight with as many people as possible: “If there were more people, it would be even more joyful!”

These celebrations are run by Open Doors local partners and made possible by people like you. A similar special gathering happens at Easter. But these are just two days out of the year: Moly and Robin need the support of Open Doors partners all year round.

As well as the children’s Bible and special gatherings, these local partners are stepping in with vital food and relief aid. They’re also paying Robin’s school costs so that his education can continue. From practical aid to spiritual nourishment, your help for children like Robin is a tangible reminder that they are seen, loved and remembered by their global church family – helping strengthen and grow the next generation of the church. Millions of children around the world need this encouragement today, and for the long-term.

Robin’s life has been torn apart by persecution. He has lost family, community and safety. Your Christmas gift and prayers today can unwrap hope for him.

WRITE TO ROBIN THIS CHRISTMAS…

*Name changed for security reasons

It’s been 70 years since Brother Andrew made his first trip behind the Iron Curtain, into Communist Eastern Europe. That courageous mission – on 15 July 1955 – was the beginning of the ministry of Open Doors.

His trips smuggling Bibles ultimately led to untold millions of persecuted believers receiving support, encouragement and prayer over the decades since. Millions of our brothers and sisters are still being supported each year. 

Brother Andrew died on 27 September 2022. A few years earlier, he shared his story in a couple of interviews, which are combined below. As we celebrate 70 years of Open Doors, you can remember Brother Andrew in his own words – and continue his legacy with your prayers. 

Image: Brother Andrew at the Great Wall of China

What helped motivate your mission?

BROTHER ANDREW: At the end of my missionary training at the WEC College in Glasgow, I came across a glossy magazine in the basement of the college that explained the glories of Socialism. They were advertising a big youth festival in Warsaw. Anyone was invited. I wrote to them and I asked if I could come – I told them “I’m a Christian and if I come I will behave like a Christian.” They said yes. So I packed my suitcase with Scriptures and made my way to Poland and there I discovered suffering churches, churches without young people, churches without adequate leadership.

How have you decided where to direct your ministry?

BROTHER ANDREW: You don’t have to go by what circumstances seem to dictate. There’s a large part of your life that you make, and a large part that you don’t. I believe that the part that you don’t control is provided from above, based on your vigour and your faith. If opportunities arise, you must seize them. That is what made Open Doors strong. 

Once, I was sitting at a table with my wife, Corry. I was planning on going to Yugoslavia by car. We put our money on the table: we had 40 euros. I wanted to travel for three weeks. We already had a couple of children. I remember Corry telling me: “You take 25 euros, because you’re going to unknown countries, and I’ll take 15 euros.” The first place I stopped was Darmstadt, since I knew some people there. I entered the home of that old lady, and she said: “Hey, there you are. This morning, the Lord told me that you’d come.” She had also saved up and gave me money for the rest of the trip. 

We can be way too pious with these things. You don’t pray for a lot of things. An opportunity arises, and you have to seize it. You have to be ready at all times.  

Is there a moment in your ministry you felt particularly scared?

BROTHER ANDREW: There was one time when I was at the border of Hungary, by myself, in a car packed with Bibles, and I was extremely scared. I turned the car around; six miles back, there was a small hotel. I went there to pray and fast until my fear was gone. Of course, you’re still afraid when you get on the road. But courage requires persevering, despite your fear. There’s no courage without fear. 

As persecution continues to increase around the world, what helps you persevere in your ministry?

BROTHER ANDREW: My continuous prayer for persecuted Christians. I try to look at them with the eyes of Jesus, with compassion, and I try to help. But everything an individual can do is so limited. Everything an organisation can do is so limited, compared to the need. I want to reach out over all the man-made barriers and say, ‘Let’s come together’. In Luke 5, the disciples go fishing with Jesus and the boats are so full of fish that they beckon the other boats to help them. That’s what we should do – share our success and not just our needs. 

What drives you when you get up each morning?

BROTHER ANDREW: The vision, the burden that the task is not finished yet. Therefore my task is not finished. As long as we are not finished, I am not finished. There is always need around you. Where there is a need there is also the open door to apply the solution of Jesus Christ, the Saviour, the Son of God. So there is plenty of scope to continue that work.  

It is the task of every Christian to do what they can. I don’t believe in retirement. You can retire from your official job but never from your mission in life. 

Looking back, is there anything you wish you had done differently?

BROTHER ANDREW: If I could do it over, I would be more radical. I compromised too much. I fought too much. I contemplated when I should have taken action. I have made many mistakes, but I don’t apologise for that because the greatest mistake is if you do nothing. That I didn’t want to do! So in doing lots of things I have made many mistakes. But you learn. 

Looking ahead, what do you think is the greatest challenge facing the global church?

BROTHER ANDREW: To be faithful. We have substituted the word ‘faithful’ with success and prosperity. We’ve gone astray on that line. The churches that make the most impact on the world were the ‘poor churches’. We don’t need a lot of technology or money. We need people whose hearts are beating for Jesus Christ. That’s my longing. 

I have faith in the fact that in countries where the church is now being heavily persecuted, the church will emerge the strongest and will put us to shame. Because we did so little with our freedom and our wealth. I think that the church will emerge stronger than in our countries. 

How do you want people to remember you?

BROTHER ANDREW: I don’t want them to remember me! Like the donkey that carried Jesus into Jerusalem – why should we remember the donkey? Not one of his grey hairs turned white because he carried Jesus. Whom do we carry in? Jesus should have all the attention. We don’t have to be remembered.

Somayeh*, a MUSLIM woman from Iran, didn’t believe in Christianity. In fact, she went to church just to prove it wrong. But something unexpected happened—she felt a deep peace and connection she had never experienced before. That day, she decided to follow Jesus.

“The presence of God was overwhelming,” she says. “It was everything I had longed to feel in my prayers but never did.. When I walked out of the church, I felt like a bird released from a cage. As I prayed and learned, I grew in my faith and got to know Him. Through prayer, discipleship and the Holy Spirit, my new life truly began.”

NEW FAITH, NEW RISKS

Her new faith came with serious risks. In Iran, converting from Islam to Christianity is dangerous. When her husband found out, he became violent. He destroyed her Bible and even tore up her birth certificate. He threatened her life if she kept talking about Jesus.

But despite the pressure, God brought comfort: “In the midst of those tears, I heard a voice say, ‘Your name is written in the Book of Life,’ and those words gave me strength to carry on,” she says.

Despite the danger, Somayeh didn’t give up. She could only go to church once a month and had to listen to sermons in secret. But the pressure from her husband got worse. She says: “My husband had threatened to kill me if I preached the gospel. “But I couldn’t stay silent.”

Eventually, her husband moved the family to a new city to cut her off from other Christians.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHURCH

Isolated and displaced, Somayeh cried out to God: “Why had this happened?” Suddenly, to her surprise, she felt God tell her: “I want to build a church here in this town.”

It was an impossible idea. But she set out. And, starting with a handful of Christians meeting in secret, it soon grew to an underground house church with more than 30 members.

“When we gathered, we never mentioned our meeting places over the phone – we used code words and were extremely careful,” Somayeh says. “All phones had to be turned off, and we even removed the batteries to avoid tracking.

“We saw miracles happening with us, and with people around us! Seeing the church grow was one of the greatest joys of my life.”

Then, one day, the intelligence services called with a chilling message: “We will see you soon.”

FORCED THE RE-LOCATE

Because of the intense dangers she was facing, Somayeh now lives in another country, but still serves secret Christians in Iran through an online ministry. To equip her, Somayeh attends Open Doors organised leadership training sessions, which help her to share her experience and wisdom with Christians who are still having to keep secret.

“I’m blessed to pass on what I’ve received, to bless others in return.” she says. “Thank you.”

Courageous believers like Somayeh pay a high price when people learn about their faith – but knowing they are part of the global body of Christ gives them hope, encouragement and determination to keep defying persecution and revealing the gospel. Please pray for Somayeh and the secret Christians in Iran that she is still serving. Use the points below.

*Name changed for security reasons

When Yasin* from IRAQ first took a Bible home, he covered the title in tape. He had to go undercover. He knew how dangerous it was for an Iraqi Muslim to own a Bible. But he was soon to take an even riskier step: deciding to become a Christian and share the gospel.

The first time Yasin read the Bible, he cried. “The first thing I read in this Bible in my own language was Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount,” he remembers. “I cried because of the beautiful words in it. The words of Jesus gave me peace in my heart.”

Though brought up in a Muslim home, Yasin wasn’t content in his faith. “Until I became an adult, I followed Islamic law and went to the mosque, but I was not comfortable with it,” he says. “I did not have much faith in Islam. It was a habit – but not true worship.” He prayed, asking God to reveal Himself.

A Miraculous Dream

Eventually, an answer came in a dream. “I saw someone coming towards me,” Yasin says. “He was so beautiful. He put his hand on my head and said, ‘You are my beloved child; this is the way, follow me.’” A Christian friend said, “This is God showing Himself to you.”

Yasin met a local pastor, a convert from Islam, and read the Bible for the first time. After attending a conference by Open Doors partners, he decided to follow Christ.

Yasin’s Transformation

Yasin kept his faith secret, even from his wife, Nara*. When he finally told her, she was horrified. But he asked her, “What do you prefer – the violent man I was before, or the servant I’ve become because of my new faith?” His transformation was undeniable.

Violence and Death Threats

Yasin began sharing the gospel with others. His brother, informed by a local mullah, attacked him multiple times. “He tried to kill me several times,” Yasin says. “One time, he broke my nose.” Others in the community also persecuted him. Someone even threw a firebomb at his house.

Despite the threats, Yasin’s faith remained strong. “The persecution is continuous,” he says, “but there is no other way; I want to give everything to God.”

Yasin’s family find faith

Over time, Yasin’s wife and children also chose to follow Jesus. “My daughter is a master’s student and now evangelises to people and is also preaching the gospel, like me and my son,” Yasin says. But their faith has come at a cost. The children remain unmarried due to being seen as ‘infidels’. Yasin had to close his shop and now works as a shepherd.

Still, he says, “Jesus offered Himself for me. He was insulted, He died on the cross. He did this all to redeem me. I will not deny or leave Him.”

God’s Mission

Yasin tried to leave his village, but God called him to stay. “I know God wants to use me here. I know that God has a mission for me, to bring the good news to my village.” Two people who once insulted him have now become believers and attend church with him.

*Name changed for security reasons

Back in February we TOLD the story of 16-year-old Alim* in Central Asia, who, after sharing about his faith in Jesus with friends and teachers at school, was singled out by the principal and eventually expelled. Thankfully he’s been able to continue his studies in a new school, and is as passionate as ever to share his love of God, but he’s still understandably coming to terms with his experience of persecution.  

His story highlights some of the challenges facing Christians in Central Asia, and prompts us in the UK to consider our faith in a new light. And that’s just what happened to Andrew, one of our brilliant Open Doors Youth Reps. After reading his story we asked Andrew to reflect on a few questions about Alim’s experience. Here are his answers: 

Why has this story resonated with you? 

I think one of the main reasons is that Alim is the same age as me. And I am so, so impressed that someone so young has God-given wisdom well beyond his years along with such perseverance. I can’t imagine waking up every morning, knowing that I’d have to defend my faith, answer difficult and aggressive questions and feel threatened from every angle. And yet, through God’s power, this is what Alim has done! 

FIND OUT ABOUT THE REPS PROGRAMME HERE…

How do you think Alim was feeling? 

I would say that the main feeling he’d have is probably loneliness. In the moments when he’s fighting a battle seemingly on his own, I’m sure he would be asking “Where are You, God?”. And yet, he still saw that God was there. In fact, more than that, he trusted God, believing that through all the persecution, Jesus’ name would be glorified. 

Image: Alim sharing a meal with Open Doors partners

How would you respond if you faced what Alim faced? 

I would certainly question God. I would wonder why He would allow me to be in such a situation, with almost complete darkness covering me. I think my response would also be one of fear – I’d be worried that the life I had imagined was slowly slipping away. Yet I would like to think that through all of that I would still respond in prayer and faith, because while I don’t know what the full story might look like, I know that the ending will be a happy one, as God works all things for His glory and the good of those who love Him. 

How does their life differ from yours? 

Unimaginably. I’ve met well over half of my friends through Church or SU in school. Yet Alim was completely on his own. I might face slight judgement from others for being a Christian, but it is nothing compared to what people like Alim face. I’m also certain that there are plenty of other stories just like his from Central Asia, where Christians are facing persecution for their love of God. No-one should be judged or persecuted for sharing their story and the great news of what God has done for them. 

What impressed you about Alim? 

I am amazed by the way that he didn’t complain when he was unfairly given extra menial tasks to do because of his faith, the same way that Christ didn’t complain when He was put on trial and tortured. He trusts that God will always make a way for him, and that everything is in His hands. 

If you could say something to Alim, what would it be? 

I’d encourage him with the verses in Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  

The message is to be strong and use the lifeline of prayer, armed with thankfulness, remembering what God has done for you already. He will guard you and get you through all the persecution and struggles that you’re facing!  

FIND OUT ABOUT THE REPS PROGRAMME HERE…

If you could ask Alim for one piece of advice, what would that be? 

When it would be so easy to give up and renounce your faith, how did you manage to keep your eyes on God, following Him even during such intense pressure? 

As a result of Alim’s story, would you change anything about your faith/life? 

I think it is another brilliant example of what being a disciple of God means. It’s not about us being seen and recognised, but that people see we have our eyes on God. That is what Alim has been doing with even some of his teachers reaching out and asking him about his faith. I think it’s something I will try to do as well, as that is what faith should look like in our lives. 

Can you share a prayer for Alim?  

God, we just thank You so much for Alim – for his story of faith and endurance. We pray for those that You have touched through him, that even the hardest heart may be softened because of what You have done in Alim’s life. We pray that he feels less anxious, and that he keeps putting his faith and hope in You. We pray for him in his new college, that You will continue to bless him, and that You will create more ways for him to share Your truth. Hold on to him and be near to him we pray. In Your Name, Amen.

About Andrew 

Andrew is 16 and from County Down. He’s been a youth rep since September 2024. He loves tennis, music (especially Take That), and most of all talking about Jesus!

FIND OUT ABOUT THE REPS PROGRAMME HERE…

*Name changed for security reasons