“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord
(Ps 12:5)
A Way of Escape. Grace was raised in a Muslim home. When she was 16, she was summoned by her parents and notified that they had arranged a marriage for her with an older man. During their discussions, Grace admitted that she was a secret follower of Jesus.
Grace’s mother rained abuses and curses upon her. Her father and her brother beat her severely; her brother using a wooden club to inflict severe head wounds. Grace was left in the dirt for dead. She was later discovered by neighbors, who determined she was still alive. She was taken to a hospital by the police, where she eventually recovered.
After her recovery she was returned to her parents who locked her in a room for two weeks, expecting her to starve to death. However, Grace had partial access to the outside world through a window and was occasionally able to receive smuggled food from friends. When her parents opened the room after two weeks, they were surprised to find Grace alive. So they decided to give her some kind of toxic brew to drink, to determine whether she had evil spirits. She refused to drink it and was subjected to another round of beatings. Later, her parents returned once again with the toxic drink. This time, she pretended to drink it but was able to spit it out after they left the room.
What unfolded next was highly unusual. One evening Grace saw a light in her room that was moving around like a spotlight. It finally came to rest on one piece of the ceiling. Curious, she reached up to the highlighted ceiling piece and pushed on it. It opened! She was able to climb out and escape into the bush. Her escape was discovered, and an all-area search party was organized for her capture.
While hiding in the bush, Grace spotted a stranger walking by and summoned his help. He acted as a Good Samaritan and took her to a regional office of a Christian association. (She later discovered her unknown helper was a Christian). Because she was a “wanted” refugee running from Islam with many in pursuit, the Chairman of the association advised that Grace be delivered to Aboki International’s Regional Director. Grace was then moved via Aboki’s underground railroad to stay with a mature convert who had come from a similar background.
God, in his sovereignty, has placed Grace in Aboki’s care, and we are privileged to be part of her shelter and support.