January 2023 Persecution Magazine

Your Hands and Feet
ICC PROJECTS MADE POSSIBLE BY SUPPORTERS LIKE YOU
Making a
difference,
one project
at a time.
MIDDLE EAST
From Betrayal to Redemption
RESTORE: LIVES & COMMUNITIES
Mona struggles to provide for her six daughters as her handicap
makes it difficult to find work. She successfully found a job at a
public school where she befriended a kind teacher, Mr. M. They
would talk about her family and her Christian faith and he even
offered to help her pay her debts on multiple occasions, but she
refused.
When her job shifted and she began working the copier machine,
she asked administration if she could bring the copier home to
better support her daughters. Suddenly, Mr. M showed his true,
extremist colors and accused her of using the machine to print
money to pay her debts.
The school opened an investigation, but because Christians are
not often believed, she was suspended for a year. During that
year, she attempted to take her own life because of the mounting
pressure of her debts.
Recently, Mr. M offered to get Mona’s job back in return for letting
him marry one of her daughters. Mona swiftly rejected his offer.
ICC got in contact with Mona and helped her relocate and start
her own clothing business. Now, she is able to work from home
and generate an income to support her family and pay back her
debts.
AFRICA
Free to Love Everyone
RESCUE: WIVES & KIDS
Sofia has lived most of her life a Muslim—but it’s rarely been filled
with peace. She converted after she married her late husband, but
quickly began to disagree over how Muslims and Christians should
be treated. Sofia wanted to love everyone, but her husband thought
only Muslims deserved love.
When Sofia’s husband died last year, she was free to convert back
to Christianity. His family took away everything he left her because
they disproved of her renewed faith in Christ. They went so far as to
threaten to poison her.
ICC got in contact with Sofia while she was living in a local reverend’s
kitchen. ICC relocated her and helped her rent a house and bought
her new household items.
“I thank ICC so much for the support they have given me today...
May the Lord bless you for showing me Christ-like care when I was
suffering,” Sofia said.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
The Reality of Ministry Work
MESSENGERS: UNDERGROUND WORKERS
ICC works in volatile places throughout the world, and Indonesia
is no exception. While we can pray and prepare that projects
go as planned, there are things we cannot expect. We worked
with a farmer last year who planted chili peppers and ministered
to Muslim-background believers through his business. But
suddenly, the land was sold and the chili crops died, sidelining
the evangelist’s plans.
“Without my knowledge, the land was sold partially, so my chilis
just died. The soil on the remaining land was not as fertile, and in
the end those chili trees slowly dried up and died,” the evangelist
said.
The evangelist pivoted to cultivating catfish while continuing to
minister to those around him.
“ICC continues to help us as field workers who are at the forefront
of evangelism to help us develop a form of business that we can
use as a platform for our ministry,” he said.
4 Persecution | JANUARY 2023
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