2/26/2025 Egypt (International Christian Concern) — When she was just 15 years old, Yasmin married a man named Ismail. They had six children together in their small village in Upper Egypt. They enjoyed a peaceful life, earning a comfortable living from farming and selling various goods. They even built a five-story house together and planned to build apartments nearby for their sons and future daughters-in-law.
Once the couple’s house was completed, however, Ismail revealed a shocking secret. He introduced his family to a Muslim woman and her child, revealing that he had secretly converted to Islam and married her a year earlier.
Shocked, Yasmin, 38, suddenly realized why Ismail had grown upset whenever she took their children to church. After sharing his news, Ismail encouraged his children to embrace Islam, and he read from the Quran in front of them.
Yasmin sought help from Ismail’s parents, but they were unable to intervene. She then complained to the mayor but was told that Ismail was correct in his faith and that she should convert to Islam to avoid hell. Yasmin returned home disheartened, convinced that no one would protect her and that she must fight to keep her children from following their father’s path.
Yasmin attempted to escape with her children, but Ismail stopped her. He had colluded with the mayor and stationed police guards at their home. The guards had followed Yasmin everywhere, whether she was shopping or attending church. Additionally, Muslim women began to harass her to pressure her to convert to Islam. Yasmin asked her priest for help. He gave her 2,000 pounds ($40) for her escape, advising her to tell others that he refused to help. He also gave her a contact number for additional assistance.
After much planning, Yasmin seized the opportunity of an upcoming Muslim feast when the guard would be absent and fled with her six children. They reached Cairo, where they slept on the floor of an unfurnished apartment. Yasmin managed to get her younger children into school and continued to receive support from the church.
After years of being well off, Yasmin left everything behind to continue her walk with Christ and to help nurture her children’s budding faith. She worked as a cleaner to support them. Eventually, she sensed that Ismail had stopped pursuing them or perhaps had changed his mind. However, when she went to renew her identity card with her new address, she learned he had been searching for her and had discovered their location.
One day, Yasmin’s eldest son, Samir, spotted his father and quickly warned Yasmin. She took the children and hid with Christian neighbors in their home. Yasmin lived in fear, hoping to relocate to a distant place using the little money people had given her.
In September 2023, International Christian Concern (ICC) learned about the danger Yasmin and her children were facing. We immediately moved her and her children to a safe place. Yasmin was grateful for how God had blessed her and her children through ICC.
“I considered all things to be loss in comparison to the surpassing value of the knowledge of the Messiah,” she said. “My children and I chose to endure hunger, withdraw from school, suffer through harsh winters, and hard work for Christ’s sake. I will never let my children compromise their eternity, so I taught them about Jesus and his redemption. I will continue to educate them about God until my death, ensuring they do not lose the grace we have in Christ.”
ICC covered Yasmin’s rent and utilities for 12 months, allowing her to focus on her children’s basic needs. After recently checking in on the family, we discovered they required additional support. To empower the family, we provided them with a rickshaw to generate income by transporting goods.
“Thanks to you, we have been able to pay the rent for the past 12 months,” Yasmin said. “I also thank you for responding to our needs and for your help in purchasing the tricycle. My son Samir works in lifting water motors from the warehouses to the sales outlets and he receives a sum of money for each transfer. This money will help us cover our expenses and support our family. I would like to thank you and pray that God blesses you as you have blessed us.”
*Names have been changed for security purposes
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