Written by: Open Doors SA
Article source: JOY! Magazine
The situation for Christians in Iraq remains very challenging – with rising persecution, conflict, and the hard economic situation driving many to leave this unstable country. Forced displacement is a deliberate tactic of the religious persecutors to rid the country of Christians and deprive children of growing up in their own culture.
Christmas is looming, but for Christian children in Iraq it is often a bleak time with not much to celebrate. But believers like Mimi (12) and her mother, Nadia, from the rural area of Shekhan, have found new hope for a future in their country.
Mimi says she loves Christmas: “We play songs and decorate the house with Christmas decorations. Glory to God in the highest! Peace on the earth, goodwill!” The famous Christmas song seems to fit in perfectly with the peaceful situation at their farm.
Mimi with her mother, Nadia
Difficult memories
Mimi was only four years old when persecution drove her family out of their house. They had to flee in the middle of the night, not taking anything with them, when ISIS extremists attacked the village.
The family got in their car, soon ending up in a traffic jam of people fleeing in panic. Mimi and her sisters were hidden at her mother’s feet in the hope that they would be safer there. They cried and screamed. “One of my most horrific moments as a mother was when Mimi and her sisters asked for food and water, but there was nothing,” says Nadia.
Nine hours later, the family reached safety. Together with six other families, they found a place to stay. When ISIS was defeated in 2017, the family returned to the Nineveh Plains. But the situation was tough, and Mimi’s parents were struggling to make ends meet.
Turning point
With the support of Open Doors’ local partners, the family now has a future in Iraq. Mimi’s family received a microloan that they used to start their own farm and buy sheep and other animals for breeding.
Mimi loves her chickens and visiting the chicken coop to collect eggs and, most importantly, greet her favourite chicken, Lulu. “She is my best friend; I love her colours,” she says. “I love this farm and want to take it over from my parents when I am older. For now, I take the eggs to my mother, who might be able to use them for the Christmas lunch.”
Sharing their blessings
God blessed the farm so much that the family is not only able to sustain themselves, but also help others around them. They were able to hire several people, who now also can provide for their families. When Mimi’s chickens provide fertilised eggs, she gives them away to other people for free – and they can raise the chicks to provide eggs for their own families.
“It’s all in the Christmas spirit,” Mimi says, while she helps her mother decorate the house with a yellow star. “I like to wish people a happy Christmas and to give something to the people to make them happy. And when people are happy, Jesus is happy.”
Ongoing need
A total of 276 microloans for Christians are currently running in Iraq. Many more have already been paid off, while the businesses they helped to start or sustain are still supporting families to stay in Iraq every day.
WANT TO SUPPORT? You can help support families like Mimi’s, who want to stay and be the salt and light of Iraq. Make use of the banking details below to ensure that this peaceful Christmas is the first of many more to come for them.
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Date published: 31/10/2022
Feature image: Mimi holding a Christmas star
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