Written by: Open doors
Article source: JOY! Magazine
Innocence, laughter, and play is what childhood should be all about. For ten-year-old Bijli* from Bangladesh, her childhood shows a different reality. She doesn’t have any friends at school, no one is playing with her, she is bullied and rejected by the other children – all because she loves Jesus.
In the dirt of the schoolyard, Bijli draws with a stick. She sketches a girl like herself, surrounded by smiling children. She notices a couple of girls whispering and walking towards her. “What are you doing?” one of the girls asks. “I’ve just been drawing,” Bijli stammers. One of the girls stamps on the drawing, making the smiling faces disappear. “My mother says that your family are infidels,” another girl says and pushes Bijli over. She lands on the ground where her drawing was, while the girls laugh and run away.
Rejection and isolation
Bijli’s family is one of just a few Christian families in their village of 50 houses in Bangladesh. Her grandfather has received Biblical training through Open Doors partners, and now he’s a church leader. But his decision to leave the traditional Muslim faith of the village and follow Jesus hasn’t been easy for the family.
“I’ve learnt that the Lord is always with me, and has promised never to leave me.”
Always shunned for their faith
Bijli’s mother, Maya*, says she feels sad because they are always chased away by the Muslim majority in the village. “They tell us: ‘Go away, you are Christians. You are not the same as us.’” The rejection and isolation are especially hard for Bijli and her five-year-old brother, Mohon*. “The other children, who are all Muslims, don’t want to play with them and always push them around,” says Maya. “When Bijli comes back from school, she often cries and tells me that she was hit by the other children because we are Christians.”
Celebrating Emmanuel
This situation makes the Christmas celebration organised by Open Doors partners an unforgettable experience for Bijli and her family. Here, she doesn’t feel afraid when one of the girls walks up to her – and invites her to play. Thanks to Open Doors partners, 100 Christian families attended the special celebration. All are believers from a Muslim background who come from isolated rural communities, just like Bijli’s family. For some, this was the first time they have ever met so many other believers – and the first time they celebrated Christmas.
Able to praise Jesus without fear
According to Bijli’s father, Badol*, they can’t celebrate Christmas openly in their village because of the restrictions and fear of persecution. “We were very happy to attend the Open Doors’ Christmas celebration. We were celebrating the birthday of Jesus, singing carols and playing games with other Christians. The kids are learning many new things – they do not get this opportunity in our village.” Bijli says: “Being able to come to this celebration, thanks to your support and prayers, means a lot to me. I like the songs, dancing and celebrating Jesus’ birthday. I want to thank all the people who organised this programme and gave us the opportunity to come here.”
‘He will never leave me’
A few days after the celebration, Bijli is back in the school yard again. She is still on her own, drawing with a stick in the dirt. But this time, she draws someone different next to her – a tall man with a beard and a big smile. She smiles at the memory of the Christmas celebration. “I’ve learnt that the Lord is always with me, and has promised never to leave me,” she says.
A Christmas gift
Bijli has been strengthened by this project, but her future is still unsure. She will still experience isolation and rejection – but we can show her that she is never alone! Help bring the hope of Christmas and the gift of a safer future to persecuted children like Bijli. Any gift you give today will help provide in the long-term needs of persecuted children, giving them the protection, care, and support they need to thrive. Please make use of the banking details below or visit opendoors.org.za for more information.
*Names changed for security reasons. | Photos: © 2020 Open Doors International
Open Doors | Nedbank
Branch code: 198765
Acc: 113 750 4552 (Business)
Reference: JE2012
Open Doors | Absa
Branch code: 632005
Acc: 160 340 568 (Current)
Reference: JE2012
Click here to KEEP UPDATED on the latest news by subscribing to our FREE weekly newsletter.
Date published: 23/11/2020
DISCLAIMER
JOY! News is a Christian news portal that shares pre-published articles by writers around the world. Each article is sourced and linked to the origin, and each article is credited with the author’s name. Although we do publish many articles that have been written in-house by JOY! journalists, we do not exclusively create our own content. Any views or opinions presented on this website are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the company.
