In this country, Christians are regularly imprisoned in labor camps, killed for their faith, and also suffer extreme poverty to the point of starvation. For $9 you can provide a believer with a relief pack containing food, medicine and other basic necessities. A special gift of just $90 will provide survival packs to 10 suffering Christians.
Shamoun and his wife Gul were both raised in Christian households in the Middle East. However because followers of Christ are marginalised in their Muslim community, both were poor and illiterate. And any chance Shamoun had of being a teacher had already vanished years ago, when his father died and his family lost their meagre income.
Then a 70-year-old friend told them about ALIVE, a Christian literacy program supported by Open Doors, right in their home city. At first Shamoun felt too old to learn, but noticed his older friend excitedly reading and writing.
Starting the course, Shamoun and Gul soon learned that the first book they were learning to read was the Bible. And their lives were transformed by its teachings.
"We were offered the hope of beginning a new story, with a new friend – Jesus," Shamoun says. "God is using ALIVE to shine His light into the darkness Christians are facing."
Shamoun has since fulfilled his dreams of becoming a teacher, and is now able to support his family. So thank you for giving a gift from the Gifts of Hope catalogue – a gift that changes lives forever!
