“I saw Mira* on the day of her baptism,” says Maymay*, an Open Doors local partner. “There was a lightness in her – something steady and unshakeable.”
Maymay and Mira were at the beach in southern Philippines, along with several other believers also getting baptised. It was a sight to behold – there was Mira smiling, holding her baby close as water dripped from her hair.
“She wasn’t always like this,” says Maymay. “She used to be a persecutor.”
Mocking her husband’s prayers
Mira grew up devoted to Islam, following strict traditions without question. It shaped her world, and deviation was unthinkable.
“She used to be a persecutor.”
Maymay
When she married Arham*, a Christian, she assumed his beliefs wouldn’t be an issue, but over time that changed. “I hated it,” says Mira, who often mocked her husband’s prayers and discouraged him from reading the Bible. “I couldn’t understand why he refused to follow our ways.”
Despite the tension, Arham remained patient. He prayed for her, trusting Jesus to change her heart.
The whispered prayer and a miracle
When they got married, Mira and Arham lived with her family. Initially, they tolerated Arham’s beliefs but, when their six-month-old baby fell seriously ill, everything changed.
The baby had a persistent fever and Mira’s family urged her to visit a folk healer, but Arham refused. “We will trust Jesus,” he said. The refusal enraged the family and, before Mira could even process what was happening, they made a decision: “Get out!”
“I lost my family, but I found a new one in Christ”
Mira
Mira found herself outside, holding her feverish child, her husband beside her. Panic set in. Where would they go?
She prayed in the only way she knew – quietly, desperately. But still, no relief came. Then she remembered Arham’s words: “Call on Jesus.” At first, she resisted. Would He even listen? But when her child’s weak cry broke the silence, desperation overcame hesitation.
“Jesus,” she whispered, “if You are real, save my child.” By morning, the fever was gone. The rash had faded. Her baby, once so weak, now rested peacefully. Mira couldn’t deny it. Something miraculous had happened.
Disowned but not forsaken
With nowhere to go, the family found shelter with a local pastor. Two months later, Mira learned her family had burned her clothes, sold her belongings and disowned her completely. “It hurt,” she says. “But I knew Jesus would never leave me.”
Despite all they had lost, their child recovered and they never went hungry. Over time, Mira’s heart softened. She began to pray, not out of duty but with a new understanding. And one day, despite knowing the cost, she finally said, “Jesus, I give You my life.”
Baptism is not the end of Mira’s journey, but the beginning of a new life in Jesus. Now, alongside Arham, she embarks on the path of discipleship, eager to deepen her faith and grow in the knowledge of God’s love. Their future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear to them: they are not alone.
“To those who prayed for us and helped us stand when we had nothing – thank you,” says Mira. “I lost my family, but I found a new one in Christ. And in Him, I have everything I need.”
*Names changed for security reasons
please pray
That Mira and her family will find strength and comfort in God’s love as they continue to face rejection
For strength, provision and guidance for the family as they rebuild their lives in a new place
That Mira’s family will encounter Jesus.
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