From Fleeing to Flourishing

Leila was in disbelief when she received her first job offer for the position of a dental assistant at a local clinic. As a single mom from Afghanistan with a painful past, her journey has been filled with obstacles. It has been over two years since she fled her home with her baby and found safety in another country.

In the short time since then, Leila has become very fluent in English, attained her driver’s license, paid for her own car, and embarked on a career path in the field of dentistry. “I think I’m dreaming," she expressed one day. "I left my home two years ago without even shoes on my feet, and not even one dollar. How did this all happen?”

As she was building her new life in the United States, Leila was also learning about Jesus. Nearly all her dearest friends are Christians and she had seen firsthand the love and selflessness that they poured into her. When a family member criticized Leila for her close friendship with Christians, she responded “The Christians I know are angels. Never ever have I seen love like this, even from my own family, like you!”.

Leila has been open to attending church services, reading the Bible, and listening to worship music about Jesus, and even sharing her favorite Christian songs with volunteers. Although she still identifies as Muslim, we pray that the Lord will open her eyes and heart so that she will, one day, decide to fully commit her life to Jesus.