Ain was hastily married to Badru, and sent home with him to live in a house with three other wives. As a Sunni Muslim, Badru received a monetary reward from Muslim friends in Saudi Arabia for "converting" a Christian girl to Islam. Ain’s family were nominal Christians belong to the Coptic Orthodox Church. He was unkind to her. She was confined to a room, where he visited for only one reason. She became a mother at the age of 14, and would raise his children by herself.
In already overcrowded families, girls are considered an unnecessary financial burden and are married off as soon as possible. They are uneducated and usually abused. Marriage seems like a way to escape the pain, but in reality it is only another unsafe place for these young, frightened girls.
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These girls receive Bibles from an indigenous ministry working with vulnerable teenagers. |
Indigenous ministries supported by Christian Aid offer counseling for the girls’ emotional wounds, and solutions for their physical needs. For the first time in their lives, the girls are told that they are loved—fiercely loved—by the God of all creation. Many of the girls are provided with the means to attend school, as well as uniforms and school supplies. The ministries also offer literacy courses and vocational training to equip girls to independently earn a living and escape abuse. Thousands of teenage girls are being reached with the gospel in hundreds of Egyptian villages.
Native missionaries are requesting the prayers and support of fellow believers as they embark on this difficult task. Few Christians are willing to risk witnessing to a Muslim because of the possible consequences. It is estimated that between 12,000 and 15,000 nominal Christians are annually coerced or enticed to become Muslims in Egypt. Please remember these brave followers of Christ.