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Enter any Ethiopian town and you'll find streets teeming with people, donkeys pulling heavy carts alongside motorbikes, and street vendors haggling with customers.
In villages like these, the hum of activity can disguise a tension that everyone can feel. And sometimes, that tension explodes, snapping a hidden reality into a violent spectacle.
"The Lord is the source of my hope! When I see the church filled with people, I get overjoyed."
Jemal*, Ethiopian believer
This is what happened in September 2023 in one particular town in central Ethiopia—we can't tell you the name for security reasons—when mobs of extremist Muslims attacked Christian houses and businesses. The assault represents the growing trend of Christian persecution in Ethiopia, where over 380 million Christians globally face persecution for their faith, making Christianity the most persecuted religion on the planet.
Jemal* owned two of these businesses. He lived in the village with his wife, Fatima*, and children. Jemal and Fatima were Muslims but became Christians when they were young parents.
"We had a very good life," says Jemal. "My whole family and I go to church and worship God on Sundays and Wednesdays."
But then, some visiting Muslim clerics began to share radical messages in the local mosques—a pattern increasingly common in regions where Ethiopian Christians face persecution.
"[The clerics] told the community not to talk to us," Jemal remembers. The clerics also told the Muslims to stop buying anything from Christian businesses.
Tension had been rising in the town since a group of Muslim students blamed Christian teachers for difficulties they said they experienced at school. The situation turned sour, and finally, the government intervened, creating the spark that lit the fire that consumed the community.
"We had to leave, and we found refuge in another Muslim's house," Jemal remembers. "Then, on Tuesday morning, ... mobs of people went from house to house, singling out Christian homes and businesses. ... In a single day, they turned everything to ash."
At least 215 Christians' homes were destroyed, and 375 families—including Jemal's—were on the run. This devastating attack mirrors the broader pattern of religious persecution in Ethiopia, particularly in areas where Islamic extremist influence has grown.
Jemal and hundreds of other Christians fled to a nearby town where local churches took them in. And in the attack, Jemal lost everything he had built up over the years—including his community.
"It truly made us feel heartbroken," he shares.
When Open Doors' partners heard about the violence, they immediately responded with relief aid. For 70 years, Open Doors has strengthened Christians in the world's most dangerous and restricted countries—places where other organizations cannot operate.
"Praise God, we didn't die from hunger and thirst," Jemal says.
As resilient as Jemal is, our partners knew that if he were to return to his town, he would need help to restart his business. And he would need long-term prayer.
"Even after [the partners left], you would enquire, 'Where are you? How are you? What are you doing?'" Jemal says. "For the people (like us) in persecution, the ministry is doing an exemplary service."
Eventually, the government called for people to return to what was left of their homes, promising to restore all that had been lost. And so, Jemal and his family decided to return to a community that had made it clear that Christians weren't wanted.
Sadly, many promises made by the government have not been honored.
"Some of us experienced direct threats to our lives," Jemal explains. "Others were verbally threatened and insulted. We endure many hardships to remain in our town."
Even now, it's not safe for his own children and grandchildren to go to school in their town. "[Other students] would call them 'infidels, truth deniers,'" Jemal says. "They are too young to cope with this."
Past and present difficulties make it hard for Jemal to see a future for himself, his family, and the church. Yet when he looks to God, his attitude changes—demonstrating that Christ is on the move even in Ethiopia's most restricted areas.
"The Lord is the source of my hope!" Jemal says. "When I see the church filled with people, I get overjoyed. When I remember the Muslims that came from another town to give their lives to the Lord recently, that gives me hope."
God has brought His hope and healing to Jemal and his family through your generous gifts, but they still need the prayers and support of their global Church family as they rebuild their lives. When one part of the body suffers, we all suffer together.
Sadly, there are many more Christians in sub-Saharan Africa who need trauma care and economic support to restore their lives and their families. People like Jemal who want to earn an honest living, feed their families, and live God-honoring lives.
Through Open Doors, you're not just supporting strangers in distant lands—you're connecting with your brothers and sisters in Christ who face persecution daily but remain steadfast in their faith. The Open Doors vision goes beyond relief, supporting the vanguard of the Church in the world's most challenging places, equipping believers not just to survive persecution, but to thrive and grow even under pressure.
As Jemal reminds us: "One Christian can be medicine for another Christian."
*Names changed for security reasons.
