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Two years ago, the city of Jaranwala became the epicenter of one of the most violent attacks against Christians in Pakistan's recent history. Mobs swept through the town's Christian neighborhoods, looting homes, setting churches ablaze and driving families into the streets in fear.
In the days that followed, while many believers in Jaranwala were either fleeing or reeling from trauma, one man made a radical decision. Rashid*, a volunteer with the HOPE team (an Open Doors partner), moved into the devastated community with his family. He was determined to not just to help from a distance but to live among the survivors, shoulder to shoulder. He ended up staying there through Christmas of 2023 and until September 2024.
"We began to experience the intensity of a spiritual warfare that is hard to explain."
Rashid*, Pakistani believer
Now it's been two years ... so how is he doing and how are the Christians in the city recovering and healing?
"First of all, I want to say thank you for your prayers for me," Rashid says. "As a member of the HOPE team, I have seen a lot and learned a lot. The persecution our brothers and sisters faced still leaves angry imprints on the streets—and in people's lives. But at the same time, Jesus has faithfully left the imprint of His healing."
During their time in Jaranwala, Rashid and his wife continuously visited those whose lives had been shattered. "Some lost their property; most lost their peace of mind and trust in their neighbors," he explains. "One thing has not changed: the cruelty of that day still causes us to weep—when we remember our brothers and sisters shivering in the aftermath, searching for arrested family members."
When Rashid first arrived in 2023, he encountered many people overwhelmed by pain and fear. "They were angry at the mob that devastated their streets," he says. Yet in the middle of hopelessness, Rashid and his wife found many quiet places—stoops, porches, curbsides—where they could sit with people, listen and be present.
"Soon we began to experience the intensity of a spiritual warfare that is hard to explain," he says. "The despair and betrayal didn't disappear overnight. Betrayal still lingers in these streets." He recalls how some Christians were fired from their already low-paying jobs shortly after the attacks—an early layer of trauma compounding the violence.
Today, Rashid also sees signs of healing. "Two years on, we regularly hear testimonies of God's amazing work in people's lives," he says. "Time and again, women, children and men tell us: 'Before the Jaranwala attack, we owned a Bible and knew how to read it—but we didn't recognize its power.'"
Rashid recalls one young woman's story in particular, a university teacher named Maliha. "Jesus allowed these attacks to draw us closer to Him," she told Rashid. "In one evening, thousands of Christians cried out in the streets—some on their knees, some with their hands in the air, others with faces buried in each other's shoulders. But all cried out to Jesus.
"Our lives were on the brink of change—not because of the attacks, but because of the name of Jesus. We've learned to fill our hearts and minds with His words and hope. This is healing us, strengthening us, and most of all, helping our brothers and sisters to forgive."
Thanks to the gifts and prayers of Open Doors supporters like you, Rashid and other HOPE team members were able to help with pastoral care and offered encouragement from the Bible to the affected believers. Being with the believers—the simple ministry of presence—and becoming part of their community made a tremendous impact on the local Christians. Christians in Jaranwala knew they weren't forgotten ... and that they belong to a global Body that cares for them, no matter what.
*Name changed for security.
