I am Mila, a mother of one child (in Southeast Asia). I was born and raised as a Muslim.

Since childhood, I have often studied various religions because I wanted to know which religion would be the most peaceful for me.

Twenty years ago, I married a man of Arab descent, and we were blessed with our child. However, as time went by, I felt uncomfortable with my life as a Muslim. My husband did not allow me or my child to socialize with people around us. Every day we were only at home, and my child did not go to public school but was homeschooled.

One day, (we realized) my husband suffered from dementia. He only remembered memories before marriage, so he did not recognize his child or me. My husband’s Muslim family also began to reject the presence of my child and me, and they rented a house for us.

Then, I met a vegetable seller who had been selling near my rented house. I told her about my life, and she invited me to church. When I went to church, I felt peaceful. There was calmness within me.

Finally, I decided to become a Christian and took off my hijab. At that time, I worked in a home industry where all the female employees wore hijab. And every day before starting work, we were told to read the Quran. I decided to leave and look for another job.

My husband’s family, who found out about (my Christian faith) were angry and didn’t want to pay my rent anymore. They didn’t want to see me anymore. My son wasn’t yet interested in Christianity. However, I continued to pray that he would believe in Jesus. He had a talent for painting and sold paintings to support our livelihood.

One day, I met with ICC staff, and they helped pay the rent the following year. They also gave my son a spiritual book. Over time, my son began reading the Bible and began painting stories from it. I am grateful that God answered my prayers, and I continue to pray that our faith in Jesus will grow stronger.