In the quiet corners of a refugee camp in South Sudan, a mother of six holds tightly to her faith and to the hope that her children will one day live free from fear. 

Lulu was once Muslim, a wife to a Muslim husband, and a mother living in Sudan. When she gave her life to Jesus Christ, everything changed.  

Her husband and family responded with rejection, exclusion, and repeated physical assaults. He beat her regularly, hoping the pain would force her to abandon her new faith. However, she remained steadfast. 

Though forbidden from attending church, Lulu found a quiet way to grow in Christ. A friend gave her a pocket-sized copy of the New Testament. In secret moments, she opened its pages and prayed. She did this for a long time, until her mother-in-law discovered the Bible and reported it to her husband. 

The abuse that followed was severe. Lulu was beaten so badly that she bled heavily. Realizing her situation would not improve, she made a life-altering decision. 

On the Run 

During Eid al-Fitr season, she gathered five of her children and left under the pretense of celebrating with other Muslim families. She was pregnant with her sixth child. With no money, no extra clothes, and nothing but courage and faith, she fled across the border into South Sudan. 

“I was helped by a good Samaritan who gave me food and helped me to travel to the camp,” Lulu recalled. “On arrival there I was finally glad to have at least access to shelter, food and water, even though it was a hostile environment. I felt better because at least I was going to keep my baby, who I was worried about miscarrying due to my husband, and this is something I was very thankful to God.” 

She settled in at the Ajowangthog refugee camp. For a time, she felt peace and deep gratitude. But fear returned when she encountered people who knew her from Sudan. She worried they might tell her husband where she was. 

Her fears proved real. In mid-2025, unknown men twice forced their way into her home. Neighbors responded to her screams and helped drive them away. The incidents left Lulu and her children deeply traumatized. She sought protection from UNHCR, but help has not yet come. For safety, she has relocated deeper into the neighborhood.  

Trusting the Lord 

Although the fear remains, it has not broken Lulu’s faith.  

“I am grateful to the Lord Almighty that they are Christians and loving and know the Lord Jesus through Sunday schools,” she said of her children. “And I don’t regret my decision to be a Christian.” 

A local church partner, who works with Lulu and wished to remain anonymous, said Lulu needs our prayers.  

“Lulu has been grounded in faith, and she has us as a church to stand with her in this time, but we are only doing what we can do within our limits to see to it that she’s not alone in this,” he said. “We ask that you keep praying for her and her children and for protection from all the wiles of darkness. Indeed, she has gone through a lot, but we trust that she can move to a safer place because the husband might come any time and attack her and take the children.” 

Today Lulu and her six children live between fear and faith. They continue to trust the Lord for daily survival while hoping for a more secure future. 

“Please keep Lulu and her children in your prayers for physical safety, emotional healing, and the possibility of relocation to a place where they can live without constant threat,” an International Christian Concern (ICC) staffer said. “Pray also for the local believers walking alongside her, that they may have wisdom and resources to continue supporting this family.” 

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