Three Widows
A house full of Muslim women meagerly survive together in one small apartment inside the city of Mosul - the ancient Nineveh plains of Iraq. The woman who is the head of the house is a widow. With her are her daughter and daughter-in-law, who are also widows. All three have lost their husbands because of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria - ISIS. The men took a stand against the violence of this extremist group who had invaded the city and as a result, were rounded up in the middle of the night and shot execution-style in the center of the town square for all to see. Sending a message to others that their disapproval would be met with the same fate.
In one night, all three women became widows losing their love for life, and their only means of support in this patriarchal society. In addition, the two younger widows have small children – ironically also girls.
With the support of The Joshua Fund, one Iraqi church is stepping in to do just that. Teams, consisting of some who fled the city during the invasion, returned to Mosul specifically to care for the widows whose husbands were killed by the fundamentalists. At each home, the church team would bring a simple basket of food and ask the family, “How can we pray for you?” Then they would let them know, that they would pray in Jesus’s name. Each team cares for about 50 families – one of them, this home full of females.
During one visit, our ministry colleague noticed a sewing machine in the corner gathering dust. When she asked the three if they could sew, they replied with a resounding yes. The fabric was then purchased for them and our colleague made a special request. “As we are approaching the end of Ramadan (which is a 30-day fasting requirement within Islam each year).
...I’d like you to make dresses for your neighbors, both women and children in need so they have a nice outfit to wear.”
Several weeks later, after the dresses were made, our colleague paid for the finished products and then told her to give the items away. This opportunity became a triple blessing. The women making the dresses were overjoyed at the opportunity to put their sewing machine and their time to good use, the recipients of the clothes were thrilled to have a new outfit for free and the widows now had some income to provide for some of their needs. All because someone cared, these 3 women are now open to hearing more about the Jesus who loves widows.
The Joshua Fund continues to support the local Iraqi church as they bring the Gospel message and the hope of establishing fellowships inside Mosul - one of the most oppressive cities and areas on the planet towards Believers.
THANK YOU for being so kind and compassionate, your investment through prayer and financial support has made all the difference in the lives of these three widows. Would you prayerfully consider helping us fund more programs to further the Gospel?
Others, like you, added convenience to their lives by supporting The Joshua Fund monthly, with a recurring donation. Would you like to do the same?
