MY ACCOUNT
At A Glance:
“They took everything, but they couldn't take my faith.”
Discover the inspiring story of Lydia, a Christian mother in Nigeria standing strong despite intense persecution and unimaginable losses.
'God is Always Watching'
Once Lydia wondered how she would ever be able to feed her family.
"There was a time I would only boil water pretending to cook, while the children watched," the persecuted Nigerian mother says, remembering the pain of her former life. "But God gave me something to help my children. He showed me the way and I am very happy."
Lydia and her family fled their village in Nigeria when the terrorist organization Boko Haram invaded. Along with her twin daughters, Lydia escaped to a refugee camp in Cameroon while her husband went to Lagos, Nigeria's largest city.
Food shortages and other hardships made life in the camp impossible. Both of her daughters died there.
"When we fled, we didn't have anything," Lydia says, the memories heavy on her heart. "We suffered. Especially me, because I buried two of my children in Cameroon. Two girls in one day."
Lydia and her husband reunited at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Nigeria. Despite their tremendous suffering, Lydia thanks God for His provision.
"By God's grace, my faith remains strong," Lydia says. "I will hold tightly my faith with both hands."
Her words echo those of Job, who lost everything yet continued to glorify God. Job 1:21 says, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."
Just as God eventually blessed Job with twice what he had lost, He also blessed Lydia with a second chance. She gave birth to a second set of twins and a younger child in the IDP camp.
She also received a loan to start a successful business. Now, she runs the local tuk shop — a shop built in a container that stocks everyday essentials.
When Lydia first returned to Nigeria, she had no way to provide for her family. Her pots were empty, but her faith was strong. By the grace of God, she can now afford to pay for her children's education.
"My hope for my children is that they hold firm to their religion and follow God," Lydia says. "And may God open doors for them and grant them knowledge. That is what I am praying to God for."
Job 42:5 says, "My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You." Like Job, Lydia has clung to faith in God despite the unimaginable persecution and losses she has endured.
"I always say, thank God that I chose to stay here," she says. "God had His plan, and help came. Never assume that God is asleep. He is always watching."
An urgent window to act. They refuse to hide their faith. Let’s make sure they don't face the fire alone.
Millions of Nigerian believers currently are living in displacement camps, driven from their homes by targeted, violent attacks. Yet their joy and faith in Jesus remain unbroken. Make an eternal impact today by delivering urgent emergency aid, spiritual support, and bold advocacy so the Nigerian church can continue to shine in the darkness.
