Longing for home at Christmas 

The Christmas season for Alaia* and Manuela* was once a time for family and celebration in their home of Nicaragua. However, when their father was arrested and their freedom threatened, they had to flee the country.

For 13-year-old Alaia* and nine-year-old Manuela*, Christmas means celebrating Jesus surrounded by their family. Each December, everyone would come together for the festive season – seeing the faces of grandparents and cousins arriving through the door gave the two girls great joy. 

“Everything was so beautiful because we shared so much as a family,” Manuela reminisces.  

“We prayed and thanked Jesus for what He did for the world,” says Alaia. 

As well as the usual traditions of the season, they and their parents would carry out evangelistic events together, giving gifts and sharing the gospel of hope which, to them, was always at the heart of their festivities. 

“It’s about Jesus,” Manuela explains. “We celebrate that He was born. It doesn’t matter if you decorate your house or on what day you celebrate. It matters that you remember His birth.” 

However, one year everything changed, and the girls’ family celebration of Christmas was dramatically transformed. They had to leave everything behind and flee their country, able to take with them only the precious memories of their family and a deep longing for home. 

When everything changed 

Nicaragua’s totalitarian regime means fierce control over the activities of Christians. Church leaders are especially targeted by governmental powers if they speak out against the state. 

One day, when Alaia and Manuela’s father, a local pastor, received a call, the threats they had heard of became true in their own lives. 

“My dad said to the person on the phone that he’d be there in a few minutes and hung up,” Manuela recalls. “My dad and I went down the road, then I said goodbye and left with my grandpa. After that, we didn’t talk again.” 

By the end of the day, they had heard nothing from their father. Then, the girls’ mother sat them down. 

“Remember when I told you that something could happen to your dad or me because of preaching about Jesus?” she said. “That day has come. Your dad has been arrested.” 

The shock of her words struck Manuela and Alaia. Their joyful childhood had been scored by the frightening reality of persecution. 

Every day their mother visited the prison to find out her husband’s whereabouts, and every day she was met with a deafening silence. Several other pastors had also been arrested, and the explanation slowly became clear: the regime perceived them as a threat and had made them disappear. 

A fearful wait 

Days and months passed, and still the silence was not broken. As they waited, the girls and their mother tried as best as they could to continue with normal life. 

“We didn’t know if he was alive or dead, if he was in one place or another,” Manuela remembers. “My mum tried to keep us calm by saying that my dad was in God’s hands. God would not abandon him.” 

The days stretched on, and nine months passed without any news. Together, the family clung to their faith in Jesus, praying every day and trusting that the Lord would restore their father to them. 

Living for Christ 

In the waiting, God was at work in Alaia and Manuela. 

“My mom reminded me about persecution,” Alaia recalls. “With my dad, we had already learned that things like this could happen to us because we follow Jesus. But she also reminded me that, no matter what, we must never deny Him.” 

The girls’ father had participated in persecution survival training sessions and both parents had received biblical training from Open Doors. This foundation helped them process the pain.  

“I learned that persecution teaches you not to cling to earthly things,” she explains. “One day we’ll die and won’t take anything with us. So, the best thing we can do is live – and even die – for Christ.” 

Forced to flee 

At last, the day arrived – their father had been released. 

The joyous news came from a relative of another imprisoned pastor, but despite their relief, life was about change even more for Alaia and Manuela. 

The cost of their father’s freedom was exile. He and the other pastors who had been arrested had been expelled from Nicaragua, and now their families would be targeted. 

The girls’ mother received a call from her husband: “They’re watching you. They’re going to arrest you next, to silence me. You must leave the country – now!” 

They made their escape without a moment to lose, leaving behind their lives and their precious family. Without exit documents, all they could do was trust in the Lord when they reached the border. 

But, miraculously, they weren’t stopped. No checks were made and they were granted safe crossing over the border, leaving their home behind them without the promise of ever returning. 

Christmas far from home 

In a new home, they finally were reunited with their father who was almost unrecognisable from his capture. 

“I hugged him so tightly and told him how much I missed him,” Manuela shares.  

“It was beautiful,” Alaia adds, “but also very hard, filled with emotions. We were together again, but not home.” 

Christmas no longer looks like the years of their childhood, accompanied by their family on their home soil. But they continue to adjust, sharing the hope of Christ with those around them. 

“Our parents encourage us to sit at the table, even if it’s just us, and thank God for everything, surrendering our hearts to Him,” Manuela expresses. 

Pray with Alaia and Manuela 

Despite all that they have faced, the girls’ prayers are for their home and their family, and for the protection of people like her parents who share the gospel in Nicaragua’s dangerous environment. Even at their young age, they hold fast to the promises of Emmanuel – God with us.  

Through your faithful support and prayers, you are making a difference for children like Alaia and Manuela suffering persecution this Christmas. Thank you! 

*Names changed for security reasons