Hatred turns to happiness
Our persecuted church family in sub-Saharan Africa deeply appreciate your prayers and support throughout 2025. Many thousands of you signed the Arise Africa petition, calling for peace, justice and restoration for vulnerable Christians – and your gifts and prayers are helping believers like Dorcas.
In 2002, unknown assailants attacked her village in Kenya, tragically killing her husband. Since he was the family’s breadwinner, Dorcas became solely responsible for providing for their children, but she was paralysed by trauma. The stress even caused diabetes and high blood pressure. “Who would take care of us? I did not have the energy to support my children,” she says.
£11,000 raised through a match funding initiative for the Arise Africa campaign
It’s here you took care of her through trauma counselling given by local partners. “I did not understand forgiveness. How could I forgive those people who did wrong to me? But after you explained that the devil has power, and how he uses people to do evil things, I understood that God forgives me what I do wrong and that I can forgive others.”
The care also enabled her to come to terms with what had happened. “I understood that my confusion and hatred blocked me from proceeding with my life. I had to let go and accept my situation for me to be a mother again for my children.
“Even now, when the daily troubles are overwhelming, I remember these trainings and feel that God is there. They have helped me to open my heart for happiness again.”
