Worke knows that God is with her

“My name is Worke Temesgen”, says a woman in a carefully wrapped headscarf. The fabric covers the disfigured skin that has marked her for life. Worke is not ashamed of her burn scars, but they do make her easily recognisable for anyone that wants to finish the task that caused these scars.

Called to Christ

Like so many children in Africa, Worke did not grow up sheltered from the bitter realities of life. “I was born in Ethiopia. My childhood was extremely hard. Each morning, before going to school, I had to tend to our animals. Then, at 1 pm, I would walk 10 kilometers to reach school. My family was very poor,” she shares.

“After some years I stopped going to school because walking that far on an empty stomach was too difficult… sometimes I even fainted.”

A faithful local church shared the gospel with Worke when she was just a child. “There was a church not too far from my house, it was then that I heard about Jesus Christ.”

Both Worke’s parents were Muslim, though not devout, it was still a risk going to church and worshiping with other believers. “Late at night, when my parents were asleep, I would sneak out with a friend. We would go to the church and listen to the sermon. Sometimes, there were conferences on Sundays, and people from different places would gather.”

When Worke reached marrying age, she was given to a Muslim man and moved to another country. But Jesus’ calling to follow him remained with her no matter where she went.

“The words of God I heard kept drawing me, even after I got married. After my husband passed away, I decided to embrace Christ. I talked to my neighbors about it, and I started going to church with them. But then, my husband’s family found out that I had been attending church and had become a Christian.”

After overhearing about her conversion, Worke’s family in-law was incensed. The brothers seized everything from them – their bed, shop, and her husband’s ID. 

“We were thrown out of our home. So, I took my children and left. They called me worthless, an infidel. They told me that nobody loved me and that there was nowhere for me to go,” she recalls.

Walking through fire

To provide for children, Worke started selling items on the streets. And despite the daily challenges they faced, her small family was able to make a living – thanks to the help of Christians in the area.

Nevertheless, the community hated Worke, and in 2016 she suffered the attack which claimed her son’s life and almost hers.

“They came to my place and sprayed fuel all over the house. I did not realise that… I got home and I started to prepare some dinner for my grandchild. When I lit a match to start the stove, my hands caught fire.” Worke animates lighting a match and for a moment the distorted skin on her hands are visible.

“I tried to remove my scarf, but then my hair started burning. I don’t know what happened after that. My daughter and other people I didn’t know, took me to the hospital.”

Worke sustained third degree burns all over her body and remained unconscious in the ICU for three months. The attack had left one hand and her face severely damaged. Then, one day, she remembers seeing Jesus in a dream.

 “He said ‘get up Worke’”. And she did. It left the doctors perplexed.

Although Worke has since recovered, she’s left with physically painful scars across her face and body.

“The incident has affected me very much. I struggle with memory loss, constantly forgetting things. I am currently taking medication to manage these effects. But when I worry too much, I read my bible. When I read the story of Job, it helps me to cope with my suffering. I trust that God will see me through.”

He keeps me going

Worke’s testimony is one of resilient faith, wrought by the fire she has walked through.

Speaking of her relationship with Christ, Worke says, “It is He who encourages and strengthens me. He keeps me going despite all my challenges. I am grateful to God because He has helped me. I will live by His commands and promises.”

Thousands of Christians in East Africa suffer violent persecution. Especially converts from Muslim families. Worke is a living example of this reality. But also of God’s hope, love, and redemption.

Through our local partners, Open Doors has been able to come alongside Worke. We have helped her pay her medical bills and buy necessities. In addition, we have been able to assist her in starting her own business.

“God is amazing. Just the fact that I am here is a miracle. I would have been dead by now, but Christ and you have helped me. You and other Christians have helped me so that I am not forced to return to Islam for the sake of survival. I will hold on to Christ.”

Worke’s faith was tested in the fire (1 Peter 1:7), made to become impervious and more precious than gold. Now she wants to testify to His faithfulness. “I want to tell people the gospel and how Jesus helped me through all the difficult situations I have faced. My husband and my son died, but I found rest in the Lord.”

Her journey mirrors that of countless Christians in East Africa who are violently persecuted by their families and communities. We know that there’s a ‘crown of life’ awaiting those who suffer for the sake of Christ (Rev. 2:10).

Worke’s life and faith has been shaped by the provision of the Lord through His worldwide Body. It has brought an unwavering commitment to Jesus despite unimaginable suffering.

Help us support Worke and the persecuted Church in East Africa through prayer and sacrificial giving so that they will be resilient when walking through the fires of this life.

Pray with us

• Join us in praying for God to heal, and bind up all of Worke’s emotional wounds, so that she will experience His peace, surpassing all understanding. 
• Pray for Worke to continue her faith in Christ, that she may continue to be a testament to God’s steadfast faithfulness.
• Worke’s small business does not always bring in enough money. “If I can just buy food and pay our rent, that would be good.” Pray that Worke will trust God to provide in her daily needs and to show her new and God honouring ways to increase her income.
• “One of my daughters has now finished her schooling, pray that she will be able to find a good job.”
• “Pray for my unbelieving family. Pray that they would come to the knowledge of Christ and follow Him alone.”