Alone at Christmas – until someone knocked on their door

Samman* grew up in Central Asia in a home where no one ever mentioned God. His parents were too consumed by survival to think about faith. “They had their own worries and hustle,” he says. “They had never heard of God.”.

In his mid-20s, he stumbled across a Bible. Out of curiosity, he opened it to Revelation – he didn’t understand much, but that only pushed him to dig deeper. He found a Christian minister quietly running a secret prayer house in his village. They became friends. Samman’s questions led to answers that changed his life. He was baptised and served in that community for nine years.

Then everything unravelled.

Pushed to the edge

Without warning, Samman’s wife left him and their two young children. With nowhere to leave the children while he served at the prayer house, he began bringing them along. But in their conservative Muslim culture, a single father raising two young children attracted scrutiny – scrutiny that could expose a secret gathering. Where Samman lives, unregistered churches operate at constant risk – police raids, fines or imprisonment. Churches go to great lengths to stay hidden, and sometimes believers like Samman become unintended casualties.

Because of all of this he was asked to leave and just like that, he was cut off. No church, no community, no support and two children depending entirely on him.

All he could do was pray and hold on to the belief that God had not abandoned him. He had no idea how things would turn out.

Strangers at the door

It was just an ordinary evening. Samman was sitting at home with his children, talking to God about their situation – having no one to turn to, a half-built house and a life that felt like it was falling apart, he wasn’t expecting anyone.

Then came the knock.

“We were talking and praying, asking God for help to change our situation. That’s when we heard them outside. Only when they came in and started talking to us did we realise they were believers who had found us. I don’t know where they came from – maybe Jesus told them about our situation?”

Maybe He did.

“They didn’t really talk about it. The important thing was that they came, found us, and everything started to change.”

The visitors were Open Doors partners working across Central Asia, going from family to family with practical support. They sat with Samman and his children, encouraged them, blessed them with gifts – and connected them to a new prayer house whose members welcomed them with open arms.

“Through prayer, we felt encouraged in our spiritual and physical growth. My health improved, and we began reading the Bible and praying more. The kids started going to Sunday school, and the teacher there is very good – she spends several hours with them. I was deeply impressed by that. The house of prayer and the prayers of believers started changing everything in my life.”

A Christmas they won’t forget

For the first time in a long time, Samman and his children – Sasha* and Zhenya* – celebrated Christmas as part of a family of believers. Welcomed, included and not alone.

Sasha and Zhenya also received gifts through Open Doors’ Christmas gift project in Central Asia, through which local partners distribute gifts to more than 12 000 children and adults. For two children who had walked through so much, a box of sweets and a toy spoke volumes. It tells them that people far away know they exist and want them to feel remembered.

“I want to say a huge, huge thank you to those who gave the gifts,” Sasha says. Zhenya added: “I want to say to the people who prepare a gift that I would bless them and say thank you.”

“No one can take away God’s blessing”

Samman has a message for believers around the world – including those whose faith has been shaken by a hard year:

“No one can take away God’s blessing. Even if some don’t fully trust God, I want to encourage believers to truly trust in Jesus. He will come and help in any situation. For believers who might lack trust – trust Him entirely and surrender your needs to Him. Let God intervene in your life. Talk to Him one-on-one and trust the church to pray for you. Don’t grow cold, but stay passionate in prayer and in church, and never leave God.”

Samman’s story is a vivid picture of what Christmas is about – God reaching into our world and showing His unfailing love through the gift of His only Son. For this family, that love came through partners who knocked on a door, a prayer house that chose to welcome rather than exclude, and Christmas gifts that told two children someone out there knows you exist.

Through your prayers and support, our partners can find hurting believers, sit with them, and remind them that the body of Christ has not forgotten them.

Please pray

• For Samman’s half-built house – that God would provide what’s needed to give his children a stable home. “It’s impossible for us, but with Jesus, everything is possible.”
• For Sasha and Zhenya – that the love they’ve experienced in Christ would become something they carry into the world.
• For Zhenya’s own request: “I want them to pray for me, that I will get good grades.”
• For Samman’s protection, provision and ministry in his new prayer house.

*Names changed for security.