Imagine trying to whisper the name of Jesus in a country that has been on the Open Doors World Watch List’s Top 10 for persecution since 1993.

That was an everyday reality for Aweis Ali.

Aweis grew up on the outskirts of Mogadishu in Somalia as the son of a respected Muslim cleric. By the time he was fifteen his father sensed that Aweis was asking “too many sensitive questions” about Islam and warned him, “If you become a Christian, I will be the one to kill you.” Yet, after hearing a Somali radio ministry proclaim Christ, Aweis asked for a New Testament, read it in secret, and – against every cultural and familial bond – accepted Jesus as his Saviour.

Choosing the cross cost him his family, his clan and his safety. In Somali culture, a clan is know as, “the shoes that protect you.” Stripped of that protection, Aweis was left isolated, surviving seven lonely years of prayer.

When he finally found another hidden believer, Liban, a tiny house church blossomed – only to be shattered when radical gunmen murdered Liban and several other believers. After two years of relentless terror, only two of the fourteen members remained alive.

When he finally found another hidden believer, Liban, a tiny house church blossomed – only to be shattered when radical gunmen murdered Liban and several other believers. After two years of relentless terror, only two of the fourteen members remained alive.

Aweis fled the country… In this new space, he had the opportunity to heal from his experiences and received theological training with funding from a missionary couple.

Today he is a scholar, Bible translator, and trainer of believers across the Horn of Africa.

He is now part of a network that:

• Provides discipleship & persecution-preparedness training to believers who must meet in secret.
• Offers trauma healing counselling for those scarred by violence, imprisonment, and family rejection.
• Empowers families economically, especially women, so their faith does not restrict their income and livelihoods.

All of this is possible because generous supporters like you partner with Open Doors to keep the invisible Church alive.

Your gift makes a difference

When you give, you are not just supporting financially; you are standing beside people like Aweis and thousands of other brave Christians who risk everything for the name of Jesus.

Your generosity tells them, “You are not invisible. You are loved. The Gospel will prevail.”

Please pray with us, and please give today.

Every cent is a lifeline. Every prayer is a shield.

“When you are with us, no one can be against us. What people see as impossible – like a thriving Somali Church – is possible because of you.” – Aweis

Aweis’s story proves that what people deem impossible becomes a reality when God is at work.

You, too, can a part of God’s impossible plan!

 *Any excess funds will be used to strengthen persecuted Christians where urgent help is needed.