Women of the persecuted Church: Gertrude

Gertrude* (27) lies on the ground in a pool of blood, clenching a gunshot wound in her stomach, and her feet throbbing where two other bullets hit her. She lifts her head out of the mud and looks back at the field she fled from. It’s a horrifying scene… but the worst pain: armed men killed her husband, while their three-year-old son watched and then disappeared without a trace…

Gertrude and her husband were on their farm in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) when the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked them. “I suffered serious injuries because I was shot three times. When the third bullet hit me, I lost all my strength and fell to the ground.”

After this she was a widow with limited income, permanent injuries, and many children to care for…

But Gertrude still stands in her faith in God.

“God saved me from danger and I have hope that He is always available. If I had strayed far from Him, I would have been dead a long time ago.”

Open Doors assisted Gertrude with help to start a small business. She has opened a shop where the townspeople can buy daily necessities, and she is determined to make it a success.

How can you support?

Pray. Stay up to date on news about the persecuted Church. Give a gift today to support believers who experience the worst persecution for their faith in Jesus.

Your support today will help them to stand, knowing that they are never alone.

*Name changed for security reasons.