Asije, a teenage high school girl from Albania, was born and raised in a Muslim family. Her dad is an unemployed alcoholic whose temper erupts when he drinks. Her mom cleans to support the family the best she can. They often don’t have enough food to eat.
Sadly, when a cousin tried to rape her, no one believed her, not even her mom. “I felt so abandoned,” she says. Not long after, she heard the Gospel when she attended a concert. Buoyed by the message, she went to a church and began attending a Project Philip Bible study for youth.
“I was surprised by the joy and love I received,” she notes. “I began to feel God’s love.” Eventually, she confided in the pastor and some youth group members about the attempted rape. As they prayed for her, Asije felt a heavy burden lifted from her. “I was set free!” she remembers.
Romans 10:17—So faith comes from hearing the Good News. And people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ.—is the teen’s favorite verse. “The more I study the Bible, the more my character changes and the more faith I have,” she explains. “Jesus gave meaning to my life. I am free from fear and depression.”
Friends have noticed her joyful outlook and have asked about it. “I tell them about God and about Jesus, my most faithful Friend. Then I pray for them,” says Asije, who now serves in her church’s children’s ministry.
“Thank you for helping me find true life and light in the Bible,” she concludes. “The Bible is the bread of my soul. I often sleep without eating, but not without reading the Bible. It gives me the strength to live for tomorrow!”
