Fleeing Eritrea Through Desert and Sea
I came from Eritrea, fleeing mandatory military service that felt like slavery. For years, I had no hope - just survival. My journey to Europe took me through Sudan, across the Sahara, and into Libya, where I was held in a detention center. The conditions were terrible. We were beaten, starved, and forced to call our families for ransom money.
God's Protection on Mediterranean Crossing
When we finally set out across the Mediterranean, our boat was overloaded with 500 people. On the second night, the engine failed. We drifted for three days without food or water. People began to die around me. I thought my life was over.
A woman next to me began to pray. She was Ethiopian, a Christian. She said, "Jesus sees us. He will not let us perish." I did not believe in Jesus then, but her words stayed with me. When the Italian coast guard finally found us, only 347 of us remained alive.
Finding Jesus Through Church Volunteers
In the refugee camp in Sicily, I met volunteers from a local church. They brought food, blankets, and something I had never experienced - unconditional kindness. One of them, an elderly Italian woman named Maria, invited me to Sunday service. I went, and for the first time, I heard the Gospel in my own language through a translator.
Life Transformed by Christ's Love
That day, I understood that Jesus had been with me on that boat. He was the reason I survived. I gave my life to Him in that small church in Sicily. Now I help other refugees, sharing the hope that saved me. Jesus did not just save me from the sea - He saved me from hopelessness.
