*Remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison.”
— Hebrews 13:3
Imagine a young woman, only 21 years old, discovering the beauty of knowing Jesus Christ. She had just begun her journey of faith when everything changed.
Her name was Twen Theodros, from Eritrea.
In 2004, she was arrested for her Christian faith. She was given a choice: deny Jesus and enjoy freedom, or remain faithful and face imprisonment.
She chose Jesus.
For the next 16 years, she endured imprisonment, beatings, suffering and unimaginable conditions. For nearly three years, she lived inside a shipping container, facing unbearable heat during the day and freezing cold at night.
At Wi'a prison, she was forced to walk barefoot over thorny ground under the scorching desert sun, then beaten repeatedly on her shoulders.
But something beautiful happened inside that prison.
She met Helen Berhane, a Christian gospel singer who was also imprisoned for her faith.
When Helen was beaten and became weak, Twen cared for her. She washed her wounds, fed her and even took beatings intended for her.
Think about it!
A woman who was suffering herself became a source of comfort to another suffering woman.
Her circumstances could imprison her body, but they could not imprison her love.
And there is something even more touching about Twen. When asked about her prayer request, she did not simply ask for her freedom. Her greatest desire was that God would be glorified in Eritrea!
In February 2021, after approximately 16 years of imprisonment, she was released.
What a testimony!
The song of nightingale reminds us, there is a voice that continues to sing even in the darkest night. Twen Theodros, a woman who lived the same years as us, challenges our hearts today. Are we so consumed by our personal struggles, disappointments and unanswered prayers that we have forgotten the greater purpose of our lives? Her life reminds us that our circumstances are not the centre of our story; God's glory is. May our greatest desire not simply be to escape our struggles, but to glorify Jesus in everything, wherever He has placed us.
*Detailed testimony video
https://youtu.be/BWC2Tc--bkE?si=9ssdYLgr75bFaYcn
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*Used writing tool
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