Zahra

Zahra is a Christian who came to Brazil with a group of Afghanistan refugees fleeing persecution. Our mission students are trained to help find housing, food and resources for refugees, and to share the Gospel with them.  Of course, communication in Portuguese is a challenge for newcomers. In Zahra’s case, communication was even more complicated.

Zahra, like almost all Afghan women, had been prohibited from going to school. She was not even literate in her native Persian language; how could she possibly learn Portuguese? As we prayed about this, God brought someone to mind: Leticia, someone very familiar with the complications of life.

Both Leticia and her sister were born with many complications – deaf and mentally handicapped, among other things. Their father abandoned them both many years ago, leaving their mother, a devout Christian, to raise the two girls alone. These overwhelming challenges led the mother to study pedagogy (education), in order to raise her daughters well. Her efforts were not in vain, as Leticia and her sister grew up educated, confident and passionate about their relationship with Jesus.

Growing up, Leticia always dreamed of being a missionary. It seemed impossible for a girl who was born deaf, and who only began hearing at the age of seven after a surgery to have a bionic hearing device implanted. Yet this girl, with the help of her mother, surpassed all expectations and medical prognoses. Not only did she learn to read and write, she became a gifted linguist in multiple languages! It was not only this talent, but the story of overcoming so many challenges that led us to ask her if she could help Zahra.

We asked Leticia if she could teach Zahra to read, write and speak Portuguese. As Leticia is also a specialist in teaching literacy through visual cues, she was exactly the right person for this challenge.  It was incredible to see how the Holy Spirit brought these two women together, with their stories of pain and suffering that were being redeemed to reveal God’s character of love. 

Zahra now serves with us to help other refugee families arriving in Brazil. She has a powerful testimony to share with others who need the hope of Jesus in their lives.