BALKANS — A loud knock on the front door startled Danis and Emina as they finished eating dinner with their three children. Emina got up to answer. She started to open the door when whoever was on the other side shoved it open and slammed her against the wall.

Three armed men pushed past Emina into the room. Danis heard the commotion and rushed into the hallway.

“Go to the bedroom and lock the door,” he told his kids when he saw the intruders. They obeyed and Danis turned back to the men.

“Give us money!” they shouted.

Danis said he didn’t have any money, but they didn’t believe him. One of the men grabbed Emina and gripped her throat as another emptied all the drawers in their house.

Danis, desperate to protect his family, tried to fight the men off until one of them pulled a gun and shot Danis in the leg. He fell to the floor.

The men finished their search of the house and left without harming the rest of the family.

The next day Emina called her friend, Crossworld worker Kayla. Emina didn’t want to describe the situation over the phone, but Kayla could tell by the stress in Emina’s voice that something was wrong.

Kayla had visited Emina the day before — just a few hours before the intrusion. When Kayla arrived again, Emina recounted the terror of the previous evening.

“As soon as the intruders left, I called the police,” Emina said. “They arrived within a few minutes with an ambulance following close behind. Danis was taken to the hospital and had surgery that saved his leg.”

Kayla moved to sit beside her friend and held her hands.

“I’m afraid of staying here while Danis is away, but it would be more difficult to leave because our special-needs son doesn’t handle change of place and routine well.”

Oh, how I wish I could take away her pain! Kayla thought as they hugged and cried. The women talked for a long time, and Kayla prayed for Emina and her family before she left.

Later, Kayla learned the police had agreed to guard Emina’s home until Danis returned.

“God sees your struggles and he loves you!” Kayla said the next time she visited Emina.

Their visits have become more regular since the traumatic night, and during each visit, Emina asks Kayla to pray for her and her family.

“I’ve chosen specific passages from the Bible to pray for you,” Kayla said during one visit. “I’m happy to pray for you, but you can also pray to God and seek him yourself.”

Emina listened as Kayla prayed. Then she asked her friend, “Can you get me a Bible so I can read more about this God who loves me?”

Just like when Emina asked for prayer, this was a request Kayla was eager to answer.

Here’s how you can pray for this ministry.

• Danis has had two surgeries and is still in a lot of pain. Pray for his complete healing.
  
  
• Pray for God’s provision for the family’s needs until Danis can return to work.
  
  
• This traumatic experience has hit each family member in a different way. Pray for comfort in very real fear — especially for their special-needs son who is experiencing nightmares as a result.
  
  
• Pray for Emina as she reads the Bible for the first time. May God draw each member of this family to faith in Christ.

The people in this story are real, but their names have been changed to protect their privacy.