Woman Finds Peace After the Chaos of War

During the war, although Seanna and her husband were poor, a home had been provided for them. Seanna’s husband also did his best to take care of her and their five children by working as an assistant to masons and carpenters whenever work was available. At least they had each other to weather life’s storms. But then everything changed when her husband became a casualty of the war swirling around them.

A Widow’s Fight for Survival

After the death of her husband, Seanna felt overwhelmed by sorrow but continued to live for the sake of her children. By this time, two of her daughters had gotten married and moved out, leaving Seanna to care for the remaining three. Despite many difficulties, she managed to run the household while providing for her family by cooking and selling food to local shops.

The fighting intensified over the next four years, yet Seanna somehow held her family together. Just as they were finally settling into their new life, the war abruptly claimed the life of her youngest son. His death plunged Seanna into deep sorrow, and she had no one to help her. Her relatives lived nearby but were burdened by their own struggles and unable to extend a helping hand. Thus, Seanna was left to cope alone.

Seanna’s life took another drastic turn when the military moved into her neighborhood. Their occupation forced her and her neighbors into refugee camps where they lived in overcrowded environments and makeshift tents. Later, she moved into a small, hut constructed of tin sheets. One day, while Seanna was buying groceries, she was caught in an explosion that sent shrapnel into the right side of her chest and shoulder, causing partial paralysis there as well as blindness in her right eye. The damage to her body prevented her from performing her usual work and earning an income.

Seeing Seanna’s struggles, Merida, Seanna’s youngest daughter who had already married and moved away like her two older sisters, took Seanna in and looked after her. In return, Seanna helped around the house by cooking for the family and caring for Merida’s two children.

A Mother’s Inconsolable Grief

When the decades-long civil war finally ended, Seanna’s life was in shambles. She had lost her beloved husband and son, her home and her health. Seanna was heartbroken and very disappointed with her life. She had always been diligent in making sacrifices to her gods and praying for protection, yet she still had suffered immeasurable pain with no healing or peace. Mourning the death of her husband and son, she became very angry and bitter toward those who had participated in the war.

For nearly the next decade, Seanna continued to live with unresolved grief and resentment. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for war widows, especially those raising children, to struggle with mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, prolonged grief disorder and suicidal ideation ¹. By God’s grace, however, He did not leave Seanna in her grief.

One day, GFA pastor Nevin visited Seanna’s village and saw her caring for her grandchildren. Pastor Nevin approached her and shared with her about Christ’s love. Sensing that he was a godly and trustworthy person, Seanna opened up to him about her life and her struggles. It made her very happy that she could finally share her burdens with someone else.

1. Morina, Nexhemedin, and Emmelkamp, Paul M. G. "Mental health outcomes of widowed and married mothers after war." The British Journal of Psychiatry 200, no. 2 (2012): 158–59. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.111.093609 ↩

The Gift of Peace

Pastor Nevin carefully listened to her story. Afterwards, he prayed for her and asked God to give her peace. Immediately, Seanna felt the Lord’s tangible presence. In that moment, all her burdens lifted from her mind. With deep gratitude, Seanna decided to attend Pastor Nevin’s church.

During her very first Sunday service, Seanna humbly knelt before the altar. With tears streaming down her face, she asked God to take away all her anger and fears. God answered her by giving her His peace, the peace that “surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) and is greater than any war, loss or affliction. God’s peace did not come with the answers to her suffering, but it came as a healing balm to her hurting soul.

With God’s peace, Seanna could finally let go of the past and embrace hope for her future. As a result, she placed all her trust in Jesus, asked Him to guide her life and began to turn to Him in prayer.

The transformation in Seanna became so profound that it caused her daughters to become curious about Jesus. Merida and her children began to regularly attend church with Seanna. Their family also began hosting prayer meetings with Pastor Nevin every Friday evening at their home. With this foundation set, Seanna made it her goal to serve the Lord and to raise her grandchildren to walk in His ways.

A New Purpose in Life

Because of Jesus and Pastor Nevin’s faithfulness, Seanna was able to find a new purpose in life. She gratefully shared, “Even after so [many] problems and sadness … God has kept me alive to do more service for Him. Now, my only hope is to serve my God until the time that my journey ends. I thank God for the peace I found amidst all the misery.”

God also gave Seanna a community of believers that she could rely on. She joined the Women’s Fellowship at Pastor Nevin’s church, a place of comfort and solidarity for women like Seanna who had survived the war. Through her church’s widows’ ministry, she also received much needed practical assistance like groceries and help with rehabilitation. Seanna’s life has been completely changed, but there are many widows who are still in need.

Widows in places such as Africa and Asia often face many challenges—spiritually, emotionally and physically. GFA pastors and their churches assist widows, like Seanna, in a holistic way. They meet the spiritual and emotional needs of these women, who often face discrimination and are overlooked by society, ¹ by visiting and praying for them. They also meet widows’ physical needs by giving them practical gifts such as blankets and income-producing animals. Every gift is given freely and unconditionally so that widows like Seanna can experience Christ’s tangible love and have hope for their future.

You can partner with GFA missionaries to share Christ’s love and lasting hope with widows and their families.

1. United Nations. "International Widows' Day 23 June." 2026. https://www.un.org/en/observances/widows-day ↩

GFA missionaries care for widows by meeting their holistic needs. This can include visiting them, praying for them and meeting their basic needs. You can join with these missionaries to serve more widows and their families.