February 17, 2009
Daniel and Vera Kuranji, who serve with the Canadian Alliance, are no strangers to hopelessness. Experiencing God’s faithfulness when their infant son was healed of cancer, the couple returned to their Serbian homeland on the verge of the Balkan war in 1989.
Refreshed by God’s powerful grace and provision, they established a humanitarian aid organization. It has since grown exponentially, encompassing Serbia’s physically and spiritually bereft, including Amela.*
Tragic Beginnings
“There’s no delicate way to describe it: her childhood was ‘hell on earth,'” says Vera. “Last year, though, God revealed his mercy and love to this gentle 14-year-old. We share her story to reveal His love and goodness in the face of untold misery.”
Amela’s childhood was spent with her mentally ill mother and three younger sisters in a small, dilapidated cottage outside Novi Sad. The house had no electricity or indoor plumbing, and food was scarce; additionally, Amela’s stepfather was an alcoholic.
A thin, quiet girl, Amela had great difficulty making eye contact. “During the two years we visited the home, she never smiled, and we saw no changes in the family,” Vera adds.
Abuse
“My husband, Danny, and I had deep compassion for these four sweet girls . . . sometimes we felt helpless, aware that a food parcel, some warm clothes, or kind words were not enough to make any radical changes in their situation.”
One day, the Kuranjis were horrified to learn that Amela’s stepfather had been sexually abusing her for several years. The girl’s aunt, a devout Christian who attends the Kuranjis’ church, took the girl in. Almost immediately, Amela began attending church and making friends.
New Life
Upon accepting Christ as her Savior and experiencing His compassion, she began to smile. “Amela is now surrounded with people who love and respect her,” Vera concluded. “Though she continues to face the challenges of living in poverty, God has moved Amela from the Kingdom of darkness into to the Kingdom of Light.”
*Name has been changed for the protection of privacy.
What You Can Do
In your prayers, thank the Lord for the Kuranjis’ hope-filled ministry and Amela’s salvation. Pray for this wounded teenager’s continued healing and depth of relationship with Christ.