Happiness was in prison for no fault of her own. She came to Lebanon to work as a maid and send money to her family in Nigeria. Like all maids in that part of the country, she worked long hours with no days off for rest and relaxation and received only $125 a month. It was hard work, but Happiness was willing to bear the hardships for the sake of feeding and educating her family. What kept her going was her faith in her Lord Jesus.

Eventually when the ill treatment and beatings became unbearable, she ran away from her employers. Moreover she had not been paid her salary for many months. Her employers took advantage of the fact that she was poor, had no family in Lebanon and no one she could go to for help. Happiness felt that even though she had nothing, she had everything in Jesus and one day justice would be done.

She went to the police station thinking they would help her. But she had no idea that a runaway maid had no rights once she left the employer’s house. The police threw her in prison and this is where I met her.

Happiness, true to her name, was always happy whatever the situation or condition. Nothing perturbed or stressed her. She spent a year in prison before being deported. For any other woman, that long a stay in those prison cells would have made her crazy, insane, angry and bitter at the system. But not Happiness; it just made her stronger and deepened her faith in Christ. She lit up the dark cells with her joyful spirit and taught other women to praise God through good times and bad.

She is now home with her family in Nigeria but again trying to get a job in a faraway land.

Please pray for Happiness and others like her