Scared and far from home, Choinu watched the delivery date for her baby get closer and closer. She was in the worst place possible to bring a newborn into the world: a refugee camp.

At only 26 years old, Choinu had already lost three children to unknown illnesses. In early 2023, God chose to bless her and her husband with another pregnancy, but their lives turned upside down on May 3 when persecution struck their village in Manipur, India. Thousands of Christians, including Choinu and most of her family, fled their homes to seek safety in neighboring regions. However, her husband had to stay behind to care for their home and farmland, their only means of income.

Far from home and in need

As her belly enlarged, Choinu longed for the security and safety of home. Despite her dire situation, she did not lose her faith in God. She prayed that the conflict in her homeland would be resolved so she could go home, but it continued. On September 21, 2023, she delivered a healthy baby boy with the help of a pastor’s wife—a bright joy for Choinu in the darkness of her circumstances. All seemed well, but after a few days, she started having unusual bleeding. With no finances available, she couldn’t go to a hospital, so her condition worsened.

When a Catholic nun visited the camp and heard about Choinu’s condition, she brought the new mother to a hospital where she would be sure to get the care she needed: Burrows Memorial Christian Hospital (BMCH). Established in 1935 by Baptist Mid-Missions missionaries, BMCH has long been under Indian leadership who continue to provide compassionate Christian care to the people of northeast India.

A place of safety and hope

At BMCH, she was diagnosed with a postpartum hemorrhage, a common complication of unsafe deliveries. Choinu’s blood loss was so great that she needed an immediate transfusion to save her life. Word spread, and three members of a local youth group volunteered to donate blood. At the hospital, Choinu received a procedure to help her bleeding stop, and she was discharged after two days. She was cared for free of charge through BMCH and through World Relief funds sent to help the hospital care for the extra influx of patients due to the conflict in Manipur.

Your gift goes farther than you know

A gift to World Relief goes a long way. Physically, it travels around the world to places we could never go ourselves. Spiritually and emotionally, it goes even further to offer help and hope to people in need. The funds meet not only Christians’ needs, but they also impact the lives of unbelievers who hear about the gospel through compassionate missionaries and nationals.