The Christmas of 1983 marked the birth of a ministry and became a Christmas unlike any other—extraordinary, unforgettable, and deeply painful all at once. Life at that time was marked by upheaval, instability, and hardship. I was forced to leave the home I owned, taking my children with me, because the violence, conflict, and absence of peace had escalated to the point of a third attempt on my life. Our circumstances were difficult, our resources limited, and our future uncertain.