PERSECUTED ERITREAN PASTOR’S DAUGHTER: None of Our Suffering is Ever Wasted

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The Voice of the Martyrs

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4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 23 August 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

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Summary

Hana Menghisteab is back on VOM Radio this week in a follow-up conversation after sharing with us on the 20^th anniversary of her father’s arrest in Eritrea. This week, Hana shares how that interview—really the first time she’d spoken publicly about her father and her family’s suffering—was painful, but also how God used it to open a door for healing in her life.

Before his arrest in 2004, Dr. Tecleab Menghisteab was a medical doctor and a leader in the Eritrean Orthodox Church. He is one of more than 300 Christians currently in prison in Eritrea.

Hana was six years old when her father was arrested. Hana will tell how growing up without her father left her wounded in many areas of her life. However, Hana says, “God does not waste pain; He doesn’t waste the years of tears.” Instead, the Lord uses suffering to display His glory.

Hana says her interview last year opened wounds she’d wanted to keep covered up. “God forced me to reopen them and partake in my father’s suffering,” she says. She’ll tell how the Lord has allowed her to surrender her wounds to Him and encouraged her to be bold in sharing her story with others.

She’ll also share how an internship at VOM impacted her understanding of suffering and how God works through it. Hearing and reading stories of sisters and brothers also afflicted with suffering for their faith has shown Hana the beauty of those scars, even amidst the pain.

Listen to Hana’s previous visit with VOM Radio.

There are a few seats remaining at VOM’s From the Field 2025 National Conference. The conference will take place in Bartlesville, Oklahoma September 25-27. Attendees will hear from persecuted Christians—including several former VOM Radio guests—during the conference. Learn more and register online today.

Transcript

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0:00.0	As a father, my father had an obligation to care for his family and for his children,
0:05.0	but sometimes the calling that the Lord gives is higher than that.
0:09.0	And the Lord willed that our life wouldn't be simple after our father's imprisonment.
0:15.0	There was more suffering that came after that.
0:18.0	The wounds and the pain bled into my adult life and ruined many, many things in my life.
0:24.4	God does not waste pain. He doesn't waste our suffering. He doesn't waste the years of tears,
0:31.1	that he has a purpose for it. And the purpose could simply just be for his glory. It doesn't have to be
0:36.3	anything that he doesn't have to redeem or deliver me from anything,
0:40.3	but no point of suffering is ever wasted.
0:44.3	Jesus never promised his followers an easy path.
0:49.3	In fact, he told his disciples that the world would hate them.
0:52.3	He sent them out as sheep among wolves. Jesus's
0:56.1	words came true in the life of the apostles, and they're still coming true today in the lives
1:00.8	of his followers around the world. Join host Todd Nettleton as we hear their inspiring stories
1:05.8	and learn how we can help right now on the Voice of the Martyrs radio network welcome again to the voice of the
1:11.7	martyrs radio my name is todd nettleton and we are in the studio this week at voice of the martyrs
1:18.1	with hana mengistab hana is a college student majoring in biblical studies she is also the daughter of
1:24.8	dr tecliab mengastab who is a medical doctor and pastor, who has now been in prison in Eritrea almost 21 years because of his Christian ministry there.
1:36.2	Also, this summer, Hanna has served as an intern here at Voice of the Martyr.
1:40.3	So she has been working with our fellowship events team, and I asked her before she
1:44.8	heads back to college to share a little bit with our listeners about what God has done since we
1:50.1	first talked just about a year ago, almost a year ago now. Many of you will remember my two-part
	...

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