Scottish missionary Elisabeth-Jane “Lisa” Ross, 38, was murdered in Athens, Greece last month, shortly after her arrival to help with refugees.
“Lisa will always be remembered for her unstoppable passion to help those who were less fortunate than herself,” her church in Edinburgh said in a statement. “This passion and deep sense of calling sometimes took her to challenging places. Lisa was determined not to leave this world the same way she found it.” (BBC, August 6)
“She would always give to other people, and be there for people,” said Lisa’s friend, Magali Tassone, who studied together with her at Youth With A Mission in Switzerland in 2013. “Even to the point that she could sometimes forget about herself because she would spend so much time giving to people, visiting people and supporting people…. She truly incarnated the love and passion of Jesus for people here,” she added. “Her love was obvious and was not just words, but deeds and actions that she would display every day.”
Sharif Ahmadzai, 26, an Afghani boxer who arrived in Greece on a small boat ten years ago has been charged with robbing and murdering Lisa. (Daily Mail, August 3)
Sharif’s father was a military commander in Afghanistan who survived six Taliban assassination attempts before he was murdered when Sharif was three. Six years later, his older brother Samual was kidnapped by the Taliban, never to be seen again. His mother, sister and younger brother died another six years later in a suicide car bomb.
Orphaned and alone in Kabul, Sharif used what money remained from his family to leave Afghanistan. For a month and a half, he walked through Pakistan, Iran and Turkey in icy weather. In Iran, he was arrested multiple times, saw a fellow migrant freeze to death, and 26 people in a group shot and killed.
From Turkey, he tried to reach Greece by boat three times, but the first two vessels sank. In 2016 at age 16, he arrived at a refugee camp in Lesvos, taught himself English and began translating for an aid organization.
He met an American Christian aid worker, Alaina Hall, that year, converted to Christianity the next year and moved to Athens in 2019. There he began training refugee boys to box, and helped distribute food packages to those in need. He and Alaina founded Love Every Nation Athens, were married in 2023 and had a baby together.
Alaina alerted police of suspicious behavior she had seen in her husband, and they followed up to find video surveillance of Sharif entering Lisa’s flat, and then exiting shortly after, pulling a suitcase, which a homeless man found in a derelict building in Kypseli district on July 18 with Lisa’s body inside.
Lord, thank You for Lisa’s ministry and her love for You and for sharing the gospel with those in need. Please comfort her friends and family now. Comfort also Alaina, who reported her husband’s suspicious activity to the police. And care for her as she cares for her and Sharif’s baby. As Sharif awaits trial and sentencing, draw near to him. Convict him of his sin and bring him to repentance. Pour out Your love over him and draw him close. Extend to him forgiveness in transformational ways, so he will turn his life around to surrender fully to you. Bring Christians to him to disciple him in God’s Word and help him through this difficult time. Break the chains that bind him to PTSD, violence and anger, and set him free to love as You love. From this terrible tragedy bring something good, Lord. Protect former Muslims who now proclaim Christ, and keep them from harm and from harming others. Surround them with Your angels and encourage them when they are persecuted. Make their love deep, their knowledge of Your Word strong, their ability to walk in Your Spirit of Truth and freedom powerful. Set them free from the many strongholds built through a difficult childhood and traumatic experiences. Give every Muslim such a deep hunger for You they will seek You with all their hearts and find You. In Your precious name, Lord. Amen.
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