(Photo: Unsplash)Following Algeria’s closure of nearly all evangelical churches in waves of repression that began in 2017, Christians have been forced underground in what they describe as an internal exile, sources said. Christians in the 99-percent Muslim country gather discreetly in homes, garages or under olive trees, isolating many who are deprived of regular spiritual guidance. Despite such challenges, some Christians express gratitude to God, viewing this period as a spiritual cleansing to build stronger and more mature churches. One church leader continues to serve by visiting families in various villages to offer moral and spiritual support. “We desperately lack Bibles and Christian books, as customs officials systematically confiscate them even when friends bring them from the West.”