Here is the image many of us have been awaiting for months now:  Meriam Ibrahim, the courageous Sudanese woman who faced execution for maintaining her Christian faith, finally arriving at her new home in the United States. Her husband, Daniel Wani, broke into tears at the joyous reception they received upon their arrival in Manchester, New Hampshire.

We need more happy endings like this for other Americans being held in foreign countries for the “crime” of practicing their Christian faiths.

Pastor Saeed Abedini, an Iranian-born American citizen, continues to be held in the notorious Evin Prison in Iran, where he has been beaten and denied medical treatment since September, 2012. His crime? Working to build an orphanage. Secretary of State John Kerry, to his credit, has promised to work for Pastor Abedini’s release from his eight-year sentence, but how effective are his efforts, considering the perceived foreign policy weakness of the United States?

And then there’s Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American being held in North Korea, for the “crime” of acting as a Christian missionary. He has also been held since 2012, but while the State Department has reportedly been working on his case, he has yet to receive any response from Kerry or President Obama.  Meanwhile, his family reports that the 42-year-old’s health is deteriorating.

But, in the meantime, we have a President who seems focused on using his famous pen and phone to bypass Congress in dealing with illegal aliens invading our southern borders.

Priorities, of course. He needs to ensure a future Democratic voting bloc.

Editor’s note: We’d like to welcome Kim Quade as a writer at Victory Girls!