Story highlights Christians fleeing ISIS celebrate Christmas away form home after fleeing death or persecution

Hundreds of thousands are spread across the world, many in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey

They grieve for their losses, but pray to one day to return to Iraq as proud Christians with no fear of reprisals

(CNN) Perfumed smoke fills the aisle as the priest swings incense back and forth in the thurible, a small metal canister suspended from chains that holds the pungent smoke. It is something priest Bishare al Shemani has done for years, but this year he is doing it in a makeshift church thousands of miles from his home church. It is not by choice but necessity.

Al Shemani is one of the hundreds of thousands of Christians forced to leave his country because of ISIS.

"They took our areas, our house, the places that we used to hold so dear," al Shemani said.

Parishioners surround him. They are crossing themselves, singing and praying. All fled for their lives fearing death, but nothing could kill their faith.

Nearly 2,000 miles from Mosul, Iraq, where ISIS has tormented their people alongside their Muslim neighbors, they have found temporary refuge in Turkey.

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