Türkiye/Syria (MNN) — A month ago, twin earthquakes devastated Türkiye and northern Syria. Tens of thousands lost their lives, and millions lost their livelihoods. See our coverage here.
Today, the hits keep coming. An airstrike earlier this week crippled the Aleppo airport, cutting off aid deliveries for days. According to the United Nations:
The impact of this closure impedes humanitarian access and could have drastic humanitarian consequences for millions of people who have been affected by the earthquake. Even more so, it could have adverse effects on the wider vulnerable population in need of humanitarian assistance.
Mainstream news may not cover the earthquake aftermath anymore, but it’s a priority for local Christians. “This (problem) is not short-term,” says Amir* with Heart4Iran.
(Photo courtesy of Heart4Iran)
“They (earthquake survivors) need so many things: tents, blankets, food; they need everything. They also need help for the emotional side (trauma), and we have to be there to serve them.”
Heart4Iran recently teamed up with another ministry to help earthquake survivors in Türkiye. More about that here. Amir shares several encounters with Muslim-background believers and their receptiveness to praying with him in the name of Jesus on the Heart4Iran podcast.
“God used my past, my pain, to understand these people and come closer to them. They let me pray for them; I cried with them,” Amir says.
While assessing needs, Amir asked one family about their emotional state and offered comfort. “I saw the fear of the earthquake in the children. They were still shaking, [so] I took my guitar and I started to play for them,” Amir says.
Cultural and spiritual barriers come down when people see Christ’s love and compassion in action. “[The family had] a wonderful heart to serve and to [show] hospitality, even in this situation,” Amir says.
“This family [has] nothing, no gas to cook for their own children or warm up milk for the baby. But they asked me, ‘Can we make a Turkish coffee for you [and your] team?’”
Amir witnessed each day to the Turkish community, and you can help Heart4Iran be an ambassador for Christ to Muslim-background believers. Learn how here.
*Name withheld for security purposes.
Header and story images courtesy of Heart4Iran.
