Syria (MNN) — Syria’s regime change has tested the adaptability of ministries on the ground, but Alenka Stephenson with Trans World Radio says their message of hope in Jesus remains the same. One listener recently told the TWR team:
“I know that my family and I might be hungry for food, but I’ve discovered we are more hungry for heavenly food. Our stomachs are empty, but I feel at peace while reading your messages. I’m not sure what the future will bring our way, but I’m now sure that I’m not left alone. Jesus is Lord and can provide.”
Under the Assad regime, Christians had relative freedom of religious expression, Stephenson says.
“The fear is that this might change, but at the moment it’s also these mixed feelings of euphoria and loss of hope that came back to the nation.”
The interim government has said it will step back in March of this year, ushering in a new series of changes for the Syrian people. For now, citizens and ministries are taking life one day at a time. Stephenson says TWR continues its programming as it always has.
“They continue to produce programs and are adapting their content to the situation. The main message has to stay the same, and it always has, and that is hope in Jesus.
Hope for Syria is a daily radio program that has been on air across the country since 2011 when civil war broke out. Stephenson says content changes with the developing situation.
“Currently the topics that they are discussing are more focusing on bringing in the new hope but putting trust in God – so not putting their trust and hope in humans but actually finding Jesus through it.”
There’s a foundational reason for ministries to keep producing content and interacting with people:
“To connect them with the local church and to disciple them so they can continue to grow spiritually,” Stephenson says.
Syria’s population is young – the median age is 24. A tailor-made radio program produced by young adults from the local church is meant to speak to the nation from a youth perspective.
“Young people make up 50 percent of the population in Syria at the moment, so this is very crucial for us to keep this program on air and keep interacting with young listeners to bring them to Jesus,” Stephenson says.
The local team is gifted and persevering.
“They were recording at two in the morning because that’s when the electricity was on. . . [It’s a] very dedicated team that really sacrificed a lot and is continuing to do so,” she says. “It’s been a logistical challenge to say the least, but they have overcome all of that.”
Please pray for protection of the TWR production team in Syria. Pray also that they would be anxious for nothing in the midst of a dynamic, uncertain situation. Pray that the Holy Spirit would fill them with strength and wisdom as they seek to meet spiritual needs.
Featured image courtesy of TWR
