Syria (MNN) — Syria may be broken by over a decade of war, but hope remains. Muslim Syrians are turning to Christ as they discover His truth.
Although today’s challenging circumstances remain, Jesus provides hope for tomorrow.
(Graphic courtesy of VOM Canada)
“The battles Syria [has] seen in the cities and from home to home, from street to street, is over. But the results [are] very difficult,” says Voice of the Martyrs Canada partner Fayez Youssef, a pastor serving in the Middle East/North Africa region.
“Life is so difficult in Syria. There is no free gasoline for heating; [there are] electricity problems [with] maybe two, three hours a day [of electricity] maximum. When the dollar equals 6500 liras, the person whose income was $500 is now about $10 or $15.”
Nearly seven million Syrians are displaced inside the country, while over five million live as refugees in neighboring countries. Islamic State violence drove a mass exodus of Christians out of Syria in 2014 and 2015, but those who remain today shine brightly.
“It’s the natural role of a church to be light in the places of this darkness, to show God’s love and mercy towards the people and share the Good News. The church in Syria is [doing] a great job,” Youssef says.
“This was one thing that amazed me in Syria: to see the Church growing and opening the doors for everybody from all backgrounds to come.”
With help from VOM Canada, believers are reaching out to vulnerable populations, including Syria’s next generation. Pray their efforts will be successful.
“Many, many children are not in regular schools. Some of them lost their parents, so they are growing up as orphans. You’re talking about [a] traumatized generation,” Youssef says.
Header and story images courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada.
