Syria (MNN) – As the Syrian civil war continues many women find their lives in shambles. A large number of young men have left the country or been killed. As a result widows and single women abound.
One single woman named Vivian joined a Syrian dating app to find a husband. She met and married a man who beat and abused her after they were wed. Although she didn’t know God, she cried out to Him and was able to escape from her husband.
Soon afterward she discovered she was pregnant. Vivian was homeless and jobless. She didn’t think she had any option but to abort her baby. But God had other plans and she kept her daughter.
A “Chance” Meeting with Uncharted Ministries
The Uncharted Ministries team in Syria met Vivian while they were sharing food with the poor, orphans, and widows.
Tom Doyle with Uncharted Ministries says, “She had one small little container of yogurt. They had so little. Her daughter could only just dip her finger in there and lick it once a day. They had a little bit of watermelon, occasionally some bread, and that was it.”
Through the ministry of that team, God brought her to faith in Himself. Now despite what she endured, Vivian radiates the joy of the Lord.
(Image courtesy of JodyHongFilms on Unsplash)
Doyle shares, “You talk about a 180 in Christ and just a passion she has to serve others. Now she’s come to faith in Christ. She’s serving [as a] volunteer, got a little job. That’s a miracle in Syria, where she’s able to feed her daughter and herself. The blessings that God has poured out from heaven in Christ to her are really astounding when you think about where she was and where she is today.”
Given Much, Giving Back
Like the widow in Mark 12, Vivian understands both poverty and the value of giving. She received much from God and so now she joyfully gives it back.
“Whether it is money – her little money that she receives in her job – or the food that she gets, she always gives 10% away to others. Whether she buys it or it’s given to her – funds or food – she always gives away 10%. [She] prays, ‘Lord, who do I give this to?’ And He directs her. She’s just the testimony of God blessing us [and] how we’re supposed to pass on the blessing to others.”
Doyle encourages believers to go to the Uncharted Ministries website to learn more about how they can get involved with widows and orphans in Syria. “One of the major ministries we have with Uncharted is helping widows and orphans. We believe every ministry is called to do that, whether that’s in your sphere of what you do — we’ve got to help them. That’s something specifically in Scripture that God tells us to do. And there are so many in Syria.”
Visit the Uncharted Ministries website here to get involved with their ministry.
(Header Image courtesy of Rostyslav Savchyn on Unsplash)
