MEET FATHER ANDREAS

“I am a priest in an orthodox church in the North West of Syria. We started working with FMEEC/MERATH (Middle East Revive and Thrive) three years ago, providing cash aid, winterization items (blankets and mattresses), then food assistance and hygiene kits.
We started helping people within the parish and then other communities. Now we help around 1,000 families. We are a team of around 12 but occasionally we need extra help.
The impact of what we do is not only material, it helps people keep hope and faith.
Even though we provide completely unconditional help, we witnessed new people coming in the church, and other people who had stopped coming started coming again. When they receive the help and become part of the community, they can feel our love and I am sure they feel God’s love.
I have in mind the story of one particular widow with three kids. After the death of her husband she came and we did our best to help her to survive with her kids, thanks to all the projects with FMEEC/MERATH. Every Sunday now she comes to church and prays and cries. She says without our help she would be in the streets.
It is my duty to take care of vulnerable families spiritually and physically. Our Lord says “without me you can’t do anything, but by me you can do mostly anything”. We are living in difficult days. All Christians of the Middle East should come closer to each other and help one another. At FMEEC/MERATH, we are from every denomination united in one common goal to help the poor and the needy.”
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