MEET REVEREND FOUAD

In general, the economic situation in Syria is terrible. It is also the case in our region, where agriculture and oil are the main activities. Most people are struggling to make ends meet and are in a very dire situation. There is huge inflation, and everything is expensive, whether food, clothes, or education. As much as we are able, we help people who are in need. Some of the people we help are Kurds. They have been living as internally displaced people in extremely difficult circumstances since they came to our area from the Afrin region. We also help many Sunnis, who are internally displaced either from the Aleppo governorate or from the Raqaa province. And we help Christians too, from various denominations.

When they receive the food boxes, the people are very happy. It makes a very big difference in their life. People tell us that the quality of the food we give them is better than the quality of the food other organizations provide. They are very satisfied with it, and with the diversity of the products in the portions.

Their reaction sometimes makes you feel like you gave them life. They always tell us: “We feel it is a gift from God, God bless you!” It is very encouraging to see that our help results in thanksgiving to God, and not only to us. People really see the hand of God through this. It gives us great joy to be able to put some smiles back on the faces of the children, who are always excited when we visit. But mostly, we feel blessed because we know that when we help our neighbors who are suffering and in need, we are doing God’s will.

Some people we helped were previously receiving assistance from the UN or from the Red Crescent, but they tell us that they felt like numbers to them. The humanitarian workers there would yell at people or be very harsh with them. By contrast, they tell us that when we visit to hand out the food assistance, they feel that we really care and that we love them. People are surprised and very touched. They say things like “The evangelical church treats us with dignity and makes us feel like we have value.” And then the words spread.

This ministry strengthened both our church and our witness in the community. Through it, we show to people who Jesus is: He doesn’t discriminate, He loves everyone, He is with the people who suffer. People see our love and ask us questions about faith and about Jesus and the Bible. It opened a door to discussions and to share the Gospel. It also helps us build good relationships with people from all backgrounds and communities. It is a testament that we love everyone, and builds peace and respect in the community, which we so badly need.

We need your prayers, because nothing is getting easier around us. We face many challenges when it comes to safety or education for our children and youth. But mostly, humanitarian needs continue to increase, and overall support has been drastically decreasing. Last year, the UN stopped all their food assistance in Syria, and many other NGOs had to close. Many people are now coming to us because we are the only ones in our entire area who are still helping, but we have very limited resources. We have vulnerability criteria to choose who to help, but everyone is objectively in need, and it is psychologically tiring on our team. Not one day passes without people coming to us to beg for help. They tell us “why do you give to this one and not to us?” or “why did you stop helping us?”.

Despite the many challenges, we feel blessed to be able to continue ministering to people around us and we are thankful to all who are making this possible.