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.

The first 72 hours are critical for survival following a major disaster. It took a whole week for the first U.N. truck to reach northern Syria.

The delay didn’t stop local Christians from helping people in need. Believers reached out with help for today and hope for tomorrow.

“Jesus said, ‘they will see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father,’” pastor and evangelist Fayez Youssef says. Youssef partners with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada to support and encourage Syrian believers.

“It’s the natural role of a church to be light in the darkness, show God’s love and mercy towards the people, and share the Good News. The [Body of Christ] in Syria is doing a great job.”

Tomorrow marks the 12th anniversary of Syria’s civil war. Hundreds of thousands have died, and six million have fled to neighboring countries and overseas nations, including Canada.

House destroyed in 2012 by a Syrian army tank shell in Al Qsair.
(Photo, caption credit Freedom House via Flickr)

“People in Syria [are] greatly suffering from this long, exhausting civil war. Many young people, especially the men, had to leave because they [faced conscription], so many escaped,” Youssef says.

“You have a [generation gap] in the Christians because they (Christian men) left, or they were in the army, or they died. This has affected the future [of the Syrian Church] very much.”

Last month’s devastating earthquakes added insult to injury. You can help Syrian Christians through VOM Canada. Most importantly, pray. Pray believers will have continued perseverance and stamina.

“In the Middle East, [in] some places church has disappeared completely, like the Arab peninsula and all the Gulf states. But in Syria, Christianity stayed,” Youssef says.

“They are suffering [the same as] all the Syrian peoples, but they are serving [at] the same time.”

Header image courtesy of…

Sometimes, Syrian officials take materials to sell in the market for personal gain. In other cases, bandits block aid deliveries. Plus, Syria’s government has resumed shelling in northwest Syria, adding insult to injury.

On the ground, “people are worried, scared, and depressed; they are traumatized,” says Pastor Fayez Youssef, a believer working in Syria with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

“There is no trust in what is coming in the future. The only hope is when you meet with Christ.”

Nearly nine million people live in earthquake-affected areas across northern Syria. Two of the worst-hit quake zones have a significant Christian presence.

“The Church is in Aleppo. In Lattakia, Christianity is there,” Youssef says.

In the physical world, high heat and intense pressure turn carbon molecules into diamonds. In Syria, the fires of persecution combined with pressure from the war and earthquakes create spiritual diamonds.

“When people are pressured, they share fears, and this kind of solidarity exists. This has opened a great door for many people to hear the Good News and to meet with the true Light,” Youssef says.

May the Lord provide for Syria’s churches, equipping them to serve faithfully as lights in the darkness. Support Christ-centered earthquake recovery efforts here.

“The Christians in Syria have done a great job reaching out to the poor and needy, being very active in the community, opening clinics, advocating for the people who go through a lot of crisis,” Youssef says.

Header image courtesy of Heart4Iran.