Ferial is telling others about her faith in Jesus Christ. Photo Provided by Heart For Lebanon.

Ferial is a Palestinian-Syrian woman who lived in Lebanon as a Muslim for many years.

Like other Palestinian refugees, she has lived in Lebanon without ever having any recognition from the government.

Living in poor conditions and with scarce resources, Ferial received physical aid from the Heart For Lebanon team. More importantly, joined their 3-year Discipleship Growth Program.

Camille Melki with Heart For Lebanon says that he and another ministry partner had the privilege of publicly baptizing Ferial among ministry brothers and sisters in early October.

In many cases, Muslims risk losing the support of family members and tribal leaders or being disowned when they declare a desire to follow Christ.

In countries that surround Lebanon, the lives of converts are at risk. In Ferial’s case, her landlord forced her to leave home.

Despite repercussions, Ferial, who is 61 years old, a widow, and illiterate, now shares the Gospel and openly declares Christ as her personal Savior.

“It’s not about just sharing the Gospel with her, which in itself is huge and amazing,” Melki says. “What’s important is that we can equip even people of very little educational means, equip them with tools to share the Gospel with others, and that’s what keeps the ministry alive.”

“We want to know that our relationship with Ferial, as important as that is, will also lead to her having built those relationships of trust with others, people that we might never have the opportunity to reach, but God will use her to reach them,” Melki says.

As a Gospel-centered organization, Heart For Lebanon meets the needs of shelter, medical care, and education, so that they can have Gospel conversations.

By visiting with individuals and families, Heart For Lebanon is building relationships and trust.

“They become family to us,” Melki says. “In those moments, that’s when we get the invitation to answer their questions about faith, about God, about religion, about if God exists, and if he does, does he care for our miseries, our pain?”

Please pray for ministries like the 3-year Discipleship Growth Program and for more testimonies like Ferial’s. Praise God for the work He is doing in Lebanon. 

Learn more about Ferial’s story here.

Header photo provided by Heart for Lebanon.