Recently I shared about our time meeting with and listening to Syrian refugee families in Jordan. It is hard to do their stories justice, but there was an overwhelming amount of pain and brokenness shared. No one chooses to be a refugee and it is hard to offer anything in the face of an ongoing war. But, I freely offered the only thing I have to give and my greatest treasure to share–my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is love, He is hope, He is peace, He is just, He is life to the fullest, and He is ever present and near to the broken hearted. Truly when all the distractions in life are gone, He is the only thing that can actually relieve broken hearts and transcend the pain of this life. Yes, we experienced a lot of pain in listening to the stories of Syrian refugees, but we also were able to share so much hope with them and see first hand how Jesus has already been moving in their lives. Here’s 3 precious stories of Jesus at work before my very eyes:
Quick Context: In Jordan we served at a local church that has been providing Syrian refugees with essential bedding, stoves, and food packages for the last several years. They freely offer help and support and understand full well the level of difficulty a Muslim family experiences even entering into a Christian church, much less asking for help. Each day, my team and I would go out to their homes with a long term worker at the church who already had relationship with the families we visited. We would deliver bags of food and simply chat about the family’s current needs and share about Jesus in whatever context fit the relationship and conversation.
On our first day, we met with a family that had been through much loss, and the father of the house was currently in a great deal of pain as he was passing a kidney stone. Our friend Pastor D spoke with the family and my team teammates shared nursing advice and looked at his doctors notes. Then Pastor D asked if we had anything to share and I just so clearly felt this Holy Spirit push. I shared about my Dad and how he recently passed a kidney stone. We laughed a bit as I related how he was much like the man we were meeting with and never went to doctors or hospitals before that. I started sharing about my father and his faithfulness to my family. How he tenderly cared for my mother in her sickness, provided for our family, took care of us kids, and how he loved her till the end when she passed away. I shared about how he remarried and how he now loves and honors my stepmother and how my family has grown. Then so gently I was able to explain that this type of love is how God loves me as a Father. I explained how my dad is not perfect but my God is, and He would do anything for His kids. He is a giver of good gifts and loves boundlessly like a good father. *Note: there are many names of Allah in Islam but he is never described as loving or father. We prayed over the family and prayed healing over the father and our friend Pastor D was planning on following up with them shortly. As we left the family all hugged and kissed me and spoke blessings over my mother and my family. It was just a powerful moment to relate family, loss, and hope in such a tangible way.
Another day, we visited a young family with three little boys. Our friend and translator E had been meeting with the family for the past 2 years and explained his joy in watching their family grow with the edition of their new baby boy. We played with their little boys as E spoke with the father of the household. He talked about the church’s Christmas service and about Joseph and Mary. He did a beautiful job of explaining that Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit and talked about how Jesus is known as the Word of God in John. I then started hearing them say the numbers 1 and 3 in Arabic a lot and knew they were talking about the trinity. *Note: the trinity is really hard for a Muslim to accept because Allah is god alone and none compare, so it just gets tricky explaining how God could have a Son and the Holy Spirit while still being one mighty authority. I got to share about the beauty of God being in perfect relationship within Himself. He was not lonely and He did not need man, which makes the truth that He wants us so much richer and sweeter. The father was clearly engaged the whole conversation and asked such good questions. When we left the house, E was so encouraged and excited. He told us how he had shared about Jesus before and the man always shrugged it off and his wife never engaged in it. But now the father was engaging and asking really thoughtful questions and E noticed his wife’s body language had softened since he first started coming; she was truly listening.
On our last day doing house visits, I went with our sweet friend M who is a believer from Jordan. She had never visited this one house, and in it there was a man with 2 wives and many children. The eldest son was actually attending the Syrian school run by the church. One of my friends shared with the family a story from the Bible, and I couldn’t even tell you how it happened but before I knew it, the son had my friend M up on her feet and he was getting ready to tell a Bible story too. He ran into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl and walked around the living area with his eyes closed saying the Arabic word for money. He gently stopped at each of us and we pretended to put coins in his bowl. Then he directed our friend M and she played Jesus in the skit. They went through John 9 and acted out the mud and the blind man being healed! I had chills the whole time as this sweet boy literally shared with his whole family who Jesus is. As we left, M looked at me and told me she felt that family was super open to Christ. She had such joy relating that the father truly listened to his son in that moment, and Jesus was using his son to reach the father.
These are only 3 stories!! Oh Jesus is moving. There are many families who have come to Christ through the love and discipleship of this church. In fact, I had one Jordanian friend tell me that this specific town was the most open to Jesus. Oh there are so many stories from long term workers there, and there are daily testimonies of how God is showing up in dreams, healings, and answered prayers. He is providing for the needs of these Syrian refugees. So much so that we were hearing stories of Syrian women at their wits end, out of food praying to the God of “that church” and finding food on their doorstep the next day. He is so good and He is working all things together for good–this good of knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior–even war and brokenness.
The stories are such treasures, but they leave us where the disciples were when they were walking with Christ and He simply asked, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15). The answer to this question changes everything! It’s not enough to hear the stories when the one they are about is waiting with arms wide open.
Please join me in praying over Syria, this local church, and the long term workers pouring out their lives in the name of Jesus. Please join me in also praying over fundraising for my squad. I am one of 9 who are still fundraising and on our way to becoming fully funded for this year. I am only about $3,000 away from my final goal!! Truly all prayer is appreciated!! Thanks so much for partnering with me in this journey.
Blessings,
Bre
