How fleeing turned to blessing for one Syrian family

Emma and her family had to flee Aleppo when bombing came - and a Centre of Hope blessed them more than they ever expected.

Emma was a hairdresser and her husband Kivork worked on cars. Their life in Aleppo wasn’t luxurious, and their income depended heavily on the number of clients they had each day – but they had been safe. Until war came to Syria, and they had to flee their home in 2014.

They took their three children – Anna (10), Agop (seven) and Lucy (four months) – and left their home behind, getting on a bus leaving Aleppo under heavy aerial and ground bombardments.

“We wanted to escape to Tartous for two days, until the bombings would stop, but a friend of ours advised us to come to Mashta Al Helou,” says Emma. “I believe God wanted us to change the plan to come and meet Him here.”

Emma and her children, now 15, 12 and five

Centre of Hope

Not long after they left, Emma and her family heard that their home had been destroyed by bombing. They realised they couldn’t go home, and started looking for jobs in their new town. Having lived in a series of small rental houses, often having to move because of the rapidly rising rent costs, they settled in a two-bedroom house. But Emma and Kivork found it hard to support their young family. Until they heard about an Open Doors church partner that acted as a Centre of Hope in Mashta Al Helou.

• What is a Centre of Hope?

“I heard about a church that distributed food and helped families with their rent,” Emma says. She found the church and started attending meetings and receiving monthly food and financial support, as well as enrolling Anna and Agop in children’s activities. Years later, all three children are still enjoying the activities for different ages, learning about Jesus and His love for them. Thanks to your prayers and gifts, this is one of more than 20 Centres of Hope in Syria supporting displaced or otherwise vulnerable families.

• Every £35 could provide a monthly relief pack for a family like Jina and Abraham’s in Syria. This could include food, clothing and heating during the freezing winter.
• A gift of £65 could go towards providing training and a loan, to enable a woman like Jina to open a small business so she can support her family and community.*

This was certainly a blessing. But the greatest blessing came to Emma when God spoke to her after she’d been in Mashta Al Helou for a couple of years. The family were raised in the Armenian Orthodox Church and were regular members of the congregation – but, Emma says, “We had never really experienced the love and work of God in our lives.”

“My biggest encounter with God”

“I started to change in 2016 when I accepted Jesus as my Saviour, and I understood how He turns everything for the good of those who love Him,” Emma remembers. “My biggest encounter with God was at the beginning of 2018.”

That encounter happened at a prayer meeting at the Centre of Hope, when somebody suggested they pray for the sick, following the instruction of verses like James 5:14: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” Emma had experienced health problems in her colon for many years, and none of the doctors in Aleppo had been able to cure her. “My house became like a pharmacy, due to all the medicines and painkillers that I used to take.” She decided to try prayer.

“They asked if anyone wanted to come forward for healing prayer. I took a step forward and they put their hands on me and prayed and anointed me with oil. After that I felt so relieved – felt like I’ve never felt before.” After she got home that day, she noticed that the pain was gone. “I thought maybe tomorrow the pain would return – but so far I haven’t taken another painkiller! Glory be to God!”

Glory to God indeed! With your support, Open Doors local partners can open more Centres of Hope across Syria, bringing vital short-term aid and long-term support to those who have been left extremely vulnerable by years of conflict and anti-Christian persecution.

• Every £35 could provide a monthly relief pack for a family like Jina and Abraham’s in Syria. This could include food, clothing and heating during the freezing winter.
• A gift of £65 could go towards providing training and a loan, to enable a woman like Jina to open a small business so she can support her family and community.*

Please pray

• For Kivork, who has yet to encounter God in the way that his wife and children have – that he might experience the love and forgiveness of God
• For Open Doors partners, as they seek to provide hope to vulnerable Syrians facing a cold and difficult winter
• That stability and peace would come to Syria after years of conflict.

*The total cost of this training and loan is £452 per person