AN update on our Syrian ministry
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Reading time three minutes.
About two months after the Asaad regime in Syria fell, an alliance of thirty-nine armed factions under the leadership of an Islamic religious authority called Al-Nusra took absolute power. One of their goals is to impose Islamic Sharia law in all areas they control. We are currently negotiating for the lives and safety of all our people, not with one militia (terrorist group) but with thirty-nine! When they imposed their control over the land, they had lists of names prepared in advance to eliminate and exact retribution from anyone who violated or would violate Islamic law. After they took control, our lives of misery got even worse. There are killings, torture, thefts, burning of homes, destruction of properties, and revenge, all under the pretext of imposing Sharia law. In their first days, that killed six of our families – the parents and children annihilated. Our ministry has grown from conversions among Muslims of all sects (Sunnis, Shiites, Alawites, Murshidis, Druz, etc.). In the past twenty years, we have faced many challenges and difficulties to preserve the lives of our Sisters, Brothers, and children in Christ who are in our house churches. They are from different Islamic backgrounds. We have already lost some people, but we are very grateful for God extending his hand through you to help us hide and relocate our 550 remaining families. (nearly 5000 individuals) One of those hidden families is a woman named Fatima who has four daughters, the oldest of whom is thirteen and the youngest of whom is five. Fatima, at age sixteen, was forcefully married to a man thirty years older than her, becoming his third wife (men are allowed up to four). She lost everything after the earthquake that struck our country in February 2023. Even her husband abandoned her and no longer provided for her and her daughter’s needs. This was punitive because she had given birth to four girls and no sons. The Lord led her to meet one of our church members, and after that meeting, she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her savior. During that period in hiding, she was very active and effective in ministry among other women. She used to say that the church was her only family and could guarantee that her daughters would not live the same bitter life she had lived. After the fall of our regime and control of one of the armed factions over that area, her husband began to pursue her to implement Sharia law against her (death). Through your help, the Lord enabled us to move her quickly to one of our secret and safe locations. We were also able to help them to have two meals a day. She is still active among the women and children from the same background living in the same location, encouraging and praying with them to stay strong and helping them prepare their meals, which you provided. The needs: In the last two months, the group that controls the government has not paid salaries, and they have rejected the previous currency, rendering it useless to buy anything. We are trying to provide daily food for our 550 families from available local items. But it is winter right now; it’s cold, and many of them have run away to save their lives, having no food or warm clothes to take with them. We are praying and asking you to help us pass this next six months to keep our people from perishing. We pray for God, through you, to provide just under $36,000 per month for the next six months. This will help our families who are suffering, struggling, and living in poverty and hunger who have no hope for tomorrow. Please pray for wisdom for our negotiators. Dealing with one terrorist group is difficult, but dealing with thirty-nine at once is an insurmountable struggle. Our God is able. We need the “effectual, fervent prayers” of right Believers. And we need financial help to save their lives from ruin and martyrdom. A bit of good news: During the negotiations, we discovered that some of the Islamic soldiers and officers had refused to kill our people and had pledged to protect our facilities and our bookstore. Why? For years, we have had a Touch a Life feeding center operation there covertly with our main church, which is recently registered with the government as the Bible Baptist Denomination. The church members have provided daily food and tutoring for hundreds of children. As it turns out, some of them that I had met years ago had been captured and forced into the terrorist armed militias. They have survived as secret Christians and, like Daniel and his friends, have risen in authority. These men have stated publicly that because of all the good we did for them and their families, they will not hunt our people and will not kill them. That is a Red Sea-sized miracle; however, it is only one of the thirty-nine. Please pray and give. Please designate your gift for 550 Families. Final Frontiers complies with rules and best practices as established by OFAC per Code of Federal Regulations § 542.516 (aka) Syria NGO general license |
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