"I know that I am not alone"

Yasmine and her husband Mohammad fled from Syria to Lebanon when the war started over ten years ago. Smuggled over the border in pouring rain, they lived initially in the Bekaa Valley near Syria, before moving forty miles away to Beirut with their four children.

Yasmine is grateful that her children are safe, but, sadly, none of them can go to school. “They stay at home all day, as none of the schools around us accepted them,” Yasmine says. “They are asking for paperwork and official documents but we have none. My children are my priority, and I pray to God that they may have a bright future.”

Yasmine, Mohammad and their four children live in a house with one bedroom, a kitchen and a bathroom. “In winter, water drips inside the house causing humidity,” says Yasmine. “We don’t have a carpet – only a mat.”

The weight of war lying heaving on their shoulders, Yasmine and her husband didn’t know how they would ever get back on their feet. Then, Mohammad heard about BMS World Mission’s partner in Lebanon, Thimar, which runs vocational training classes for Syrian refugees. Mohammad started attending a class run by brother David at a local church and studied to become an electrician.

 “In the training, they provided him with all the necessary tools, which paved the way for his job, opening more doors and opportunities for him to work,” says Yasmine. “He also works in construction to help make ends meet. He doesn’t have a consistent job, but whenever any opportunity occurs, he works. He started working on a new site two days ago, after staying at home for ten days.” 

Thanks to your generosity, brother David was able to bring Yasmine and Mohammad the supplies they needed during the cold winter months. “He always supplies us with whatever is available, whether food, winter clothes, hygiene supplies, milk and nappies,” Yasmine says. “Two years ago, he got us an electrical heater which we are still using. Last year he also got us a mattress and a light, and today I received gas vouchers for heating.”    

Yasmine is deeply grateful for how you are supporting Christians like brother David. “Thanks to people like him,” she says, “I know that I am not alone. They welcome us and show us respect. They don’t differentiate between Muslims and Christians.”

Your generosity changed the lives of Syrian refugees in Lebanon last winter as they received vital supplies of food, fuel and blankets. God is also answering your prayers for peace and reconciliation, as Lebanese Christians love their Syrian neighbours. Thank you so much for all that you do to support BMS’ work in Lebanon, and please continue to lift up the country in your prayers.