"When I was Hungry, You Fed Me"
In August we sat with our sweet friend, Yara, who is from Idlib, Syria, a city that has been hit hardest in recent months by the ongoing war in Syria. She hosted us in her apartment in Turkey where she now lives with her husband, mother-in law, niece and two beautiful daughters. She served us tea and Syrian coconut cake. As we sat together sipping our tea, she shared with us about the current devastation in Idlib; about her aunts and uncles, and her three sisters and their children who are still there facing dire uncertainties.
Currently, Idlib is home to 4 million people, this number overwhelmingly comprised of women and children. Northwest Syria is home to an estimated 2.8 million internally displaced Syrians seeking refuge in ‘severely overcrowded’ refugee camps. Many civilians in Idlib go without electricity for extended periods of time and many are faced with being caught in the crossfire of violent clashes, prolonged periods of time without power or water, and extreme food insecurity.
When sweet Yara was sharing these things, SaRa and I felt our hearts ache for the people caught in the chaos of this resurgence of violent conflict. We wondered how we could help. When SaRa asked her a few weeks later, Yara shared about her family and their neighbors, vulnerable to danger and insufficient food supply. She told us that there was a need for refrigerators to preserve the food they are able to get and ensure that they can save food for longer periods of time amidst uncertainty & volatility of supply.
As followers of Jesus, we are compelled to love and come alongside those who are caught in the midst of war and poverty. We look to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 25 (35-36, 37-38, & 40):
“For when you saw me hungry, you fed me. When you found me thirsty, you gave me drink. When I had no place to stay, you invited me in, and when I was poorly clothed, you covered me.
Then the godly will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and give you food and something to drink? When did we see you with no place to stay and invite you in? When did we see you poorly clothed and cover you?
And the King will answer them, ‘Don’t you know? When you cared for one of the least of these, my little ones, my brothers and sisters, you demonstrated love for me.’”
In September, we were able to use The Overflow funds from your purchases at Adorn to supply ten refrigerators to families in need in Idlib. It’s a small start at serving a big need, but we believe that small responses have major value. Please join us in praying for these dear ones, asking for the end of this conflict and for these civilians to be free from the chaos of war and violence.
1 comment
Thank you for sharing and I didn’t know until I received your beautiful OliveWood products that the Adorn supports jobs for refugees. That made my heart happy as my focus for my online store is ethically sourced products. Keep up the good work and I know God’s plan is better than we can imagine :)