Dear Friends and Ministry Partners,
I just returned from a trip to Amman, Jordan, where I visited the churches we are working with to provide material and spiritual aid to refugees. In addition to the regular food parcel distribution we have been providing, we organized the distribution of special Christmas food parcels of meat, chicken and chocolate to draw smiles on families’ faces during Christmastime. This is their first Christmas away from home and the memories of their Christmas family traditions will inevitably carry their share of pain. Please join us in praying for our brothers and sisters in Christ; that they would experience the presence of the Lord in their midst this Christmas, and that their hope for a better future would be renewed in Christ.
Speaking with people during this visit brought to mind prominent Biblical characters such as Abraham and Ruth. Abraham was the Bible’s most prominent displaced character. I also felt like I was dialoguing with Ruth, the Bible’s simple peasant and most prominent refugee character. Could God use the situation caused by the evil ISIS to fulfill His eternal purpose in the lives of the displaced Iraqis in Kurdistan and the Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Jordan? I found the answer in the experience of Abraham and Ruth. It doesn’t matter where we live in this world, but what really matters is to whom we live!
I have to confess that being busy with the project sometimes makes me lose sight of the reality that we are serving individual human beings. Please pray for us while we strive to serve, and may the Lord open our eyes and give us the discernment and sensitivity to recognize and meet the apparently small yet necessary needs. Great love is most often shown through the small yet sincere touches.
Blessings,
Sami
