Written by: Open Doors SA
Article source: JOY! Magazine
Sorrow and fear were the fuel that drove Merry (26), a young Syrian woman and civil engineer graduate from Aleppo, to be a light in the darkness and an extension of God’s loving hands after the devastating earthquake that hit Syria in February.
Despite worrying about her family’s safety and fearing for her life, Merry applied what she had learnt at Open Doors’ sports training to serve other people affected by the earthquake.
Sports ministry for young people
Merry, who works for several non-governmental organisations and has always had a heart for helping people, has participated in the Open Doors sports ministry training since 2019.
Last October, she attended a course called “Ready, Set, Go Plus”, which helps youth servants attract children and teenagers to the church through sports activities. After completing the course, she got involved in the training as a staff member and had the responsibility of taking care of the students.
Merry and her brother, Simo, in Aleppo.
A terrifying experience
On 6 February 2023, Merry and her family were woken up by the terrifying earthquake. As they fled their building, Merry’s thoughts went back to her sports training.
“The streets were full of people stranded in their wet pyjamas. I recalled the sports training, and I knew I had to stick with my parents – they were my teammates,” she says.
Safety at a refugee centre
When Merry and her family returned to their home, they were “too scared to stay there, so we took some of our belongings and went to a refugee centre at the Presbyterian Church”.
More than 7000 people in Aleppo were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in churches and monasteries as a result of the earthquake. Not all the churches were prepared for such a crisis, so Open Doors’ local partners provided them with relief aid and heating against the cold.
Helping the earthquake victims
Merry immediately volunteered to help the other earthquake victims at the refugee centre. “I felt that I was back in the sports ministry, and based on that experience, I was scheduling meals for the people and helping with the distribution of food and blankets.”
The sense of leadership and responsibility learnt at the sports training motivated Merry, her brother, and three other young people to create a relief team to help people through this catastrophe. They received help from relatives and friends who live abroad and started buying food and hygiene products to distribute to needy people.
The importance of love
Merry and the others did this because of love. “We wanted to spread the message of love. In the 12 days after the earthquake, we were able to show more love than we were able to share during the 12 years of war. Everyone should know that Christ is love and we, as His children, must be a good example of that love.”
Strengthening the persecuted Church
Thanks to the gifts and prayers of supporters, Open Doors and its local partners in Syria and Iraq can continue to strengthen vulnerable believers like Merry. Through your financial gift, you can also support our persecuted family in faith. Make use of the banking details below to give a gift today.
Geopende Deure – Open Doors NPC | Nedbank | Branch: 198765 | Acc: 113 750 4552 (Business) | Ref: JE2308
Geopende Deure – Open Doors NPC | Capitec Business | Branch: 450105 | Acc: 1051150132 (Current) | Ref: JE2308
Photos: © 2023 Open Doors International
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Date published: 15/08/2023
Feature image: Merry helping the earthquake victims.
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