Written by: Open Doors SA
Article source: JOY! Magazine

Seven-year-old Abraham lives with his mother, Jina (32) in the war-torn country of Syria. Abraham is energetic, and like most boys his age, he likes to test his limits. And, like many Christian children in Syria, his family’s lives changed in the blink of an eye.

Abraham’s father, Rober, was on his way to work when he was kidnapped. Rober was an industrial spare parts salesman. He was on the bus when it was stopped by extremists. The extremists somehow knew the names of the only two Christian men on the bus, Rober and Ellie, and abducted them without any trace.

On their own…
“When I heard that my husband was kidnapped, I suffered a lot” said Jina. Her and Abraham had to go live with her in-laws because in Syria, single women living on their own are looked down upon by the communities and run the risk of being harassed, or worse…

Many Christian families across the world suffer immense trauma and pain for their faith.

A father’s faith
A couple of months after the abduction, Ellie was set free after his family paid a ransom. Jina and her extended family were anxious to hear from this man about Rober. “I don’t think he will survive,” Ellie told them. When asked why, he said, “The thing is that they told Rober to convert to Islam, time after time. But Rober refused and said: ‘I have my God and that’s it’.”

Affected by the kidnapping
Abraham was only one-and-a-half-years-old when the kidnapping happened, but he was much affected by the ordeal. He was well aware of Rober, that he is his father and knew his schedule as well. After Rober’s kidnapping, Abraham became mute. He was treated for three years, after which he started speaking.

“I see very, very much of Rober in Apo’s [Abraham] character and in his actions. I see it in how he is taking care of me. When I get ill, he takes good care of me. He’s afraid of losing me too.” Jina shared.

Today, his father is still missing
“Every time I go to sleep, I pray: ‘Lord please return him’. It’s so hard to be alone [and] raise our boy alone.” Despite the constant threats and war, Jina and Abraham find strong support in the Church. She and Abraham participate in the activities at the Centre of Hope, a project run by Open Doors’ local partners that provides support for Christians in Syria through emergency supplies, trauma care, vocational training, loans, and more.

Abraham is doing a lot better
He loves participating in the activities and he loves singing with gestures. “He often asks me ‘when will it be Friday?’ When I ask him why, he says, ‘To know about Jesus’. When he comes back home, he always tells me what verse they learnt from the Bible. And when it is time for him to sleep, he always says, ‘Mama I’ll go to sleep, do you need anything from me’. When I say ‘no’ he says, ‘Good night, I love you so much, but don’t leave me. Then he prays ‘Our Father’ in Arabic and Armenian.”

Standing with our family in Christ
Many Christian families across the world suffer immense trauma and pain for their faith. During this festive season we stand with these families, who are also our family in Christ! Partner with Open Doors this month to pray, care, and support them, making sure that even though they are persecuted, they are never alone!

Open Doors

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Date published: 16/11/2019
Feature image: © 2019 Open Doors International

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