A Frontlines team member is burdened to share his heart while travelling to difficult parts of Syria and beyond. He shares valuable prayer requests and gives us an insight into the reality on the ground today:
Dear friends,
I am writing to you from Damascus. The air here is heavy with loss. Families are torn apart —many adult children have left the country, parents grieve the loss of loved ones taken by violence, and rising prices of groceries and daily need items have consumed all savings. Uncertainty about the future casts a shadow on everyone. One Church leader I met shared with me how two of his closest co-workers recently decided to leave Syria. It’s not hard to understand why—life here feels unbearably hard.
And yet, in the midst of sorrow, I see hope.
Tragedy and New Life
Just a few months ago, 22 believers were massacred in one congregation. Their absence still hangs over the church like a shadow. But last Sunday, in that very same place, 22 children were baptized. The contrast is staggering—death and new life, grief and joy, standing side by side.
In Damascus, I had the privilege to preach from Matthew 24 under the title “There’s No Panic in Heaven.” Though the world is unraveling around us, heaven is not shaken. The Lord still reigns, and His presence here is unmistakable.
The Ongoing Struggle
Life in Syria is a daily battle. Prices soar beyond what families can afford. Electricity cuts leave whole neighborhoods in the dark. Travel requires permits and is often dangerous. Many here feel they have every reason to give up.
But the church has not stopped. Believers continue to worship, to gather, and to reach out to their neighbors. And people are still coming to faith—even from Muslim and Druze backgrounds. The courage of these new believers humbles me.
A Community Scattered
Further south in Suwayda, violence has torn communities apart. Over 1,000 Druze were massacred this year, including 25 believers who had left their Druze background to follow Christ. Among the victims was Pastor Khaled Mezhir, who faithfully shepherded a network of house churches. He was killed alongside his wife, parents, and more than 20 relatives. His life was a testimony—a bright light in the darkness—and his loss is deeply felt.
Many Christians from Suwayda have fled. An Orthodox church in Al-Shahba is sheltering displaced families who escaped with nothing—no clothes, no food, no essentials. Their suffering is immense, yet their faith has not been extinguished.
The Gift of God’s Word
Again and again, believers tell me their greatest longing: a Bible of their own. Many new Christians here have never held one. Parents want to read Scripture with their children, but have no copy in their homes.
This is why we are working urgently to place family Bibles into the hands of those who need them most in Syria. In a land where everything else feels uncertain, God’s Word offers lasting hope. Every Bible we distribute is a lifeline, strengthening faith and bringing many to know the Lord deeper.
Bruised, But Alive
The Syrian church is bruised, scattered, and pressed from every side. And yet it is alive. Last Sunday’s baptisms are proof that the Gospel is not silenced by bullets or borders. Where Jesus is, there is hope.
Please stand with us in prayer and support. Pray for fractured families, for weary pastors, for displaced communities, and for the safe delivery of Bibles. And above all, pray that the message of hope—that there is no panic in heaven—will carry believers through the darkest of days.
Prayer Points
- May the Lord provide protection to His church from violence at this time.
- Pray for pastors carrying heavy burdens in Damascus and beyond, may the Lord strengthen them and provide them with help and resources.
- Pray for new believers from Muslim and Druze backgrounds who are coming to faith. May they stand strong through difficult days.
- Pray for displaced families who have had to flee from their homes with nothing, that they may find safe refuge and timely help.
- Pray for the safe distribution of the family Bibles to new believers and families longing for God’s Word.
