Massin clenched his hands together as the car rounded a bend in the dirt road and the familiar, white-washed walls of an orphanage came into view. He hadn’t set foot in the public children’s home since leaving its stifling confines a year before. As they reached the end of the road, painful memories flooded his mind and soured his stomach.

When Massin turned 19, he had left and promised never to return to the place where he’d known only heartache, hunger, and abuse—even though it meant leaving his adoptive siblings behind.

He made his way to a larger city where he could finish his education and start over. But even far away from the memories, he was still an orphan, consumed by pain and loneliness.

Then Massin met Anders and his wife, Frontiers field workers who lived in his new neighborhood. Anders often ran for exercise, and he invited Massin to join him. Uncertain if he could keep up at first, Massin quickly grew to enjoy their early morning jogs.

As they returned home after a run one day, Anders asked, “Would you like to have dinner with us tonight?”

Massin had never been invited into someone’s home for a meal, and he eagerly agreed. When he arrived, they treated him as though he was part of their family, sharing their food and joy with him. Massin was overcome with emotion. He hadn’t felt like he belonged anywhere in years.

After the meal, Anders said, “I’m going to read from the Injil. Let’s read it together.”

Massin had never seen a Bible before, so he listened closely as Anders read a story about Jesus. All night he thought about it, and the next morning on their run, Massin asked Anders what the story meant.

For weeks the two read from Scripture in the evenings and discussed it the next morning. Slowly Massin began to realize that God had replaced his bitterness with peace and hope for the future. As he began to follow Jesus, he found a joy he couldn’t keep to himself.

A few days later, Massin asked Anders to drive him back to the orphanage. “I need to tell my brothers and sisters about Jesus.”

Now, Massin watched as a lanky figure emerged from around the side of the orphanage. He gasped when he recognized Hakim, one of his 12 adoptive siblings. Massin’s heart ached with regret over the angry person he’d been the last time he’d seen them.

“Are you OK?” Anders glanced over from the driver’s seat.

Massin nodded and jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped.

With a shout, Hakim ran across the yard to wrap him in a hug. Curious faces peered out of the building’s windows at the commotion, and soon Massin was swamped by his siblings.

After a myriad of questions and hugs, Hakim grabbed Massin’s arm. “You seem different. Not so angry.”

Massin smiled. “I’m not bitter anymore. I don’t know why we had to suffer here. But I’ve realized how much God loves me—how much He loves all of us.”

Hakim sneered. “If God loved us, our parents would still be alive.” He gestured to the orphanage. “None of us would live in this place.”

Massin sighed. His brother made a good point, and even Anders had not been able to explain why they had suffered so much. “I still wonder why, too,” Massin admitted. “But now I follow Jesus, and He gives me hope.”

Hakim folded his arms. “How?”

Massin glanced over to where Anders was entertaining a group of kids. He’d often asked Anders the same question . “I learned that I might not always understand, but I can still trust Jesus. He doesn’t just want us to do and say all the right things. He wants a relationship with us.”

“Even orphans?” Hakim kicked at a stone.

“Especially orphans,” Massin assured him. “When we follow Jesus, we become children of God.”

Hakim still had to process the trauma his family had suffered. Massin, too, had a lot to work through. But even as he considered the pain and suffering he’d endured, he knew he was an orphan no longer. He had a Father who loved him.

Massin continues to talk with Hakim and his other siblings, sharing what he is learning about God, and prays they will also find hope through Jesus.  

Pray:

• Ask God to reveal Himself and his love to Hakim and his fellow orphans.
• Pray that Frontiers field workers will have more opportunities to bring hope to Muslim men and women who carry the scars of childhood trauma.
• Ask that Massin will continue to find healing as his faith in Jesus grows.

**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**

Main photo on iStock

Original article: https://frontiersusa.org/blog/an-orphan-no-longer/