Ahmed had made it this far. Fleeing the violence in Syria, he had traveled the perilous overland journey to a foreign city that serves as a major outgoing port to Europe. Now Ahmed was making plans to reach Europe.
We didn’t think Ahmed would make it to his destination alive.
My family and I met Ahmed in Little Syria, a neighborhood in this Middle Eastern port city that has quickly filled up with Syrian refugees. Some of them are like Ahmed—eager to leave and waiting for their turn on a boat to Europe. Other refugees plan to just wait it out, making the most of their exile until they feel it’s safe enough to return to Syria.
We tried our hardest to convince Ahmed that his plans to embark on a dubious boat ride to Europe were unwise for a non-swimmer. Eventually, we gave up. He wasn’t to be persuaded. So we took him to the beach for a lesson on treading water.
Where Ahmed is now, I don’t know. We pray for him and others like him, that they would find safety and, more importantly, that they would find refuge in the knowledge of the Savior.
Several months ago, our colleagues in a non-Arab Muslim country sounded a call for help. They wanted to serve the Syrian refugees flowing into their country, but they didn’t know Arabic. In fact, there are very few Christian workers in the whole country who can speak Arabic.
Meanwhile, we felt a growing burden to serve—not only the physical needs of Syrian refugees, but also their deep spiritual need for Jesus. We heard the plea for Arabic speakers and immediately sensed that God would be pleased to take us from our adopted Arab homeland and have us spend a short season in Little Syria.
We have met all sorts of Syrian refugees here in Little Syria—the destitute poor, as well as savvy entrepreneurs who have established themselves and have done quite well helping others. What has resulted from this mix is a resourceful community of Syrians who are working to find creative ways to meet one another’s needs.
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**This account comes from a long-term worker. Names and places have been changed for security.**
Original article: FrontiersUSA.org/blog/article/treading-water-in-little-syria
