Nehmat is a Kurdish woman from a non-Christian background. She was living in Syria with her family before the Syrian war. In 2014, when their city of Aleppo was under heavy shelling, a missile struck their home killing Nehmat’s father. Afraid of the dangerous situation, the family decided to flee their country to Lebanon.
“The city was engulfed with dangers when we escaped. We searched for safe places to take refuge because of the random shelling. We were very exhausted physically and emotionally,” Nehmat said sadly.
When the family settled in Lebanon, they had a small amount of money which they spent on the rent of their small house and other expenses. So, Nehmat was forced to work cleaning houses to meet the basic needs of her family.
“I had no other choice―I was forced to work to support the family. My mother is elderly and my siblings were attending school. So, I used to wake up early in the morning and move from one house to another cleaning until the evening. This job was very difficult, and it caused me many health problems.” Nehmat stated with tears in her eyes.
In 2015, Nehmat met Fayez, a Lebanese man, and they got married. Fayez is a soldier in the Lebanese army, and he did not allow his wife to continue her work in cleaning after their marriage. In the following years, God blessed the couple with three children.
In 2019, the economic crisis started in Lebanon and the currency lost its value. The living conditions of the family became so bad, especially with three children, they started to struggle financially. One day, Nehmat heard from her neighbor about Heart for Lebanon, and about how they help those who are in need. Without any hesitation, she went to the center in Bekaa to register her name for help.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect such a quick response. I registered my name, and a few days later, we received the food portion. We were so happy to get it because the salary of my husband can barely cover the rent of our house. We were on the edge of survival!” she continued.
After many follow-up visits from Heart for Lebanon’s staff, Fayez and Nehmat got encouraged to attend Hope Evangelical Church.
“I attended the Sunday worship gathering and I was very attracted to the way the pastor explained the word of God. I got excited to come every Sunday with my family. For so long, I didn’t feel close to God, but now I understand what it means to be in a personal relationship with Him. I have learned that even amid dire circumstances, we can rejoice in Him,” Nehmat gladly said.
Now, Fayez and his family regularly attend the Sunday worship gathering and they are so happy to study and understand the Scriptures after being so far from it. Nehmat also wanted to join the discipleship program to grow in her faith and knowledge.
