In 2015, droves of Syrian Kurds from Kobani fled from ISIS attacks into Turkey. Now just four years later, many have returned back to their homes to rebuild their lives and start afresh. Many are beginning this fresh start in Kobani with a new found love for Jesus in their hearts.
Derech Avraham had teams that visited the Syrian Kurdish refugees from Kobani a few times in 2015. Upon arrival to the refugee camp, they met many who had found faith in Jesus and who’s lives had been completely turned around. One young woman described her new faith in Jesus as a resurrection in her life. She had been deeply depressed because of the war, but her faith in Jesus helped her to rise up out of the darkness and to step into light and freedom in Christ.
Another man, Maxim Ahmed, described what he experienced when encountering believers in Jesus in this Reuters article, “They seemed happy and all talked about love. That’s when I decided to follow Jesus’s teachings.” Last year, Kobani opened the doors to its first evangelical church. Maxim also told Reuters that several of his family and friends were now coming to the new church in Kobani.
Reuters put together a short video overview about the new church in Kobani that you can watch here.
How to Pray:
1.) Pray that these new believers would grow strong in their faith and deeper in their love for Christ. That they would not be shaken by any accusation or persecution that comes against them. (Ephesians 3:16-19)
2.) Pray that they would be bold witnesses of faith in Christ that the Good News of Jesus would run far and wide in Syria. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5)
3.) Pray that love of Christ would abound and transform the city and people of Kobani. (Philippians 1:9-11)