Hope when the world is upside down

The Christian church was full of women wearing burkas.

They were refugees from Sudan, fleeing the conflict. Egyptian authorities had granted them asylum, most likely saving their lives. Most of the women, all of whom came from fundamentalist Muslim backgrounds, had been recently widowed or lost children. All of them were in desperate need…and had come to the program to receive an Emergency Relief Kit—about a month’s supply of food—and some clothing.

We knew that they needed much more than these physical things—they needed nothing less than the eternal hope of Jesus Christ. So before the distribution, a pastor shared with them about the One Love that never fails. A few of the women, realizing the program was Christian, silently walked out, but most remained. A few began to cry as the pastor acknowledged how much they had lost and shared his own story as a fellow refugee.

When the service ended, the ladies filed out into the cool Egyptian night. A Muslim prayer call from a mosque across the street started, and it lasted for about ten minutes.

Our team passed out Emergency Relief Kits. When the women realized there was a frozen chicken in the box, amongst other items, they were delighted! We offered them gospel tracts as well, displaying them on a table where they received the Emergency Relief Kits. Written in Arabic, they are titled, “When Your World is Upside Down,” and they share the hope and love of Jesus even in times of deep suffering. Some of the women flipped through them and put them down, others walked past uninterested, and several took one home.

Before they left, the women were invited to pick out some gently used clothing items. Our team had heaped them up on a table. Everyone found something her size, and some found items for their children!

As the event finished and the women filtered out of the courtyard, one lady went up to our team members. She asked for a bag to carry her new clothes home, but it was obvious she wanted something more—to be heard and seen.

We asked her what her name was, and she said, “Nafisa.” She shared how she had been in medical school, and then the rebels in Sudan forced her to try to save their soldiers, most of whom had fatal injuries or were already dead. They got angry with her when the men died, and soon, they threatened her. Her husband went missing, and she is afraid he was murdered. She fled to Egypt with her five children. She has nothing and no one—but our team and the One Living God!

Outreaches like these to Muslim populations are just the first touch in a long succession of tangible and spiritual care our team provides. Through the power of God, we have seen many come to faith by encountering the Love that will never let them go—even in times when the world truly does feel “upside down.”

If you would like to provide an Emergency Relief Kit to a persecuted believer or vulnerable person in the Islamic World, you can do so here! Thank you for your generosity!