Ferial is thankful for your support to earthquake victims
Disaster upon disaster.
That is what many Syrians felt on February 6 when an earthquake hit the northwest of the country. Sadly, it also seems to be the chorus of the life for many of them over the past decade.
Take Ferial Jamil Labbad, for example. Displaced from Aleppo to Latakia in 2011 because of the war, she and her family once again had to flee for their lives again this week.
Thankfully, all members of her family are okay – even their apartment on the fourth floor of a building is still at least inhabitable. But the family now stays in the church. “We feel safe here”, she says to one of the staff of our partner organization.
The morning of 6 February will forever stay in her mind. “Just after 4:15 I woke up hearing my husband saying with fear in his voice ‘Oh my God, oh my God’.” Immediately she felt what was happening. Everything happened as in a reflex. “Our bed was shaking. My daughter screamed ‘what is happening?’ My husband shouted, ‘It’s not safe here, lets hide in the bathroom’. We ran in there, screaming, praying. When it stopped, we put on our clothes and ran to the street. Everyone was outside in the street. People were very upset, scared. We stayed outside for about one and a half hours. It was raining cats and dogs and it was very cold.”
That is what many Syrians felt on February 6 when an earthquake hit the northwest of the country. Sadly, it also seems to be the chorus of the life for many of them over the past decade.
Take Ferial Jamil Labbad, for example. Displaced from Aleppo to Latakia in 2011 because of the war, she and her family once again had to flee for their lives again this week.
Thankfully, all members of her family are okay – even their apartment on the fourth floor of a building is still at least inhabitable. But the family now stays in the church. “We feel safe here”, she says to one of the staff of our partner organization.
The morning of 6 February will forever stay in her mind. “Just after 4:15 I woke up hearing my husband saying with fear in his voice ‘Oh my God, oh my God’.” Immediately she felt what was happening. Everything happened as in a reflex. “Our bed was shaking. My daughter screamed ‘what is happening?’ My husband shouted, ‘It’s not safe here, lets hide in the bathroom’. We ran in there, screaming, praying. When it stopped, we put on our clothes and ran to the street. Everyone was outside in the street. People were very upset, scared. We stayed outside for about one and a half hours. It was raining cats and dogs and it was very cold.”
As they saw the building was not damaged, they went in again. “I was very scared. We didn’t know what to do. I was praying to God to help us. It is difficult to describe my feelings, it was very hard. Thank God we saw that our house was still okay. But as we live in the fourth floor, we thought it too dangerous to stay there, that is why we now stay in the church.”
With some 20 others, she found refuge in this church. “That means a lot to me and my family. I am so happy we can stay here, here we feel safe. Here we’re all the time praying and worshipping God. We’re even laughing, forgetting the terrible earthquake that happened.”
A smile on her face. “I thank those people who support us, I thank God for you. You put in practice what Jesus is teaching, thank you very much for helping us.”
She knows that much more help is needed. “We suffered from this disaster. Many people are homeless, many need food, shelter, blankets. It is very cold now, Syria needs a lot. The children, I am so sorry for them, they need your help.”
With some 20 others, she found refuge in this church. “That means a lot to me and my family. I am so happy we can stay here, here we feel safe. Here we’re all the time praying and worshipping God. We’re even laughing, forgetting the terrible earthquake that happened.”
A smile on her face. “I thank those people who support us, I thank God for you. You put in practice what Jesus is teaching, thank you very much for helping us.”
She knows that much more help is needed. “We suffered from this disaster. Many people are homeless, many need food, shelter, blankets. It is very cold now, Syria needs a lot. The children, I am so sorry for them, they need your help.”
Rubble and unstable buildings continue to pose a threat to life in the aftermath of multiple earthquakes.
Ferial now lives in the Mediterranean city Latakia in Syria as a displaced family. She lives there with her husband Ghandi, their daughter Anna Maria and son Ohannes. She works in one of our Centres of Hope – a partner church that is utilized for children’s education and community outreach – as a teacher for the children. She is a faithful attender of the church. Every Sunday and Wednesday you’ll find her there. “The Church is my home and the people in the church are my sisters and brothers, I can’t live my life without coming to church,” she earlier said. “I’m learning to forgive others, accept them as they are and love everyone as much as possible.”
As a teacher at one of the Centres of Hope, she can work with her God given talents. “I love the children as if they were my own, I want them to know Jesus and invest in them to be successful. The teachers are like a family to me; we are all working to achieve that one big goal to spread the kingdom of God.”
The earthquake paused the regular activities of the Centre, but it hopes to resume operations later this year.
In Latakia they live in a small apartment with one bedroom and a living room. The four share the same bedroom, there is little space left for other things other than the four beds.
As a teacher at one of the Centres of Hope, she can work with her God given talents. “I love the children as if they were my own, I want them to know Jesus and invest in them to be successful. The teachers are like a family to me; we are all working to achieve that one big goal to spread the kingdom of God.”
The earthquake paused the regular activities of the Centre, but it hopes to resume operations later this year.
In Latakia they live in a small apartment with one bedroom and a living room. The four share the same bedroom, there is little space left for other things other than the four beds.
How is Open Doors helping?
Through our partner organisation we started with assessing the needs in the country, specifically of the church and the Christians living in the affected areas. We started supporting several churches that opened the doors to give shelter to families who lost their homes or who cannot yet return there. With our support the people get food and in some cases blankets and mattresses.
Pray
Continue to pray for the tens of thousands of people who have lost everything in the earthquake. Pray that the church can continue to be a light in a dark time, that Jesus will be glorified, and that people like Ferial will be given comfort and peace amidst the devastation.
Next Steps
In the latest podcast, an Open Doors partner in Syria gives an interview on the situation and how the church is responding.
Support the church in Syria with a gift today.
