Image: Grateful woman. In the background, refugees carry blankets, which are essential for keeping warm in winter.
The head of a Syrian refugee family was very touched when they experienced receiving regular aid, food and mattresses for the family from our Christian Iraqi partners in northern Iraq. Because of their difficult experiences, this Syrian refugee family of Armenian background could no longer believe in the goodness of either God or man, but now these Iraqi Christians have given them new hope.
When a pastor visited this family in their temporary home, the father gathered the whole family and the other Christian neighbors. The pastor told them the story of Paul and Silas in prison, which is found in Acts chapter 16, verses 16-40. Paul and Silas were unjustly imprisoned for their faith. In verses 25-26 it says: At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, and the prisoners were listening. Suddenly there was a great earthquake that shook the foundations of the prison, and all the doors burst open and everyone's chains fell off.
No matter how negative our circumstances are, we can, like Paul and Silas, sing praises to God. And when we praise God, even if it seems illogical in human terms, we can experience God's presence and see him intervene and change the situation that looked impossible.
The pastor asked the family, "What does this story mean in relation to Islamic State?" Then first the Syrian father started crying, and then the mother and one of their sons. They said: "God has brought you to us right now because we were in a desperate situation and could no longer believe in God. You have given us back our hope"
Because of gifts from Denmark, aid workers can bring encouragement and joy to refugees.
- On average, it costs around 150 DKK to provide a refugee family with water, food, kitchenware, hygiene items and medicine for a week.
- On average, it costs around DKK 652 to provide a refugee family with water, food, kitchenware, hygiene items and medicine for a month.
- On average, it costs around 1086 DKK to ensure a refugee family has warm clothes, shoes, mattresses, blankets and fuel this winter.
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