"We have to strengthen the faith of the people, anchor them in this country, and encourage them to be witnesses of Christ, to be the salt of the earth and light of the world: we cannot allow our presence here to become insignificant."
The Syrian civil war has caused the greatest humanitarian catastrophe since World War II, with some 12 million refugees and Internally Displaced People. Today, Christians in Syria form only 3 percent of the population, whereas before the war they accounted for 10 percent.
“When I was young, my relationship with God was good, but since then, I’ve struggled at times. I always ask, ‘Why, Lord, why all this pain?’”
"What happened in Homs was very hard. Still, we did not think about emigrating because we have strong commitments here and ties with our local community—the idea of emigration was totally unacceptable to my father. He feels rooted in the land and leaving Syria is not for him."
“Of course there is still so much pain and suffering for so many of us, but to be finally back home and able to re-start our lives is a huge step forward and an important sign of hope.”