One of the really great things that Hope for MEANA team does is to provide support to families among the refugees who need it most. This week I had the pleasure to be part of such an intervention. 

Mary and her family, along with a second family who share their house, run from Sudan around 7 months ago, and since then, have been living in a two room flat with very little furnishing. An article explaining more about this family’s situation was posted on the web sight earlier this month titled ‘Will these 6 children adjust to the fact their father is gone?’.

The change 

Over the past three weeks we have been able to make regular visits to Mary and her family, enjoying their hospitality and giving them furnishings for their apartment as well as groceries and helping to pay the rent for a few months in advance. Among other things, we have been able to provide them clothes, matrices, chairs, kitchen and cooking equipment and fan. 

Personally, I really enjoyed making these visits and delivering the gifts, because, although the gifts were simple things, we could see in the faces of the two mothers that they were extremely grateful for the care and support.

The message of hope 

As the visits continued, the family came to know the regular visitors, and I became accustomed to the sweetness of Sudanese Coffee, but something else happened too, which really blessed me; during one of our visits, after I had finished assembling a fan and Mary had made refreshments, she turned to us and said,

“We know that you are followers of Jesus, and we are very grateful for all the help you have given us. Me and the rest of my family didn't meet with Him yet, but if you have any word you would like to say to us, we would like to hear it.”

I was so caught off guard by this, that it took me until our visit the next day to think of an answer. When we did return, I told them of how Jesus loves them, and how He cares for them deeply. I told them the story of when Jesus visited Zacchaeus, who was an outcast, because Jesus would go out of his way to be close to those who the world overlooks, even as he still does today.

Mary and her family have had many of their needs met over the past few weeks. Hope for MENA will continue to minister to these families, even after the initial aid has run its cause, and, with prayer to the Lord who works out all things for his glory, further encouragement and support can be provided in spiritual ways too.

Praise God for what He has done.

Written by David Scott, UK