A Syrian refugee mother in Jordan had no money to treat debilitating illness, much less her children’s schooling, and they asked her why they couldn’t learn to read and write like other kids.
Bombings had driven the family of nine from Syria, but not before dust and other pollutants of war had exacerbated her asthma.
“My condition continued to worsen as I suffered severe chest pains and struggled to breathe,” Rojda* said. “I had no money for treatment or an inhaler. My husband and I were without work, and our seven children were not in school due to us not being able to afford school expenses such as bags, clothes and books.”
Inability to provide for her children ruined her mental and physical health, she said.
“Although we were safe, it seemed we had no hope for a future or providing a stable life for our kids,” she said. “Everyday they would see the neighbor’s children go to school, and they would ask me, ‘Mother, why can’t we go to school too, so we can also learn to read and write?’ Their questions broke my heart, and I felt deep sadness.”
Hearing that a native ministry’s church assisted refugees, she made contact and received vocational training, learning clothing design in its sewing program.
“One day while we were doing patchwork, the instructor told me about her faith in Jesus,” Rojda said. “As she read to me some passages from the Bible, I felt something inside me pushing to know more of who this man was.”
They continued to study Scripture as they worked, and Rojda began to pray regularly for her family and attend the church.
“I made enough clothing to provide some money for my family, and even though it was a small amount, the Lord always blessed and multiplied what little we had,” Rojda said. “As my faith grew and work continued, it was not long before we had enough resources to send my children to school and obtain treatment for my condition. We feel a deep sense of comfort, not worrying about the future, but remaining steadfast in God as believers.”
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*Name changed for security reasons