“For to us a child is born … and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Is. 9:6).
This month, encourage our brothers and sisters in the Middle East by sharing messages of hope and love during Advent.
Because you’re part of the Open Doors community, we invite you to support our brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria by writing letters of hope and encouragement—letting them know that thousands of Christians are lifting them up to Jesus.
Each month, we’ll focus on a new theme as we write personal letters to our brothers and sisters in Iraq and Syria. Our partners will translate the letters into Arabic and then post some of them to a designated Facebook page. Believers who follow the page will be able to like, comment and share the content, giving them an opportunity to engage in Christian conversation with an online community of believers.
The story
In 2016, Open Doors began a long-term initiative called Hope for the Middle East to meet the needs of people who were displaced from their homelands or were rebuilding their communities after ISIS forced them to flee. We’re now in the fifth year of this campaign, which seeks to encourage Christians as they continue to rebuild their homes and communities—living out the gospel in their homelands. We want to see the church in the Middle East rise up again!
The need for hope and encouragement is great. Christians in Iraq and Syria struggle to find employment and rebuild their businesses. Others are still displaced due to war and threats of persecution for their faith. And both countries are recovering from hunger crises created by COVID-19 lockdowns.
Current theme: Christmas
Christmas is a time where we celebrate hope and love with our friends and family. Our family in Iraq and Syria are doing the same while also walking through hardships, often daily. In both countries, basic necessities such as uninterrupted electricity, safety and housing can be unstable. COVID-19 has proved to be a difficult challenge as the health systems in the countries are broken. Thankfully, even in the midst of these challenging circumstances, there is much to be thankful for as we celebrate our hope in Jesus.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God is with us”)’” (Matthew 1:22-23).
Please take a moment to wish your brothers and sisters on the other side of the globe love and hope this Christmas season as we remember that we are One Church. One Family.
Photo: 10-year-old Lydia shares her Christmas wish: “We want to live in peace and security like other children in the world.”
Logistics
This is a digital letter-writing campaign only. Please do not submit handwritten letters. Instead, we welcome you to use the form on this page to share your message.
Writing Guidelines:
For Security: