My name is Nora*, and I am from the “majority religious” background. As a child, I studied the principles of our religion but had many questions. I began disagreeing with my family. I didn’t feel the presence of God, so I inquired about many things. Why do human beings have no liberty? Why is God a merciless punisher? Why does the Issa (Jesus) in our holy book have no father and is a man of many miracles? Where is the evidence our holy book is an inspiration from God?

My village and the surrounding area had never heard about Christ. When I finished school, I went to work in Damascus.  I became acquainted with a Christian family who gave me a cross pendant. During this time, I began to have severe pain in my head. I went to many doctors. Each one gave me different medication, but none helped. For a year and a half, I suffered, waking up in the middle of the night screaming in pain. I even tried to take my life so I might have relief. I was utterly lost. One night, when the pain was so severe, I held the cross and cried out to God: “If you are the truth, then save me.” Suddenly, a light appeared, and I heard a voice saying, “I am the truth.” The voice told me to go to a particular hospital and mentioned a doctor’s name. I went to this hospital and asked for this doctor; indeed, he cured me.

When I returned home, I knelt, thanked Jesus for intervening in my life, and asked Him what I should do with my life. The answer was – go to Lebanon. Though I knew no one there, I prepared my suitcase and went. I walked the streets, not knowing where to go, until a man appeared in the evening and told me Jesus loved me and wanted to save me. If you want to come to know Him, follow me. I followed him to a church. As the pastor was preaching, he talked about the sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd and follow Him. At the end of the sermon, I wept and raised my hand when he invited people to give their lives to Christ. Many brothers surrounded me in prayer, and I promised God to serve Him all my life.

I began attending discipleship classes. I also started helping with evangelism and the distribution of Bibles. I was kidnapped by a fundamentalistic group from the “majority religion.” They threatened to kill me if I continued this path with Jesus, but the Lord saved me again.

I am grateful for salvation through Jesus Christ. May the name of the Lord be praised!

*For protection, the name and photo are not that of the actual person.

Photos: Anothers Eye’s Photography