Manara International June Newsletter 

Recent Events

Visit to Refugee Camp

The camp came into view following a two-hour drive, a kilometer from the Jordanian/Syrian border, where 60 Syrian refugee families were able to enter Jordan and are now living in randomly scattered tents; one family to a tent, and an outdoor bathroom made out of wooden sticks wrapped in fabric, is shared by a few families. Cut off from any sort of civilization, these refugees are surviving in the best way possible. As we approach, the children run excitedly to welcome their visitors. 

The “school” is located in the center, and is run by one of the Syrian ladies who teaches the children basic Arabic reading and writing, as well as Mathematics. The children came up with a name for their school, “ School of Geniuses” and have decorated the inside of the school tent. 

During the visit, the Manara International team distributed a gift bag to each child at the camp, many of whom had been born in the camp, and do not know what it means to receive a gift or a toy. The gift bag included a stuffed animal, as well as a variety of juices, chips and candy. While some children held the stuffed animal near, others enjoyed playing with their toys immediately. 

These families own absolutely nothing, and live on whatever donations they receive. They won’t register with the UN (to immigrate), but want to return to their homeland. Their need is for tents, personal hygiene items, food parcels, clothes and shoes for all ages (babies, children and adults), as well as baby diapers.  

Welcoming New Families

In search for a place of refuge and safety, and a better future, new refugee families continue to arrive in Jordan on a daily basis. The situation is worsening and just recently 500 families arrived into Jordan from Iraq. They have absolutely nothing and need basic life supplies such as food, water, mattresses, clothes etc. With your support, Manara International was able to come to their aid and provide them with basic life necessities. 

Leaving everything behind them and coming to a new country is not easy but we pray that through the care packages they will feel cared for and not alone. 

Last month 11 families from Iraq were welcomed to a church in the town of Fuheis. These families came from different areas : Mosul, Nineveh Valley, and Fallujah. They left their homes and country with absolutely nothing. As you can see in the photo, we were able to distribute basic life items to support them through these difficult times. 

We were able to speak with the families and they all have similar stories; the arrival of ISIS forced them out of their homes and they left everything behind them to find safety in other areas. Finally, they decided to come to Jordan and start their immigration process as they could not live like that anymore. 

They are very thankful and grateful to all those who send their support and prayers, as they could not survive without the family of Christ. 

Personal Stories

The Yousef Family 

Thair Yousef along with his wife and 4 children (three sons and one daughter) lived in Qaraqosh. Their story is extremely saddening. ISIS militants were bombing their village and at night they fled to the closest and safest place, Erbil. A date they cannot forget, August 6, 2015, they reached Erbil and lived in tents. After a period of time, they tried to reach Turkey via the sea but their boat sunk and they returned to Erbil. After that, they decided that their best option was to move to Jordan. June 12, 2016 they arrived in Amman, Jordan. 

They have lost everything, and now in Jordan they have a chance to start their lives all over again. Alham, his wife, suffers from high blood pressure. She is in need of regular medicine. His children can't go to school because they lost their files back in Iraq. 

Thair and his family are so thankful for the help and support that they received. The food package, hygiene items, and rice will get them by for now and give them hope for another day. 

The Matti Family 

Iram, his wife, and his son and daughter lived in Qaraqosh, Iraq. Iram escaped ISIS with his wife, kids, mother and sisters. ISIS militants came to their village forcing them to either change their religion or leave the country. As this happened to them, the villages around them were being bombed and destroyed, so they decided to flee and leave everything behind. 

On 21st June, 2016, they arrived to Amman, Jordan. They came with absolutely nothing and are in need of the most basic items such as stove, gas cylinder, fridge, food, clothes, mattresses...etc. 

Though for Iram and his family, life is tough they have not lost hope because of the support they are receiving through Manara International. They were provided with food packages and hygiene items. 

Iram said, “Manara International relief is helping us to bear life here in Jordan. They have been a blessing to our needs. The Lord has sent people our way to help and support us through this difficult time. Life sometimes feels unbearable but we are thanking the Lord for His provisions.” 

The Hady Family 

Waleed along with his wife and two children (19 and 11 years old) lived in Mousel, Iraq. ISIS militants entered their city and started to destroy everything in their way. When they came across a Christian house they would take everything they owned (money, cars etc) and sometimes they would kidnap the children. 

Waleed and his family started their escape from village to village but no-one helped them as they were all afraid of each other. They suffered a lot before they were able to find a place to stay. 

They moved to Jordan on June 21, 2016. Since they recently arrived in Jordan, they do not have anything and are in need of basic life essentials such as mattresses, clothes, food packages, stove top, gas cylinder, and water. 

Waleed suffers from high blood pressure from the war, stress and fear of ISIS. He was not able to attend as he was sick, above is a picture of his wife and eldest son. They are very appreciative of the help and support they have received. Without this support they would not be able to survive. 

The Hani Family 

Leon is a newlywed. He and his wife lived in Mosel, Iraq. Soon after they were married, ISIS entered their city and did the unthinkable. Leon escaped with his wife to the safest place he could get to at that time, knowing that there would be no returning back to their home. 

He says, "What we faced was outrageous; we were not able to fathom that human beings could do this to each other, no matter how evil they are. What we faced with ISIS was very hard. But we are thankful now that we are here in Jordan now and that we are alive.” 

They arrived in Jordan on June 21, 2016 and they are in need of basic essentials such as a gas cylinder, mattresses, stove top, clothes, and shoes. 

Leon shared with us that he suffers from back problems. He has had surgery trying to fix his back but it is still not back to normal. He is afraid that he won't be able to provide for his family because of his back.  

Leon was very thankful for the food, hygiene, and other items provided for them. These items will help them get by at least for a while. They are so thankful and appreciative for the help provided. 

The Dawood Family 

Hani, his wife, two daughters and paralyzed son lived in Mousel, Iraq. Hani, like many other Iraqis, fled from their village. Hani said “ISIS bombed our village and we ran away for our lives to protect our families and ourselves. ISIS soldiers wrote the letter "N" on our home claiming our homes for their possession. And no one was able to stop them. We quickly moved from Mosel to Erbil seeking safety and protection.” 

Hani and his family arrived in Jordan on June 12th, 2016. Since they are a new family that moved to Jordan they are in need of all basic life essentials such as gas tanks, mattresses, stove, fridge, etc. But their struggle is much more than basic items. Hani daily worries and struggles to look after the health of his wife and son. His wife suffered from shock and major trauma because of the war and the many struggles they faced due to war. 

Also their two year old son suffered from a brain stroke when he was only five months old which left him with many major health problems. He cannot eat regular food, nor can he sleep or breathe normally. Every day is a struggle to keep him alive. They need a regular income to cover the expenses of their son’s medical condition. They need to buy him medicine, regularly take him to the doctor, and purchase special food for him. All these costs add up and they have no income which makes life much harder for this family. Their only choice is to pay for all these expenses otherwise they will lose their son. 

Hani is very thankful for the food, hygiene, rice, and kids hunger packages provided for them by Manara International and their donors. "Manara International refugees' relief program is helping us to bear life here in Jordan." Manara staff were able to provide 10JD to help cover the cost of this month's prescription for their son to buy his medicine. 

Prayer and Praise Points

A large number of people who suffered and were traumatized by what they went through are now suffering from various health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, physical pains and aches. Others suffer from nightmares, depression and loss of appetite, as well as a number of problems. Join us in prayer for these families who are suffering mentally and physically. May they know the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Comments

We at Manara International are working on various projects that aim to comfort and support as many refugees as possible. Thank you for your compassion and for your friendship. You are a constant encouragement to all of us at Manara. May the God of peace be with you and those you love.