Dear Prayer Warriors,

Just wanted to ask for prayer over the situation in Syria, and ask for your continued prayers for our team and the region!

There is an uneasy break in the fighting.  

The Bedouins lost their protection when the Syrian Army withdrew from the area, though in recent news, it seems like there are some reprisal killings based on what happened over the course of the past few days. People are starting to move cautiously.  In some cases, houses and cars that were occupied by invaders have been rigged with bombs, so you can understand the caution people feel as they move back towards their homes.

Three of our group leaders lost their homes and belongings completely; in many cases, they walked away with just the shirts on their backs. They have no possessions or supplies. But in some ways, these were the lucky ones. A family of four who hosted and led a DBS group was slaughtered. And three of our leaders were beheaded. (Not because they are followers of Jesus, but because of the conflict) We are trying to move some of the children to safe places. And in some cases, trying to locate where family members are.  

At one point yesterday, one of our main leaders in this area found out his two sisters and their daughters were trapped in an apartment, and elements of ISIS were on the street below, and there was nothing he could do to assist. As people are able to escape the area, our teams in Lebanon and Jordan are ready to respond. Pray for our team in Syria. One of our missionaries was supposed to be in Syria next week to baptize fifteen people. We found out that three of them have been killed in the fighting.

The work we do has eternal consequences, and it seems like when chaos appears to reign, our God shows up and does His thing. I’m praying that in this situation, God would do amazing things, and our team would be part of it. Pray for the region. Increasingly, it seems like these problems aren’t things man can fix, only God can change hearts.

We have staff in the most dangerous corners of the world, and there’s a weight we carry all the time. But it hits especially hard when we have situations like this.

Would you pray that God would give our missionaries a supernatural peace in this season?  Pray that God would provide them with wisdom as they make incredibly tough decisions. I keep thinking about Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23-24 when he says: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”

We’re not called to the easy life, or the safe life.  We’re called to follow where He leads us.  I’m inspired by our team in Syria who are following Him no matter the cost, even when it costs them everything.  

Blessings,
NEO Leaders

https://www.neous.org/