Syrians 'Thirsty To Know God' As Civil War Rages On

Almost six years since civil war broke out in Syria, people are still coming to church for the first time and asking for Bibles of their own, a pastor in the country has said.

Pastor B, from Tartus on the Syrian coast, told persecution charity Open Doors: "People are thirsty to know more of God".

Through church partners, Open Doors distributed more than 12,300 Bibles, 1,600 Study Bibles and 6,800 Children's Bibles in Syria from January to September this year. It also gave out 73,792 New Testaments and other Christian literature.

Some recipients were Christians who fled their homes with only the clothes on their backs, but others are people who arrived at churches having never been before.

Pastor B's church has decided not to decorate in celebration of Christmas as a sign of respect to those who are suffering in the long-drawn-out war.

"Because of the war there is no decoration in the church. There are no lights, no Christmas tree. There is pain in every mouth, even our neighbours, there is pain and a lot of grieving. So we as a church, because we respect their feelings, stop these celebrations," he said.

Instead, his church members will visit refuge camps with gifts and put on a Nativity show for the children. "We talk to these children about how Jesus was born in a cave and how Jesus fled from one area to the other, like them, and how God protected Jesus the same way he is protecting them now," he explained.

"When we present the gifts to them, the gifts are brought from the children in the church, and this brings also joy to the families in the church – they learn that the true meaning of Christmas is to go and help those who are in need. Our children they have clothes, but there are children who don't have any clothes; our children have food and they have shoes, but there are children who have neither food nor shoes.

"We celebrate Christmas now by bringing our church members together and bringing things to give to the children who don't have anything. This is one beautiful thing at Christmas."

Since the outbreak of civil war in 2011, an estimated 11 million Syrians, half its total population, have fled their homes. Around 4.8 million have taken refuge in neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan or even further afield. The rest have been displaced internally. At least 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance within Syria itself, and more than 400,000 people have been killed since the conflict began, including more than 12,000 children.

Pastor B's church supports 2,000 families every month with money for rent, food supplies and clothes.

Across Syria, Open Doors has this year provided support, life-saving supplies, trauma care and micro-loans for 12,000 families every month. In Homs, Damascus and Maaloula, the charity is also helping to rebuild the homes of families who have been able to return home.