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<DIV><SPAN class=893592111-30102013><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>Call for prayer for
Syria.</STRONG> This Sunday 3 November 2013, has been suggested as a
special time of prayer for believers who are suffering. This year we will
consider the suffering of believers within Syria and those who
have fled from Syria. Special gifts of love will be channelled by WD&R
through MERF's diaconal ministries.</FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman">
</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; COLOR: maroon"><FONT
size=3 face="Lucida Handwriting"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Monotype Corsiva'; COLOR: #76923c"><STRONG><FONT
color=#800040><FONT size=5>Bert Kuipers<SPAN class=893592111-30102013> -
WD&R publicity.</SPAN></FONT></FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN class=893592111-30102013><FONT face=Arial>Here is more information
that will help your prayers to be meaningful. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=893592111-30102013>
<DIV>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px"><SPAN
class=893592111-30102013>F</SPAN>ellow Christians need to identify with the
sufferings of our Syrian brothers and sisters.<SPAN> </SPAN>With very
limited resources, for two years MERF has helped local church volunteers to give
diaconal aid to the most vulnerable in four areas of Syria: the capital,
Damascus (south), Homs (central), Aleppo (northwest) and Qamishli (northeast) as
well as to Syrian refugees in Lebanon.<SPAN> </SPAN>Assistance is
received by suffering Syrian children, elderly, disabled, sick or homeless
people.<SPAN> </SPAN>The aid can be in the form of food parcels,
blankets, candles, rent of temporary housing, medical care or transportation to
safer areas. Some of those assisted are not of Christian
backgrounds.<SPAN> </SPAN>Examples:</SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px">-Poor grandparents in their
seventies struggle to provide for their two grandchildren who lost both parents
in a road accident.<SPAN> </SPAN>They receive weekly food parcels and
the some necessary medication.</SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px">-Food parcels are given to
families living in tents in the public park since their neighbourhoods were
destroyed. Some from other backgrounds are very surprised by Christian
aid.</SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px">- Praise God for faithful
Syrian Christians with the means to flee who have stayed to honour Christ by
serving the needy.<SPAN> </SPAN>Please the partnership to
prayerfully meet the basic needs of the brethren and bear witness to Christ’s
self-giving love.</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Aleppo has been facing additional difficulties lately -- being very much
under siege. bread, vegetables, fruits, meats etc have become very hard to
find in most parts of the large city. </DIV>
<DIV><BR><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px">A family with three
daughters (aged 12, 14, and 17) had to run away from a suburb of Aleppo, moving
to a safer neighbourhood inside the city where they live in one room of an old
house, sharing bathroom and kitchen facilities with several other families. The
father lost his job in the factory destroyed by the militants. He now seeks to
sell some vegetables on the street to help his family. They receive food parcels
and support for the rent of the room.</SPAN></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px"><SPAN>-<SPAN
style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px">A young family with one year-old
twins lost their home when their apartment building was destroyed in the
fighting. Both parents worked in a neighbourhood supermarket which was also
destroyed. They moved to live with poor relatives in a safer village. MERF
provides funds to buy milk for the babies.</SPAN></P>
<DIV>A godly <SPAN>Syrian</SPAN> lady in Damascus recently sent an
update on MERF diaconal aid to the most needy through
local <SPAN>Syrian</SPAN> churches in and around
the <SPAN>Syrian</SPAN> capital city: <BR><BR><I>"a good
portion is going for medications, another amount is going for school supplies
for needy children starting the new school term. It is a blessed privilege
to have the ability to help our people during this hard time. The most important
thing is the opportunity to visit these families, pray with them and share the
gospel. Most of them come to church and send their children to the Sunday
School. May our Lord bless and reward all those who are thinking,caring
and helping our
people."<BR></I></DIV></DIV></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML>