Source: www.opendoorsus.org
Date: May 7, 2026
On June 22, 2025, Elias, Hanane and their five kids went to church in Damascus, the capital of Syria. It was a normal Sunday; one of their sons was serving as an altar boy. As he walked forward to serve, holding his candle, gunshots rang out. A terrorist had entered the church, bent on killing as many people as he could. And he succeeded.
"The terrorist lost control of the situation," shares Elias, "so he detonated his explosives … you cannot imagine the scene."
"We believe that we live for the Lord, and we die for the Lord. Either way, we belong to the Lord."
Elias, Syrian believer
The bombing, one of the worst attacks in years against Syrian Christians, left more than 20 people dead, including seven of Elias' relatives. He and one of his daughters were horribly injured. The physical wounds and emotional scars are still with them.
But six months later, they returned to the scene of the blast. And what happened is one of the most powerful expressions of fearless faith that you will ever see.
Watch Elias' story ...
The violence and horror of June 22 are difficult to overstate. The suffering is immense—and any of us can imagine the terror of both living through it …. and watching our children live through the same trauma.
But your support is strengthening Elias and his family through Open Doors' partners work with trauma care. This healing work has been ongoing with those impacted by the bombing. And it's helping the resilient faith of this brave family as they continue to worship Jesus in Syria, one of the most difficult places in the world to follow Jesus.
"We believe that we live for the Lord, and we die for the Lord," Elias says. "Either way, we belong to the Lord."
This kind of faith isn't an accident. It's the Holy Spirit at work—the same Spirit that lives and works in you and everyone who claims the name of Jesus.
"We ask the whole world to feel what we as Christians feel," Elias shares. "To keep praying for us to be steady in this strength and this faith." Through your prayers, your advocacy and your gifts, you strengthen what remains—in Syria, and around the world. Elias and countless others risk everything to live for Christ, and they want us to stand with them.
Will you?
