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On June 22, 2025, Elias, his wife Hanane and their five kids went to church in Damascus, the capital of Syria. It was a normal Sunday; one of their sons, Ibrahim, 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 whole church was destroyed," Hanane says, remembering what is now one of the worst attacks in years against Syrian Christians. "I couldn't see where I was going."
"Pray for us to feel safe, to see our children growing up, and to be happy here."
Hanane, Syrian believer
She remembers anxiously searching for her five children, Elen, Sarah, Taqla, Ibrahim and Christina. The first one she saw was Taqla.
"I started shouting for the rest of my children, praying, 'Lord, please, let me find one more child. I'll be content to find just one more.'"
Praise God! All five children were safe, though Elias and 12-year-old Sarah were horribly injured. This past year, Sarah has required several surgeries to restore her vision; she still can't see out of her left eye.
As you can imagine, the last year has been incredibly difficult for Hanane and her family. As the wife and mother, she has faithfully held her family together.
And six months after the attack, she stood with her husband and children in the church for the first time since the blast. What happened is one of the most powerful expressions of fearless faith that you will ever see.
Watch this mother’s story of faithfulness in fear.
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 prayers and support are strengthening Hanane and her family—and so many other mothers as they care for and stand with their families. They continue to receive much-needed trauma care and long-term support through Open Doors' ministry in Syria. This healing work has been ongoing with those impacted by the bombing. And it's helping the resilient faith of brave families as they continue to worship Jesus in Syria, one of the most difficult places in the world to follow Jesus.
Hanane brings us up close to a mother's deep, persevering faith. Like so many of our persecuted sisters, she is raising her children to know and love God in a place where Christians can be targets of extremists … in a place where they have already been attacked.
"We do not love revenge," she says. "We go to church, but fear still exists. Yet, even if we are afraid, we will still go."
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. Hanane is resolute in her decision to follow Jesus and model faithful courage. Let her example and words inspire you: "No matter what happens, no matter how they scare us, I will keep coming [to church]," she says.
She also understands the importance of being part of the worldwide Church.
"I want to ask people, 'Never forget us,'" she says. "Pray for us to feel safe, to see our children growing up, and to be happy here."
As you honor and celebrate the mothers in your life today, please remember women like Hanane—and so many others who are discipling their families to trust Jesus.
