The Story of Yasmin

For me, education was a lifeline. I pushed through the challenges of being a refugee and managed to finish high school in Jordan. Later, God opened an unexpected door: I received a scholarship to study for my bachelor’s degree in Turkey. Still, every chance I got, I returned to Jordan to visit my family.

Those visits became precious for another reason as well. I found a second home at the ACCTS-AWT community center. It wasn’t just a place with training sessions; it was a place where love felt real. I saw the way the staff cared for my mother, listened to her, supported her, and treated her with dignity. I wanted to be close to that kind of love, so I spent much of my time there whenever I was in Jordan.

I often shared stories about the center with my Turkish friend, Maya. She was curious, maybe even a little skeptical. “Can such a place really exist?” she would ask. I could see her longing to believe that Christians could live out love in such a tangible way. So, when she traveled with me to Jordan to visit my parents just before Christmas in 2019, she told me firmly, “I want to see this center for myself.”

Her visit was short, only a week, but she made sure to set aside one special day. On the very first morning of 2020, Maya and I walked together to the center. Neither of us could have imagined how significant that visit would be. From the moment we entered, I felt something stirring inside me, like the atmosphere was charged with peace and expectancy. Looking back, I know it was the Spirit of God preparing the way.

Maya didn’t know Arabic or English, so I translated for her. We were welcomed by the director, who spoke with warmth and openness. Maya, curious about Christian traditions, asked him questions. Instead of giving a simple cultural answer, he gently began sharing the bigger story, the story of creation, how Adam and Eve fell, how sin broke the bond between God and humanity. Then he spoke of redemption, of how God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to restore what was broken and offer eternal life.

As I interpreted his words for Maya, something unexpected happened. The message didn’t just pass through me, it entered my own heart. It was as though God was speaking to both of us at the same time. For more than an hour, the conversation unfolded. We asked questions. We listened. And for the first time, light touched places inside of us that had been confused, restless, and searching.

We left the center that day differently than when we arrived. Maya kept saying, “I finally have answers… I never thought I would hear such things in my life.” For me, too, the message of salvation had become more than a story, it was an invitation, one that stirred both joy and wonder in my soul. The very next day, before she left Jordan, Maya wrote a note to the director. In it, she thanked him for welcoming her so warmly and for answering the questions she had carried for so long. She said it was the very first time she had met Christians in her life and spoken with them freely about faith. She was deeply moved and grateful for what she had discovered.

Now, Maya and I are back in Turkey, pursuing our master’s studies. We don’t know exactly what the future holds, but we both know that day in Jordan changed something forever. Seeds were planted, seeds of truth, hope, and eternal life. And though we walked away with many questions still, we also walked away with peace and joy we had not known before. I believe with all my heart that God led us to the center for that very purpose. He brought us there, at just the right time, so we could hear the message of salvation and encounter His love through His people. The journey is not finished, but the road has begun.

Please pray for us, that the seeds planted will grow into deep roots of faith, and that the light we received will never be dimmed.