Story
Maral Iskandarian was born in Bourj Hammoud, Lebanon, in a family of four that consisted of her parents and one brother. Her father was a tailor while her mother was a seamstress. Even though they were not rich, they were able to provide for their basic needs.
At the age of five, Maral started her schooling at a local private school. She was a top student, and thus, she graduated with distinction in 1990. Her goals were more inclined to follow engineering at college. Nevertheless, the persistence of the Lebanese Civil War was the trigger for the sudden change of her plans. The family had to live in makeshift bomb shelters due to the constant shelling of the neighborhood in Beirut, and at the same time, they had to struggle to maintain their life on a low income.
Maral’s educational endeavors became impossible after the halt of the war. She did not opt for the major of fashion design but she decided to learn the skill of sewing from her parents and thus became a seamstress. At the same time, she was also very loyal to her denomination, and on the other hand, she was very active at her church, she went to mass every day and was in the choir.
Nizar, a taxi driver who transports passengers from Aanjar to Beirut, would sometimes go to the same sanctuary where Maral would go to pray. It became their meeting point. After a long courtship of two years, they obtained the matrimonial vows. Maral lived with her husband in Aanjar, where they started a simple and happy family, with three sons and two daughters.
Even after the transfer, Maral was still a great member of her spiritual community. She kept the traditions and was partaking in church services. Through familial relations, she was introduced to her husband’s cousin, who was a regular attendee of Bible study classes conducted by Heart for Lebanon and he invited her to join.
The idea of learning about the Bible intrigued Maral and she started to study its deep and amazing teachings. For the next few weeks, she was always in class and took part in the discussions which gave her spiritual well-being and comfort.
The ideas gathered from these meetings helped Maral to have a deep understanding of spiritual growth. In conclusion, she said, “In the classes, I acquired the skill to develop a personal relationship with the Lord, and thank God for the blessings that he has given me. I also made new friends in the Christian community, and had deep discussions about the Bible, which was different from the small talk that we had in the past.”
With zeal, Maral seized the chance to extend her knowledge through discipleship classes, and in the end, she accepted the invitation to participate in the leadership training courses. Along with a pen and paper, she delved into the world of knowledge, actively involved and asking for the answers to the questions about Christian leadership and servanthood.
“Each lesson that I learn is a new wisdom that helps me choose the right words when sharing the gospel and a better way to know the people I want to help,” she said
Throughout her spiritual development, Maral wanted to be a vessel of divine grace.
