Bible Study

Mayada Mohammed Al-Ali was born in Syria into a family of four brothers and one sister. Mayada is the eldest daughter in her family. Her father worked in a government facility producing animal feed, while her mother stayed at home, focusing on caring for the family. Their financial situation was stable enough to cover their daily expenses.  

Mayada could not complete her education because her mother passed away when she was only ten years old. As the eldest, she had to leave school to help with household chores and take care of her younger siblings. Mayada found no rest until her father remarried, and her stepmother assumed the responsibility of caring for the family—responsibilities that Mayada had carried despite being so young herself.  

After enduring the painful years following her mother’s death, Mayada married at the age of twenty and gave birth to two daughters, Ruqayya and Rahaf. However, her husband proved to be irresponsible and unfaithful. Despite his constant betrayal, Mayada stayed with him until he left the family to live with his new wife.  

Forced to take charge of her life, Mayada began working on agricultural land to support her daughters after her husband abandoned his responsibilities. During the war in Syria, she fled with her children to Lebanon, settling in a tent in the Beqaa region of Tamnin. There, she continued working on farmland alongside her daughters to meet their needs. In 2015, her daughter Ruqayya got married, leaving Mayada with Rahaf.  

In 2019, Mayada suffered from severe diabetes and hypertension, which forced her to stop working on the land. Rahaf then became the sole provider for both herself and her mother.  

Mayada learned about the “Heart for Lebanon” organization through her neighbors, who encouraged her to attend a Bible study meeting. They spoke to her about the Christian teachings filled with love, which stirred a deep desire in Mayada to understand a faith that respects women and opposes polygamy. She was also deeply pained by the insults and curses she often heard from her grandmother, who claimed to be a devout Muslim. These experiences caused Mayada to feel repelled by the teachings of the Quran.  

Through Heart for Lebanon, Mayada experienced the love of Christ, especially when she heard one woman in the meeting share her testimony of transitioning from Islam to Christianity, explaining how the teachings of Christ touched her heart. This encouraged Mayada to learn more about Christianity. When the visitation team from the organization came to her tent, they showed compassion for her circumstances and registered her to receive monthly food aid.  

Today, Mayada lives in a state of peace with the Lord, having encountered the teachings of Christ. She said, “I thank the organization and everyone serving in this ministry for their efforts to bring those far from the Lord closer to Him.”