When Thuraya was 14 years old, her understanding of faith was defined entirely by obligation and fear. Raised in a devout Muslim household in Syria, she followed religious rituals primarily out of a fear of hell, unaware that a personal connection with God was possible.
That perspective began to shift when war forced her family to flee Syria for Lebanon. Her father, previously a goat trader, was unable to restart his business in their new home. A year after their arrival, tragedy struck again: he fell critically ill. Doctors eventually informed the family there was nothing more they could do. For two months, he lay bedridden, barely able to move, eat, or speak.
Desperate for help, Thuraya’s mother accepted an invitation from a friend to attend a local Bible study and connect with an organization assisting displaced families. There, she heard the story of the woman in the Gospels who touched Jesus’ garments to be healed, alongside His invitation to give rest to the weary. Her mother prayed: “If You are the true God, You can heal my husband, and I will give You my life.”
Her husband recovered, and the family’s trajectory changed forever.
Thuraya began attending Bible classes, where simple lessons about God’s love resonated deeply. Between 2015 and 2016, she made the decision to follow Christ. Over the next few years, her entire family came to faith, including her sister, who had been the most devoted to Islam, and later her brother’s wife and extended family.
“When I entered either Manara or VTP, I felt a kind of comfort that made me feel like I was home,”
Having dropped out of school in the sixth grade to help care for her family, Thuraya had few avenues for personal growth. Four years later, at age 15, she became one of the very first students to register at the newly opened Manara Youth Center.
“At Manara, I was a new believer, so the staff invested in my siblings and me,” Thuraya says. Youth workers like Jessy and Rana took her under their wing, walking alongside her through her teenage years. Thuraya soon became a regular volunteer, assisting with daily operations and finding a sense of stability she had missed since leaving Syria.
As she grew older, she enrolled in the nearby Vocational Training Program (VTP). “When I entered either Manara or VTP, I felt a kind of comfort that made me feel like I was home,” she reflects. “Outside of VTP, I am the girl who is responsible for her family and has little time for herself. But at VTP, I have been able to discover something about myself and about the future God may have for me.”
The community at VTP stood by her through spiritual, emotional, and physical hardships. When her father passed away, the staff visited her home to grieve alongside her family. Trainers like Miss Joyce, who taught sewing and crochet, provided support that extended far beyond technical skills.
“I may not have the degree I thought I needed to build my future. But I have something greater.”
At VTP, Thuraya completed both sewing and computer programming tracks. For her final programming project, she built an e-commerce website to showcase her handmade crochet items, an achievement VTP celebrated by gifting her a laptop upon graduation.
Now 23 years old, Thuraya balances her creative ambitions with a demanding work schedule. Lacking a formal degree, she works as a cleaner, often taking on extra responsibilities like scanning documents. Yet, despite physical exhaustion, her drive remains intact.
“The people at VTP keep encouraging me,” she says. “When I am down, we pray together. They don’t just teach me. They walk with me.”
With a logo designed, two certificates earned, and support from a colleague helping her structure a social media strategy, Thuraya recently launched her crochet business on Facebook and Instagram. Her goal is to expand the venture into a recognized handmade brand and to use her work as a quiet testimony.
Reflecting on her journey, Thuraya remembers a moment during her computer programming course when she felt overwhelmed and exhausted. Her father had chuckled and said, “Let’s see how you feel when you get your certificate.”
Looking back at the eight years since she first walked into the youth center, Thuraya sees purpose in the path she took.
“I may not have gone to college like I once dreamed,” she says. “I may not have the degree I thought I needed to build my future. But I have something greater. I have eternal life, and today, I live for Him.”