Answered Prayer as Young Syrian Boy “Finally” Is Baptized

When we first heard from SAT-7 KIDS viewer Jad, he was watching our programs in secret and longing for the day when he could get baptized and attend a local church safely. Three years later, everything has changed.

Jad, who is from Syria, was 17 years old when he first contacted us in 2021. We were delighted to hear that, since he was around ten years old, he had been watching SAT-7 and had grown to know and love God through our programs. Our children’s shows had even helped him through some of the darkest moments of his life, most of which relate to the civil war in Syria.

Marianne Awaraji, a long-time SAT-7 presenter who was in contact with Jad at the time, asked how he was affected by the violence around him.

“When the war started, everything changed,” Jad said. “I left my house; I left my region; I was far from my siblings and away from my dad.” He even recalled two harrowing experiences: when his father survived a murder attempt, and when he himself was kidnapped.

One of the things that helped Jad to deal with these traumatic events was the music he had memorized from SAT-7 KIDS programs. “Even when I was kidnapped,” he said, “I used to remember the songs. I used to sing them again and again.”

Following her conversations with Jad at that time, Marianne said, “Jad’s dream is to be baptized, but he believes it will be difficult for this to come true because his family doesn’t know about his faith. Let’s pray that this will become a reality somehow.”

It was a prayer that God was willing to answer. Three years after Marianne’s first contact with Jad, she heard from him again…

“Finally, I’ve Been Baptized!”

“Hi, I hope you remember me,” Jad’s recent message to Marianne began. “I am coming today with all joy, faith, gratitude, and praise, to tell you that little Jad, who used to watch SAT-7 KIDS on a small screen, not skipping any season of Let’s Sing Together – far from his parents’ eyes – has grown up.”

Then he shared two pieces of important news. First, he is entering his final year of studying English literature, which makes him feel very proud. But then came even bigger news.

“Today is my big day because I have been baptized!” Jad enthused. “All of this was thanks to you. You were like a lighthouse for me, lighting the way and guiding me to Jesus. I really want to share my joy with you and say thank you. Finally, I’ve been baptized! Thank you from the bottom of little Jad’s heart and big Jad’s heart.”

Jad’s prayers were answered in full: since his first contact with SAT-7, he has told his family about his faith and found a vibrant Christian community. “I’m going to a wonderful church, and I feel like I’m at home there,” he said. “I have amazing friends; they’re all supportive and loving.”

SAT-7 continues to play a big role in Jad’s life. “I never stopped watching you,” he told Marianne. “The day before my baptism, I was watching your program where you talked about the work of the Holy Spirit… You can’t imagine how much that episode changed me. I really love SAT-7.”

Jad wants other young SAT-7 viewers to know that “[God] is present in your prayers, and you can call out to God with joy.” He added a prayer for SAT-7: “I pray that you always stay strong for the sake of every believer who can’t live out their faith or receive the Good News due to their circumstances.”

It is clear that Jad’s faith is maturing, and Marianne is deeply encouraged by this fact. “Jad’s story reminds us that even in the most challenging circumstances, God’s light can shine brightly through SAT-7,” she commented. “What began as a secret seed of faith planted through our programs in his little heart has blossomed into a bold and open declaration of Jesus as Lord.”

The update from Jad came before the revolution in Syria, which saw Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Jad, like other Christians in Syria, is now having to live out his faith with the uncertainty concerning the new regime and what this will mean for minorities in the country, so please continue to hold him in your prayers.