Born into displacement, eleven-year-old Rasha grew up on a rooftop in Beirut — and found hope through the Adventist Learning Center. Now she's the one showing up for others.
"I felt my heart hurt when I saw that small girl," Rasha said as she climbed back into the car after distributing food to displaced people in downtown Beirut.
Rasha knows something about that kind of hurt.
She was born into displacement. Her parents had fled war in their home country, and the family of ten landed in a makeshift room atop an apartment building — two walls, a piece of steel, and tarp. When others offered to help reinforce it, the landlord threatened to raise the rent beyond what they could afford. So they stayed as they were.
Cooking, washing clothes, and keeping track of the younger children was no small task for Rasha's parents on that rooftop. When Rasha was around four, she tripped on one of the cement blocks littering the area and broke her arm.
Life began to brighten when her siblings started attending the Adventist Learning Center (ALC). Alexis Hurd-Shires, ALC director, recalls how Rasha loved the teachers' home visits and, even at two years old, talked excitedly about the day she would finally be old enough to go to school herself.
That day came. Now Rasha is eleven — flourishing in an environment of warmth, care, and excellent education. She speaks English with confidence and throws herself into everything the ALC offers: worship, Pathfinders, and service opportunities.
On a recent distribution of food to families displaced in Beirut, Rasha was among the volunteers — moving from location to location passing out the food boxes she and others had prepared for the people living in shelters and tents.
Among the five in the car that day was a mother from the ALC community who had lost her young daughter six weeks earlier. To mark the day, she had made her daughter's favorite food and brought it to share with the displaced families — a way of honoring her memory while helping others. Between stops, as Rasha and the others talked about what they had seen and experienced through helping, the mother listened, somehow comforted.
"I liked their kindness and love," Rasha said, thinking of the gratitude on people's faces as they received their package. "I felt my heart hurt when I saw that small girl… I loved her so much,” Rasha continued, referring to a tiny baby she had held for a while. “I gave her mom food so she can give it to her. I thank God I could help them," she concluded with a smile.
Rasha received care when she had nothing. Now she shows up to give it. Fleeing war, Rasha's family found hope. Cared for, taught, and shown what it looks like to give, Rasha already carries that hope with her and her hurt has become part of the healing.