The boy with the big smile whose smile got bigger

Last week, Bible mission worker Nabil Saad told us a story of two boys in Syria. The story (see below) is something that could be shared with children or young people at home or in church.

The full interview with Nabil, who details the incredible Bible work going on in war-battered Syria, will be published in the next edition of the Bible a Month prayer letter.

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Little Fadi grew up in the tiny home of a single mother who was just about able to bring up him and his sister up by cleaning other people’s houses.

His mum would sometimes take him along on these cleaning expeditions and when he was old enough he started helping her. Some families looked down upon Fadi and his mum, but there was one family that took a special interest in them.

This family wouldn’t only pay them for the cleaning work, but would also give them gifts. Fadi loved going to this family and he would work even harder at helping his mum clean the home.

The son of the house saw recognised Fadi as a sweet kid despite the tough time some people gave him in school and in the neighbourhood. He knew Fadi as the boy with the big smile that never left his face.

One day the son of the house showed Fadi a battered old children’s Bible and they read it together. When Fadi saw the pictures he started smiling even more. He loved hearing about Jesus and something started growing in his heart.

Fadi was about eight years old when the son in the house thought it was time to tell his little friend about Jesus dying on the cross. But Fadi didn’t want to hear it and it became clear he’d been taught something else about Jesus at his particular school.

But later on when Fadi was now nine, he asked the son of the house: ‘Did Jesus really die on that awful cross? How could anybody do such a terrible thing to a person like Jesus?’

The son of the house looked at Fadi. The boy wasn’t smiling now and the son realised there was a battle going on in young boy’s heart. Slowly the son explained that Jesus suffered for each one of us, including Fadi, the sweet kid with the big smile.

After hearing this, Fadi was very quiet for the rest of the day. But the next week he returned with his mum to clean the house and immediately looked for the son.

Once he saw him he shouted: ‘I’m so unhappy. Jesus suffered for me. What can I do? Where can I see him?’

That day Fadi took his first step towards Jesus and when the son of the house told him that Jesus wanted to live in his heart, he fell to his knees and prayed.

That day Fadi’s new life began and his smile grew bigger. Wherever he went he didn’t only take his friend Jesus with him but also that battered old children’s Bible, which was given to him as a gift. In Jesus, he’d finally found someone who could make his smile even more real.

Some questions to encourage discussion:

• Why do you think the son of the house chose to be kind to Fadi instead of treating him like other children in the neighbourhood?
• What changed for Fadi that led him to become a follower of Jesus?
• What part did the Bible play in Fadi learning about Jesus?

 Nabil, Programme Coordinator for Bible Society in Syria, would never have been able to tell us the story of Fadi if it hadn’t been for that battered old children’s Bible. If you want to help get more Scriptures to more people in Syria and elsewhere, join Bible a Month for as little as £10 a month.

Find out about Bible a Month