Headlines often portray the Middle East and North Africa as mired in war, collapse, and religious tension. Chaos dominates the narrative. Yet within that turmoil, another story is unfolding—one marked not by decline, but by growth.

Across Libya, Syria, Iran, and migrant communities in Europe, instability has not extinguished faith. Instead, it has opened unexpected doors for the gospel. As leaders with NEO US often observe, “The more chaos we see in a region, the more God shows up.” This paradox is woven throughout church history—and today, it is being lived out on a remarkable scale.

Libya: Faith in the Crossfire

Libya has remained fractured since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Militias compete for control, civilians absorb the consequences, and stability feels distant. For years, Christian ministry seemed impossible.

Yet faith has taken root.

What began among Egyptian construction workers and Sudanese refugees has spread to Libyan nationals. Today, more than twenty Discovery Bible Study groups meet across the country. The cost has been high. Fahed, a 42-year-old leader overseeing five groups, was executed in the street. His wife and children continue to follow Christ, sustained by the community he helped build.

His story reflects a pattern seen again and again: efforts to crush the church often deepen its resolve. In Libya, chaos has exposed a hunger for truth—and the gospel is meeting it.

Syria: Hope in the Druze Mountains

Syria’s civil war has devastated communities and displaced millions. In such conditions, most organizations withdraw. NEO remained.

In the Druze mountains, teams minister amid sudden eruptions of violence. When clashes between Druze and Sunni Bedouin groups escalated—drawing in the Syrian government and Israel—local believers faced daily fear.

Nadim Costa described conversations with leaders on the ground:

“It’s extremely hard to hear team members asking that we take care of their wives and children if they don’t make it through the day. We pray together and wait for another morning. We need the mercy of God.”

Even here, faith is advancing. Druze leaders, once resistant to Christianity, are opening their communities to Bible studies and prayer. War has stripped away illusions of control, leaving many searching for hope—and finding it in Christ.

Iran: Revival Under Pressure

Iran offers one of the most striking examples of revival amid instability. Bombings in Tehran and Isfahan have displaced families. Surveillance and arrests have increased. Nationalist rhetoric paints Christians as traitors aligned with foreign powers.

By all outward measures, the church should be shrinking.

Instead, Iran hosts one of the world's fastest-growing Christian movements. Dreams and visions of Jesus are common, leading seekers to underground house churches. Families worship in secret. Children memorize Scripture. Leaders baptize new believers despite constant risk.

One Iranian believer shared, “We cannot stop the bombs or the persecution. But we can continue to worship. And in worship, we find our freedom.”

Chaos has not suffocated faith in Iran. It has accelerated it—driving people toward the peace only Christ provides.

Migrants in Europe: Revival on New Soil

The wars of the Middle East have carried people into Europe—men and women who fled violence only to arrive in societies where Christianity is often seen as a relic of the past.

Yet among migrants, faith is spreading.

Many testify to dreams and encounters with Jesus during their journeys. In Europe, they form communities of faith or join local churches, sharing the gospel with boldness. One migrant leader said it simply: “They thought we came to take from their country. But we came to give—to give them Jesus.”

Those once displaced by chaos are now catalysts for renewal. History is reversing as migrants become missionaries, bringing new life to places marked by spiritual fatigue.

Why Chaos Creates Opportunity

Chaos strips away false securities and exposes spiritual hunger. When systems fail and stability collapses, people become open to a hope that does not depend on governments, borders, or certainty. In those moments, community forms naturally—and the gospel finds space to take root.

Revival in the Ruins

The world sees chaos in Libya, Syria, Iran, and among migrants in Europe. God sees hearts opening.

The same instability that scatters families and topples governments is also shaking people awake to the gospel. In the rubble of war and the uncertainty of exile, faith is taking root and bearing fruit.

As Nadim Costa has said, “The face of the region—and the world—is changing.” ‍

In that change, the church is proving once again that chaos does not end faith—it often ignites it.