From Pain to Peace

Maria Elmasri was raised Catholic but never had or understood how to have a personal relationship with the Lord. One of the most painful memories for Maria was when her mother was losing her battle with cancer. Maria’s mother-in-law was a Christian and asked if she could come pray with her mom. As Maria watched, she saw her mother accept Christ just before she passed away. Maria decided she needed to see what this was all about and went to church. She answered the call herself and invited Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.

Maria, her husband, and her two children began attending church, where they all eventually became believers. Maria states that, “Jesus gave her the peace she needed to get through the pain of losing her mother,” and that “from the death of her mother, God made something beautiful happen: He brought my family to Him.”

Maria, her husband, daughter, and son-in-law attend Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside. She and her husband enjoy the fellowship, music, and word from Pastor Greg Laurie at church and at the SoCal Harvest events.