My wife’s nephew has been through the ringer to say the least. I am humbly asking you to consider making a contribution so we can fund his exodus from the Holy Land to Europe, in particular securing funds for his required German Sperrkonto (blocked account for maintenance).

He is a hard-working, bookish, brilliant young man twenty-five years old and full of hope about his future and eager to make a life away from his war-torn country of birth. To look at him or speak with him you would never know he grew up a minority within a minority in a war-torn country on the Eastern Mediterranean seaboard. Most of his life was full of ups and downs as civil war tore the country apart when he was only ten years old. He endured many years without constant running water, without constant electricity and with explosions and jets interrupting daily life. Constant brownouts don’t make studying any easier. Even recently a church only a short walk from the family apartment experienced a suicide bomber attack. A foreign mother and an indigenous father presented a lot of opportunity but unique challenges – he grew up speaking three languages (and now needing to learn a fourth, German) but is as said one of the persecuted religious minorities.

My relative Dr Luke (not his real name, to protect his safety and identity) is a newly minted medical doctor, and a real hard-worker and overcomer. He is seeking to live a few years away from the stress of the Middle East and to further his medical training and experience by working in Germany -- in order to be a provider for himself and for his family, especially his elderly parents and his disabled uncle. His parents had very limited employment opportunities for an extended period of time due to ongoing conflict and instability and their advanced age; they relied on limited family support from distant relatives abroad.

To pursue these goals Dr Luke is seeking to have his medical degree recognized in Germany and practice there. For this to happen he is studying German independently and preparing to pass language tests at the Goethe Institute. He will have to pass additional language tests involving medical terminology and have his degree recognized.

Once in Germany the approbation process to have academic equivalency and full recognition to practice medicine can take up to a year and a half at minimum but could take up to three years!

To obtain legal residency in Germany there are many requirements not the least of which is the translation of all academic and civil documents from Arabic to German, legalization by consular authorities and payment of fees. Multiple trips in person or courier service may be required to accomplish this. The visa/residency permit Germany however requires a special blocked account with a balance of 11,904 Euros for 12 months, and 17,856 Euros for 18 months (2026 amount, 2027 may be higher)! The account has a $184.50 set-up fee and $11.50 monthly maintenance charges.

Although Dr Luke will be prepared to go to Bavaria in January or February next year (2027), he cannot even be considered for the visa/residency needed ahead of time and lawful admission unless he produces a letter showing such a balance with restricted, limited monthly access and, in addition, a health insurance policy! He wants to do it the right and legal way but will only be permitted to work part-time once there to supplement and cover the most basic living expenses (i.e. he will have to have a few roommates), and it will be in a limited capacity given his degree isn’t really recognized. Sadly, the family and extended family does not have the means to provide the kind of support needed. Airline tickets, trips to the consulate and a few nights here and there in a hotel are one thing extended family abroad could likely help with by using a credit card but needing as much as 20,000 Euros (23,208 Dollars) up front for this German blocked account to obtain the legal residency is an entirely different kettle of fish. We need to raise funds to cover the requirements for his visa, residency and academic equivalency process within the next 4 months.

Thank you for considering sowing into this young man’s life.

Matthew 25:40 (NASB) The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

Luke 12:48 (NASB) “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.”